AISJ mourns the passing of Pamela Sue Rush,
a victim of systemic racism

Today, AISJ mourns the passing of Pamela Sue Rush, aged 48, a Lowndes County resident, and mother of two children. We were first introduced to Pam in 2018 by Catherine Coleman Flowers . Ms. Flowers invited us, along with Rev. Dr. William Barber, II on a field visit to Pam’s home. It was AISJ’s initial exposure of the impact of failed septic tanks, the residual implications of racialized poverty, and, more explicitly, environmental racism. Since that time, AISJ has provided support and engaged in efforts to work towards systems change for an area confounded by a history of exploitation and neglect.
Pam was an environmental justice warrior. She selflessly shared her home, the conditions she lived under, her life and story because she understood that in doing so, she was making a difference, not only for herself, but for others. And, it was her quiet, yet steady strength that led to her sharing podiums with world leaders, to include former Vice President Al Gore . Additionally, Pam has been featured in documentaries, blogs, and articles, including Time magazine.
Like too many across the state of Alabama, Pam died of COVID-19. Unfortunately, she fit one of the more vulnerable profiles impacted – that is, being African-American, diabetic, and poor. But, unlike other populations, Pam also lived daily with raw sewage in her yard, due to inadequate waste management systems in her community. As we have reported in the past, there are too many families living in Alabama’s Black Belt region that are experiencing third world poverty in a first world country , as cited by UN's Special Rapporteur Phillip Alston in 2017.
There is an old song by Bob Dylan entitled “Blowing in the Wind.” The lyrics:

Yes, 'n' how many years can a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind
To the loss of Pam, and so many others, we say…how many people must die because of a lack of opportunity? How many people must die due to inadequate health care? How many must die because they reside in communities without clean water or the ability to properly dispose of waste? How many people must die because of systems of oppression and abject poverty that make it impossible for people like Pam to succeed in life? How many must die…how many?

The state of Alabama keeps turning its head in the face of mounting data that demonstrates time and time again that people are hurting in this state…and senselessly so, when there are feasible solutions. For example, Greg Kaufman, in his article Appalachia Gets Special Funding. The Black Rural South Deserves It Too. , presents the idea of developing a Black Belt Regional Commission to ensure greater investments in addressing infrastructure issues like the ones facing residents like Pam. Then, there is the ever-lingering matter of the hundreds of thousands of uninsured Alabamians, to which AISJ is a member of the Cover Alabama Coalition, a group of advocates making the case to expand Medicaid. And, in the immediate, we must ensure a proper response to this global pandemic to ensure that people like Pam are not left behind in a post-COVID world. To that end, AISJ is part of an equitable response to COVID-19 called South Strong, by Stacey Abrams’ SEAP (Southern Economic Advancement Project.)  You see, the answer is, indeed, blowin’ in the wind. Solutions are within reach. And each of us should vow, right now, to not allow another Pam to leave this earth far too soon.
While Pam’s cause of death may be recorded as COVID-19, she was ultimately a victim of systemic racism. To us, and many others across movements and organizations, Pam was not merely a story to advance an agenda, she was family. She was someone that we all loved. And, for this reason, we will not allow her life and death to go in vain. We will remember her courage, her fortitude, and her quiet, yet resounding strength. We will commit to telling her story and lifting her as a giant in the struggle. May she rest in power, our dearly departed sister, friend, and warrior in the fight for racial justice. And if Alabama wants to do something about its growing death toll, it can start by expanding Medicaid.
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