From the Desk of Dr. Beverly Wright 

Fresh off New York Climate Week 2026, Dr. Beverly Wright reflects on powerful, hard-hitting conversations, systemic climate challenges, and the collective strength driving real community resilience. In this summary, she highlights the urgency to continue the fight for environmental justice, addressing ongoing funding battles, systemic inequities in frontline communities, and the vital power of grassroots leadership demanding systemic change. Read More >

Advancing Environmental Justice Research 

We’re entering the fourth quarter with new research in print and invitations to share it with scientific, industry, and policy audiences.

The Center’s recent publication, Environmental Justice Data Action Portal,  by Dr. Beverly L. Wright, Babafemi Adesanya, Neha Neekhra, and Simone English, in Environmental Justice Journal, shows DSCEJ is using data to ensure communities most impacted by pollution finally have access to the environmental data that affects their lives.

That evidence is now traveling. DSCEJ has several invited presentations built on its research activities this quarter:

November 2, Washington, DC. Dr. Babafemi Adesanya, Director of Research Initiatives, joins the session The Case for Renewable Chemicals That Are Both Safer and Sustainable at the 2026 AFCC Global Biobased Economy Conference & Exhibit. The panel explores how renewable chemicals can also reduce health hazards and the disproportionate pollution burden on chemical workers and fenceline communities.

December 2 to 3, San Francisco. Dr. Babafemi Adesanya, Director of Research Initiatives, has been invited to take part in the Toxics Solutions Summit hosted by the Passport Foundation.

December 11 to 14, AGU Conference. Dr. Wright will speak, and DSCEJ is named as co-presenter on two poster presentations.

Together, these appearances put community-centered research in front of scientists, industry leaders, and funders who shape what happens next along the Mississippi River Chemical Corridor and beyond.  Learn More >

Louisiana’s Offshore Wind Opportunity

Following her participation in a study tour of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) Energy Justice Researcher Windy Beck highlighted the immense economic and clean energy potential offshore wind offers Louisiana. Equipped with world-class maritime infrastructure, active deepwater ports, and a highly skilled energy workforce, Louisiana is uniquely positioned to lead the region’s transition to renewable energy.

To fully realize these benefits, DSCEJ outlines three key pillars for an equitable energy future:

• Economic & Community Opportunity: Clean energy expansion is a major economic development opportunity that must benefit local workers, maritime supply chains, and businesses.
• Frontline Community Leadership: Decision-makers must ensure frontline residents have a meaningful seat at the table so decisions about investments, jobs, and infrastructure directly serve and protect vulnerable communities.
• Just Transition: Renewable development must proceed with strong environmental justice oversight to prevent disproportionate burdens and guarantee lasting local benefits.

By grounding offshore wind expansion in environmental justice and community leadership, Louisiana can power its future while supporting the workers and frontline communities that drive the state forward.  

EJ Community Data Forum Series Comes to A Conclusion

In September, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) successfully completed its 2026 Environmental Justice Community Data Forums, bringing critical research and action plans to the final four parishes: St. James, Ascension, Plaquemines, and Jefferson. The forums offered local residents transparent data regarding petrochemical facility concentration, environmental health risks, and community advocacy strategies.

St. James & Ascension Parishes Forum: Held on Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Welcome Senior Center in St. James, LA, this session was co-convened with RISE St. James. Attendees heard from DSCEJ Founder and Executive Director Dr. Beverly Wright, RISE St. James Founder and Director Sharon Lavigne, DSCEJ Director of Community & Partner Engagement Ragan Collins, and Director of Research Dr. Babafemi Adesanya on facility expansions and data-driven community solutions.

Plaquemines & Jefferson Parishes Forum: The forum series concluded on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at Fresh Breath of Life in Belle Chasse, LA, co-hosted with Zion Travelers Cooperative Center and St. Paul Benevolent Association. Featuring Zion Travelers Executive Director Darilyn Turner, St. Paul Benevolent Executive Director Bishop Wilfret Johnson, and DSCEJ researchers, the meeting delivered localized findings and structured discussion on next steps for parish health advocacy.

Visit the Toxins Harm Health website to explore interactive tools and parish data resources, and stay tuned for the upcoming rerelease of the paper!

FIRST SOLAR WORKFORCE TRAINING COHORT CELEBRATES AT THEIR

COMPLETION CEREMONY

On Thursday, September 3, 2026, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) hosted a completion ceremony at Messina’s at The Terminal in New Orleans, LA, to honor the latest graduating class of its Solar Workforce Training Program. The event brought together graduates, family members, and DSCEJ leadership to celebrate young leaders who completed hands-on technical and career development training.

Key highlights from the program and graduation include:

• Industry-Aligned Skill Building: Graduates completed intensive technical training aligned with the NABCEP PV Associate pathway, preparing them for high-demand roles in solar installation, maintenance, and clean energy sales.
• Comprehensive Participant Support: To eliminate economic barriers to workforce entry, trainees received hands-on instruction, weekly stipends, meal assistance, transportation, and specialized equipment throughout the training period.
• Pathways to Green Careers: Attendees celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2026 as they prepare to sit for industry certifications and enter the local renewable energy workforce.

LEARN MORE & SUPPORT OUR WORK

Watch our official web page for updates and the application to Cohort 2.

Want to help? Donate to continue this free community program or partner with us.

DSCEJ EXPANDS AIR MONITORING PROJECT

DSCEJ is pleased to partner with BPC to expand air monitoring in Ascension Parish. Funding will enable continuous monitoring of particulate matter (PM2.5), ethylene oxide, chloroprene, and ammonia to enhance pollutant detection.

