Smile for Gloria.
Meet Gloria Dawson–environmentalist, foodie, writer/photographer, and newly empowered New Yorker.
Gloria grew up in Long Island and moved to the city in 2006 after attending the Art Institute of Boston. Raised in the bosom of a super-liberal family, she only discovered the world did not universally share her progressive views when she began working on TheDailyGreen.com, an environmental website–and suddenly, opposing views were everywhere! She heard everyday from the folks who don’t believe global warming is real. Who knew??
But Gloria was not about to let the so-called opposition keep her from advancing the issues that were important to her–the environment, and food. Her favorite environmental projects are the old-fashioned, roll-up-sleeves-and-get-hands-dirty sort: New York Cares, Summer Streets, Park(ing) Day, and The Million Trees Project, to name a few. As a resident of East Harlem, she’s also a bit of a wonk on the neighborhood’s food and health issues. Gloria has written about the problem of “food deserts” (neighborhoods with very little access to fresh produce), which are strongly linked to obesity, diabetes, and other health complications.
But it is through MYD that Gloria has learned to take political matters into her own hands:
The other day, I called my Borough President (Scott Stringer) when the Farmers’ Market by me in East Harlem wasn’t open to ask why. This was a great moment because 1) I knew who my borough president was; 2) I felt really empowered; and 3) I got an immediate response back.
Before joining MYD I didn’t have that kind of confidence in my power as a New Yorker; I probably wouldn’t have bothered calling.
Need we say more?! Well, maybe just a bit more: When she isn’t calling borough presidents (don’t know what this means? Read here), Gloria can often be spotted taking photos at MYD events, talking up green roof policy, and writing down ridiculous quotes from Young Republicans when we play them in kickball. You can check out her writings on East Harlem on her blog here.
That was the villain who Superman faced in Superman IV, the one who tried to kill all the grandmas of Earth with his death panel ray.