It all began on New Year’s Day 2022 when KSDK-TV news anchor Michelle Li read a story on air about popular New Year’s Day foods, adding that she ate dumpling soup, as many Korean people do. A viewer left Michelle a voicemail expressing that she was being “very Asian” and encouraged her to “keep her Korean to herself.” That was the start of the hashtag #VeryAsian, which Michelle shared on social media along with the viewer’s voicemail. Thanks to an outpouring of support, she appeared on The Ellen Show where she received a check to start The Very Asian Foundation.
Join us as Michelle shares how she captured the moment to connect with people, celebrate and build community, and start a foundation at a rapid pace, all while being a journalist grounded in objectivity. She’ll also discuss the background of St. Louis’ Asian community and the barriers the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations faces.
The event begins with light refreshments and an opportunity for you to connect with fellow members and guests followed by the discussion and a question-and-answer session.
Did you know that where you live can make you ill? For our next discussion, we’re turning instead to a brief report conducted by the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic at Washington University School of Law along with Action St. Louis, Arch City Defenders, Dutchtown South Community Corporation and the Sierra Club. This educational report, titled Environmental Racism in St. Louis, exposes environmental injustices that “disproportionately endanger public health for people of color and low-income individuals in St. Louis, and in advocating for systemic changes to remedy these injustices and enhance public health.”
Several of the issues covered in previous SOS Education programs are highlighted including housing (mold and lead paint), health (asthma) and community (vacant lots, food apartheid). This report sheds light on these eye-opening, interconnected environmental issues facing the underserved communities in a very interesting and comprehensive way and offers creative approaches to solutions. Join us as we discuss these findings and the recommendations for addressing environmental racism.
Guest are welcome. We hope to see you there.