WFU event to share stories of environmental justice in NC communities
Two national authors will speak on Oct. 23
Wake Forest University will host two national award-winning authors to talk about their work in capturing and documenting the stories of marginalized communities in North Carolina who are facing challenges from pollution, climate change and other environmental justice issues.
The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Porter Byrum Welcome Center.
The discussion is sponsored by the University’s Environmental and Epistemic Justice Initiative, a research and pedagogical project that examines how and in what ways race and regimes of racial knowledge shape and inform our scholarly practices, public policies, and normative concerns supported by a major grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Environmental justice is the work of everyone.
Corey D. B. Walker, Dean of the School of Divinity, Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities, and principal investigator for the initiative
“By hosting these two authors, we offer students, faculty, citizens and environmental justice advocates the opportunity to engage their work and share fresh perspectives to inform scholarship, teaching and public policy,” said Walker.
The upcoming author’s forum will feature guest speakers Ryan Emanuel and Corban Addison. The free event is open to the public.
The author forum is one of several events and activities hosted by the Environmental and Epistemic Justice Initiative. In June, organizers welcomed six journalists, along with scholars, organizers and other professionals as part of its Summer Institute.
Emanuel, an environmental scientist and professor at Duke University who is a member of the Lumbee tribe, will discuss what shaped his latest book ”On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice.” He’ll recount stories that highlight Indigenous survival and resilience amid significant environmental changes in eastern North Carolina. His work addresses issues ranging from wetland loss to the impact of gas pipelines and Indigenous rights in these vulnerable areas.
“I set out to write a book that celebrated Indigenous peoples’ cultural connections to water in eastern North Carolina. But celebration comes with great cost,” said Emanuel. “To truly appreciate our stories, people have to understand what we’ve endured to preserve our connections to water, and they need to recognize the challenges that we still face.”
Addison, an international best-selling author, journalist and human rights activist, will share his journey of capturing the stories behind a long legal battle fought by North Carolina residents who live near industrial hog operations. It’s the center of his book titled “Wastelands.” He’s looking forward to engaging with students and hopes to show how writing can open doors and windows to undiscovered truths and deeper conversations.
“After hearing the story of wastelands, it’s hard not to feel inspired. I love talking to young people because they bring a natural hopefulness to the conversation,” Addison said. “They believe in change, and they have the energy to pursue it. The world is full of big challenges, including one highlighted by the book— the challenge of our industrialized food system to the natural environment and human flourishing. It’s my hope to inspire people of all ages to care more about the planet and their neighbors and consider what they can do to tackle issues like this.”
A question-and-answer session will follow the speakers’ presentations.
As part of the Summer Institute program, the six Wake Forest Mellon Environmental Justice Journalism Fellows will report on a variety of topics, including heat islands, energy poverty and climate displacement. Those in-depth story projects will be published by a variety of news outlets and will be made available on the Environmental & Epistemic Justice Initiative website for public and scholarly reference.
