What happened to environmental justice in the White House?

07/11/2025 51 min

Listen "What happened to environmental justice in the White House?"

Episode Synopsis


The Trump administration ended the White House Department of Environmental Justice, which was launched under the Biden administration. The new administration said that the concept of “environmental justice” falls under the umbrella of DEI initiatives, which it seeks to abolish. The former chief environmental justice officer for the Biden White House is in Rochester on Friday. We’re joined by Jalonne White-Newsome to discuss her views on what environmental justice is — and is not — and why she still thinks it matters. In studio:
Jalonne White-Newsome, Ph.D., former federal chief environmental justice officer for the Biden White House, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability, and CEO and founder of Empowering A Green Environment and Economy, LLC
Katrina Korfmacher, Ph.D., faculty member in the UR Institute for Human Health and Environment
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