EcoAvengers Assemble! Comics & Environmental Justice with Rebecca Bratspies

Comic books are becoming increasingly great examples of how social justice messages can be mixed with great storytelling and artistry. Rebecca Bratspies is an attorney and author of the comic books "Environmental Justice Chronicles", along with the artist Charlie LaGreca. In this episode Rebecca talks about the intersection of environmental justice, law, and pop culture. Rebecca shares how the "Environmental Justice Chronicles," aims to educate young people about environmental justice issues and empower them to take action. We also talk about Rebecca's background, her journey from being a research scientist to a lawyer, and the importance of understanding the historical and legal context in addressing social and environmental challenges.Rebecca teaches at CUNY School of Law. She is a scholar of environmental justice, human rights, and environmental law. Her book Naming Gotham won the Association of Public Historians of New York 2023 Award for Excellence in Local History. The Environmental Justice Chronicles, her graphic novel series won EPA’s 2023 Clean Air Excellence Award. In 2021, ABA-SEER honored her work with its Commitment to Diversity and Justice Award. The Centre for International Sustainability Law named her its 2022 International Human Rights Lawyer.  www.rebeccabratspies.com Dr. Adrienne Trier-Bieniek is a gender and media scholar who has published books on gender and pop culture, Beyoncé's influence in music, Tori Amos's fandom, as well as publications focused on the ways pop culture can help heal from trauma. Dr. Adrienne has been featured in publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and NBC News and can be found at www.adriennetrier-bieniek.com or on Instagram @dr.adriennetb Supplemental teaching resources and more info for instructors is shared monthly via Dr. Adrienne's newsletter. Sign up at www.adriennetrier-Bieniek.com. Support the show here. (Unless you are a current student. In that case, keep your money and remember, on Wednesday's we wear pink.)