Still from Harp and Sol by Jess Garland. Courtesy the artist and AURORA. Photo: Christian Vasquez
A new film by singer-songwriter and performing artist Jess Garland about the history of environmental racism in Dallas debuts this month, according to the press release.
Garland, a Lakewood native, scored Harp and Sol, which examines zoning laws and local policies to explore the history of Joppa, the Dallas neighborhood where the first freed and former slaves settled in the 1860s.
Joppa and the areas right around it have been the sites of illegal dumps, industrial plants and other toxic things that have made them almost uninhabitable. The illegal dump at Shingle Mountain affected the health of many Joppa residents for two years before it was dismantled in 2020.
Harp and Sol stems from Garland’s work with Southern Sector Rising, a nonprofit that helps improve the health of marginalized residents by ending decades of racist zoning practices.
The film will be available here May 29 and will remain until May 29, 2022.
Still from Harp and Sol by Jess Garland. Courtesy the artist and AURORA. Photo: Christian Vasquez
