The Colin Powell School Hosts Discussion on Pollution and Black America
Words by Sarah Logan
Cover graphic taken from the flyer of event
On October 1st, The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership held a virtual panel discussion about pollution and its effects on black communities. Of the speakers were journalist Linda Villarosa, the director of City College’s journalism program, and architect/urbanist Shawn Rickenbacker, an Associate Professor of Architecture at the CCNY Spitzer School of Architecture. The discussion was moderated by Trevor Houser, a City College alumnus of the Climate Policy Fellows program.
The discussion answered many questions regarding pollution and how it negatively affects minority and low-income communities. Houser began the discussion by providing the audience with some data. “Compared to white Americans, black Americans in the US have an 80% higher proximity to waste processing facilities, 50% higher proximity to facilities that contain hazardous substance, and are 75% more likely to live next to a refinery,” he said.
Villarosa then discussed the reasons why she is so interested in this topic and how she has been able to explore it through journalism. Growing up in Colorado, she described a “pocket of smog” that was always present in her childhood. It inspired her to take action against pollution. She spoke about her experience in Grays Ferry, Philadelphia, one of the communities afflicted by pollution.
Rickenbacker discussed the negative effects of redlining and zoning policy and pollution in New York City. The North River Wastewater Treatment Plant is located in City College’s backyard at 145th street near Riverbank State Park. Rickenbacker says that the location of the plant was decided primarily by who lived in that area, and it “targeted areas where minority populations live.”
The panelists also discussed ways that social advocates and journalists could efficiently use their passion and concern. Villarosa talked about how she used data in her research. “Because I am not a scientist myself and I am not collecting data, I usually get it from someplace else,” she said. She used the example of Philly Thrive when she was reporting in Grays Ferry. “Philly Thrive was finding it hard to get their data, so they set up their own questionnaire, went door to door, and conducted a survey,” she said. Rickenbacker also stressed the importance of data in advocacy and journalism. “Advocacy is important and useful, but there’s a new useful weapon, and that is data,” he said.
With these issues afflicting black communities, journalists and professors like Villarosa and Rickenbacker hope that the next generation of students advocates for communities that are affected by pollution, redlining, and policy zoning.
