{"id":45085,"date":"2025-02-05t21:14:14","date_gmt":"2025-02-05t21:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/?p=45085"},"modified":"2025-02-11t17:05:34","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11t17:05:34","slug":"mlk-legacy-environmental-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/mlk-legacy-environmental-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"a day on, not a day off: mlk\u2019s legacy in environmental justice"},"content":{"rendered":"
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washington, d.c. \u2013 volunteers braved near-freezing temperatures in the 30s on saturday, hauling soggy suitcases, rusted tires, abandoned toilets and bags of food wrappings at pope branch park near the anacostia river. by the end of the day, they had collected nearly 4,000 pounds of illegally dumped waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the annual cleanup, hosted by the anacostia riverkeeper, honored the rev. dr. martin luther king jr.\u2019s legacy of service and justice, turning environmental action into a fight for civil rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

dr. king reminded citizens that life\u2019s most persistent and urgent question is, \u201cwhat are you doing for others?\u201d volunteers answered this question through action to restore the anacostia river and the surrounding community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

dolly davis, executive director and site leader of pope branch park restoration alliance, has led community cleanups since 1999. her experience as an advisory neighborhood commissioner in 2001 prompted her to investigate issues in her community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cone of the biggest problems i found was illegal dumping,\u201d davis recalls. \u201ci started getting involved to really understand my community.”<\/p>\n\n\n

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plastic bottles are on the left, aluminum cans center, and glass bottles are on the right. (courtesy of trey sherard, anacostia riverkeeper)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

davis has continued advocating for and protecting her twining<\/a> neighborhood, partnering with the anacostia watershed society, the anacostia riverkeeper, brenda richardson of anacostia park community collaborative and nathan harrington of ward 8 woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the d.c. department of energy and environment enforcement (doee) has also helped davis with enforcing back road surveillance and issuing fines of up to $40,000 for illegal dumping. for years, davis struggled to engage csx<\/a> transportation, a major freight rail company whose tracks run through southeast d.c., an area historically burdened by industrial pollution. after two decades of efforts, the nonprofit ward 8 woods recently received a $6,500 grant from csx to help develop a trail along unused tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cthey\u2019re at the table, and they\u2019re working with us,\u201d davis said. \u201cand we\u2019re going to create this hiker-biker trail where kids can ride, seniors can walk and people can rehab.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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dolly davis speaks with officers from the metropolitan police department at pope branch park. (morghan manuel\/hunewsservice.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

a community of volunteers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

many volunteers returned from last year\u2019s cleanup, eager to be part of a community initiative. \u201cservice is what my husband and i try to share with our kids,\u201d jenee edgerton said, a ward 7 resident and community volunteer. \u201ccoming together and participating in the day of service brings us closer as a community and family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

some volunteers joined to increase their community engagement. \u201cit\u2019s important to give back and help the community,\u201d sharina shuler, a howard university alumna, said. \u201cmy goal this year was to be more active and do more service. no matter how far you get in life, it\u2019s always important to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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community volunteers pick up gloves and trash bags. (morghan manuel\/hunewsservice.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

trey sherard, anacostia riverkeeper, has been involved with the river cleanup program for over a decade. he emphasized that the event has grown into one of the largest community-driven cleanups in d.c., with over 400 volunteers participating last year and more than 90 braving this year\u2019s frozen river stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

sherard connected the event\u2019s mission to king\u2019s legacy, explaining that it was originally started by dolly davis and joseph glover, former deacon of pennsylvania avenue baptist church, to improve the community. \u201cit has been awesome since,\u201d sherard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pollution in the anacostia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

not only is the surrounding land affected, but the anacostia river itself has long been polluted by industrial <\/span>runoff<\/a>. sherard noted that while conditions have improved, challenges remain. he highlighted \u201cforever chemicals\u201d or <\/span>pfas<\/a> <\/span>(per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are even more toxic in small doses than <\/span>pcbs<\/a> <\/span>(polychlorinated biphenyls).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pcbs are manmade chemicals once widely used in electrical equipment like <\/span>capacitors<\/a> <\/span>due to their heat and pressure. though banned in 1979, these oily, odorless substances persist in soil and waterways, making cleanup efforts even more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cpfas are in most of what we wear \u2014 stain-repellent, water-repellent fabrics, flame retardants, all of those things,\u201d sherard said. \u201cthey\u2019re everywhere, and they\u2019re toxic at even smaller doses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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a plastic chip bag stands out along distant waters of the anacostia river. (morghan manuel\/hunewsservice.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

the anacostia river faces contamination issues, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n