Charles Lee, a trailblazer for the movement to aid marginalized communities overburdened by pollution, is joining one of the most prestigious historically Black universities in the country.
Howard University School of Law is welcoming Lee as a visiting scholar for its environmental and climate justice center, the school announced Thursday. He will support work on the intersection of law, equity and environmental justice.
Carlton Waterhouse, the center’s director, said in a statement that Lee was “foundational for advancing environmental justice.”
Lee was the lead author of “Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States,” a 1987 groundbreaking report that showed how pollution disproportionately affected Black and Latino communities in the United States. Lee started at EPA in 1999 and held several jobs at the agency, including as director of its environmental justice office.
“His presence on our campus is both timely and transformative,” said Waterhouse, who was a top official at EPA during the Biden administration. “Our students, faculty and broader community will benefit immensely from his experience, insight and enduring legacy.”
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