Black History Month Feature: LaTricea Adams

Tell us about your journey into environmental justice advocacy. What inspired you to start working in this field?

Young, Gifted & Green started with the Flint Water Crisis as the entry point to environmental justice work. [Living in Washington DC,] I learned about the Flint Water Crisis a year after it occurred in 2016, which is when the story began to be more present in mainstream, national media. Serving as Vice President of Thursday Network Greater Washington Urban League Young Professionals at the time, in the fall of 2015, I partnered with other Young Professionals Chapters like the Buffalo Chapter to organize a national water donation drive. In January 2016 at a Thursday Network New Member Orientation, I met a young lady, Michelle Mabson, an environmental scientist and recent graduate from the University of Michigan who changed my life forever. She shared that not only were there issues with lead poisoning in Flint, but all across the country. What was the most compelling was that Freddie Gray, who had just been the victim of police brutality the year before had experienced childhood lead poisoning due to Baltimore's lead paint crisis. On February 10, 2016 I had a national call to organize and mobilize around the issue of lead poisoning not just for Flint, but for majority Black cities across the country. It was on that day a new movement was born.

We organized our first service trip to Flint in April 2016 where we partnered with a local organization with canvassing, encouraging Flint residents to advocate for a moratorium to stop water bill payments as residents were paying for poison and at rates that were among the highest in the country. We also organized our own door-to-door water distribution and distributed water filters and fresh food in partnership with the National Urban League, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint. About 2 weeks after returning to DC from our Flint Weekend of Service, the DC youth and parents that traveled with us learned that there was lead in their school drinking water. Our young organization at the time did another pivot from providing emergency resources and mutual aid to Flint to political advocacy. One of my proudest accomplishments was the passing of the Childhood Lead Exposure Prevention Amendment Act of 2017 which still is ranked as the strongest bill of its kind in the country, according to Environment America. We used this bill as a blueprint to pass similar bills in Maryland and Tennessee in 2018 and Michigan in 2023. Our organization has grown tremendously since 2016 to a national organization with a local presence in Baltimore, MD, Flint, MI, Memphis, TN and Washington, DC. As a former teacher, I have held children and youth at the core of this work as I see the value in elevating their voices and building up the next generation of leaders in the environmental justice movement.

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What's a success story you're proud of regarding environmental justice and its impact on Black communities?

My greatest success story in my life was serving as the youngest African American women appointed to President Biden and Vice President Harris' White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and serving as the Working Group Co-Chair for Executive Order 14096 Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All. This was a full circle moment as YGG was the youngest environmental justice organization to be acknowledged by Congressman Raul Grijalva and the late Congressman Donald McEachin's Environmental Justice for All Act. I had an opportunity to attend the signing of this historical Executive Order with President Biden in April 2023 in White House's Rose garden alongside EJ heroes like the Father of Environmental Justice Dr. Robert Bullard. Additionally, with my role on WHEJAC, I served on the historical Justice40 Working Group which advised the administration on how to equitably distribute at least 40% of environmental resources to historically underserved communities, which has not only improved local environments but also fostered community engagement and resilience. This work underscores the vital importance of integrating environmental justice into policy decisions, ensuring that the voices of marginalized communities are heard and prioritized.

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What role does community engagement play in your work? How do you approach building trust and collaboration within affected communities?

Community engagement is the heartbeat of environmental justice and community voice are the lungs that breathe life into the movement.  Being a native of Memphis, TN a highly industrial city and growing up in a frontline community, I have a very personal connection to this work which is critical in my approach to building trust with other communities just like mine. There are 5 strategies in my toolbox that have brought me success in community engagement: 

1. Listen to and center community voices: It's essential to listen to the concerns, needs, and ideas of community members and involve them in the decision-making process. This helps build trust and ensures that solutions are tailored to their specific needs.

2. Foster transparency and accountability: Be open about the goals, processes, and outcomes of initiatives. This helps build trust and demonstrates a commitment to accountability.

3. Empower community leadership: Identify and support other local leaders on the ground who can champion environmental justice initiatives within their communities. This helps build trust and ensures that the community members directly impacted are prioritized and heard first. 

4. Provide education and resources: As a former public K-12 educator of 16 years, I am always inspired and moved by the words of Brother Malcolm X “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today". I believe in the power of investment in training, education, and resources that enable community members to take an active role in environmental justice initiatives. This helps build capacity and fosters a sense of Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination) and Ujima (collective work and responsibility). 

5. Celebrate successes and learn from challenges: As a woman of faith, I value the acknowledgement and celebration of this ministry of labor and love with always creating space to highlight successes while also being realistic and transparent about challenges and lessons learned. This helps build trust and demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement.

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Founded in 2016, YGG’s mission is to empower communities to take action and advocate against the crisis of lead exposure and environmental injustice in disadvantaged communities. YGG is the first environmental justice organization in US History founded by a Black Woman, Millennial, and Proud HBCU Graduate (Tennessee State University). Learn more about LaTricea and YGG here and check out this video.