After winning a $15 minimum wage in Kansas City, only to see it blocked by the state government, Terrence and Bridget were undeterred. That fire gave them the courage to lead multi-racial strikes and protests in Kansas City, and later, across the country, as part of the Fight for $15 plus the broader union movement. There, at that meeting, for the first time in their lives, they felt the inspiration and collective strength to say: “we deserve more”. Their battle to make ends meet as fast food workers led them to a meeting of Stand Up KC, a workers’ rights group organizing fast food workers for higher pay and benefits.

Support campaigns for environmental justiceĪfter feeding thousands of people a day at work, Terrence & Bridget were both struggling to feed their families at home. Today, they continue fighting against environmental racism in Southwest Memphis. His efforts, with the support of organizations like Protect Our Aquifer and Southern Environmental Law Center, eventually succeeded in stopping the construction of the pipeline in 2021.

The spirit moved me.” Justin then started Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP), recruiting white-led environmental groups to join a new Black-led movement against environmental racism. At a public forum organized by the pipeline company, Justin gave a rousing, impromptu speech that galvanized the room. In October 2020, Justin learned an oil pipeline was being built in a “sacrifice zone” – a historic all-Black neighborhood that had already been devastated by the effects of a nearby manufacturing plant.

The son of a pastor and a teacher, Justin was raised to use his voice for change.

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