Alabama Province CHDO helps disenfranchised Alabamians fight to protect their land, gain economic and housing opportunities, and improve their quality of life. Stacey Shepperson launched the organization in 2014 to help rebuild the community that she holds dear. Black farmers, who were deceived and manipulated by large agricultural companies, aided by the banking industry, were falling victim to land grabs. “In the Black Belt of Alabama, within a 10- to 15-year period, Black farmers lost over 2 million acres of land,” Dr. Shepperson says. “Those communities that were such gems to me growing up were losing not just people, but their community.” CHDO also teaches communities to advocate for clean air, water, and soil, all being polluted by giant industries. In 2017, Olin Corporation had a major chlorine spill, and their alarms didn’t sound to warn locals. Some experienced respiratory issues, and the chemicals left a trail of tree carnage. A leak from Ciba-Geigy, another local Superfund, polluted the local water, spiking cancer and asthma rates. Alabama Province CHDO educates citizens and guides community leaders in asserting their legal rights.
With 5 to 7 volunteers, Alabama Province CHDO helps disadvantaged communities across Alabama’s Southern Black Belt counties and urban areas of Mobile County. They are predominantly communities of color—Black, Native American, and Latino. After the Olin chemical spill, they aided with a class action lawsuit and met with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and an EPA representative to address the basin. Olin was fined just $250,000, the state maximum, despite reporting $7.1 billion in revenues. CHDO bought $1 of stock in polluter Alabama Power to get a seat at the table. The power company is now partnering with them to build an affordable, energy-resilient, mixed-use project in rural Alabama. After flooding, they obtained 50 new homes for residents, funded by the state’s disaster relief budget. The organization also hosts the McIntosh Groundwater Festival for the local high school, co-hosted the state’s first environmental justice convening, and will host the STE2AM Student Research Conference at Bishop State Community College, showcasing student & faculty research and innovations.