Sprouting Justice: A Tell All The Truth Project Community Celebration

On Dec. 5, students, faculty, and staff from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), and members of the Omaha community gathered to celebrate environmental justice. The event, titled "Sprouting Justice, A Community Celebration," marked the culmination of a semester-long inquiry into how people interact with their environment and the impact it has on all. The event highlighted student projects focused on environmental justice and food security.

UNO students worked alongside community partners City Sprouts and The Malcolm X Foundation, both committed to promoting environmental justice. City Sprouts is a nonprofit that educates the community on sustainable gardening practices. The Malcolm X Foundation honors the legacy of Malcolm X and advocates for social and food justice. Several students shared their plans to volunteer at City Sprouts and learn sustainable farming techniques. One student said, "City Sprouts and the Malcolm X Foundation have had a huge impact on how I think about the Omaha environment. I’m signing up to learn more and do my part."

Students in Dr. John Price’s American Nonfiction course created zines titled "Why I Care," which were collected into a digital booklet for attendees. Topics ranged from food security to the cultural significance of local food sourcing. Dr. Mark Boxell’s American Environmental History course enhanced the event with presentations on the environmental history of Omaha, demonstrating the complex and varied connections to environmental justice. The student projects displayed a critical engagement with topics such as racism, sustainability, and the broad impact of environmental justice across diverse communities.

Interactive booths from City Sprouts and the Malcolm X Foundation focused on environmental justice and community action. The City Sprouts booth featured composting worms, educating attendees on sustainable composting; while the Malcolm X Foundation highlighted the importance of local environmental efforts aligned with Malcolm X’s broader mission of social and environmental justice.

This event was made possible by a generous Mellon Foundation grant for the Tell All The Truth Project, alongside support from the UNO Service Learning Academy. The event benefited from the contributions of the Advisory Board, which included community leaders from across Omaha, and the dedicated efforts of the Tell All The Truth Leadership Team, composed of faculty from the departments of history, English, and sociology and anthropology.

Building on the success of May 2024's “Reentry Past and Present: A Community Celebration,” this event marked another step in the project’s expansion into broader community justice initiatives and ongoing discussions about change.

Attendees left with a deeper understanding of the history of environmental justice in Omaha and resources to further those efforts within the community