Singer-Songwriter Ry Cooder has written and recorded a song honoring environmental whistleblower Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo. Called "Kool-Aid," the song is featured in Cooder’s new album, "Election Special."
Cooder (pictured in this photo by Dani Canto) felt inspired to write this song after hearing Dr. Coleman-Adebayo’s interview on the Smiley & West show.
Dr. Coleman-Adebayo sacrificed her career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to speak out against vanadium poisoning in South Africa. Her book is called, NO FEAR: A Whistleblower’s Triumph Over Corruption and Retaliation at EPA. NO FEAR tells the story of vanadium miners in South Africa, Dr. Coleman-Adebayo’s efforts to protect them, the retaliation she suffered, her historic jury verdict against EPA, and the campaign that led to the NO-FEAR Act.
Her story well fits the tradition of a folk song hero, and Ry Coder has done her story justice. Thank you. Dr. Coleman-Adebayo is a board member of the National Whistleblowers Center.
