Past Fellows
José Acosta-Córdova
José Acosta-Córdova is the Environmental Planning and Research Organizer at LVEJO. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in the South Valley, Albuquerque, New Mexico. His roots in Chicago date back to the 1950’s, when his family first arrived in the city from Jalisco, México, and settled in the area just west of the Jane Addams Hull House, in what is now the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
He completed his Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy, at the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, at UIC. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Public Affairs from UIC. He is the former President and Co-Founder of the Latino Planning Organization for Development, Education, and Regeneration (LPODER) at UIC. LPODER was nationally recognized by the Latinos and Planning Division of the American Planning Association (APA) for its work with high school youth of color, as well as the numerous events they hosted regarding issues facing Latino/a/x people in urban environments throughout the western hemisphere.
He is the author of the Latino Neighborhoods Report: Issues and Prospects for Chicago, which he authored during his second year of graduate school while working as a Research Assistant at the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP). The report, received widespread media and was produced for Metropolitan Family Services. It contains demographic information on twelve neighborhoods in Chicago where Latinos are the largest racial/ethnic group, along with an overview of Latinos in Chicago.
José is the son of activists, and was raised in the environmental justice movement. He was part of the youth group of the SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP), an organization based in Albuquerque, NM, which fights for racial and gender equality, and social, environmental and economic justice. He has also coached HS varsity soccer at Roberto Clemente Community Academy for the past 2 seasons, and will continue coaching in the Fall 2018 season.
Jade Mazon
Jade Mazon is a lifelong resident of the Southeast Side of Chicago (South Deering-Home of Dead Steal Mill). She is the Co-founder of the Rebel Bells Collective a social justice organization for young girls of color. The intention is to home grow community leaders and activiists and guide 7-17 year old girls to discover their worth and power. Jade is also a co-facilitator of the Southeast Side Coalition to Ban Petcoke. They led the fight to address the pressing environmental issues in the 10th ward. As a 2018 Bryant Willaims Fellow, she is comitted to collaborating with and upholding the integrity of grassroots organizing and furthering her “brother’s”, Bryant Williams legacy. Jade has a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Loyola University Chicago. Her side hustle is owner of Under the Sun Jewelry where she designs jewelry using vintage and upcycled materials and sells her creations at markets and craft fairs around Chicago.
Yessenia Balcazar
Yessenia Balcazar is a native and life long resident of Chicago’s Southeast Side neighborhood. Growing up in Calumet’s industrial corridor sparked Yessenia’s passion for environmental justice as she was exposed to the injustices of her community was faced with at the hands of industry. This led Yessenia to pursue a degree in Sustainability Studies at Roosevelt University, as the programs encompasses the values of both environmental and social justice. Yessenia served as the president of Roosevelt’s environmental student organization, RU Green, for two years and also took on the leadership role of Roosevelt University’s fair trade campaign. She began working with environmental justice and conservation organization, the Southeast Environmental Task Force in January of 2018 and has since been devoted to bringing about environmental justice to her community.
Michael Dixon
Michael Dixon is a PCR volunteer and has lived in Altgeld Gardens for 18 years. Michael became familiar with environmental justice by witnessing residents in his community fight for better affordable housing, schools, and living conditions to promote a higher quality of life in his neighborhood. After this experiences he was determined to learn more and do his part. While Michael has only been with with People for Community Recovery for one year, he has gained a great deal of knowledge on air pollution, toxic facilities and industries that disproportionately affect low-income minority neighborhoods in contrast to affluent communities. Michael has taken this knowledge to raise awareness of environmental injustice to the residents in his community and plans to continue this outreach to see justice for his neighborhood.
Franklin Sharpe
Franklin Sharpe is originally from Greenwood, Mississippi and moved to the Southside of Chicago as a young boy in the 1960’s. As he puts it, “the area was bad, so he had to be bad to get any respect.” His subsequent experiences with the law and incarceration led him to the wisdom that “education is the key” to a fulfilling life. Frankie, as he is affectionately called, is passionate about sharing his experiences, lifelong learning and volunteering at the People for Community Recovery. There, he is a contributing member dedicated to neighborhood improvement.