For P.O.C., environmental justice isn’t just about climate. It’s about survival.

Through Eco-WURD, Tamara Russell is reshaping how Philly talks about climate and community

Tamara P.O.C. Russell, (P.O.C.) has spent over a decade educating Black Philadelphians on why environmental justice matters, and why it cannot be separated from everyday lived experiences.

“For me, environmental justice was always about the intersections. I’m in a fight for public safety and public health… really just honing in on the injustices that we were dealing with, especially since that whole uprising from that pandemic,” she says. “I was talking about environmental justice issues, but incorporating it into my stance on how these all come together.”

Through Eco-WURD, she intentionally connects environmental issues to real-life conditions to communities that are often left out of the conversation.

“I’ve been able to make sustainability relatable,” P.O.C. explains. “I’ve brought on guests who have conversations with our listening audience based on zip codes, based on topics, based on narrative, to be able to meet people where they are.”

Inviting policymakers and legislators into these conversations is key. “So our listeners can understand what it means to vote, what they’re voting for, and making sure that EJ topics are not left out.”

Eco-WURD, a program focused on environmental justice conversations within Black communities, uses radio and community dialogue to connect policy discussions with the daily realities of Philadelphia neighborhoods. For three years, the platform has been bringing advocates, scientists, and policymakers together with residents to discuss issues such as housing quality, air pollution, and neighborhood heat.

To P.O.C., housing is one of the most critical and overlooked environmental justice issues.

“If we’re talking hyper-local, I’m always going to talk about clean air… but on a larger scale for Black people as a whole, housing is extremely big,” she says. “We can start with housing and then work our way up.”

For her, housing is the foundation that shapes everything else. “Our housing will equate to education. The education will equate to economics. The economics will equate to financial stability and freedom… housing is huge for us as a people.”

Historical barriers have posed challenges to the daily lives of folks in urban environments, particularly people of color. P.O.C. says that practices such as redlining have played a part. Philadelphia also has food deserts, which also makes talks of the environment feel unimportant for some.

That visibility matters, she says, because environmental justice is often sidelined in favor of more immediate crises. “When people see 500 homicides, they’re like, ‘we’ve got to focus on gun violence prevention.’ But if these people had homes and weren’t in survival mode, then a lot of these issues would look different.”

However, substandard housing conditions like toxins, poor ventilation, high temperatures and lack of green space are not just inconveniences; they are public health threats that disproportionately affect Black communities.

“There’s so many systematic barriers that are in our way for us to actually want to go outside and enjoy anything,” she says. “Most of us sitting on our porch are inhaling toxic chemicals every day, and we don’t even know it.”

She also points to how environmental inequities can become normalized over time. “We never had trees, so it’s not even like we were supposed to cool down. People think, ‘it’s summer, it’s supposed to be this hot.’ No, your house is not supposed to be this hot. You’re not supposed to be baking inside your home.”

Through her advocacy and her show, P.O.C. has worked to shift both awareness and access. Organizations that may have never engaged with these audiences before are now seeking to connect.

“People who may not have ever been on a Black radio station talking about environmental justice are now saying, ‘I think these resources can benefit your audience; can I come talk to them?’” she says.

Her work underscores a critical truth: environmental justice is not just about climate or conservation. It is about survival, stability, and systems. For many Black communities, the fight for clean air, safe housing, and economic opportunity is inseparable, and long overdue for the attention it deserves.

EcoWURD broadcasts on Fridays from 10- 11 AM or anytime on REVIVE Radio + Media.

Cover photo: Tamara P.O.C. Russell (center) speaking at an event in March 2025. Photo by Claudia Salvato