March 17, 2010
UTNE READER

Black and White and Mad All Over

Country and city folk strive for enviro-justice

November 10, 2005
Lynn Henning and Rhonda Anderson Grist 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

When Rhonda Anderson of Detroit met Lynn Henning of Hudson, Michigan, in the halls of the Statehouse, they were both there looking for justice. After chatting a while, these two Sierra Club organizers realized that their communities -- one black and urban, the other white and rural -- were facing similar struggles against big polluters. The revelation inspired the pair to organize a daylong bus tour that would bring people of different races and locales together and show them firsthand that they're allies in the fight for a clean environment. Anderson and Henning share their thoughts on the trip with Grist.

RELATED CONTENT

Country and city folk took turns visiting their respective communities, seeing how industry is affecting their environments. In Hudson, they saw concentrated animal-feeding operations that spray untreated animal waste over the fields, unleashing not just a stench into the air but also chemicals, growth hormones, and antibiotics into the soil and, in turn, the water. In Detroit's 'Cancer Alley,' they saw the Marathon oil refinery dumping into a nearby river. Henning, the owner of a family farm, writes, '... they're all the same -- they're dumping, and some community is going to have to deal with the mess.'

The group came away from the trip with ideas, such as a joint lobby day when the two groups can go talk to public officials about environmental issues together. As Anderson put it, 'I think it's going to be very powerful when a white farmer is accompanying a black community leader into a meeting with a legislator to say, 'Their issues are our issues too, and we're going to keep coming back here with them until you start listening to the people instead of the polluters.''
-- Archie Ingersoll

Go there >> Black and White and Mad All Over

Related Links:

Related Links From the Utne Archive:

Comments? Story tips? Write a letter to the editor

Like this? Want more?Subscribe to Utne magazine

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!