Environmental justice activist Dr. Beverly Wright, Ph.D. will deliver the keynote address, "Race, Place, and the Environment After Katrina" for the Prescott College Master of Arts Colloquium on Saturday, May 5, 2007 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Crossroads Center Community Room, and a offer workshop of the same name on Sunday, May 6, 2007 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. All are welcome free of charge. For more information please contact Frank Cardamone at (928)-350-3218.

As reconstruction and rebuilding move forward in New Orleans and the Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Alabama Gulf Coast region, it is clear that the lethargic and inept emergency response after Hurricane Katrina was a disaster that overshadowed the deadly storm itself. Yet, there is a "second disaster" in the making -- driven by racism, classism, elitism, paternalism, and old-fashioned greed. Since Hurricane Katrina, much of the work at the DSCEJ has focused on research, policy, and community outreach, assistance, and education of displaced African American residents of New Orleans. Dr. Wright has been an advocate of the safe return of residents addressing the critical issues of health and environmental restoration and monitoring fairness as it relates to standards of clean up. The center has been a resource to the community providing education, training, and job placement to displaced citizens of New Orleans.

Dr. Wright provided valuable input into President Clinton's Environmental Justice Transition paper. For her work, she was called to the White House on February 11, 1994, to witness the signing of the Executive Order on Environmental Justice. On April 12, 1994, she was named to the EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC).

She served as chair of the Second National People of Color Leadership Summit and is the co-chair of the Environmental Justice Climate Change Initiative. Dr. Wright was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York. She was recently awarded the "Robert Wood Johnson" community health leadership award. She continues to serve as a strong voice of the grassroots environmental justice movement. Dr. Wright has conducted groundbreaking and significant research in the area of environmental justice and developed a curriculum for use at the elementary school level that is used by the New Orleans Public Schools. She manages Hazardous Waste Worker Training Programs the embrace a work-based curriculum and a holistic approach to learning for young men and women living near Superfund and Brownfield sites resulting in their employment.

On January 11, 1995, Dr. Wright was appointed to the Corps of Engineers' Environmental Advisory Board and served on the City of New Orleans/Mayor's Office Environmental Affairs' Brownfields Consortium. She presently serves on the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights for the State of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans' Select Committee for the Sewerage and water Board. She served as Chair of the Second National People of Color Leadership Summit and is the Co-Chair of the Environmental Justice Climate Change initiative. Dr Wright continues to serve as a strong voice of the grassroots environmental justice movement.

The Prescott College Master of Arts Program (MAP) Colloquia are offered four times a year. This colloquium features presentations by dozens of currently enrolled graduate students, advisors, and faculty across the MAP's five Program Areas: Education, Counseling & Psychology, Adventure Education, Humanities, and Environmental Studies.

The schedule is at www.prescott.edu/students/map. For contact info and questions please contact Frank Cardamone at (928)-350-3218.

Prescott College offers a residential BA program at its main campus in Prescott, Arizona, as well as distance BA, MA, and PhD degrees. All programs emphasize student-directed, experience-based learning by doing, environmental and cultural awareness, and social justice. For more information please contact Mary Lin, M Ed, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, 928-350-4503, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . More information is on the web at prescott.edu.

DIRECTIONS TO PRESCOTT COLLEGE

Directions: From I-17 southbound: HWY 169 to right on 69. Follow 69 into Prescott. From I-17 northbound: HWY 69 into Prescott. HWY 69 becomes Gurley St. Continue past Courthouse Square and turn right on Grove Ave (a few lights down). Take a left at Western Ave and immediate right onto alley. Parking is to the left and right off the alley and the Crossroads Center will be on almost immediately on your left.

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