Stories

Civic Science Fellow J. Ousman Cheek empowers coastal communities to face sea-level rise 

When J. Ousman Cheek talks about climate risk, he starts with stories, not statistics. It’s a habit shaped by personal experiences of environmental injustice and a career committed to helping communities use science to shape their own futures. “People don’t just want data,” he says. “They want to know someone’s listening. Data should tell your story, and help you write what comes next.” 

As the Civic Science Fellow for Climate Central’s Sea Level Rise Program, Ousman bridges the gap between scientific research—often communicated through maps, projections, and acronyms—and the lived experiences of people whose homes and histories are on the front lines of rising seas. 

Ousman’s journey into environmental justice began with an interest in animals. He initially dreamed of being a zoologist, studying species like elephants and painted dogs. But as he learned about wildlife, he became alarmed. “So many charismatic creatures were at risk of extinction because of habitat loss tied directly to human activities,” he says. “I realized safeguarding wildlife meant addressing human systems.” 

The lessons weren’t merely academic. Ousman got an early, firsthand education in environmental inequalities. “I grew up in Washington, D.C. and went to Shepherd Elementary, a predominantly Black public school. Twice while I was there, the school had to be shut down: once to replace lead paint, and another time to replace the lead pipes in the water fountains.” After a pause he adds, “I drank that water.” 

Years later in a class on environmental inequalities at Howard University, he connected his own story to broader issues of environmental racism. “I thought, what about all the generations of kids that came before me? Generations of kids, in the most precious years of their lives, were being poisoned in a way that is irreparable.” 

This experience shaped a lifelong drive to help people connect to resources and knowledge they need but may not be aware of. “People who are really passionate about this work have the luxury of knowing about resources or having the time to find them,” he says. “We can use that privilege for good, to share with people who are just worried about living their lives.” 

Bridging science and communities 

Today, Ousman’s work centers on ensuring communities have clear, accessible climate data, through science-driven tools like the newly re-released Coastal Risk Finder. 

“This tool isn’t about visiting a community and handing over solutions we designed independently,” Ousman says. “We need to listen to hear how a person has already been impacted, instead of helicoptering in with, ‘We figured out that this is going to be the best solution for you all.’ Civic science means bringing a menu of options and saying, ‘Let’s develop what this looks like together.’” 

He helped coordinate stops on Climate Central’s “Edge of America” tour along the coastline between Maine and Texas. At each visit, he brought together resilience officers, floodplain managers, nonprofit leaders, and local champions, asking: What do you need from these tools? What are your biggest worries? How can we help show your real risks, and your real priorities, in ways people can’t ignore? 

“We provide the technical analysis,” Ousman says, “but the real work happens when we sit with the people actually living it—and listen.” 

The stories he hears are often difficult to bear. “We might know the statistics—that living in a Black community is the largest determinant of exposure to environmental hazards. But when someone stands there and shares their personal story, it makes it real,” he says. “It wrenches your spirit every single time.” 

Mapping community impact 

One example of this work is Climate Central’s partnership with the Gullah/Geechee Nation, a historically rich and vibrant community whose cultural heritage corridor runs along nearly 500 miles of coast stretching from North Carolina to Florida. Established by Congress in 2006, this National Heritage Area recognizes descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved on coastal plantations. 

With the Gullah Geechee, Ousman is working to co-create powerful story maps. These multimedia platforms weave together the community’s cultural heritage with stories of adaptation and ecological resilience. 

“The partnership is about highlighting how a community actively uses these resources to protect themselves and preserve their heritage corridor,” Ousman says. “Their cultural and environmental wisdom is critical. We are leveraging storytelling to strengthen their voice.” 

The collaboration is particularly urgent as the Gullah Geechee people face dual threats from climate change and coastal development. The community is especially vulnerable to sea level rise, which has increased about one inch every two years in some areas of the corridor. They’re responding with nature-based solutions that draw on traditional ecological knowledge, including wetland restoration and oyster reef rebuilding, that help protect shorelines from erosion. 

For Ousman, visualization is the key to effective climate communication. As part of Climate Central’s Flood Vision initiative, he helps communities use mobile technology (a truck full of scanning equipment) to create localized, interactive visualizations mapped precisely to climate projections, allowing them to vividly see probable futures and begin thoughtful action. 

“It’s more evocative, more urgent when people can see flooding in their actual neighborhood,” he says. “And when they have the agency to use these maps and visualizations in local plans, funding applications, or community action, that’s real power.” 

Ousman is also reaching out and collecting user impact stories so that communities themselves—not just scientists—define what success looks like. “We’re using testimonials, not just data,” he says. “We want our users telling their own stories—honoring the real impact, not just the numbers.” 

Fellowship and community 

Beyond the actual work of the Fellowship, being in this year’s cohort of Civic Science Fellows “has been a godsend,” Ousman says. “It has been such a relief to talk about our successes and our losses and the frustrations along the way. Knowing that you’re not alone is sometimes the thing that keeps you from going crazy.” 

The Fellowship has provided more than just emotional support. “The technical development workshops, the opportunities to speak, the networking engagements—they’ve been invaluable,” he says. 

The experience has affirmed his interdisciplinary approach to environmental work. “I definitely feel like I belong in this space of boundary spanning and interdisciplinary thought,” he says. “When you’re applying systems thinking and seeing where multiple parts overlap, it can create more focused work, even though it might not be the most common way of viewing things.” 

Looking forward, Ousman believes young people getting involved is key to a sustainable future, and he hopes they will find ways to participate in civic science. “Look around where you live. Are there persistent issues like asthma, like flooding, like heat? Be observant and open. Everyone doesn’t have to be an environmentalist, but understanding your world helps you know what role you can play.” 

Our planet is a closed system, he says. “What happens to one part of the community, happens to us all. We need as many voices and perspectives as possible, not just to weather the next flood, but to truly reshape our future, together.” 

Ousman is a member of the 2024-25 Civic Science Fellows cohort. His Fellowship is supported by the Rita Allen Foundation.