Living in New Orleans, says Halle Parker, “there are a lot of emotions associated with water.”
In a city surrounded on all sides by water, residents feel the ever-present anxiety about the next big storm. And as sea levels rise, they see the impacts of water gnawing at land’s edge.
“For homeowners living here, you're constantly worried about your home getting flooded,” says Parker. “You're worried about your car getting flooded depending on what street you're living on, because that could just happen with a rainstorm if it's hard enough.”
As the environment reporter for WWNO and WRKF’s Coastal Desk, Parker tells the stories of people living with the contradictions of water in the region – both the threats it poses and the opportunities it provides.
She also knows the joy that water brings into the lives of New Orleanians and Gulf Coast residents. From fishing to duck hunting to kayaking in the bayous, “water is a source of life and also a source of play and fun.”
Parker considers it both a privilege and responsibility to be entrusted with the stories of those impacted by climate change and other water-related environmental threats. They are stories she feels she was meant to tell.
Originally from Spotsylvania, Virginia, Parker grew up an avid reader with a passion for writing and an interest in social justice and human rights. In high school, she took a journalism class and learned about the Society for Professional Journalists’ code of ethics.
“The first part of that code – the call to seek truth – really stuck with me,” she says.
“I've always felt like information could be the key to changing the world. It might be a little naive, but I think it’s important to arm people with knowledge. By giving them the facts, and making sure that they have well-rounded perspectives, that will help bring us to a better society.”
Parker got her start in environmental journalism in Virginia at the Danville Register & Bee, covering stories about farmers impacted by intense periods of rain and drought. “Even though they didn't want to call it climate change, it was climate change,” she says.
Parker then joined the staff at the Courier in Houma, a coastal city southwest of New Orleans.
“In my mind there's no better place to cover the environment than in Louisiana,” she says.
“That’s where I learned about the ongoing land loss crisis happening. It really felt like this place was kind of ground zero for all of the climate changes that are going on across the country.”
After a stint with The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, Parker shifted from newspapers to radio.
“There’s a lot more emphasis on people's voices and emotions in radio. You’re hearing the story, the power of sound and the power of voice,” she says.
“You actually get to hear how people are grappling or struggling with whatever topic we're trying to dive into. If I'm talking to a community that is worried about air pollution and is living next to an industrial plant, you can hear the quake in their voice when they're talking about the uncertainty over what's in the air around them.”
In addition to her news reporting at WWNO, she co-hosts Sea Change, a bi-weekly podcast focusing on environmental issues facing coastal communities on the Gulf Coast.
Through her reporting, Parker has discovered how profoundly environmental threats are connected to racial or economic inequity. As a Black woman, Parker feels a duty to tell those stories.
“Covering marginalized communities is especially important to me, partially because I am part of one of those communities,” she says.
Parker also volunteers with a nonprofit called Lead New Orleans, which focuses on finding and supporting diverse storytellers.
“It’s about making sure that people who live in areas that are especially affected by these environmental changes have the agency and also the skillset to be able to tell their own story,” she says.
“I don't think any storyteller from a certain background should feel like it's their job to make sure a group is represented. But for me personally, I do think that's a space that I can make more of a difference in, especially because the media landscape down here is not very diverse.”
Parker is proudest of the work she’s done to tell the stories of Indigenous tribes whose communities are at risk of being lost to sea-level rise, and who are faced with the prospect of having to relocate to survive.
She is inspired by the efforts of young leaders like Devon Parfait, chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw.
“He’s trying to chart out the future of his tribe and where they're going to live as sea level rises, as hurricanes get worse and flooding gets worse. They're thinking about resettlement,” she says.
“For outsiders, this can sound so depressing. It’s sad that people even have to think about completely moving from where they consider home. But to hear someone like this tribal chief talk about it, it's almost like an opportunity. He very much emphasizes the need for community and support.”
Parker finds meaning in her work by reporting those stories.
“When I get to elevate the voices of people on the front lines of the challenges that we're all facing, it's more meaningful to me. These are the people that need the most attention and need their voices heard.”
The Walton Family Foundation provides support for WWNO's Coastal Desk.
