With high-profile roles in movies like “Ray,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “The Last King of Scotland,” actress Kerry Washington has come a long way from her Bronx roots. But the New York native is determined to help turn the blighted properties of her hometown borough into open green spaces and vibrant economic developments.

“I grew up in central East Bronx, so I kind of understood environmental injustice from a very early age from a visceral perspective,” Washington explains in a one-minute video presentation for the Sundance Channel’s “Ecoist” series. “[As a black woman] I’m five times as likely to grow up next to a chemical plant or a waste site. So it’s why now I try to do a lot with the Sustainable South Bronx movement.” ...

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