Holy Ground: On Activism, Environmental Justice, and Finding Hope

Described by Brian Stevenson as “the epicenter of the pursuit of environmental justice in America,” Catherine Coleman Flowers has dedicated her life to advocating for the most vulnerable communities - rural, poor, and colorful - that have been denied the basic civic right to a clean, safe, and sustainable environment.The articles in The Holy Land, which are deeply personal and politically charged, draw on history to highlight and contextualize the most pressing issues of the moment: from climate change to human rights, from rural poverty to reproductive justice, from the infamous history of Lunds County, Alabama, to the broader crisis of racial divestment in the South.Flowers chart the course of justice, exploring its diverse origins as evidence of our interdependence. She reflects on pioneers who fought for social and environmental justice. She writes about her mother, a civil rights activist who lost her life to gun violence, and about her deep personal experience with reproductive justice.In a frank and highly poignant essay, she writes about a painful attack that took place at a moment of collective triumph, balancing her struggle for the common good with her personal safety. Flowers' faith is evident throughout the group, guiding her work and inspiring her vision of our responsibility to each other and to our common home.Drawing from Omar Kamel's experience of organizing, activism, and making change, Holy Land provides us with clarity, illuminates the way forward, and motivates us to act-for ourselves, for each other, for our communities, and ultimately, for our planet.