CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Democratic Presidential Candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren visited Charleston on Wednesday to discuss environmental justice.
Warren started her visit with a walking tour of the Rosemont community and talked with people about their concerns.
She then hosted an environmental justice roundtable discussion with people who live in the community, justice advocates and State Sen. Marlon Kimpson, who represents that area.
"What I learned today is about the importance of partnership, that we can't have environmental justice that is dictated out of Washington that what happens is different by community, by community, by community," Warren said. "There are some greater truths that we know across this country and that is that polluting industries and other programs have been over and over located nearest to communities of color and the health impacts are felt every day, the property impacts every day.
Warren says she wants to make sure federal funding and resources are getting to communities who need them.
“She’s touched a major issue in the African American community because people of color are largely being displaced," Kimpson said. "We got a water pollution problem, we have led contamination, asbestos contamination, all across our state in communities of poverty which happen to be predominantly African American residents.”
Charleston area resident Skip Mikell and others have environmental concerns that include air pollution, noise pollution, and how climate change is impacting flooding.
“Rather than us just talking to her and her listening, we had a conversation and so I really appreciated it," Mikell said.
Florence resident Rashad Cade is part of the Justice First movement that fights for different types of justice including economic, health, environmental and more.
“Hurricanes are getting worse, everything the flooding is getting worse, nobody is getting the help that they need from the government and that’s the reason why we’re out here because Senator Warren is very very very proactive,” Cade said.
That roundtable took place at the Freddie Whaley Community Center on Doscher Avenue.
On Wednesday evening, Warren will be in Orangeburg at South Carolina State University for a town hall with Congressman Jim Clyburn. The focus will be on student debt.
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