The Forgotten Coast: Recent Episodes
The Forgotten Coast
The Forgotten Coast tells the stories of the changing Gulf South, with a focus on environmental and climate justice. Through a podcast and an archival project, we seek to preserve the voices of the communities that will be most affected by climate change and a Green New Deal for the Gulf South. A project of the Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy in collaboration with the Red, Black, and Green New Deal framework for Black liberation.
In these next two episodes, follow the phosphate in Florida. Phosphate is central to our modern farming system, and one mine in central Florida produces 1/7th of the world's yearly output. From the mine itself and the application of the fertilizers made from the phosphate, phosphate enters the water system of the Everglades and is changing the makeup of the ecosystem...possibly permanently. This first episode gets you up to speed on phosphate mining and the state of regulatory affairs in Florida. Next time, we'll look into the effects of phosphate in Florida's waters.
Vancleave, Mississippi is home to the Cosmic Poetry Sanctuary. It's a place where "be the change you want to see" isn't just a cliche. The work that Artis Burney and his family have put into the land reflects the desire to regain traditional knowledge and find an alternative way of life. Join your host Caitlion for a foraging trip around the land. This is the bright side of Black landownership in Mississippi. We'll be getting into the dark side next episode.
Africatown, Alabama is tucked away on the Mobile Bay. It is a place of incredible historical significance, and continuing racism and environmental neglect.
Africatown was one of the first freedman's towns in the United States, and remarkably, it was founded by African-born people who yearned for a home they could never return to. The Meaher family financed the voyage of the last American slave ship, Clotilde, which transported 110 enslaved people and spirited them up the Mobile River just a few years before the onset of the Civil War. The Meahers and their legacy continue to plague the Africatown community today.
Major Joe Womack, your guide to Africatown's history and renaissance, guides us through Africatown's boom as an industrial center, damage from environmental harm and systemic racism, and the future of tourism centered around the Clotilde and the story of its passengers.
Africatown, Alabama is tucked away on the Mobile Bay. It is a place of incredible historical significance, and continuing racism and environmental neglect.
Africatown was one of the first freedman's towns in the United States, and remarkably, it was founded by African-born people who yearned for a home they could never return to. The Meaher family financed the voyage of the lastAmerican slave ship, Clotilde, which transported 110 enslaved people and spirited them up the Mobile River just a few years before the onset of the Civil War. The Meahers and their legacy continue to plague the Africatown community today.
Major Joe Womack, your guide to Africatown's history and renaissance, guides us through that last voyage of the Clotilde, the founding of Africatown, and the early years of self-determination and community that made Africatown even more of an incredible place.
Corpus Christi, Texas is a small coastal town that also happens to be the major exportation port for liquefied natural gas (LNG)- an unnecessary fossil fuel being pushed as "clean" energy. The damage to people, community, and the diverse natural settings of Corpus from the necessary infrastructure continues decades of environmental racism against Black citizens. Corpus also happens to be a hotbed of activism, and the fight to protect Corpus from the grip of the oil and gas industry is very much ongoing.
Take a trip with your host Caitlion O'Neill and discover the history, struggles, and soundscapes of Corpus Christi, in this episode of The Forgotten Coast.
Corpus Christi, Texas is a small coastal town that also happens to be the major exportation port for liquefied natural gas (LNG)- an unnecessary fossil fuel being pushed as "clean" energy. The damage to people, community, and the diverse natural settings of Corpus from the necessary infrastructure continues decades of environmental racism against Black citizens. Corpus also happens to be a hotbed of activism, and the fight to protect Corpus from the grip of the oil and gas industry is very much ongoing.
We'll finish our conversation about the legal work that brought some mix of justice and tragedy to the Hillcrest community, then move a few miles along the coast to Port Lavaca, to hear about one of the most incredible victories ever won under the Clean Water Act. Diane Wilson, a local badass, sued Formosa Plastics, a global baddie, and won- her way.
Take a trip with your host Caitlion O'Neill and discover the history, struggles, and soundscapes of Corpus Christi, in this episode of The Forgotten Coast.