Christine Appah-Gyamfi empowers students to lead on environmental justice issues
Born and raised in New York City, Christine Apa-Gaffey Always interested in architecture and the natural environment.
When her elementary school was closed for repairs due to asbestos, and the same thing happened to her junior high school, Appah-Gyamfi began to question the daily exposure to toxic substances that she and her classmates were exposed to. As early as high school, she started thinking, “How can we protect people from these problems? Are there systems and laws in place to do that?”
Christine Appah-Gyamfi teaches environmental justice at the Columbia Climate School. Photo: Christine Appah-Gyamfi
“You start connecting these issues to other things around you. You think about your friend who has asthma. You start seeing the connection between air quality, urban air pollution, and health, and wonder if there’s something you can do about it to help,” Appah-Gyamfi said.
As Appah-Gyamfi progressed academically, her passion for the environment and public health grew.She interned at the U.S. House of Representatives in college, researching indoor air pollution in elementary schools, and also completed her internship at the U.S. House of Representatives NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Appah-Gyamfi studies the ‘transformative experience’ of asthma in an urban setting. Additionally, Christine studied abroad in Morocco and conducted research in Ghana on how policy initiatives are designed to address urban environmental issues in developing countries. More than 20 years later, she is now an adjunct professor at the school Columbia Climate Schooland uses her background to explore some longstanding questions about the social determinants of health.
At Duke Law School, Appah-Gyamfi knew her purpose was to work in the public interest. “All of my experiences combined pushed me into this field and encouraged me. I knew that whatever I could contribute to this research and the fight for environmental justice would require me to be a strong lawyer and researcher, and an effective community advocate.” These skills landed Appah-Gyamfi her first job at the Legal Aid Society of New York, where she learned more about advocacy, the New York City system, and housing, homelessness Knowledge of the intersection between returnees and environmental health. “These issues are magnified as I work to secure affordable and safe housing for my clients, many of whom unfortunately suffer from asthma or health issues that are often related to indoor air quality. Although I’m a housing lawyer, but I’m starting to see trends and understand these are environmental issues,” Appah-Gyamfi said.
As New York was hit by catastrophic storms, first Hurricane Irene, then sandthe city is forced to deal with the risks posed by severe weather events, especially for those with limited means.
“My clients were impacted by Hurricane Irene, and many of them are still trying to recover from mold-related issues and other concerns from structural damage during Superstorm Sandy,” she said. This became a turning point for many advocates, and a reminder that beyond the legal system already in place, Resilience and Disaster Preparedness Needs to be included in the conversation, and environmental justice considerations need to be understood. “Our work takes inspiration from the plight of our clients, and we have to be ready to transform and give them the service and help they need. If the existing laws don’t solve certain problems, like the mold problem we’ve seen, then we have to develop strategy and figure out how to do that.”
Appah-Gyamfi later served as a senior attorney for the Environmental Justice Project of the New York Public Interest Lawyers Association, where she worked extensively on advocacy on a variety of environmental health issues, particularly those affecting children. Her background in advocating for healthy and affordable housing supports her in finding innovative solutions to problems she encounters in her housing practice.
Appah-Gyamfi did just that when she joined a coalition of dedicated advocates focused on addressing asthma rates across the city. It took years of collaboration between different stakeholder groups to develop a new approach to help alleviate this indoor environmental equity issue. She said they try to help people who are facing inclement weather, mold or other asthma triggers and need a highly effective remedial process.they were finally able to pass Local Law No. 55 of 2018also known as the Asthma-Free Housing Act.
This semester at Climate School, Appah-Gyamfi is translating her experiences into environmental justice Teach students how to see themselves as part of a dynamic effort to ensure a healthy and resilient urban environment for all New Yorkers.
Can you tell us about the environmental justice curriculum you designed and why you decided to teach in climate schools?
I’ve always been passionate about working with my community and making sure everyone interested in this type of work has the opportunity to learn and participate. This has been the focus of much of my career – encouraging community engagement and addressing issues that affect communities, especially the environmental justice community. When I decided I was going into teaching, I wanted to do something innovative. I wanted to create a course where students could not only study the theory and doctrine of environmental justice, but also envision themselves as practitioners.
I came up with this concept of an environmental justice advocacy portfolio based on work I’ve done, thinking that if a student could write an op-ed, conduct policy research, learn how to access legislators, and see themselves as part of the legislative process, They are almost immediately ready to help any organization they start working with. Often these skills are taught on the job, but if we can build them into the curriculum, students can make real and lasting contributions once they start working, whether in internships or postgraduate employment.I teach students not only to have a background in the history and theory of environmental justice, but to use some very practical tools and see how they can establish their voices as advocates early in their careers
I try to make legal advocacy real to them and show them how those tools are used and applied by people who work in the legal field. Advocacy mixes reflect the skills that I believe are most transferable to the fields they are in.
Another part of the class is that they will be able to use Regulations.gov to engage in real-time advocacy for federal policy initiatives. They will be submitting regulatory comments during the course, which will make them really part of the process, as each regulatory agency should review every comment received. They will be part of the record. We will also look at ways to engage locally at the NYC council level.
A climate school is an excellent learning environment that helps students explore these questions. I’m excited to be a part of this community and share my knowledge on the environment and climate justice.
What do you want your students to learn from the course?
I hope to help students understand environmental justice work and see themselves as community leaders so they can take on and advance that work. I love the way practice can inform your teaching approach, and how teaching can really help you understand how to be a better advocate.
There is so much potential and momentum around climate justice and environmental justice right now. I want students to really use their background and experience to guide the work they do, and then take the time to reflect on their engagement and how they engage with the community and use that to guide their work. I want them to be able to understand the theory and principles of environmental justice, but I also want them to be able to apply what they have learned proficiently, helping them develop their skills and expand their reach.
The highlight of the class for me was seeing the students connect their past work experiences, their future goals, and how they plugged in and amplified issues that were important to them.
What lessons have you learned from mentoring students in the field?
Environmental justice is a dynamic field. You need to understand and appreciate different perspectives and be very creative because we don’t see many of the more specific legal protections that states and municipalities are enacting now. Often, we have to learn new ways to apply existing laws. Now is a very important time to help mentor students because we know they will make such great contributions in the future. Guiding and teaching can help guide them forward. I also teach environmental justice to law students at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and I find it inspiring that despite their different professional goals, their commitment to environmental and climate issues is similar.
We all have opportunities to help each other, and the way we encourage and support each other sustains the work we are doing. If anyone wants access to law school, working in the community, or how to be a more effective advocate, and they need my help, they should feel free to do so.
I have this teaching philosophy where I say, “Today you are my student, tomorrow you are my colleague.” Your time in school is short compared to your time in practice. I want students to take what they learn in my courses and to bloom in ways inspired by the work we do together. And then use that to help new practitioners in their field, so it just keeps growing. I have benefited from being mentored by truly great people, and I think the only way you can truly express that gratitude is by being a great mentor to someone else.
