Cleveland has a rich history in iron and steel. The city even prides itself on having the most productive steel mills in the world, but what are the costs of success in this steel industry?

During my Spring 2020 semester at John Carroll University, I had the opportunity of taking a Research Methods class to prepare for my Senior Capstone Advocacy & Action Project next year. I decided to focus my advocacy project on the issues of environmental racism in Cleveland. Throughout my semester, I was tasked with researching, developing, and educating myself on how low-income communities of color are disproportionately burdened and exposed to environmental hazards, toxic chemicals, and pollutants that lead to poor health.

Racism is so deeply embedded into America that when minoritized communities start to degrade due to the hazardous environments that they live in, our nation turns a blind eye to their sufferings. Environmental racism is a public health issue, and the ArcelorMittal Cleveland Steel Mill is no exception to forcing low-income communities of color to bear the environmental and health costs of this industry's success. Cleveland may be my home, but I must educate myself further and use my privilege to bring social awareness to injustices negatively affecting many communities. I must no longer be silent about these issues because these communities have the right to and are deserving of a healthy, safe and clean environment that does not destroy their health.

You'll find that my research project merely skimmed the surface on the issues these communities are facing, but my main goal in continuing this project next year is to bring awareness to this social justice issue. I am only in the beginning of my journey as a social justice researcher against the injustices of environmental racism, but I hope through this project I can make a difference with the help of other activists in an injustice that has far too long negatively impacted communities of color.

Some items you will see in this project is my weekly reading journal reflections, literature review, preliminary outline, letters to politicians and editors and many pictures I have collected throughout my semester researching environmental racism. The slides will begin with my first assignments in the class and end with my Final Advocacy & Action Research Paper & Proposal, as well as pictures, videos, and tweets highlighting the issues of racial and environmental injustice around the world.

I still have many more questions to get answered and more research to do, but this is my start to my advocacy and action project and raising awareness that #ClevelandCan'tStopCoughing!