Sharon Lavigne President, Rise St. James; Retired Special Education Teacher; 2021 Goldman Prize Recipient; Forbes Magazine 50 Over 50 Inaugural Impact List

Joined March 2021
372 Photos and videos
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Replying to @risestjames
@risestjames, @ClimateReality, and our founder @algore along with some of our organizational friends – @RevDrBarber's @BRepairers, @RevYearwood's @HipHopCaucus, and The @BeyondPetrochem Campaign, – invite you to this FREE mass revival event on August 27. risestjames.org/united/

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.@algore and @risestjames will be joined by religious leaders and fellow ecojustice advocates for an information fair and revival service in the heart of Cancer Alley—where corporations continue an ecological assault on Black communities along the Mississippi River in Acadiana.
Black Catholic activist Sharon Lavigne and RISE St. James will host "Cancer Alley United" this week in Louisiana, championing the ongoing regional fight against carcinogenic chemical pollution. Former vice president Al Gore is among the featured speakers. blackcatholicmessenger.org/c…
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@risestjames, @ClimateReality, and our founder @algore, along with a coalition of locally led environmental justice groups across Louisiana’s River Parishes, have already won hard-fought victories against polluters, but we must unite and speak out to clean up the industry's act. Learn how at a free mass revival moment on August 27. risestjames.org/united/
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When Miss @SharonLavigne5 of @risestjames explains how the packaging reduction and recycling infrastructure act is critical to protecting #environmentaljustice you listen! @NYSA_Majority @BPHACaucus briefing starts shortly in 711a of the LOB.
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Republicans at our @EnergyCommerce markup had the nerve to say that Environmental Justice is a way to “keep poor people poor.” I’m not standing for that. Not now. Not ever.
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Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING
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Thrilled to be featured on @risestjames’s podcast this week to discuss my research on the intersection of gerrymandering, labor, and industrial pollution in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley! Give it a listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/55p…
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As we enter a Lenten season of renewal, join Sharon C. Lavigne, members of @risestjames, and various civic and cultural leaders in making a difference by embracing “Plastic-Free Fridays” every week through Easter. commondreams.org/opinion/pla…
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27 Jan 2025
In its first week, the new administration has taken many steps to roll back climate progress. One I want to draw extra attention to is the repeal of an environmental justice Executive Order I was proud to champion in the Clinton-Gore White House. The video below shows a day's worth of harmful particulate pollution flowing into a part of America known as "Cancer Alley." 66.9% of residents of Cancer Alley are Black. The poverty rate is nearly 50% higher in Cancer Alley than in the country as a whole. It is one of the most heavily polluted areas in the United States and the town of Reserve, Louisiana has the highest cancer risk in the U.S., at 50 times the national average. Decades of discriminatory practices have turned low-income communities and communities of color across the country into dumping grounds for pollution. Environmental justice isn't part of some imaginary "woke agenda." The Executive Order that was repealed last week focused on ending discrimination, not perpetuating it. This is a disappointing setback for those who seek to put an end to this longstanding injustice. But environmental justice advocates are among the most active and effective voices in the global grassroots movement for environmental protection and climate action. I look forward to continuing to lock arms with them in our struggle for a cleaner future.
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You should enter this raffle. Seriously. It's only ten dollars and you could win something worthwhile while helping our friends @risestjames. See this Instagram post by @bird__harris instagram.com/p/DBHCyZpxSQ_/…

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In Sharon's neighborhood—nicknamed Cancer Alley—residents are among the top 5% of the US population at risk for cancer thanks to industrial pollution. @BlackRock @vanguard_group will you continue investing in petrochemical projects that promote environmental racism?
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We are so honored that Ms. @SharonLavigne5 will be speaking at our Chutzpah phonebank next Tuesday. Please sign up to hear from this amazing leader, and get out the climate vote! secure.everyaction.com/zvPfA…
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