Climates of Inequality Exhibition: Stories of Environmental Justice
Climates of Inequality (COI): Stories of Environmental Justice 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.
COI Traveling Exhibition Schedule Heading link
Beginning Summer 2024, the exhibition will be converted to a traveling exhibition and hosted at multiple local organization sites throughout Chicago. View the traveling schedule below:
- Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ)
July 2024 to September 2024
Location: TBD - Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)
September 2024 to November 2024
Location: TBD - Alianza Americas
November 2024
Location: TBD
