Climates of Inequality exhibition curated by the Humanities Action Lab
September 5 – November 8 in the University Library
Funded by a Higher Learning Stream Grant from the Mellon Foundation and a Humanities Discussions Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Climates of Inequality: Stories of Environmental Justice is an international traveling multi-media exhibition, web platform, and series of dialogues exploring the history and future of climate and environmental justice.
In the aftermath of Hurricane María, students at UPRM joined communities across the hemisphere to explore the deep historical roots of climate inequality and environmental injustice in their localities, share personal experiences, and develop strategies for change. Through virtual reality, moving audio testimony, and historical imagery from each community, the exhibition explores how the climate crisis and environmental injustice is intensifying inequality—and how the experiences of the hardest-hit communities hold the key to confronting these issues and finding ways to move forward.
Over 100 UPRM students enrolled in Department of English courses taught by Professor Ricia Anne Chansky curated a contribution to this exhibit based upon interviews they conducted focusing on community responses to climate disaster. Featured in the exhibit is the work students did with the citizen scientist organization, Fundación Surfrider Rincón, and the organization’s Blue Water Task Force.