Ep 119 Dr. Wright on Cancer Alley, Community Power, and Environmental Justice

About this episode

Dr. Beverly L. Wright discusses her experiences with environmental justice and the impact of the petrochemical industry in Louisiana.

Dr. Beverly L. Wright is an award-winning environmental justice scholar, advocate, author, civic leader, professor of Sociology, and the Founder and Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), the first-ever environmental justice center in the United States. Born and raised in New Orleans, Dr. Wright has experienced and witnessed the polluting effects of Cancer Alley–an 85-mile stretch of land between Baton Rouge and New Orleans that is home to over 150 petrochemical plants and refineries– her entire life. This conversation focuses on solidarity, mutual aid, and the practice of joy. We discuss the widening racial and economic divide, the need for healing, and Dr. Wright’s powerful legacy in environmental justice and how the petrochemical industry is degrading the spirit of Louisiana Find more about Dr. Wright on the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice website: https://dscej.org/beverly-wright/

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Beverly L. Wright

Topics covered

• environmental justice
• community power
• health disparities
• racial divide
• mutual aid
• petrochemical industry

Keywords

• environmental justice
• Cancer Alley
• Dr. Beverly L. Wright
• community power
• petrochemical plants
• racial divide
• mutual aid

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Deep South Center for Environmental Justice

Places: Cancer Alley, Louisiana, New Orleans, Baton Rouge

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