“Through this fellowship I was reminded of the importance of community education, empowerment and action. I learned that the links between EJ & RJ are rooted in a tradition of questioning black humanity.” – Sophie Sylla
Through the course of the fellowship, each fellow was paired with a mentor with an environmental justice background and deep roots in the community – these mentors supported the fellows’ professional development and encouraged their passions regarding environmental, reproductive, and racial justice.
Camille was paired with Talia Dotson, who has been working in the equity and environmental education space in LA for many years, and among many other things, was heavily involved in the Kenneth Hahn Bowl revitalization. Their shared interests in both food justice and in land use adjacent to and involving oil drilling sparked many long and textured conversations. Sophie was mentored by Marie-Alise Recasner de Marco, who has deep roots in South LA, a background in theatre, and managed the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw farmer’s market for many years. Their shared artistic backgrounds, and deep love of community care and community organizing brought them together, and into spaces with other community members.
During the fellowship, in addition to learning and growing their EJ knowledge and skills, Sophie and Camille also used their positions as fellows to create opportunities for the community BWW serves to learn, grow, and start their own conversations about environmental injustice.
Over the course of 9 months, our fellows shared their growing knowledge widely, giving 15+ presentations to BWW members, South LA community groups, academic partners, and local government officials and agencies. They also hosted or participated in 60+ community events! This allowed them to build relationships and foster important dialogues about EJ and RJ within the Black community in South Los Angeles.
EJ Fellowship Projects
Sophie and Camille both completed fellowship projects during their time at BWW, with each fellow facilitating interviews with community members to uplift their voices and shine spotlights on different EJ issues. Their projects are described below, and you can also find links to explore each of their projects yourself!
Camille Samuels: Exploring Kenneth Hahn and its Relationship to the Inglewood Oil FieldOver 9 months, Camille researched, planned, and created a storymap exploring the history of Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area and its relationship to the Inglewood Oil Field, to better understand how South LA and its Black community has been shaped by these land uses. The storymap is available online here – check it out!
For her project, Camille received 147 responses to a survey asking community members about their relationship to Kenneth Hahn, and their knowledge of the IOF (Inglewood Oil Field). She also conducted 35 in-depth interviews with Black residents. The insights of community members are uplifted within the storymap, and inform its layout and content.
In addition, Camille led 2 community events in Kenneth Hahn Park itself. In Earth Month, she led a yoga session in a section of the park where oil drilling is particularly visible, and then led a group discussion. In May, in collaboration with Black Girl Environmentalist, she hosted a lunch and community hike through Kenneth Hahn, where participants explored the park’s ecology, learned about its environmental history, and enjoyed sweeping views of LA.
Camille’s community-rooted work around Kenneth Hahn and the IOF gained a lot of traction, and she was interviewed for a feature article by the Black-owned Los Angeles Sentinel – the article is available online here.
Great Job BWWLA & the Team @ Black Women for Wellness Source link for sharing this story.
