Water Justice Clinic Director Pannu speaks at 'Urgency of Poverty' symposium

Water Justice Clinic Director Camille Pannu spoke at the University of Tennessee College of Law on Oct. 25 as part of “The Urgency of Poverty: An Economic Justice Symposium.”

Pannu discussed how a lack of access to essential infrastructure (water, sewers, roads) is an outgrowth of racially discriminatory urban/suburban development, and how these issues connect to persistent poverty in rural communities - especially rural communities of color.

The symposium explored the transactional lawyer’s role in economic justice. Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, was the keynote speaker.

The symposium was inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Poor People’s Campaign, an effort by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Leadership Conference to build a cross-racial coalition of Americans living in poverty to demand better living conditions. Earlier this year, several pastors started a revival of the Poor People’s Campaign.

The Water Justice Clinic partners with stakeholders to improve the sustainability of rural water systems; advocate for the inclusion of rural and low-income communities in water management decisions; and ensure all Californians have access to safe, clean and affordable drinking water.