Episode 16: Environmental Justice

Episode Date: August 17, 2025
"Environmental justice is about more than saving the planet鈥攊t鈥檚 about saving people, especially those who鈥檝e been left out of the conversation for far too long." 鈥 Dr. Reiland Rabaka
In this episode, Dr. Rabaka examines the intersection of environmentalism, social justice, and the fight for equality. This powerful conversation unpacks how environmental issues disproportionately impact marginalized communities鈥攁nd why that matters for democracy.
From climate change and pollution to food insecurity and clean water access, this episode challenges us to see environmental activism as inseparable from human rights.
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Key Voices in Environmental Justice
Dr. Robert D. Bullard
Widely regarded as the 鈥淔ather of Environmental Justice,鈥 Dr. Bullard is a Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University and founding director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. His pioneering scholarship and advocacy exposed how pollution disproportionately harms communities of color and low-income neighborhoods.
Selected Books & Reports:
Learn more: 路
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
Civil rights leader, minister, and longtime environmental justice advocate, Dr. Chavis helped bring national attention to toxic waste siting in Black communities and co-led the landmark 鈥淭oxic Wastes and Race鈥 research that shaped the EJ movement. He has served in leadership roles across major civil rights and media organizations.
Selected Work:
Learn more: 路
Majora Carter
Urban revitalization strategist, entrepreneur, and MacArthur Fellow, Majora Carter founded Sustainable South Bronx and champions community-led green infrastructure, local ownership, and environmental health in historically disinvested neighborhoods.
Projects & Media:
Learn more:
Winona LaDuke
Renowned Indigenous environmentalist, author, and organizer, Winona LaDuke co-founded Honor the Earth and advocates for sustainable development, Tribal land rights, and climate justice rooted in Indigenous knowledge and sovereignty.
Selected Books:
Learn more: 路
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Episode 15 Playlist
- What's Going On 鈥 Marvin Gaye
- Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) 鈥 Marvin Gaye
- Earth Song 鈥 Michael Jackson
- Burnin鈥 and Lootin鈥 鈥 Bob Marley & The Wailers
- Big Yellow Taxi 鈥 Joni Mitchell
- My City Was Gone 鈥 The Pretenders
- People Got to Be Free 鈥 The Rascals
- We Almost Lost Detroit 鈥 Gil Scott-Heron
- Down to Earth 鈥 Peter Gabriel (from WALL-E soundtrack)
- After the Gold Rush 鈥 Neil Young
- A Change Is Gonna Come 鈥 Sam Cooke
- Cranes in the Sky 鈥 Solange
- Take Care My Baby 鈥 Matthew E. White
- River 鈥 Leon Bridges
- The Charade 鈥 D鈥橝ngelo & The Vanguard
- Black Gold 鈥 Esperanza Spalding feat. Algebra Blessett
- Pollution 鈥 Tom Lehrer
- Be Free 鈥 J. Cole
- God Bless the Child 鈥 Billie Holiday
- This Bitter Earth 鈥 Dinah Washington
What did we miss? Please let us know at thecaaas@gmail.com.
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