Spelman Community Members Lead Efforts to Stop the Spread of COVID-19 and Raise Environmental Justice Concerns
As the COVID-19 virus continues to spread through a growing number of regions in the United States and the rest of the world, many members of the Spelman community are working tirelessly to do their part to help stop the spread and raise environmental justice concerns beyond the health crisis.
We know there are more individuals who are connected to Spelman who are on the front lines or working behind the scenes, but here are just a few examples: Dr. Wilma Wooten, C’78, San Diego County’s Public Health Officer is leading her county's COVID-19 response; Dr. Bernice King, C'85, has been appointed co-chair of a new outreach committee in Georgia as the state copes with the coronavirus; and Dr. Fatemeh Shafiei, associate professor and chair of political science, was quoted in the article, "Coronavirus is not just a health crisis — it’s an environmental justice crisis" in "Grist."
-
Fatemeh Shafiei, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Spelman College, has worked for many years to support environmental justice and environmental education. With her finger always on the pulse of the environmental justice conversation, it is no wonder she is quoted extensively in the article "Coronavirus is not just a health crisis — it’s an environmental justice crisis" in "Grist."
-
As San Diego County’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Wilma Wooten, C’78, has been responsible for developing countywide policies and guidance in response to COVID-19. From banning mass gatherings of more than 250 people as defined by the state of California, to advising local business owners and operators on March 12, Dr. Wooten helped lead a calculated and organized response to the virus.
-
Spelman alumna Dr. Bernice King, has been appointed co-chair of a new outreach committee in Georgia as the state copes with the coronavirus, Gov. Brian Kemp announced. King, chief executive officer of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia, will be joined on the committee by more than a dozen business and community leaders.