DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with reporter Carrington Tatum, who has been covering the fight against the Bihalia Connection crude oil pipeline in Memphis for the online news outlet MLK50. Tatum discusses his approach to amplifying the voices of those most affected by the pipeline, particularly Black landowners whose land the company is seeking to acquire through eminent domain proceedings.
The episode also highlights the efforts of local activists like Justin J. Pearson, Kathy Robinson, and Kizzy Jones, who founded the Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP) group. They describe their strategies for raising awareness and garnering support, including holding rallies, utilizing social media, and seeking legal assistance from the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC).
The pipeline company, Bihalia Connection, is portrayed as employing various tactics to secure community backing, such as making charitable donations to local organizations and running ad campaigns promoting the pipeline's supposed benefits. However, these efforts are viewed by some as attempts to manipulate and silence opposition.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The Bihalia Connection crude oil pipeline project in Memphis, Tennessee, faced significant opposition from local activists and impacted Black landowners.
- Reporter Carrington Tatum aimed to amplify the voices of those most affected by the pipeline, particularly Black landowners facing eminent domain proceedings.
- Local activists like Justin J. Pearson, Kathy Robinson, and Kizzy Jones formed the Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP) group to raise awareness and garner support.
- The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) provided legal assistance to MCAP and impacted landowners in their fight against the pipeline.
- The pipeline company, Bihalia Connection, employed tactics such as making charitable donations and running ad campaigns to secure community backing, which some viewed as attempts to manipulate and silence opposition.
- The episode explored issues of environmental injustice, generational land loss among Black Americans, and the power imbalance between corporations and individual landowners.
- The fight against the pipeline highlighted the importance of grassroots activism, legal advocacy, and journalism in amplifying marginalized voices and holding corporations accountable.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “It's all about whose voice you choose to amplify. It's finding the person who stands to have the most consequences and, you know, putting them at the top of the story.“ by Peter Attia
- “Yeah, if you want to exploit poor folk, you use money.“ by Justin J. Pearson
- “You know, a landowner can't buy commercials and ads in the newspaper and billboards to say, you know, I don't want this pipeline. The news can be their only platform.“ by Peter Attia
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Episode Information
Broken Ground
Southern Environmental Law Center
8/11/22
While pipeline developers deploy common tactics to secure support, like spreading donations around the community, organizers look for allies among their elected officials. Reporter Carrington Tatum also starts covering the story and amplifying voices going unheard. Many of those voices belong to Black landowners getting legal notices that pipeline developers plan to take a portion of their land, forever, in exchange for a meager one-time payment. But a few of them aren't sold on the deal.