The Future Environmentalist

So much is going great for 2019 as far as the environmental movement, despite the tragic rollback on environmental, medicine, and food safety regulations.

In Donaldsonville and places nearby, new types of friendships and bonds between a diversity of humanity has been recently developing. And I enjoy helping in many of these moments. According to WBRZ's article "Gonzales officer fired after reporting his co-workers' alleged wrongdoing loses appeal, Moses Black, is a whistleblower from an ongoing police brutality investigation.

He is currently a candidate for Sheriff of Ascension Parish. His team is comprised of many successful, upcoming leaders of diverse fields. He is joined by Marlishia Williams, board member of St. James NACCP and the newest community advocate on voting rights, the movement against gun control, and other issues; Anthony Fernandez, whistleblower of the Vulcan Chemical Spill and Explosion Settlement Claim Cases; Cherie Fernandez, former Planning and Zoning Board Member and Board of Adjustment Member of Ascension Parish; current upcoming business owner in Iberville Parish, Delacey Joseph of new Recreation Coordinator for Donaldsonville in Ascension Parish/Owner of Dream Big Elite Basketball and Dream Big 100; Karen Marie, community advocate in Donaldsonville; Shantell North, Donaldsonville Head Start teacher, and myself 2018 Ascension Parish ICON Award winner.

Also, Angela Mitchell, a social worker in Donaldsonville, aids in organizing in different community events centered on community outreaching. Moses Black's platform centers around police department reform in Ascension Parish, which includes integrity training for officers, community relations training, more patrolmen positions in Donaldsonville, more community/sheriff department partnerships in all community events, tackling mental health with partnering up with professional facilities, and bringing in new ideas with the aid of other police officers in neighboring communities.

Marlishia Williams organizes a growing panel of diverse experts that meet every month to bring awareness, organize plans, and follow up on tasks performed in the community on Facebook livestream to combat different community issues around the nation. She brings in a large amount of different viewers from Maine and other places.

Anthony Fernandez met with The Advocate newspaper company at the Ascension Parish Library in Donaldsonville to help bring an investigation against some lawyers and former judges, who work in the 23rd Judicial District. According to WAFB's segment "Chemical spill victims express dissatisfaction with settlement amount awarded," his investigation comes from a case that involved 233 plant workers being victims of two chlorine chemical exposures at the Vulcan Chemical plant, which Vulcan Chemical is now bought by Occidental Chemical Corporation in Geismar, Louisiana.

Some plant workers were dissatisfied about the about the amount of money settled, the lawyers' large amount taken from the settlement, "leftover funds" that were distributed, and documents that were withheld by their lawyers from Anthony and other plant workers.

In New Orleans according to Nola.com's article "Gordon Plaza residents continue to press New Orleans mayor for city-funded relocation," Angela Winslaw is an advocate on many issues ranging from protesting against ICE to advocating worker's rights alongside multiple organizations.

She and other homeowners are battling city officials in an ongoing crisis in Gordon Plaza, which victims were tragically effected by highly contaminated soil wrongfully sold to them without warning, and they are demanding relocation. She and others are making great progress in developing goals to put an end to this ongoing crisis. And out west according the Victoria Advocate's "Trial begins in activists' pellet lawsuit against Formosa Plastics," Diane Wilson and other communities rallied together in Victoria, Texas to become victorious in a long, hard fought battle against Formosa Plastics Corporation.

Formosa Plastics Corporation is a plastics producing corporation that is currently trying to develop in St. James, Louisiana. Diane Wilson was joined by her community in Sea Drift, Texas; citizens of Louisiana; communities around the nation; and citizens of Taiwan. Netflix, Victoria Advocate, and KAVU-TV news were in attendance.

As the first part of the case is won, the second case will determine if Formosa has to pay of fine of $184 million dollars in damages from a history of pollution in the community.

Being connected to hundreds of organizations, scholars, and communities around the world including clients of the America Civil Liberties Union, I enjoy helping out with these people and on other community issues to bring people together. As I tour many states as an organizer and networker, I see hope. As I talk with folks in Kenya, El Salvador, and India via internet, I see hope. As I talk with folks in Donaldsonville, I see hope. God is really with us as He is the mastermind in all of this, and I hope more can join us in the fight for a better world for all of us.

Lastly, according to WDSU News' article "Not in my back yard: Residents of Tangipahoa against possible battery processing plant," Kim Coates and the Save the Manchac Coalition took on Syrah Resources, a lithium producing corporation. With both republicans and democrats working together, they defeated the proposed project heading into their community.