Fifteen Anacostia High School seniors celebrated becoming published authors during the launch of their book “Young Voices of the Anacostia River: Exploring Black Roots to the Eastern Shore and Back” at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Lamond-Riggs Campus on March 6.
The students’ book examines their observations of forests, local parks, and waterways in the Washington Metropolitan Area over five weeks of field trips as part of the 2024 Anacostia Summer Internship program. This program is a collaboration between the University of the District of Columbia, Nature-Wise, and Justice40, with support from Conservation Nation and Pepco under UDC’s Developing America’s Workforce Nucleus (DAWN) initiative.
In 77 pages of valuable insights, the high school seniors address environmental injustices, sharing their understanding of the District’s ecosystem with their readers.
Through poetry, prose, photography and collaborative reflections, the 15-person cohort produced an educational work of art, permanently solidifying their perceptions into history.
“I cannot tell you how sensitive, thoughtful, curious, brave and bold these students have been throughout the summer and leading up to this book launch,” said Caroline Brewer, founder of Nature-Wise, during the book launch. “They constantly surprised, amazed and impressed us with their willingness to do things that were very uncomfortable to them.”
To assemble this book, the authors were given various writing prompts about themselves and the activities in which they participated.
One of the 20 outings the students went on during their internship was to Ivy City, a neighborhood in Washington where half of its infrastructure consists of industrial warehouses, contributing to various environmental issues.
From poems reflecting on what people may not know about them, to reactions to Ivy City’s environmental crisis, to works praising themselves and each other, each student was required to be incredibly vulnerable to produce a powerful piece of literature.
“One thing I’m really glad I learned about is trying to better our environment, like specifically when we went to Ivy City. It made me think about pollution a lot,” said Kaishon Champ, one of the 15 students in the summer cohort.
With less than enough greenery to offset the glaring sun’s heat, the National Engineering Project building’s emissions of lethal toxins into the community’s air, and neglect from Washington’s government, Ivy City residents are at risk of cancer, respiratory issues and overheating.
Even though they grew up in the District, some Anacostia high schoolers weren’t aware of these issues until participating in the summer internship.
“I see Ivy City a lot, but I have not known about what’s going on in the community,” said student author Ziyah Givens. “That just shows me that you can see something, but not know as much until you dig deeper into what it is.”
Seeing the World Through Local Teens’ Eyes, Exposure to New Worlds
“Young Voices of the Anacostia River” forces audiences of all ages to listen to their outlooks and see the world through their bright eyes. Their words remind audiences to appreciate, understand and care for the world around them.
Throughout the book, the authors expressed their gratitude for Washington’s picturesque landscapes and the contributions of Black environmentalists in the area.
They reflected on the beauty of Oxon Run, the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Rock Creek Park and more. They analyzed the impact people like Harriet Tubman, Fret Tutman and John Francis had on the environment.
“As an educator, I believe that exposure is one of the most important things we can give our students, and this particular internship did just that,” said Chisa Williams-Perry, who has worked with these seniors since their freshman year. “Their experiences, their trips, their words– you were able to hear they were exposed to a lot of things that shifted their perspectives and opened their minds to different things.”
Programs like this summer internship are integral to a young person’s development and transition into adulthood, as they ground them and foster a deeper appreciation for nature’s beauty, thrusting them into the fight toward environmental justice and making them more environmentally conscious.
When exposed to new things, people may be enlightened about their purpose in life or find a new interest.
Senior Ziyah praised the program for giving her and other students the ability to explore various fields to learn about future career opportunities.
She celebrated the book as an avenue toward understanding and unity.
“We might be able to add to the puzzle of what’s going on and bring people together to connect with others that are like-minded,” she said.
Kaishon believes older generations should pay attention to the words written in this book because younger voices deserve to be heard, especially since this world is theirs to inherit.
“Even though we’re kids, we can still speak [and] we know what we’re talking about,” the student-author told The Informer. “They should know how important the world is to us.”