New: COINTELPRO in the Digital Age (CODA)

One activist’s experience with state repression and intimidation since the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests.

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Hi, I’m Tarika Powell.

I’m a writer, environmental policy analyst, and strategist specializing in fossil fuel infrastructure and environmental justice.

Latest Articles

Read my latest articles about environmental policy, history, and education. My scholarly writing focuses on liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, methane emissions, and environmental justice.

Go to COINTELPRO in the Digital Age series

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“Our victories are preventing decades of pollution”
“Our victories are preventing decades of pollution”

When the Pacific Northwest faced the prospect of becoming one of the nation’s main gateways to export fossil fuels, the region fought back. (Speech)

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The spill before Exxon
The spill before Exxon

The 1988 Nestucca oil spill left Washington shores “to cleanse themselves.” Thirty years later, Tarika spent days in the archives to find out what happened next.

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The health risks of oil-by-rail development
The health risks of oil-by-rail development

“An unacceptable threat to human health and safety.” That’s how more than 300 medical professionals described plans to build out oil-by-rail facilities in the Pacific Northwest.

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“Our victories have been larger than their plans. Today the fossil fuel industry is not at the height of its power. Instead, we are at the height of ours.”

— Tarika Powell (Read speech)

Portrait of a Black woman with long dreadlocks (Tarika Powell), wearing a blue patterned shirt, sitting on a couch in a minimally lit office.