Creosote Stories:
Seeding Planthroposcenes in Northeast Houston

Stories from Fifth Ward and Kashmere Garden Residents Sandra Edwards, Walter Mallett, Dolores McGruder, Vivian McKelvey, and Joetta Stevenson
From the Environmental Justice Advocacy project by Ukombozi Fellows Chelsy Aledia, Nia Buckley, and Kennedy Henderson

click on the players below to listen to the stories

John Doe

Aug 17

The Residents room

This is the story of Dolores McGruder, a lifelong resident of Fifth Ward. Her memory, articulated in vignette-like fragments, reveals an image of pre-contamination Fifth Ward as a “complete village.” For her, creosote disrupted community.

- · For investigators room

John Doe

Aug 17

Action and Moving Forward

As legal disputes over the contamination persist and the scope of the issue widens, activists persevere. Here, Vivian McKelvey and Joetta Stevenson speak to their hopes for the future of Fifth Ward, and outline the steps necessary to realize them.

- · Action/moving forward

John Doe

Aug 17

Planthroposcene

Here are the voices of Joetta Stevenson and Vivian McKelvey, activists with deep roots in the Fifth Ward. They see solutions as a two-way street — while the city must take action on the contamination issue, Fifth Ward residents should recognize the power they hold among themselves. In their view, connecting the community directly to the land is a crucial component of rehabilitation.

- · Planthroposcene

John Doe

Aug 17

Industry

John Doe

Aug 17

Sick to Death

- · Sick to Death

John Doe

Aug 17

Cancer

Vivian McKelvey has lost a host of healthy family members to rare cancers linked to creosote. Though her story is a but “pin drop” in a vast pool of contamination-caused death, it reveals the intergenerational effects that so much death can have on the family unit.

John Doe

Aug 17

Ms. Dolores McGruder

Ms. Dolores McGruder was born in Fifth Ward in Houston, Texas in 1948. She has lived in Fifth Ward all her life, a span of over seven decades, and sees herself as the “Fifth Ward Mother." Growing up, she remembers Fifth Ward being a close knit village and the community had everything they needed, within the city limits. While living at Cleme Manor Apartments, near Union Pacific railroad line, at least 50 people died from cancer or complications of cancer, while living at the complex. Ms. McGruder was known as the “Pied Piper” of Cleme Manor, and organized events for the children in the neighborhood and made sure the children were in church. She is proud to have been able to not only be apart of raising her own biological children but to also influence and help raise at least 30 children from the Fifth Ward community. Ms. McGruder is a proud community leader and advocate of the Fifth Ward.

Ms. McGruder pictured in her home.

John Doe

Aug 17

Ms. Joetta Stevenson

Ms. Joetta Stevenson is the President of the Greater Fifth Ward Super Neighborhood Council #55. She has a deep generational connection to the Fifth Ward community, where her family has been in the historic Fifth Ward since the early 1900’s. She was born and raised in the community and currently resides across the street from the house where her great-grandparents lived when they were residents. She recalls during her childhood playing outside with her brother, cousins and friends. Ms. Joetta has become a leader in the community advocating on behalf of residents’ right to accessible transportation, affordable housing and preserving historic buildings. She is a strong believer in community members right to having their voices heard and staying in their gentrifying neighborhood. Also, she is working within the Super Neighborhood #55, the Coalition of Community Organizations (COCO) and other entities to help community members get justice and advocate for a cleaner living environment and to stop the harmful effects of creosote, lead and other contaminants.

John Doe

Aug 17

Ms. Sandra Edwards

Ms. Sandra Edwards was born and raised in Houston's Fifth Ward, leaving the community at the age of 16 and returning in 2010 to help take care of her parents, after her father was diagnosed with cancer. Although, her community has been plagued by the lead, creosote and air pollution, she won’t allow that to override her joyous memories and why she is in this fight! Ms. Sandra recalls the great amount of love community members had for each other. “People looked out for each other, if your neighbor needed help with their kids or a bill, the community would come together and help”. Ms. Sandra believes this spirit still lives on, but the environmental crisis has caused mass death, grief and forced folx to leave a place that brought much joy and community. In 2016 after losing her father to cancer and learning about the cancer and creosote contamination connection, she dedicated her life to this fight! Ms. Sandra is a community leader, advocate and Co-Founder of Impact Fifth Ward.

Ms. Sandra Edwards, center. Photo by Brett Coomer

John Doe

Aug 17

Ms. Vivian McKelvey

Mrs. Vivian McKelvey had a positive experience while living in the 5th ward during 2016-2018. Her father moved to the 5th ward when he was 3 years old, then lived all over the neighborhood, along Greg Street, Waco Street, and near Liberty Road. Her father described to her while growing up in the 5th ward that, “You could smell the creosote plant and it was just apart of life in the community. As my family members passed away from these different forms of cancer, no one attributed it to where they were living.” Mrs. McKelvey has lost four close family members who lived in 5th ward due to cancer. She said, “There is a level of sadness. For those who have children, they miss out on the opportunity to interact with their aunts and uncles. Everyone wants more moments. Everyone is riddled with cancer and to be honest that’s all we know.” Mrs. McKelvey has joy and positive memories about her time in the Fifth Ward. “I have a lot of memories there. I learned how to skate at Lockwood skating rink. It’s an area that changed lives and created opportunities for a lot of people. It’s a sad situation with the creosote. All they had to do was follow regulations.”

John Doe

Aug 17

Mr. Walter MalletT

Mr. Walter Mallett has been a lifelong resident of Kashmere Gardens. While growing up in Kashmere gardens, he recalls having family members and community benefiting from working at Union Pacific and thriving during his youth. Although, he saw some folx thriving by working at Union Pacific, he has seen the deadly health effects of family and community members working and living in Kashmere Gardens and the Fifth Ward. He feels they are losing the community to gentrification and agencies coming into the community, telling community members how they need to live.

Mr. Mallett, second from the right. Here pictured sitting with Mayor Sylvester Turner, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, Ms. Doris Brown, and Dr. Robert Bullard.

John Doe

Aug 17