“In a lot of ways it goes back to the idea of some bodies literally being valued more than other bodies.” Anya Groner, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
The article centers on Sharon Lavigne, an advocate for environmental regulation in the St. James Parish region of Louisiana. The region is home to hundreds of petrochemical and petroleum plants, which emit carcinogens into the air of the surrounding mostly Black communities. Groner talks about how the history of slavery and Black oppression enables present-day environmental racism.
Listen: Anya Groner on the history and reality of environmental racism.
Guest
Anya Groneris a writer and teacher at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Her piece in the Atlantic’s Inheritance project is titled “One Oppressive Economy Begets Another.” She says the region of Louisiana featured in her article is a classic example of environmental racism. ”It’s often called cancer alley … because there’s so many