Climates of Inequality: Stories of Environmental Justice Traveling Exhibition
Climates of Inequality (COI): Stories of Environmental Justice Traveling Exhibition is a participatory public memory project led by the Humanities Action Lab and created in collaboration with over 500 students, educators, and environmental justice advocates in more than 20 cities across the US, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Mexico.
The Chicago story, Resisting Cycles of Environmental Injustice in La Villita, is one of 22 featured stories and was researched and developed by UIC students in the Museum and Exhibition Studies (MUSE) Program in collaboration with the UIC Latino Cultural Center (LCC) and partner organizations Alianza Americas and Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) to collect oral histories from community members who helped shape the Little Village story.
In 2023, the LCC partnered with the UIC Social Justice Initiative to host the COI exhibition in their Chicago Justice Gallery and expanded the story to feature other “sacrifice zones” in Chicago: Altgeld Gardens, Calumet River, McKinley Park, Pilsen, and the Southeast Side.
By featuring the voices of local leaders, artists, and residents, the exhibition spreads knowledge about local environmental/climate harms and affirms the work and dedication of frontline communities creating a more just future.
View more photos in the LCC's COI Opening Reception Flickr Album.
If you are interested in hosting the COI Traveling Exhibition, contact ldejes3@uic.edu.
COI Traveling Exhibition Schedule Heading link
During Summer 2024, the exhibition was converted to a traveling exhibition and hosted at multiple local organization sites throughout Chicago. View the traveling schedule below:
- Chicago Justice Gallery
1344 S Halsted St.
October 2023 thru May 2024 - Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ)
3700 S Iron St.
July 2024 thru September 2024 - Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)
2727 S Troy St.
March 2025 thru June 2025 - 18th Street Casa de Cultura
2057 W 18th St.
Exhibition Schedule TBD - Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF)
Exhibition Location and Schedule TBD
