by Erica Baumgardner '16

This year's spring EquiKnox speaker, Beverly Wright, began her lecture by calling her audience to action.

"Please try to get engaged in global climate policy. It's important for your children and for your future ... stand up for something and make a difference," Wright said during her April 13 lecture on the Knox College campus.

Wright, who is the founding director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and recipient of the Heinz award, has dedicated much of her life to the field of environmental sociology. Her presentation -- "Environmental and Health Inequalities in the Lower Mississippi River Industrial Corridor" -- outlined her community's decades-long struggle against industrial injustices.

Just as she had hoped, Wright's words served as inspiration for Knox students in the audience.

Forrest Linsell '15, an anthropology and sociology major, said that the lecture helped her gain a sense of direction within her academic interests.

"I was inspired by how she applied her degree to make a difference in the lives of others ... it gave me great inspiration for how I can apply my own degree," Linsell explained.

Yeomin Kim '18 reflected on the determination of Wright and her fellow community members throughout their fight against the oil industry.

"There were a whole range of emotions that I felt during the presentation ... I was both disheartened and inspired," Kim said.

In the presentation, Wright said the Lower Mississippi River Industrial Corridor is often referred to as "Cancer Alley" and has one of the highest cancer rates in the United States. The corridor's problem, she said, stems from an abundance of loosely regulated oil refineries and the oil industry's strong hold on its economy -- an issue she refers to as "industrial poisoning."

Along with a high rate of cancer cases, Louisiana also has one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the country, with African Americans making up a disproportionate amount of those deaths, she said.

During her time as a professor at Dillard University in New Orleans, Wright founded the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. The center is a partnership between the university and surrounding community that works to empower community members to challenge environmental and health inequalities.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the center has focused on research and community outreach and has worked to educate displaced African American residents of New Orleans.

The EquiKnox Series -- organized by the Knox College Office of Sustainability -- brings renowned speakers on issues of sustainability to the campus each fall and spring.