Filmmakers Brittany Zampella and Maggie Hartmans Humanize Sacrifice Zones in 'A Good Neighbor'
Cheryl Johnson: Still Fighting for Environmental Justice on Chicago’s Southeast Side
For over 40 years, Chicago’s People for Community Recovery (PCR), has advanced the cause of social and environmental justice. PCR’s initial mission was to press for repairs in Altgeld Gardens, a Chicago Housing Authority development on the South Side of Chicago. However, under the leadership of Hazel Johnson, known in many quarters as Mother of the Environmental Justice Movement, PCR turned to the more serious problems of urban environmental pollution when the group learned that the Southeast side of Chicago had the highest cancer rate in the city.
Filmmaker Q&A with Anthony Baxter of 'Flint: Who Can You Trust?'
Q: What picture did you get of U.S. environmental justice?
A: Well, there really wasn't any justice for the people of Flint. There was no satisfactory outcome and still isn't. Obviously, there are now charges being faced by officials involved, from [former Michigan] Gov. [Rick] Snyder, which in a sense is some kind of turning against the state of affairs today.
A Balmy Evening for 'A Most Beautiful Thing'
Putting the Care in Collaboration
One Earth Film Festival takes particular care to attend to the collaborative potential between film, venue and community when planning screening events. The match doesn't happen haphazardly. The sensitive pairing of particular films with venues and communities surfaced again and again during conversations with three venue partners—Elio DeArrudah at Universidad Popular, Liz Lyon at Plant Chicago, and Connie Spreen at the Experimental Station.
Chicago Environmental Advocates You Should Know
Festival audiences expect to leave screenings with information that will guide them in taking the next steps on their sustainability journey. That is the Power of We. When people feel connected to others by a common passion or commitment, much gets done. Problems are solved. Communities become healthier. The Earth gets healed.
Chicago is fortunate to have many advocates on the front lines of climate action and environmental and social justice.