Faithful Stand Against Environmental Racism

“From a spirit standpoint, folks are kind of beat-down and don’t feel like they can talk to their government or do anything about folks running over them...” 

Jeronimo Nisa. Thanks to LCWR.

Rev. Ronald C. Smith is the pastor of Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Union Springs, Alabama and is an instructor of forestry and natural resources at Tuskegee University. Smith and his family live near Stone’s Throw Landfill, one of the largest landfills in Alabama that has been expanded several times by taking land from black homeowners whose families have lived in nearby Tallassee for generations. Represented by Earthjustice, Smith and several other residents have filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its backlog; the community has had pending EPA complaints dating as far back as 1994. Motivated by his faith, Smith continues to fight for a clean and healthy environment for his community now and for generations to come. Learn more in this Center for American Progress article entitled “10 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2018” and in this Earthjustice article entitled “Righting Civil Wrongs.”

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