Legacy Environmental Justice, pt. 5 - Economic Impacts of Kodak on the People of Rochester, NY

In this episode,  Savannah Domenech is back to dive into the economic effects of Kodak’s rise and fall in Rochester, New York. For decades, Kodak wasn’t just a company - it was the economic backbone of the city, providing tens of thousands of jobs and shaping the entire community. But when the company went bankrupt, so did the financial security of many Rochester residents.

What happens when an industry that once promised prosperity vanishes? Savannah unpacks the stark realities of Kodak’s economic collapse, from lost pensions and skyrocketing unemployment to the struggles of former workers forced back into the job market. They explore the racial and gender disparities in Kodak’s hiring and wage practices, the class-action lawsuits that followed, and the devastating impact of the company’s bankruptcy on retirees who were left with nothing.

But this isn’t just a story of loss - it’s also one of resilience. How did the community rebuild after the downfall of its largest employer? And what lessons can we learn about relying too heavily on a single industry? Let's explore this and so much more on this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab. 

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