The National Press Foundation and the National Press Club Journalism Institute in July 2021 jointly awarded $61,330 in Kozik Environmental Justice Reporting grants to journalists to cover environmental justice.
The six grantees were selected by judges Antonia Juhasz, Yanick Rice Lamb, and Harriet Washington, distinguished journalists and teachers who have produced notable work in exposing environmental racism and its consequences.
The grantees and projects selected by the judges, and reported and published by the recipients, are:
- Agya Aning, Inside Climate News – How the
historically Black community of Wedgewood in West Florida became surrounded by landfills ($8,563). Aning’s article, “A Black Woman Fought for Her Community, and Her Life, Amidst Polluting Landfills and Vast ‘Borrow Pits’ Mined for Sand and Clay,” was published May 1, 2022.
- Yvette Cabrera, Grist Magazine – How legacy lead
contamination in soil poses a major threat to marginalized, poor, communities of color, focusing on the predominantly Latino city of Santa Ana, Calif. ($12,649). Cabrera’s first article in a series of articles on grist.org, “Ghosts of Polluters Past” was published in January, 2022, as was a second article, “Toxic Churn: How the legacy of former industrial sites pollutes American cities today.” And a third article, “Lead keeps poisoning children. It doesn’t have to.” was published in March, 2023 via a partnership with Grist and the Center for Public Integrity, where she now works.
- Tasmiha Khan – How Muslim Americans are fighting for
climate justice, particularly in trying to prevent the construction of a pipeline by Enbridge Energy in Minnesota ($10,000). Khan published her story “For Muslim eco-activists, protesting the L3 Minnesota pipeline is a religious responsibility” on Nov. 30, 2021.
- Shira Laucharoen, Boston Institute for
Nonprofit Journalism – How systemic racism and nativism create daily dangers to the health of East Somerville, Mass., residents ($10,000). Laucharoen published her story “Investigating the interstate: in the shadow of the highway” about how immigrants and working-class people have been impacted by I-93, across the years, on binjonline.com on Nov. 16, 2021.
- Kristi Tanner and Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press – How the
principles of environmental justice, community input, and disproportionate impact are (and are not) included in the permit approval process ($10,000). Tanner and Matheny published their story “Michigan’s poorer, minority neighborhoods become ‘sacrifice zones’ for increased pollution” on Dec. 30, 2021.
- Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – When to strengthen national and state drinking water standards by
examining how nitrates in water (and their removal in some towns) are affecting people in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and farmworker communities in the Central Valley ($10,000). Walton’s article “Is Agrochemical Contamination Killing Nebraska’s Children?” published Feb. 2, 2022.
“The work of these journalists will reveal the environmental consequences of longstanding inequities in communities across America,” said Julie Moos, Executive Director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute. “We anticipate it will also lead to greater accountability for creating the safe neighborhoods everyone deserves.”
“We are immensely grateful to the judges for their thoughtful deliberation,” said Sonni Efron, President and CEO of the National Press Foundation. “All of the applicants were impressive, with projects that we hope they will pursue, so that vulnerable populations in all U.S. communities may in future be protected from environmental harm.”
The Kozik Grants are funded by a 1991 gift from the late Dr. Franklin Kozik in honor of his deceased son Robert Kozik.
A second round of grants to support environmental justice reporting will be offered in early 2022.
About The National Press Foundation
The National Press Foundation is a nonprofit whose mission is to “make good journalists better.” We educate journalists on the complex issues of the day and train them to use the latest reporting tools and techniques. The foundation recognizes and encourages excellence in journalism through its awards and fellowships.
About the National Press Club Journalism Institute
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. The Institute is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club.
