Margie Richard's Fight for Clean Air

Margie Richard's Fight for Clean AirListen to each part of the article below and use it to answer the questions. It only takes one person to make big changes in the community. Margie Richard is one of these people. She is a Black woman who has worked for years to protect the earth and improve Black communities.Even today, many Black people live in areas with lots of air pollution. These neighborhoods are often near factories that pollute the air. Richard fights against big companies that own these factories so people that live near them can have clean air and live healthier lives.What can you conclude will happen if people live in neighborhoods with lots of air pollution? People will have healthier lives. People will work in the factories that make the air polluted. People will become sick. Margie Richard lived in a neighborhood called Old Diamond, where many Black people have lived for a long time. It was next to a factory for a big oil and gas company. Every year, the plant would put gases into the air that make people in the community very sick with cancer and lung problems. Richard thought that they were getting sick because of the dirty air, so she started to fight against the company.How did people in Old Diamond get sick? From the factory putting gases into the air. From the factory waste going into the water. From other people who were already sick. First, Richard had to prove that the factory was polluting the air. Richard and other scientists worked for 13 years and proved that the factory put out 2 million pounds of dangerous gases into the air every year. Many people across the country helped spread her message.Finally, the oil company agreed to help people in Old Diamond. The company paid people money to move away from the factory. It also worked to be safer for the earth and other people.Why do you think the oil company decided to help in the end? Margie Richard still helps other communities fight against pollution from big companies. She reminds people that anyone can change their community if they take action and speak up!What is something you can do to help your community be safer for the earth?