Environmental justice will be the topic for the 2017 MLK lecture sponsored by the Washington University School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity Programs
Robert D. Bullard will speak on “Environmental Justice: A Path to Ensuring Healthier Communities for All” at 4 p.m. Monday, January 16 at the medical school’s Eric P. Newman Education Center, 320 South Euclid Ave. He is the distinguished professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy in the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University.
“Professor Bullard is a giant in the field of environmental justice. He recently described the Flint water crisis as ‘unjust, immoral and unfair,’ and called on federal regulatory agencies to enforce civil rights and dispense equal protection under the law. More than two years after the Flint water crisis was identified, residents in Flint, Michigan, residents are still relying on bottled water,” said Dr. Will Ross, associate dean for Diversity at Washington University School of Medicine and a professor of medicine in the Renal Division.
“Unfortunately, residents of St. Louis know all too well the dangers of lead contamination in our water supply, with reports detailing serious lead contamination in water at some public schools. Professor Bullard reminds us that resolving environmental racism will require the sustained moral outrage and community action that was called on in the civil rights movement.”
Bullard is often described as the father of environmental justice. He is the author of 18books that address sustainable development, environmental racism, urban land use, industrial facility siting, community reinvestment, housing, transportation, climate justice, emergency response, smart growth and regional equity. He has testified as an expert witness and served as a technical advisor on hundreds of civil rights lawsuits and public hearings over the past three decades.
In 1990, he was the first environmental justice scholar to receive the National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award in Science for “Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality.” In 2008, Newsweek named him one of 13 Environmental Leaders of the Century. Later that same year, Co-op America honored him with its Building Economic Alternatives Award.
In 2010, The Grio named him one of the “100 Black History Makers in the Making” and Planet Harmony named him one of “Ten African American Green Heroes.” In 2012, he was featured in Welcomebooks’ “Everyday Heroes: 50 Americans Changing the World One Nonprofit at a Time” by Katrina Fried. In 2013, he was honored with the Sierra Club John Muir Award, the first African American to win the award. In 2014, the Sierra Club named its new Environmental Justice Award after him. In 2015, the Iowa State University Alumni Association named him its Alumni Merit Award recipient (he received his Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University) – an award also given to George Washington Carver (1894 ISU alum) in 1937.
Also in 2015, Professor Bullard was honored with the American Bar Association 2015 Award for Excellence in Environmental, Energy, and Resources Stewardship.
“Please join us for this critical lecture,” Dr. Ross said, “and help share the event with our public.”
To RSVP, call Clair Antoine at (314) 362-6854, email c.antoine@wustl.edu or visit mlk2017.splashthat.com Free validated parking available in the North Garage, across the street from the Center for Advanced Medicine (CAM) Building or the Metro Garage. Bring your parking ticket to the lobby for validation.
