This semester, Georgetown is taking big steps in environmental and sustainability education. The Center for Social Justice (CSJ) has rolled out the Climate and Environmental Justice (CEJ) program. Its aim? To highlight social justice and bring diverse voices into the climate discussion.
The CEJ has been busy recruiting staff and shaping its program. Now, with its first full semester underway, the leaders are excited about what lies ahead. “A lot of environmental spaces lack Black, Indigenous, and People of Color voices,” says Akanksha Sinha (SFS ’23), a CEJ research fellow. “We’re teaming up with local groups already working on environmental issues to change that narrative.”
This semester, the CEJ welcomed its first group of seven undergraduate students. They meet weekly to tackle pressing environmental justice topics in D.C., such as food insecurity, air and water pollution, green space access, and waste management.
According to the CDC’s Environmental Justice Index, the most affected residents are in D.C.’s Wards 5, 7, and 8. After decades of segregation, these areas struggle with poverty. In 2023, nearly three times the number of residents lived below the federal poverty line compared to the wealthiest ward, Ward 3, which is primarily white.
The CEJ’s leadership includes Sinha, Student Staff Coordinator Sophia Rose Monsalvo (CAS ’26), and Justice Graduate Intern Nicholas Mensah (MIDP ’26). They are focused on a decolonial approach to fight environmental racism. “It’s crucial to integrate Indigenous practices and Black knowledge in discussions,” Monsalvo states.
The students have explored how environmental initiatives might serve as reparations for the land Georgetown occupies, a site once home to Indigenous peoples like the Nacotchtank and Piscataway Conoy. “We aim to understand the history of land exploitation and its lasting effects,” Mensah says.
Sinha emphasizes that Georgetown’s future, as well as its past, should inform its environmental approach. “The growth of Georgetown often depended on exploiting the local community, and it’s crucial that the university bears responsibility for this,” she adds.
Georgetown has a long history of expanding into Downtown D.C., beginning with the growth of the Georgetown Law Center in 1890. Today, students like Mensah want to educate peers about the environmental impacts of this expansion through lectures and workshops.
The CEJ is also looking to collaborate with initiatives like DC Reads and the After School Kids Program to educate students about local food challenges. Partnerships with organizations like Dreaming Out Loud, which provides fresh food in Wards 7 and 8, are also in the works.
Amid this growth, it’s important to remember that environmental justice isn’t limited to just one discipline. Sinha encourages all students to join the CEJ, regardless of their academic background. “You don’t have to be a science major to contribute,” she explains. “Understanding environmental injustice is essential for everyone.”
In 2022, Georgetown launched the Earth Commons, an interdisciplinary institute focused on sustainability and environmental studies. This initiative has birthed new majors, fellowships, and programs like the Green Commons Award, which aims to support projects that connect with environmental justice.
As conversations on environmental science gain ground in academia, programs like CEJ are set to make a meaningful impact. It’s an exciting time for students to get involved and learn about the intersections of their lives and environmental justice issues.
For further insights on the interplay between environment and society, refer to the CDC’s Environmental Justice Index, which highlights data on how these challenges affect various communities.
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