Susana Almanza, executive director of PODER, or People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources, has been named to the new federal Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Vice President Kamala Harris said in a press release announcing the appointments, “We know that we cannot achieve health justice, economic justice, racial justice, or educational justice without environmental justice. That is why President Biden and I are committed to addressing environmental injustice. This historic White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council will ensure that our administration’s work is informed by the insights, expertise and lived experience of environmental justice leaders from across the nation.” Almanza, who has worked for environmental justice and against racism in East Austin throughout her lifetime, is also president of the Montopolis Neighborhood Association.
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor. More by Jo Clifton