i'm from lowndes county. i had the opportunity to lift other places and when i went back and saw things had not changed that much and i still have relationships i still have. relationships i've had since a child that pretty much gave me the information that i needed to connect with my activism. to try to bring about change. because in lowndes county i learned how to listen and listening is a very very key part to activism. a lot of people don't listen and they go in with what they think are the answers and talk to the local folks or spend that kind of time 80 to be able to understand the dynamics of what's really going on. instead of what they've been told by politicians who may write a narrative that's more glowing and really is sort of present. so that our that brought me back there and got me connected with the fight. the fight for sanitation justice, just massively evolve. i could not have predicted that. i did not predict that. i didn't think i would be dealing with waste in particular. i never thought t

and i'm just curious how lowndes county whether that. >> in terms of covid-19 lowndes county has the highest per-capita -- in the state of alabama and lots of people have passed on or more than one immediate family member because people are living in small mobile homes were they couldn't isolate or people that had to go to work and working in a central low-paying jobs to support their families and they would get sick at work and would bring it home so it's been a really intense impact on mt. county. in terms of lowndes county history of racial justice i think it's timely we mention lowndes county right now because lowndes county at one point because of the racial -- it was significant that the voting rights movement taking place this year that lowndes county freedom organization was kicked off the property and the lowndes county freedom organization took in the panther and associated with the panther party and it started in lowndes county so all of these, i think lowndes county became the perfect place for this to emanate from simply because of what happened prior to 2020 the 2020 ha

terms of lowndes county history, of racial justice, i think it's timely that the story, lowndes county at one point because of -- during the voting rights movement which was also -- lowndes county organized lowndes county freedom organization, these are former sharecroppers who were kicked off property when the richest to vote. the lowndes county freedom organization took it as an inning of the black panther and people associate with the black panther party in oakland but actually start in lowndes county. all of these, i think lowndes county became the perfect place for this to emanate from simply because of what happened prior to 2020. but 2020 has shown us all of these disparities and does magnify did in such a way with covid that it can no longer be ignored, and to think the book made that a different reception had it not been for george floyd murder which never should've happened or what happened to breonna taylor, never should've happened and likewise covid should not affect this impact on the communities that are most vulnerable. but in that puts us in a position where we have to

in terms of lowndes county's history, of racial justice, i think it's time [inaudible] lowndes county right now because lowndes county at one point, because of the racial terror that existed, it was significant that during the voting rights movement which is also still significant that lowndes county organized the lowndes county freedom organization, former sharecroppers who were kicked off the property when they registered to vote. the lowndes county freedom information [inaudible] people associated with the black panther party in oakland but it actually started in lowndes county. all of these -- i think the lowndes county became the perfect place for this to emanate from simply because of what's happened prior to 2020. but 2020 has shown us all of these disparities and has magnified it in such a way with covid that it can no longer be ignored. i think the book may have had a different reception had it not been for george floyd murder, which never should have happened. what happened to breonna taylor never should have happened, and likewise covid should not have the impact on the com

the things i've gravitated toward, i believe like lowndes county more or less because i am from lowndes county. i have the opportunity and privilege to live other places and when i went back and saw things had not changed much, i also still had relationships that i still have relationships i've had since i was a child that pretty much gave me the information i needed to connect with my activism to try to bring about change. in mount county i learned how to listen and listening is a key part to activism. a lot of people don't listen and they go in with what they think are the answers and talk to local folks. they need to be able to understand the dynamics of what is really going on instead of what they've been told by politicians and they write a narrative so that arc that brought me back there and got me connected with the fight for sanitation justice, i could not have predicted that. i did not predict that, i didn't think i would be dealing with waste in particular but here we are. >> and you came back to beat an economic development. >> yes. >> in the book, you tell a story about sena

>> guest: lowndes county is located between selma and montgomery. it's about 714 square miles and has six small towns, the largest being in the southern part of lowndes county. a major interstate highway that goes through there, interstate 65 going north and south you probably go through if you are on 65. the other famous is the selma to montgomery march that goes through lowndes county and in addition, it's very much tied to slavery and has recorded racial lynching in lowndes county. there's probably even more that are not documented. but montgomery at the end when they ended the international slave trade it became one of the domestic slave trade and people would be brought in by rail or river to montgomery and then auction off at the square. a lot of those people, which i'm descendents of ended up in lowndes county and the interesting part about this history is that i'm learning more recently i'm starting to hear from people to descended that have reached out as well and i believe the history of the region makes it so compelling and the story more

at the height of a pandemic lowndes county had the highest infection rate per-capita in the state of alabama. declining national life expectancies are a reminder but happens when poverty inequality or no sanitation infrastructure and climate change come together per the climate crisis impacts all of us. we are dealing with failing of the structure and it also includes the most they seek infrastructure sanitation. in the town of -- alabama the county seat for more than 20 years wish telling people about the sewage from a nearby lagoon that is backing up into her home. she is a wastewater treatment -- but all they can provide is so pumped up to pump the sewage out of her yard from time to time. this is indicative of a failing of destruction a feeling of destruction sanitation inequality that exists throughout the united states. to montgomery alabama were communities are -- or were poorer families are in seeking a virus of justice as well as good-paying jobs. on a recent visit to the town of mount vernon new york i met families unable to flush their toilets for more than 20 years. the a

just curious, you've been working in lowndes county now for 20 years or so. what madeow