Hundreds of communities worldwide are being poisoned, living and dying in the shadow of petrochemical giants. Most of them remain powerless and anonymous. Steve Lerner has artfully captured the story of one community that fought back and refused to be made expendable. The story of Diamond is one of hope, tenacity, and the hunger for justice.
Gary Cohen, Environmental Health Fund and Health Care Without Harm
In an oil-driven society, Steve Lerner deftly shows the power of the African-American residents of Diamond to overcome the injustices created by Royal Dutch/Shell. Their victory is an inspiration to all of us, especially to communities around the world located in the shadows of hazardous industrial developments.
Monique Harden, co-director and attorney, Advocates for Environmental Human Rights
Steve Lerner passionately weaves together the story of the Diamond community in a way that allows the reader to gain a telling picture of the people involved while resisting the temptation to romanticize either the residents or their cause. This book is not only an excellent read, but an important contribution to the growing body of work that connects space to racial equity. Perhaps equally important, Lerner has forged a path of new possibilities by documenting the potential for change created by collaboration across the traditional boundaries between environmentalists and racial justice movements.
John A. Powell, Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Ohio State University
Steve Lerner's patient, thorough telling of the Diamond story provides such detail that you feel you are there as events unfold. He understands and relays eloquently the spiritual cornerstone of this historic African American victory—the powerful faith that propelled David over Goliath.
Anne Rolfes, Founding Director, Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Steve Lerner has provided a masterfully measured look at what it means to live across the fenceline from chemical processing plants. Calm, nuanced, compelling, and written from multiple perspectives, it will put real people on your front doorstep: the people who live there, the heroes that emerged out of one suffering community, employees within Shell who realized the status quo was not enough, and the eclectic team that assembled from around the country to support the fenceline community at risk. Diamond's narrative is an important story of environmental justice for the 21st century, one that Shell's leaders would do well to heed.
Pete Myers, co-authors Our Stolen Future
This book expertly captures the many facets of the struggles of the environmental justice fenceline community as its members attempted to survive in the toxic plume of air emissions from nearby industrial facilities. The strategies for the relocation of Diamond residents will serve as a comprehensive and realistic model to guide other environmentally affected communities.
Wilma Subra, Subra Company, techincal advisor on eonvironmental justice issues
Diamond is an important, ultimately inspiring book.
Steve Weinberg
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
Lerner does an excellent job of explaining concisely both the scientific and the legal issues involved...a compelling story.
Publishers Weekly
Steve Lerner's story of Diamond, Louisiana, is one of the most remarkable tales that has ever been told about the environmental justice movement.
Ruth Rosen
Dissent
There are thousands of communities all across America just like Diamond, where poor people share a fence line with polluting refineries, chemical plants, or waste dumps operated by multi-billion dollar corporations. Many of these communities also have homegrown heroes and heroines who have stood up to the powers that be and insisted, enough is enough! What Diamond has that other fenceline communities do not is a brilliant writer like Steve Lerner to tell its tale and cull the invaluable lessons for the rest of us. Diamond is a must-read for anyone concerned about the environment, civil rights, or their intersection in environmental justice.
Ken Cook, Environmental Working Group
