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In April of this year, the Harvard Chan-NIEHS Center for Environmental Health hosted a screening of ‘Descendant,’ a Netflix documentary that follows descendants of survivors from the last known slave ship, the Clotilda. Notable panelists, including Jocelyn Davis and Veda Robbins, RN, who are direct descendants of the ship’s captives, discussed the film and expressed anticipation for future partnerships with Harvard on environmental justice issues and health inequities in Africatown.
This event forged a connection between Harvard researchers and Africatown residents, leading to an invitation for Dr. James-Todd’s team to the Fall Into Good Health Fair hosted by Africatown Plateau Pacers organization and the Mobile County Health Department on Sep 23rd, 2023. At the fair, they shared information on safe personal care products, distributing infographics and DIY product samples (lip balms and hair pomade). The topic around safe personal care products continues to be an environmental justice issue as a recent study by Marissa Chan found disparities in product safety based on neighborhood demographics. The fair drew over 80 attendees, marking the beginning of an ongoing partnership to address environmental justice and health disparities in Africatown.