What is the particular situation in North Richmond with environmental racism?
We have a devastating situation there. I was born in North Richmond in 1944, and raised there adjacent to the Chevron refinery. I remember clearly the many fires and explosions at the refinery. Then and even now, they would rock our house like an earthquake. That’s why I always say that we’re on the frontline of the chemical assault. We have experienced a wide variety of chemical assaults. In 1989, there was a fire and explosion at the refinery that sent black clouds of toxic smoke over our community for a whole week. We were engulfed in toxic smoke. And today there’s a high rate of cancer and respiratory problems in the community, which most of us believe is associated with chemical exposure from the Chevron refinery. What has been your experience in trying to fight this environmental injustice in Richmond, and who are the corporate players that you have been confronting?
