Jelani Sparrow, Collaboratory Program Manager

“I’m from Norfolk,” 3 words that can mean so much depending on what room you’re in. As a child, those 3 words directly connected me to a culture of art, sports, and community uniquely positioned in Hampton Roads. While attending Howard University, I learned to associate that phrase with the determination and grit of the historically disenfranchised communities that came before me. Years later, after completing graduate school at Syracuse University and establishing myself as a professional in New York City, I returned home to a city grappling with sea level rise so severe that intersections that would often flood in my youth have transformed into entire blocks that can’t be traversed without an SUV or an extra pair of boots. 

Wetlands Watch offers me the opportunity to pair my experience collaborating with universities and local governments with my passion for engaging, educating, and learning from underserved communities. It is my sincerest hope that my work here will contribute to developing resilient solutions for the evermore resilient people of Hampton Roads and Virginia at large.