Introduction

(Henceforth all writing and images are my own. Do not use without my express permission. Copying my writing is considered plagiarism and using my photos without consent is copyright infringement.)

Since 1971 when Dr. Seuss wrote The Lorax, much has changed about this world: Google, LGBTQ+ rights, #BringBackOurGirls, Barack Obama. One thing, however, that has not changed is the presence of injustice. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, injustice is defined as the violation of the right or of the rights of another (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Social injustice is therefore a situation in which rights are violated due to a practice from the society such as racism or oppression. Environmental injustice, similarly, is the unfair treatment of people, animals, and the environment regarding the enforcement and development of environmental policies and laws.

The battle for justice was documented as early as 1960’s with farm workers demanding protection from pesticides. The true start to this movement, however, was in 1982 in North Carolina in a poor, rural, mostly black town in Warren County. Trucks started to pour in filled with soil laced with toxic PCB’s heading for a new hazardous landfill nearby. The community took a stand and laid down on the roads leading up to the landfill and performed marches and protests which caused national attention. In the end, the town lost and the hazardous soil was buried in the landfill but this was the first time the issues of social and environmental justice were brought to light for the whole country to see (Skelton, Renee, & Miller, 2016). Although Dr. Seuss was right when saying to need to speak for the trees, as they cannot, this should be taken one step further. Trees, people, and animals all must be spoken for whenever they cannot stand for themselves due to social, political, economic, or environmental factors.

For my thesis, I did a photo essay consisting of two main parts: Photos and Writing. For the photography aspect of this thesis paper I went out into the Tampa community and photographed people, places, situations, etc. to piece together a complete theme under the topic of social and environmental justice. I researched the area to find places that fit my photography need and brought along my friends and USF models from the USF Models, Photography and Arts page.