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Op-Ed: I’m Optimistic About the Government’s Agenda for the First Time in Decades
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Op-Ed: I’m Optimistic About the Government’s Agenda for the First Time in Decades

Southwest Detroit resident and activist Raquel Garcia describes how environmental concerns in her community have been ignored by the government. But the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing environmental justice gives her hope that progress is finally happening.

The Stories team at CAP Action works with storytellers who author op-eds about how policy impacts their lives. The team helps elevate their op-eds.

This week, the Biden administration is kicking off its ‘Investing in America’ tour highlighting recent investments across the country. As an environmental justice advocate in Southwest Detroit, I am used to being forgotten by policymakers at the top. Investments never trickle down and elected officials rarely enter our communities. But for the first time in a long time, an administration is finally investing in historically disadvantaged communities.

Southwest Detroit has a kind of magic to it. We are an incredibly giving community where neighbors help one another. We are deeply proud of our community and the diverse cultures that comprise it. It’s part of what made me fall in love with my home when my son and I moved here into a small home in 2016. But this amazing community also sits in the middle of a toxic soup of industry.

The above excerpt was originally published in The 'Gander. Click here to view the full article.

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Author

Raquel Garcia

Team

Digital Advocacy

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