Where Do We Grow From Here?
A roundtable discussion of Creation Care and Environmental Justice practitioners in Memphis and the Mid-South
The moderator, Dr. Emily Holmes, is the instructor for the third lesson in this series, Food Justice and Food Apartheid in Memphis. She is Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Christian Brothers University.
Mia Madison is the Executive Director of Memphis Tilth and the Just Climate Champion as part of the Memphis Just C.H.A.N.G.E. initiative through the Center for Transforming Communities. Mia serves foremost as an environmental advocate and community organizer throughout the Mid-South region. Her passions are urban agriculture, environmental justice, the green economy, equitable access to public lands and services, and community participation in urban affairs. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Anthropology and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography both from the University of Memphis.
Justin J. Pearson is the fourth son of five boys born to teenage parents in Memphis, Tennessee. Justin J. graduated from Mitchell High School as Valedictorian and Bowdoin College in 2017 majoring in both Government & Legal Studies and Education Studies. He currently lives in Memphis but works at the headquarters of Year Up in Boston, Massachusetts. He is focused on social, racial, and economic justice as Special Assistant to the CEO of Year Up – a national program helping 18 – 24-year-olds gain training and entry-level jobs with corporate partners such as Bank of America, Facebook, and Salesforce. Justin J. is also one of the leaders of Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP) which is a Black-led environmental justice organization seeking to end the racism and injustices in Memphis with the stopping of the Byhalia Connection Pipeline. Pearson has an unwavering commitment to justice and the pursuit of opportunity for all people.
David Vaughan is the horticulturist at New Hope Christian Academy in Memphis, where for the last eight years he has helped transform an empty acre lot into a productive and educational urban farm. David has a unique background in both edible and ornamental horticulture which he fuses together in his work to create spaces that are sustainable, productive, and beautiful. David’s horticulture career began in Senegal, West Africa, as a Urban Agricultural Extension Agent for the Peace Corps. There he worked with a wide variety of urban gardens to promote improved crop management and gardening practices. More than anything, David’s work focuses on weaving beauty, creativity, and sustainability together to help promote connection to the natural world.
This special series on God’s Call to Creation Care and Environmental Justice is funded by a grant from the United Methodist EarthKeepers and is sponsored by the Green Seminary Initiative at Memphis Theological Seminary.