Environmental Justice for Bridgeport & Seaside!

Hey, I'm Kat Morris, a scholar-activist for environmental justice, and the lead organizer for the upcoming 'Seaside Sounds for Environmental Justice'  set for July 15th, 2022, at Seaside Park of Bridgeport, Connecticut! Click to learn more about me and my work!

 

Your donation will go to supporting Seaside Sounds for Environmental Justice (to learn more, read below:)
With your support, we'll be able to:
- provide funds for local organizations to further their community work
- provide stipends for the local artists to perform 
- cover all permitting and liability expenses
- cover all supplies and logistical expenses 

I'm organizing the first annual 'Seaside Sounds for Environmental Justice' in hopes to raise awareness on and inspire action about the environmental issues harming public health and the local ecosystem in Bridgeport while increasing pride in the community by celebrating its beautiful culture and history (read below:). Seaside Park is a historically significant public greenspace afflicted by 3 major environmental stressors. 1) the Wheelabrator, the largest incinerator in CT,  2) the PSEG fossil fuel power-plant, and 3) water contamination of the Long Island Sound. Disproportionate exposure to legacy pollution sources leads to health inequities, like increased rates of asthma, lung cancer, heat stroke, and other respiratory diseases! Climate change will exacerbate negative health outcomes.  Moreover, the area surrounding the park is a FEMA flood due to its lack of climate resilient infrastructure, thus illustrating the communities increased vulnerability to climate change. One pressing EJ resilience issue is preventing a new Bassick high school from being built in this flood zone, next to the air polluting PSEG plant, without a state environmental impact evaluation! We must stop these issues from persisting for the sake of human, animal, and environmental health—to preserve life for generations to come!

My dream is for residents of Bridgeport (+ other EJ communities in CT) to develop a greater appreciation for the City and Seaside Park, inspiring a greater sense of collective responsibility to address these harmful EJ and climate issues through collaborative action and land stewardship. Seaside Sounds for Environmental Justice will be a large-scale community event that educates community members and stakeholders on local EJ issues to facilitate power-building and collective action! Community-based organizations currently working on environmental justice, climate action, social justice, and community empowerment will table the event, thus educating attendees and recruiting members to get involved in their essential work.  While these organizations present on their own land stewardship and/or environmental and climate justice related action items, local artists and entrepreneurs will have then opportunity to share their goods and talent, thus spotlighting the community's culture and capacity to thrive sustainably!

Seaside Sounds will also share the beautiful cultural significance of Bridgeport in the historic arc towards Black Liberation. In doing so, it ill prevent folks from thinking this is just another bad thing about Bridgeport when in reality, the city has so much to offer! For instance, the South End of Bridgeport where Seaside Park resides, is also known as ‘Little Liberia” as it was an Underground Railroad Destination Settlement for freed and escaped African and Natives during the perilous time of chattal slavery in America. Additionally, Bridgeport hosted the first Black Panther Party chapter in Connecticut, which was significant to organizing on the East Coast! Sharing this history is paramount to moving toward a brighter, more just future. 

 

Love,

Kat <3333