One afternoon during winter break, a group of University of Richmond students set out on a bike ride along the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana.

For 10 miles, they rode past plastic manufacturing plants and oil refineries along the riverbanks. Chemical smells and clanging sounds surrounded them. They watched as smoke poured into the sky and particulate matter floated through the air. Eli Beech-Brown, a lifetime cyclist accustomed to long-distance rides, struggled as he felt the air filling his lungs.

By the end of the ride, they could see how the area — one they had previously only read about in books and discussed in class — got its name: Cancer Alley.

The bike ride was part of biology professor Shannon Jones’ Toxic Communities course, offered through the Sophomore Scholars in Residence program. The class looks at the history of environmental justice in the U.S., and the factors that contribute to some populations being disproportionately affected by pollutants. It’s a natural outgrowth of Jones’ research expertise in air pollution and the increased impact on people of color and people of lower socioeconomic means.

In addition to being an SSIR, the class meets the University’s general education requirements for natural science. Students learn basic concepts in biology and toxicology through case studies — such as lead poisoning in Flint, Michigan — and explore how different chemicals cause cancer and other reactions in the body.

They also gain fundamental skills in experimental design, hypothesis testing, and lab processes. During a unit on air and water pollution, for example, Jones took students to different locations around Richmond and explained how redlining — discriminating housing practices that began in the 1930s — contributed to urban heat islands and unequal burdens of pollution. Students then conducted air quality measurements that demonstrated how those effects persist to this day.

“Going out into the world, they need to see how science impacts their everyday life,” Jones said. “Toxicology is a perfect applied science to do that. After this class, they’ll be more aware of the everyday things we’re exposed to that can impact our health.”

Over winter break, Jones took the class to New Orleans where they met with grassroots organizations, activists, nonprofits, and community members. They visited sites they had discussed in class, including Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch of the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that houses more than 150 petrochemical plants, mostly in communities of color and low socioeconomic means. Along with higher levels of air and water pollution, the adjacent communities also experience an abnormally high risk of cancer.

“It was shocking to put that perspective into real life,” said Jassiem Konrad, a student in the class. “You could smell it, you could see it, you could hear it. It was a completely different experience.”

Konrad said the experience made him want to go back for an internship or to volunteer with local organizations, and he hopes to one day work in equitable, sustainable development. In April, he’ll have a chance to return for the HBCU Climate Change Conference.

“It’s for Black and brown people to come together to discuss issues that disproportionately affect us,” he said. “We’re taking the initiative to cover these issues ourselves, rather than leave it to a government organization.”

Beech-Brown, an environmental studies major, also came to the class with a prior interest in the subject. Growing up in Northern Minnesota, his parents valued conservation and talked often about protecting nearby forests and Lake Superior. The Toxic Communities class led Beech-Brown to expand his perspective.

Exploring and understanding that link between science, environmentalism, and social justice is at the core of what Jones hopes students take away. 

“I thought this would be a great way to show students how these multiple disciplines connect,” she said. “We need more people to know about this, we need more people talking about this, because it's happening all over the U.S. and all over the world.”