Educational Materials

This 3 minute animation follows young Maya as she sees the pollution in her neighborhood, wonders why other neighborhoods do not have the same burden, and how her community is being “played” as pieces in a policy game. When others outside her community plan to add more unhealthy facilities and spaces in her community, Maya and her neighbors reject their plans and create their own vision for a healthy neighborhood. It is a story about a community taking control to transform itself to be a healthy place to live, work and play.

The video was a year long process in the making, done in collaboration with Minneapolis-based artist Ricardo Levins Morales (RLM Art Studios) and Line Break Media and RLM Art Studios. It can be shared on YouTube and be used in by activists and educators in workshops to spark discussion about environmental (in)justice and community transformation. It can be used across language preferences, as it is entirely a soundscape with no words.