HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Imagine not having proper plumbing in your home.
That’s the reality for some people living here in Alabama.
In this week’s Next Question, News 19 anchor Tamika Alexander highlights an environmental justice advocate whose fight for sanitation solutions makes her a champion for change.
“Septic systems don’t care what color you are,” said Catherine Coleman Flowers. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”
Coleman Flowers is a veteran and former teacher turned environmental justice advocate. She’s made it her life work to find solutions for sanitation issues in Alabama and beyond through her organization at The Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice.
“What I’ve seen throughout my life and fighting for marginalized communities that people in rural areas have looked down upon, especially people that are poor, that live in rural communities,” Flowers Coleman said. “And I just made it my mission to make sure that they have a voice. And I’ve used my platform to help them tell their stories so that they can start getting some of the attention.”
Coleman Flowers’ fight for environmental justice began in her hometown of Lowndes County when she realized some people did not have proper plumbing in their homes.
For people living in one of Alabama’s poorest counties, purchasing a septic tank was something many could not afford.
And for those who could afford a septic tank, when it failed, the raw sewage would flood their homes.
It’s this work that earned her an Earth Award from Time magazine.
“It was exciting,” Coleman Flowers said. “And to see who I was recognized with people like Michael Bloomberg and former Senator Bill Frisk, that was awesome.
Coleman Flowers had the chance to visit the white house and meet President Joe Biden. While there she witnessed the president sign an executive order revitalizing our nation’s commitment to environmental justice for all.
“We talked about grandchildren and Lowndes County, and he said that he wanted to fix the problem,” Coleman Flowers said.
Aside from being an advocate, she’s also an author. She believes it’s her mission to make the planet better for the next generation.
“I’m inspired by the forefathers and what they left for us to make it better,” Coleman Flowers said. “And as a person who swore to protect the Constitution of the United States of America, all of those things inspire me to keep doing this work.”
And when she is not travelling, being a champion for change, you can find her in the kitchen.
“My signature dish is greens,” Coleman Flowers said. “Collard greens. I cook them in the crockpot. Actually, I mix them up. It’s usually collard and kale. Or turnips and kale, or mustard. That’s one of my signature dishes. I love soul food.
The Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice is accepting internships. If you would like to get involved or donate, visit its website.
The post Next Question with Tamika: Catherine Coleman Flowers appeared first on WHNT.
