(Morgan News Hour) —Dr. D. Rica Wilson (Brown Girl Wellness) explains that asthma rates are often higher in predominantly brown neighborhoods, pushing listeners to ask “why”—looking at factors like air quality, housing conditions (dust, pests), stress, trash, lack of green space, and proximity to environmental hazards.
She frames environmental justice as part of a broader historical and structural reality that shows up today as poverty, food insecurity, unemployment, and health disparities.
She encourages young people to write or draw letters to elected officials, document what they see, and advocate for changes like more green spaces at schools.
Dr. Wilson also emphasizes practical, low-cost steps at home—cleaning triggers, replacing old pillows, recycling, and starting small gardens (even with raised beds).
Dr. Wilson’s leadership message is service-first—“you cannot lead if you cannot serve”—and she calls for collective action, including more young brown elected officials. She closes with a motivational charge: “You are the flame”—use what you have to create change.