Bunyan Bryant, a trailblazer in environmental justice, died on March 28 at age 89.
Lori Atherton writes forThe University of Michigan News.
In short:
- Bryant pioneered environmental justice education at the University of Michigan and influenced generations of advocates.
- His contributions extended beyond academia, playing a significant role in bringing environmental justice issues to national attention.
- Bryant's work led to the establishment of the Office of Environmental Equity and later the Office of Environmental Justice in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Key quote:
“The world has been a better place with Bunyan’s vision, determination, compassion and involvement. He had a deep compassion for other people and humanity at large, and I will miss him greatly.”
-- Paul Mohai, Bryant’s longtime friend and collaborator at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
Why this matters:
Bryant helped establish the first environmental justice program in the country at the University of Michigan. He mentored and inspired thousands of advocates over his long career.
Building environmental justice advocacy from within academia continues to be challenging work, even decades after Bryant's pioneering contributions to the field. Dr. Ana Baptista recently joined the Agents of Change podcast to discuss some solutions.
