College of Agriculture hosts Environmental Justice Academy

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Agriculture recently hosted a program to equip students with the tools to address environmental and public health challenges in their communities.

Eleven students from eight 1890 Land Grant Universities participated in the Environmental Justice Academy March 19-21. Academy participants engaged in a series of virtual and interactive classroom sessions that help shape the principles of an effective Environmental Justice leader.

Courses included environmental law and regulations, community capacity building, strategic partnership and development of replication of best practices.

"I’m glad to collaborate with the US Forest Service and Environmental Protection Agency to pilot the 1890 Environmental Justice Academy,” said Dr. De’Etra Young, assistant professor in the College of Ag. “We’re equipping students to be leaders.”

Besides TSU, participating institutions included: Alcorn University, Florida A&M Law, Fort Valley State University, South Carolina State University, Southern University and A&M College, Tuskegee University, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Participant Brittanii Wade will be finishing law school in Florida A&M in a little over a month and plans to pursue environmental justice.

“Environmental justice ensures that every community, especially minority communities, have clean air, clean water, and clean soil,” said Wade. “I need the tools that they’re teaching so I can apply them at the community level, city level, state level, federal level, whichever direction I go in.”

To learn more about TSU’s College of Agriculture, visit  http://www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/.

NOTE: Feature photo by Everett D. Jolley