There’s something powerful about bringing Gulf Coast voices directly to the halls of Congress—and that’s exactly what we did during our recent fly-in to Washington, D.C. with Earthjustice and the Defend the Gulf Coalition.
Together, we met with House and Senate offices to share what offshore drilling really looks like for our communities in the Gulf South. With our visits overlapping with the 16th anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, we were able to bring frontline leaders and community members like myself to share the real life implications oil spills— big and small— have on coastal communities. And how, even sixteen years later, many of those affected then are still feeling the consequences of others neglect.
Too often, decisions about our coastlines are made without fully understanding the long-term environmental, economic, and public health impacts. We spoke about the reality of these impacts: the risks to our fisheries, the threats to our wetlands, and the disproportionate burden placed on frontline communities who are already navigating pollution and climate challenges.
But this wasn’t just about the Gulf. We made it clear that what has happened—and continues to happen—along our coast should not be repeated in the Pacific or Atlantic. No community should have to bear the cost of short-term energy decisions at the expense of their health, environment, and future.
This fly-in was a reminder that advocacy doesn’t stop at home. It travels, it speaks up, and it demands to be heard in the spaces where decisions are made. And we’ll keep showing up—because protecting our coast is about protecting our people.