University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Fall November 2014 AFRICAN AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: BLACK INTELLECTUAL PERSPECTIVES 1850-1965 Vanessa Fabien University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2 Part of the African American Studies Commons, Cultural History Commons, and the Ethnic Studies Commons Recommended Citation Fabien, Vanessa, "AFRICAN AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: BLACK INTELLECTUAL PERSPECTIVES 1850-1965" (2014). Doctoral Dissertations. 184. https://doi.org/10.7275/5901764.0 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/184 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AFRICAN AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: BLACK INTELLECTUAL PERSPECTIVES 1850-1965 A Dissertation Presented by VANESSA FABIEN Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SEPTEMBER 2014 W.E.B. DU BOIS DEPARTMENT OF AFRO-AMERICAN STUDIES ©Copyright by Vanessa Fabien 2014 All Rights Reserved AFRICAN AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: BLACK INTELLECTUAL PERSPECTIVES 1850-1965 A Dissertation Presented by VANESSA FABIEN Approved as to style and content by: _______________________________________________________ James Smethurst, Chair _______________________________________________________ John E. Higginson, Member _______________________________________________________ Manisha Sinha, Member _______________________________________________________ Francoise N. Hamlin, Member ________________________________________ John H. Bracey, Department Head Afro-American Studies DEDICATION To the ancestors who opened the doors for me and continue to inspire me daily. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As I write these acknowledgments on the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the Mississippi Freedom Summer, I am reminded of the heart, fortitude, strength, and collective struggle that went into organizing a voter registration campaign in 1964 in the heart of the deep South. I thank God for carrying me through this journey. I completed it on Your time and with Your love, patience, and guidance. In completing this process over these eight years, I am indebted to many individuals who contributed to the evolution of this dissertation through sharing their wisdom, strength, heart, knowledge, and moral fortitude with me. To my parents Ricles and Rosemonde Fabien, your work ethic and love have nurtured me throughout my life and especially these past eight years. Your sacrifices have been many and I pray that I am able to give you as much love as you have given me. My brothers Richemond and Rosemond Fabien, your gentleness and sense of humor kept me going in moments I felt overwhelmed. You have taken up the slack and done more than your share so that I could complete this dissertation. Richemond, listening to you play the saxophone while I wrote was such a gift and I pray that you continue to cultivate your gift. Rosemond, in addition to your intelligence, you are wise beyond your years. Whatever you choose to do, I pray that God keeps His hands upon your life and uses you to bless others. I love you all unconditionally. To Kedisha Christie, my beloved future sister-in-law, you helped me go over this dissertation with a fine-tooth comb and gave your time freely and with joy. Also I give thanks to my extended family: The Novembres, Djouby Dagobert, Rose Ivenia Dagobert, and Valerie Dagobert. v Professor Françoise Hamlin, you embody the spirit of activism and are shaping the historiography on the Civil Rights Movement. Your commitment goes beyond your research and lies in your actions. I submitted my fifth chapter to you and within one week you returned it to me with corrections that far outnumbered the words I typed on the pages. In that moment I saw your revisions (after my eyes retreated back into their sockets), I knew that you were invested in me and this project. You set the bar high and you showed me how to reach it. Even in your short time as a member of my committee, you have categorically changed how I approach this study. Professor James Edward Smethurst, from the first day you nurtured me through my intellectual vulnerabilities with African American literature. Your expertise as a literary historian inspired me to think outside of the traditional historical parameters and approach literature and art as cultural productions that speak to specific historical moments. Your ability to offer constructive criticism with positive and reassuring feedback gave me a sense of balance in the midst of potentially unhinging circumstances. Thank you for stepping in to chair my committee at the last hour. Professor Manisha Sinha, you supported me and my work from the moment I entered the department. Although I am not a 19th century historian, I always looked forward to your seminars with excitement because of the rich intellectual insight that you provided and the issues we engaged during class discussions. I could always trust your honesty and foresight to steer me in the right direction. Professor John Higginson, your breadth of knowledge and intellectual profundity set a high standard of excellence. You have instilled in me the value of good vi scholarship, hard work, and minding the details. More importantly, you taught me how to build up my strength on all fronts so that I could effectively channel my energy into writing this dissertation. Professor Esther Terry, as one of the select few individuals whose presence, intelligence, and spirit has bought me to tears, you inspire me to continue the great work that you did in the Civil Rights Movement. More importantly, you show me and countless other women that greatness is measured by one’s character and not necessarily by what you do and who recognizes you for it. Professor Britt Rusert, your interdisciplinary approach helped as I was conceptualizing my chapters and I am appreciative for all of the invaluable academic sources that strengthened this project. Professor Kim Morrison, although I did not join a faculty reading group while in graduate school, I will certainly heed this advice in my future professional endeavors. All of the professors in the departments have contributed to this project in some meaningful way and Major Works I and II afforded me the opportunity to learn something from the entire faculty. I acknowledge Professor John H. Bracey for his time and contributions as the former chair of my committee. Tricia Loveland, you are the steady force in the department and assure that all things run smoothly. Thank you for helping me with all of the administrative aspects of this process. I am also indebted to my best friends, colleagues, mentors, and church families who guided me forward when I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. Professor Stephanie Y. Evans, you mentored me and helped open new doors and opportunities for me. Professor Joye Bowman, the grace with which you manage all of your responsibilities is noteworthy in and of itself. Your wisdom throughout the years has vii helped me keep things in perspective and remain steadfast in completing this journey. Professor Alexandrina Deschamps, I could always count on you to lead me to critical sources that supported this project. Michael Alderman and Millicent Jackson, you believed in this study and helped me devote the necessary time to conduct the research and write with the generous support of the Diversity Dissertation Fellowship from the Office of Graduate Student Recruitment and Retention. Isabel Espinal, thank you for all of the sources you provided over the years for this project. I am indebted to all of the archivists and librarians at the many institutions I travelled to during this study. Professor Michael Ash, Professor James Boyce, and the Environmental Working Group (EWG), you offered me indispensable feedback during this process along with the opportunity to present my work to a think tank. I look forward to continuing my professional relationship with you in the future. Thank you to all of the doctors who kept me healthy. I especially want to thank Dr. Richard Ruben for being such a great primary care physician. The Tolsons, you treated me like your own and became my family away from home. Nancy, you devoted your time and energy when I needed you the most. Marisha and Kenneth, you both always look out for me and make sure that I come up for air when I am working. You calmed me down during my defense and all of the wonderful food you provided showed me how much you care for me. Delphain Demosthenes, as a man of the cloth, you guided me in trusting God when it may not have been convenient and you offered me practical advice on how to effectively navigate different situations. Kerry Ard, our daily check-in emails while we wrote our dissertations kept me going and your honesty always put a smile on my face. Colette Oduy Joseph, you have been viii my sounding board and given me heart during my most vulnerable moments. Yveline Alexis, thank you for sharing your zest for life and bringing joy to my life. Kabria Baumgartner, as part of my cohort, we endured this process together and you helped me stay focused. DeRoy Gordon, thank you for being a great cohort as well. Fritznie Jarbath Amedeé, you know what to say even when I cannot articulate myself. Your logical mind coupled with your direct approach gave me resolve when I hit a breaking point. Domina Nyinawinyange, despite the demands of your own professional pursuits, you are there to help me flesh out any ideas and make reasoned and well-thought out decisions. Sharon Burney, you have been a friend, advisor, and given me invaluable advice over the years.