Nov 20, Prince George’s County Councilmember Wanika Fisher (District 2) joined other county leaders, environmental justice advocates and state representatives to discuss how to pursue climate justice in underserved and overburdened communities.
The panel was one of several during County Executive Aisha Braveboy’s Inaugural Climate Leadership Summit at Bowie State University.
“How do we build a balanced county? A county that balances development and growth with environmental justice and equity?” Asked the panel’s moderator, Vernice Miller-Travis.
Miller-Travis is a storied environmental justice advocate who worked to reduce hazardous waste that caused asthma for children in Harlem. She was the founding director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Environmental Justice Initiative.
Fisher, who is running for Prince George’s County State’s Attorney, said members of underserved communities need to vote and engage with public officials to ensure that their communities are protected.
“I think it’s important for us to know how our county functions in these issues,” she said, “and not just complain about them.” Fisher said county council members try to represent voters in their district and form coalitions with other council members whose constituents have similar interests. “We have one of the most diverse councils in the country and in the state of Maryland,” Fisher said, “but I will say that the folks that are coming to advocate about the environment and about certain projects tend to look a certain way and they tend to not look like the council.”
Panelist Aneca Atkinson, Maryland’s assistant secretary for environmental justice, said that both the state and the county must work to make information about environmental impacts as accessible as possible to those in underserved communities.
Atkinson described her childhood living in public housing in Philadelphia, and explained how although impoverished communities are intimately aware of the consequences of a harmful or toxic environment, they are often not given the educational tools to make informed decisions when it is time to vote.
Part of her role as assistant secretary is to find ways to engage these communities and get them the information they need.
“Don’t come and tell me about reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said from the perspective of someone who may not have the technical knowledge of climate change. Atkinson said it is important to draw connections between environmental degradation and negative health outcomes.
Fisher also stressed the importance of communication in both directions, saying residents must be vocal about their concerns. It is not enough for elected officials and leaders to reach out, but they must also be doing so to a population that is willing to engage, she said.
Fisher described a partnership between leaders and their constituents, where both sides provide guidance on how to best improve the county as a whole. She called on voters to be more vocal about how their communities are affected locally by climate policy, particularly communities of color.
“From the elected officials’ perspective, we want you to show up for the things you like and the things you don’t like,” she said.
Panelist Nicole Jackson echoed the importance of communication, particularly through listening to community members. Jackson is the climate action team lead for the Sierra Club in Prince George’s County, as well as director of education for the Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH), an area nonprofit. She explained how leaders should be looking to the community for authoritative insight into how policy affects them.
“We need to start looking at using our community members as experts within the community. They know best how their communities are being affected,” she said. Jackson advocated for community-led impact assessments for pollution and even data center development.
Jackson’s call for communication extended toward supporting coalition building among grassroots organizations as well. She explained that solidarity between organizations with likeminded causes can serve as a bulwark against harmful environmental effects on local communities.
Jackson also said that she thinks the council can do better to highlight the achievements of community members and organizations like CEEJH and the Sierra Club in the field of environmental justice.
“I always like to remember that we do a lot of great things in Prince George’s County, too,” she said. “I think the council needs to get better at sharing those with the community,” she said to Fisher.
The final panelist was the Events and Partnerships Director at Defensores de la Cuenca, Gabriela Rivera, who mentioned the critical need to honestly engage with Latino communities in the county. She mentioned the success of programs like Spanish language accommodations and cultural sensitivity.
Rivera’s comments are especially relevant to Fisher’s district, which, according to Fisher, is around 52% Latino.
Throughout the summit, leaders mentioned the importance of addressing the needs of underserved and overburdened communities. They highlighted how important local communities are to the overall health and status of the county.
“When you protect the most vulnerable communities, you make the entire county more resilient,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain.