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Restoring oceans:
Andrea Williams, 56
Vice President at National Association of Black Scuba Divers
On her work restoring coral reefs: “I want people to have access to the beauty of our oceans and what it offers us. It’s an amazing space. So, conservationist or citizen scientist—call me whatever you want, but I really just want to make sure that our next generations have an earth to live on. It’s pretty much that simple.”
Making films:
Lawrence Green, 41
Director of the short film “Trashman”
On his recent film about trash pollution in his Ward 8 neighborhood: “As a filmmaker, and an environmentalist, I think it’s important to really show how bad the issue is in an artistic and visually appealing way that doesn’t turn people off, but also pulls them in and makes them interested and really care—and care enough to want to do something about it.”
Arguing for environmental justice in court:
Taylor Lilley, 29
Environmental Justice Staff Attorney at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
On supporting community voices: “A lot of the work that we’ve done can be traced back to just people paying attention and refusing to be shut out of spaces—people supporting other community members, people not ignoring each other. Not everything has to be legal intervention. Sometimes support, advocacy and paying attention is just as important as being able to actually file a comment letter.”
Educating the youth:
Ronnie Webb, 37
Executive Director of The Green Scheme
On the Ward 8 Water Watchers youth program and Oxon Run Creek: “We bring subject matter experts to our community so our community can become change agents for the environment, for their health. We do it using our natural resources, our backyard, our green space, our creek space. And we just make it an educational experience.”
Mobilizing for change:
Kari Fulton, 37
Organizing Director for the Center for Oil & Gas Organizing
On climate justice: “I want people to know that there’s a lot of science and a lot of numbers, but at the end of the day, we’re working for the good life. That’s it. People want to have healthy lives. People want to be able to protect the land that they live on and maybe even get buried next to their elders and their grandparents. And we can’t do that if we’re not taking care of our planet. I think people want to create this narrative that climate change is too technical for the common man to understand—and that’s not true.”
Growing a business:
Falani Spivey, 37
Founder of Byrd’s Nest Box, a fresh produce company specializing in curated farm boxes
On the big picture behind her company: “I was born and raised in D.C., but during the summertimes, I traveled to North Carolina a lot to visit my grandparents and be on their farm. So I’ve merged my family history and genealogy, and African American homesteading traditions, with my business. That’s really the principle pillar: to honor the traditions of African American homesteaders and farmers and growers.”
Learning for the future:
Kennedy Williams, 21
Junior majoring in Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies at Howard
On choosing Howard to study environmental issues: “I feel like it was important to be surrounded by my peers who look like me to have these conversations, knowing that a lot of people of color are experiencing environmental racism on a different level.”
Researching community health:
Michelle Mabson, 33
Staff Scientist for the Healthy Communities program at Earthjustice, an environmental litigation organization
On the work she does as a scientist and science communicator: “A lot of my job is looking at the science behind ‘Well, what exactly are these chemicals? How do they cause human health harm?’… A lot of it is taking fairly complex scientific explanations and then translating it not only for my team, but also for our partners and clients so that they can do the work out there, doing advocacy at the local level.”