Louisville nonprofit leader centers data in the fight against toxic air

Louisville Public Media | By Michelle Tyrene Johnson

Published March 12, 2026 at 5:12 PM EDT

I had the honor of being interviewed by Michelle Tyrene Johnson with Louisville Public Media about UJDP’s work to center data in the fight for cleaner air.

Excerpt: “MTJ: Data still requires you to be accurate in what you're saying. It requires you to be responsible in what you're saying, and it's also a form of storytelling.

MU: It absolutely is a form of storytelling, and that's one of the most exciting parts of our work is that we believe in the lived experience of community partners, not only the lived experience, but the fact that some of these community members and organizations know more about the science than those of us that have PhDs do. We can trust them, and we help to validate their lived experience and their expertise. And when you combine that emotion with the numbers or the other forms of data, you get really, really compelling storytelling. Even if it doesn't work on lawmakers, it might work on someone else.”