WPLN: “In 2021, Justin J. Pearson led people in protests against billion-dollar fossil fuel companies. Together, they helped stop an oil pipeline that would have cut through mostly Black neighborhoods in Memphis.
In 2022, Pearson spoke out against the Tennessee state legislature’s bill to preempt local governments from blocking fossil fuel projects — which came in direct response to the failed pipeline project in Memphis. Less than a year later, Pearson was elected into the legislature.
For this work, Pearson was recognized last weekend with the most prestigious honor from the nation’s largest environmental organization: The Sierra Club selected Pearson for their Changemaker of the Year award.
“Justin has already proved himself to be a unique and powerful advocate for climate action, environmental justice and equity,” Sierra Club President Allison Chin said in a statement. “His successful campaign to stop the Byhalia Pipeline and his leadership in the corridors of power shows how community organizing can succeed against the most daunting odds.””