Communities in Cancer Alley, including Ascension Parish, experience disproportionate exposure to hazardous air pollutants from nearby industrial facilities.
Residents live near industrial facilities that emit hazardous pollutants, including particulate matter (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ethylene oxide, and chloroprene. 

This project will address these gaps by maintaining and upgrading an existing monitor to ensure continuous access to reliable air quality data for Ascension Parish residents, organizations, researchers, and policymakers. 

From the Desk of Dr. Beverly Wright –

A reflection penned on the growing climate risks facing coastal Louisiana, where sea-level rise, land subsidence, and rapid wetland loss are reshaping the region’s future. For New Orleans, the stakes extend beyond infrastructure and flood protection. They include the preservation of Black communities, neighborhood connections, and a cultural identity rooted in place. As the region continues investing in restoration, resilience, and adaptation, Dr. Wright asks a critical question: how can these efforts protect both people and the communities that make New Orleans what it is?

Read More >

2026 Summer Interns Close Out an Impactful Experience

The 2026 HBCU Environmental & Climate Corps Summer Internship program recently concluded with a final presentation at the DSCEJ Community Advisory Board Meeting on August 5th. This summer, the DSCEJ hosted a cohort of dedicated interns who worked alongside partner community-based organizations (CBOs) across the Gulf Coast to translate academic research into real-world advocacy and community resilience.

Christian Sutton

Jackson State University

Throughout the summer, the interns engaged in a “Research-to-Action” model, focusing on the following areas:

Research & Documentation
Updating the “Living and Dying in Cancer Alley” report and conducting community needs assessments to identify key demographic challenges and organization-specific needs.

Strategic Communications
Developing communication assets, including social media plans, content calendars, and short-form video reels designed to highlight campaign pillars and elevate community storytelling.

We are incredibly proud of the contributions our interns made this summer and wish them all the best in their future academic and professional endeavors. 

Learn More >

DSCEJ Attends EJLF Annual Convening

Simone English is photographed on the panel “Grounded in Grassroots: Air Quality Monitoring,” sharing DSCEJ’s work on CAMRA and the Environmental Justice Data and Action Platform.

Three DSCEJ Program Managers, Amanda Bonam, Simone English, and Javonda Nix, joined the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum’s Annual Convening in Chicago, June 23 to 26, themed “Frontline Power: Organizing for Environmental Justice.” The city holds deep roots in the movement as home to the late Hazel M. Johnson, and this year’s tour was led by her daughter, Cheryl Johnson, of People for Community Recovery.

The team returned with strengthened partnerships and fresh insight from grassroots organizations nationwide.

Advocating for Energy Justice in Washington, DC

Program Managers Simone English and Javonda Nix, members of the Health Equity and Environmental Action League (HEAL) Coalition, traveled to Washington, DC, from July 20 to 22 to advocate for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) on behalf of communities facing energy burdens nationwide.

They opened the trip by introducing HEAL Coalition members to DSCEJ’s history and the Communiversity Model. In meetings with federal representatives, they spoke to LIHEAP’s impact, funding and staffing needs, and its role in helping participants complete DSCEJ’s Worker Training Program. Their advocacy centered the disproportionate energy burden facing vulnerable communities during extreme heat and other climate-related events.

Stories from the Fencelines

Watch Alsen-St.Irma Lee: A Generational Fight for Health, Happiness, and Environmental  Justice, a storytelling effort that is part of a larger campaign against the harms of compounded, long-term petrochemical exposure for fenceline communities. We thank our partners and friends at Alsen-St. Irma Lee Community Village for sharing their experiences with environmental harm as we educate on why we continue to fight.

The Toxins Harm Health is rooted in a 1990 report authored by Dr. Beverly Wright, Living & Dying in Cancer Alley: The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same. The report combines narrative accounts with Toxic Release Inventory data to document the public health impacts of petrochemical exposure on residents in Cancer Alley. The campaign equips communities with data illustrating the environmental harms created by existing and newly permitted facilities across 11 parishes in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley.

FIRST SOLAR WORKFORCE TRAINING COHORT COMPLETE

On June 15, 32 participants began DSCEJ’s Solar Workforce Training Program, and the first cohort has now completed the program, qualifying them to sit for the NABCEP PV Associate certification.

Graduates leave equipped for careers in the growing solar industry, with DSCEJ continuing to build employer partnerships that connect trainees to jobs.

LEARN MORE & SUPPORT OUR WORK

Watch our official web page for updates and the application to Cohort 2.

Want to help? Donate to continue this free community program or partner with us.

Water Justice Training Institute Completes Fourth Cohort

In July, DSCEJ’s Water Justice Training Institute (WJTI) closed out its fourth cohort since launching in 2019. The program trains community-based organizations across the Deep South in water systems science, geospatial mapping, policy advocacy, and strategic communications, culminating in an Advocacy Tool each participant can use for their own goals.

These organizations completed the 2026 cohort, showcasing tools that confronted polluting industries, advocated for flood-resilient infrastructure, and equipped residents through community-based science. They now join DSCEJ’s growing network of WJTI alumni working across the region.

2026 COHORT ORGANIZATIONS:

Cherokee Concerned Citizens

Culture of Cleanliness

Environmental Community Advocates of Galena Park

Fishermen Involved in Sustaining Our Heritage (F.I.S.H.)

Hollygrove-Dixon Neighborhood Association

New World Believers

Odi Eka Tech Outreach NPO

Spectrum CDC

The Black Table LLC

Visibility Outreach Touch Engage (VOTE SoAR)