Perry Dowell is based in Birmingham, Alabama. She is an NACRP member and Climate Change Program Coordinator at Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution (GASP). Read her spotlight below!
What communities are you most accountable to?
GASP works closely with the neighborhood communities in the North Birmingham superfund site, three neighborhoods that are surrounded by three coke plants. We are accountable to these neighborhoods, along with the Greater-Birmingham area. We believe that everyone has the right to breathe healthy air and we work to reduce air pollution and advance environmental justice through education, advocacy, and collaboration.
In a few sentences, what would you like to share about yourself and your journey/personal connection to community-driven planning?
Growing up, my mom kept bees and was very involved with the beekeeper community in our county; she even became the first (and only thus far) woman president of the Jefferson County Beekeepers Association. My brother and I were homeschooled, so we always followed our mother around, which resulted in us watching her involvement in her community and taking leadership roles in male-dominated spaces. Her influence instilled in me a strong sense of community. Throughout high school, I did a lot of volunteer work for several different groups in Birmingham, and in college, I gravitated toward community-centered clubs and internships. Now that I’ve graduated from college and moved back home to Birmingham, I have participated in environmental justice movement spaces where community is highly valued. To me, it makes the most sense as a planning process to involve the people most impacted by decisions.
In a few sentences, can you share about a current community-based project you are working on?
I am coordinating the Green New Deal for Birmingham (GND4BHM) campaign. This campaign aims to develop a people-driven justice-first climate action plan for the City of Birmingham. Currently, we're in our data-gathering and planning phase. As part of this phase, I have been planning and facilitating Community Climate Assemblies, essentially community forum events. At these events, we hear from members of the Greater Birmingham community on what they would like to see in a climate action plan for our city. Then we synthesize those conversations to hold onto as qualitative data to inform the climate action plan. My goal is to see Birmingham become a more just, equitable, and environmentally sustainable city that cares for all of its people.
Lastly, in a few sentences, what does being part of the NACRP network/community mean to you?
I believe this program will help me be an even better facilitator for the Planning Team and for the Green New Deal for Birmingham. I am always working to expand my knowledge and connections so that I can serve my community and create lasting positive change for the City of Birmingham and impacted communities that live here.
