When Spiderwebs Unite

When Spiderwebs Unite tells the story of Gary Grant and his community's decades long battle for environmental justice, describing an empowered African American community who uses STEM technology to fight for clean air and water for their community. When industrial hog farms started locating in Tillery, an impoverished and predominantly Black community in eastern North Carolina, the residents told local and state officials the farms were causing environmental harm and making them sick. "Prove it," they were told.

But Tillery residents were apprehensive about working with scientists because of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and more recent studies, which betrayed their trust in the scientific community. When Spiderwebs Unite is a hopeful narrative documenting how the Tillery community bravely crossed the barriers that had been deterring them from engaging with the scientific community and built a bridge fostering collaboration and mutual understanding. Working with University of North Carolina Epidemiologist Steve Wing, Tillery residents harnessed the power of STEM knowledge and technology to advocate for their right to clean air and water. As a result of their bravery and work, the state of North Carolina passed regulations for industrial hog farms, which protect communities from their harmful pollution.