Step into the heart of Florida's sugar cou ntry with Bittersweet Muck\, an eye-opening NBC 6 documentary that dives i nto the controversial practice of sugarcane burning and its impact on air quality\, health\, and the environment. Discover the untold stories of the resilient people living in Belle Glade\, the unique "muck" soil that powe rs an industry\, and the fight for cleaner\, greener alternatives.
\nJoin us at West Regional Library for a special screening followed by a dy namic panel discussion featuring Emmy-winning journalist Sasha Jon es\, environmental justice leader Patrick Ferguson\, and award-winning filmmaker and advocate Yanatha Desouvre. Hear their unique insights\, ask your burning questions\, and be pa rt of the conversation shaping the future of Florida's agricultural practi ces.
\nSeats are limited&mdash\;register now to secure your spot and be inspired! Share this event with your friends on social media and join the movement for change.
\nPanelist: Sasha Jones
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Sasha Jones is an exper ienced content creator and journalist with more than 15+ years of experien ce in storytelling\, broadcast television\, and business-related news. She is from Southfield\, Michigan and attended Western Michigan University wh ere she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority\, Inc. and graduated with a degree in Film\, Video\, and Media Studies.
\nAs a young jou
rnalist\, she worked at local news stations in Mississippi\, Louisiana\, a
nd Tennessee. While working in Memphis\, TN she focused her storytelling o
n issues related to poverty\, social justice\, and crime. While in Memphis
she won an Edward R. Murrow award for a project about the 50thAnniversary
of the assassination of Martin Luther King\, Jr.
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Currently\, Sasha Jones serves as a consumer advocate\, helping South Fl
orida viewers resolve consumer issues with major brands and state agencies
. She also works on special projects that focus on environmental and socia
l issues. In 2022\, Jones won a Regional Emmy Award for a three-part serie
s about South Florida Black Burial grounds and state-wide preservation eff
ort to uncover and restore the historic sites.
Sasha Jones is also the producer of the original NBC 6 documentary Bittersweet Muck which foc used on the issue of air quality and the impacts of agricultural burning.< /p>\n
Jones is passionate about her family\, community\, and creating co ntent that sparks conversation.
\n\nPanelist : Patrick Ferguson
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Patrick Ferguson current ly serves as the Senior Organizing Representative for the Sierra Club&rsqu o\;s Stop Sugar Field Burning Campaign\, he has been with the Sierra Club since 2016. Patrick\, an attorney\, earned his Juris Doctor from Nova Sout heastern University School of Law in 2015\, after completing his undergrad uate studies in Political Science at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. in 2012. Patrick has helped build the Stop The Burn-Go Gr een campaign into the nationally recognized grassroots-led environmental j ustice movement it is today.
\nHis experience in environmental advoc acy and campaign organizing has extended into academia\, where he taught a n undergraduate course in environmental law at Nova Southeastern Universit y. Before his tenure at the Sierra Club\, Patrick was actively involved in private general practice and local environmental activism. He organized a climate march and founded a non-profit organization called FlowVolution I nc.
\nPatrick is committed to building a more just and sustainable f uture. He is passionate about the environment and movement.
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Colin Walkes was born in Barbados and moved to Pahokee\, FL\, at the age of 9. He is a current resident of Pahokee\, where he lives with his family. A natural leader with a strong commitment to public service\, Colin served in both the Army and the Army Reserves. F rom 2013 to 2016\, he held the position of Mayor of Pahokee\, where he fir st began raising concerns about pre-harvest sugar field burning. Following his mayoral term\, Colin became a local leader of the Stop The Burn Go Gr een Campaign\, advocating for the industry to transition from pre-harvest burning to burn-free green harvesting. He currently operates Coal Brothers Cuisine\, a catering company serving the Glades communities.
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Desouvre\, born in Port-au-Prince\, Haiti and raised i n Brooklyn\, New York\, and Philadelphia\, is a modern-day renaissance man . He is a best-selling Amazon.com author\, 1st full-time professor of entr epreneurship at Miami Dade College&rsquo\;s history. Desouvre was a member of the National Academy of Recording Artist and Sciences (Grammys) for 11 years. He served on the executive board of the National Association of Bl ack Journalist\, (NABJ) South Florida Chapter and he&rsquo\;s a member of the NABJ nationwide. He founded a R.D.J.A DES LLC a PR and media company. He&rsquo\;s a sought out public speaker\, and critically acclaimed and awa rd-winning filmmaker (screenwriter\, producer). His latest screenplay\, Fo rtunate Son\, was inspired by the shooting death of his Sunday School teac her when he was only 7 years old. The Blacklist\, a renowned screenwriter& rsquo\;s platform commented\, "For fans of \;(Oscar-winners) If Beale Street Could Talk\, \;Moonlight\, and \;(Emmy-Winner) Dopesick thi s is a script that deals with emotionally significant subject matter and t ackles real-world issues in a compelling way.
\nDesouvre has been fe atured in various print publications\, including The Wall Street Journal\, The New York Daily News\, South Florida Caribbean News\, Miami Herald\, M iami New Times\, Haitian Times\, Sentinel HT\, HuffPost and Black Enterpri se\, and on television outlets that include South Florida PBS\, ABC\, CBS\ , and NBC. Desouvre earned his Bachelors in Business Administration with c oncentrations in Management Information Systems and Marketing at Drexel Un iversity. He earned his MBA with dual concentrations in Mass Communication Media Management and Marketing.
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