First we hear from Mama Naeema Muhammad:
“First and foremost, we always called him the “People’s Professor”—a term of endearment from the community. We loved Steve for his humility; when he came in, he did so with a sense of respect and never treated us like we were ignorant- he talked to the people, not at them.
From 1999 to 2016, Steve was one of my best friends and confidants. He was gentle, humble, and kind. His family was also very kind. After his passing, his family shared how much they appreciated the relationships Steve had built.
Steve and I could talk about anything at any time. He’d often call me, saying, “Naeema, I need you to go to this group, they need to hear what you have to say.” My response was always, “Why are you calling me? You’re trying to get me in trouble!”
I (Luma) had to ask Mama Naeema about the EJ Road Warriors and Steve’s role in that.
“The EJ road warrior started in 2001. There were 7 of us, and we operated EJ 101: I was the organizer, and the first one to meet with and organize the community, to learn their concerns and see what resources NCEJN needs to support them. I would also help them distribute responsibilities, so people can have a direct connection and a reason to show up. So – no lone rangers, we include everyone in the work and we keep everyone informed and updated.
Gary Grant would come in next and talk about the history of the EJ movement in North Carolina, the PCB fight in Warren County, and the first African American Environmental Justice Action.
Steve would then talk about the importance of community based participatory research and the importance of documentation; tracking what was happening, especially taking pictures. He included the communities in the design of the research and based it on what they needed. He knew that research is not the end all to the problem and that it was another important source of documentation so the communities have evidence to connect to the concerns they were talking about.
Peter Gilbert was an attorney at the Center for Civil Rights at UNC School of Law. He offered pro bono legal services to the community against high paid lawyers. Peter always encouraged them to become an organized body, because even with legal representation, if they didn’t organize they would not win in court. We asked them to show up and speak up.
Daniel Spurlock at UNC talked to the community about the importance of city and regional planning as a beginning point and the power of understanding the role of it in the struggles of the community.
David Caldwell from RENA (The Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood) – he would talk about the battle of the Rogers-Eubanks community, what worked, what didn’t, and why he thought it didn’t work.
And then there was Chris Heaney, who was a student on the team. He would talk about students being taught to work with the community, and provide training to the community- so no one can dismiss the research results. (NOW THAT’S STRATEGY!)
On the election, I bet he would say: “I can’t believe they would let someone like that become president. We already know this system is broken, and it can’t be fixed with the same people in power. There is no real desire from the government to fix the problems in the system. They say they want to do better, but every step they take seems to push people deeper into oppression.”
“HAIL TO THE PEOPLE’S PROFESSOR! WE MISS YOU, STEVE!”
And we hear from our dear comrade Don Cavellini:
“Dr. Steve Wing, although he would not want you to address him as “Dr”, was “the best of the best humanity has to offer”. I use the present “has” because his spirit remains with us despite departing physically on November 9, 2016. Steve was a founding member of the NCEJN as a long-time scholar and activist in the Environmental Justice movement in NC and nationally.
As we contemplate the results of the recent national elections, we should be mindful of what Steve might say. Without assuming too much; I believe he would implore us to FIGHT ON!! I believe he would want us to join the most vigorous efforts to form a United Front Against Fascism!
As an Associate Professor in the UNC-CH School of Public Health, he was one of the most unlikely heroes. But “hero” he was! He was fierce in his commitment to community, justice, and equality while taking a principled stand in academia. He was a determined anti-capitalist who shared his world view generously with whomever would listen. He assessed current concrete conditions and the significant impact these extremist policies, changes in law, and repressive conditions have on the masses of Black and oppressed people and women of all nationalities before many others even on the Left.
It is my belief that the ruling class is in turmoil over how best to strengthen and maintain a white supremacist, patriarchal, and repressive world order that rolls back and/or eliminates basic human and democratic rights for working class people. I also believe the 1%, whether they identify as Republican or Democrat, have escalated the United States repressive and aggressive actions internationally against Palestine, Haiti, Cuba, and many other countries.
Although these are my words, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say “Steve would agree”. Because he was committed so profoundly to “awakening a community’s power”, I think he would also agree with abolitionist, Dr Ruth Wilson Gilmore, who inspired the NCEJN to proclaim in our 2020 Summit Program Book:
“A new swell of uprising and rebellion against racist state violence and white supremacist vigilantism has grown across the U.S and the world in which new ruptures of the oppressive systems can be broken open for transformative change towards the beautiful world we are fighting for.”
Yes, those comments were shared in the flush of protests against the threat to life and well-being by the racist state at the hands of violent police. And the 2020 Summit theme was “We Can’t Breathe”, and we remembered those murdered like Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and so many others.
As gentle and empathic as Steve Wing was, he was also unrelenting in his struggle to empower people; especially the most oppressed and exploited.
Maya Angelou said it so much better than I could ever imagine in her poem, When Great Trees Fall
“When great souls die,
after a period of peace blooms,
slowly and always irregularly.
Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration.
Our senses restored, never to be the same,
whisper to us. They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.”
featured image of Dr. Wing in the forest (photo by Donn Young)
