WHAT DOES RESILIENCE AND RECLAIMING THE ENVIRONMENT
LOOK LIKE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY?
Nature Forward’s Taking Nature Black Conference invited HBCU and other higher education students to use their artistic talents and imagination to bring attention to environmental challenges faced by the Black community. Use personal experiences, history, and unique perspectives.
FINALISTS
Theo Daniels
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Injustice/Joy
For my submission, I created a three-and-a-half-minute short reflecting on the state of the climate crisis within the Black community.
The piece focuses on environmental justice specifically, drawing on public health, political oversight, and intergenerational connectedness to convey the disparities caused by injustices.
As a D.C. resident, I utilized static and moving shots of contrasting spaces in the city: one is a well-looked-after green space, and the other is an often overlooked neighborhood.
ABOUT THEO DANIELS
I am a Class of 2024 graduate from the illustrious Howard University where I received degrees in Environmental Science and Political Science with Latin honors.
While at Howard, I worked at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and NASA.
I also conducted climate science research at Stanford University, the University of Washington, and in La Paz, Bolivia. I started my Master’s degree in Environmental Metrology and Policy at Georgetown University last fall.
Additionally, I work as the Associate Director of Policy and Programs
at the Rachel Carson Council, where I advocate for climate justice in the federal policy landscape.
Simone Couther
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY
The building image is St. Helena Elementary School located in Norfolk, VA where due to it being in close proximity to one of the largest seaports, tidal flooding is severe.
For this design project, it was my goal was to raise awareness of the practicality of using green infrastructure to improve soil health, filter stormwater runoff, and reduce the pressure on city storm drains.
ABOUT SIMONE COUTHER
I am currently finishing my undergraduate degree in Fine Arts where I plan on taking what I have learned and applying it through community outreach.
As a mixed media artist, I explore and reimagine the relationships between humanity and the environment we inhabit.
My artwork captures the beauty and radiance that can emerge after destruction, highlighting our ability to take action and adapt. My works are often a call for us to find comfort in knowing that we can all contribute to something beautiful through observation, perseverance, and ongoing collaboration.
Zoey Stancil
FISK UNIVERSITY
Stop the Toxins
We are one with the land. Environmental issues are civil rights issues, since we depend on nature so greatly. A family in Louisiana has first-hand experience with the effects of environmental racism; a young activist named Kamea has had asthma practically her whole life. As she got older, her skin started to itch, burn, and break out. She was then diagnosed with a skin disease. After tests, doctors told her that her skin condition was caused by environmental hazards. The polluted air around her is peeling her skin off. Petrochemical facilities poison the air, spewing chemicals and pollutants that cause illnesses.
We must protect the environment because all elements of the earth are part of the greater soul of the universe. Indigenous culture respects and honors the spirit of the land and everything it provides us. Many cultures believe that we must have a two-way reciprocal relationship with nature. Western society too often views nature as a commodity to be consumed. We need to adopt a more eco-based mindset in which nature and mankind are equal in a reciprocally beneficial symbiotic relationship.
ABOUT ZOEY STANCIL
I am a senior Art major at Fisk University with a deep passion for fighting environmental injustice.