Environmental Racism
Environmental Racism explains how communities of color experience more environmental burdens than racially privileged communities.
A Person of Color (POC) is someone who is not considered to be white, including Black, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous people. All around the world, people of color have been historically oppressed because of their race through colonization, slavery, genocide, segregation, and discrimination. Today, systemic racism has allowed for more communities of color to be exposed to pollution and the other effects of climate change than majority white populations.
Not In My Backyard
Unlike people of color, white people have not historically faced barriers due to their race. Because of this privilege, white people today typically have more job opportunities. They are more frequently in positions of power that affect the placement and management of environmental hazards. This leads to many sources of pollution being located away from their own communities, and closer to communities of color. This practice is referred to as Not In My Backyard (NIMBY). Although this is not always purposely intended by the people in power, it is clear that people of color are disadvantaged by this practice.
Robert Bullard conducted a study in 1983 to determine the correlation between the location of polluting facilities and race in Houston, Texas. It was found that six of the eight garbage incinerators, five of the six landfills, and all five garbage dumps were found in majority black neighborhoods, even though only 25% of the Houston population was Black.²¹ The pie chart below illustrates how the Black population in Houston is overwhelmed with polluting facilities compared to the Non-Black population.
This photo shows Robert Bullard, known as the "Father of Environmental Justice" for his research and activism.¹⁹
Racial minorities today experience discriminatory employment and housing practices. Limited job opportunities and housing options force people of color into areas and jobs that are less desirable and sometimes more dangerous. This exposes them to more environmental hazards that are mainly caused by middle and upper class white communities.
Communities of color can also face race-based economic, educational, and political barriers that limit their ability to speak out against these problems and have them taken care of.¹ For example, people of color more frequently experience language barriers that prevent them from taking part in politics or education. Discrimination can also restrict people of color from voting or being accepted into a higher education program. Additionally, discrimination in healthcare often prevents people of color from being taken seriously or receiving the proper care. Because of this, Black women are most likely to die from childbirth, despite education status or financial situation. Also, Black children are at the highest risk to die in infancy compared to other races.¹³
These inequalities explain why people of color breathe 38% more polluted air than people living in majority white communities.² Why polluting facilities are located in communities with 2 times as many racial minorities as those without.⁸ Why Black Americans are at the highest risk to develop lead poisoning.¹³ And why children from communities of color like Harlem and South Bronx experience more asthma attacks than children in other surrounding communities.²
Pollutant Exposures in the United States
Race or Class?
Although household income does have influence on a community’s exposure to pollutants, race is a more prominent factor. Many studies have proven that toxic waste sites, landfills, garbage incinerators, and other polluting facilities are not equally distributed around the United States. Instead they are concentrated in communities of color. Racial minorities experience more environmental hazards than both their high and low income white neighbors.²
What Can I Do?
There are many ways to help end Environmental Racism. Here are some examples:
Educate yourself and others on the history of racism and systemic racism today.
Make room for people of color in conversations about climate change and environmental hazards.
Propose or support sustainable economic development programs so low income racial minorities aren't forced to choose between their health and a job.
Prioritize representation of racial minorities in the government through voting.
Hold businesses and corporations accountable when they contaminate communities or expose workers to harmful toxins by signing petitions or attending protests.
Sources
Bullard, Robert D. Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class, and Environmental Quality. Third ed., Clark Atlanta University, 2000.
Washington, Harriet A. “Poisoned World: The Racial Gradient of Environmental Neurotoxins.” A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind, 2019, pp. 112-159.
Reimann, Matt. “The EPA chose this county for a toxic dump because its residents were ‘few, black, and poor.’” Timeline, 3 April 2017, https://timeline.com/warren-county-dumping-race-4d8fe8de06cb. Accessed 15 July 2021.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs).” Environmental Protection Agency, 13 May 2021, https://www.epa.gov/pcbs/learn-about-polychlorinated-biphenyls-pcbs. Accessed 15 July 2021.
Stillely, Ricky. “A Watershed Moment for Environmental Justice—the Warren County PCB Protests.” NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, 26 February 2013, https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2013/02/26/a-watershed-moment-for-environmental-justice-the-warren-county-pcb-protests. Accessed 15 July 2021.
United States General Accounting Office. Siting of Hazardous Waste Landfills and Their Correlation with the Racial and Socio-Economic Status of Surrounding Communities. Report requested by the House of Representatives to determine the correlation between areas of high environmental hazards and the surrounding communities racial and economic status'. 1 June 1983. GAO, https://www.gao.gov/products/rced-83-168. Accessed 21 June 2021.
Onorevole, Kathleen. “Warren County, NC: Birthplace of Environmental Justice.” UNC-CH Marine Sciences Graduate Student Blog, 15 January 2016, https://underthecblog.org/2016/01/15/warren-county-nc-birthplace-of-environmental-justice/. Accessed 15 July 2021.
Commission for Racial Justice. Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States. A National Report on the Racial and Socio-Economic Characteristics of Communities with Hazardous Waste Sites. United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, 1987.
Office of Legacy Management. “Environmental Justice History.” U.S. Department of Energy, 2021, https://www.energy.gov/lm/services/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-history. Accessed 14 July 2020.
Sanburn, Josh. “'He Doesn't Trust Water.' 5 Years Later, Flint Sees Few Signs of Relief.” TIME, 11 April 2019, https://time.com/longform/flint-5-years-later/n. Accessed 28 September 2021.
Wikipedia Contributors. “Flint, Michigan.” Wikipedia, 27 September 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint,_Michigan#History. Accessed 27 September 2021.
Ebbs, Stephanie, and Janet Weinstein. “5 years after Flint water crisis, city battles widespread mistrust.” abcNEWS, 25 April 2019, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trust-eroded-years-flint-drink-water/story?id=62582926. Accessed 28 September 2021.
Frederick, Rejane. “The Environment That Racism Built.” Center for American Progress, 10 May 2018, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2018/05/10/450703/environment-racism-built/. Accessed 31 August 2021.
Tuser, Cristina. “The Flint Water Crisis: 7 Years Later.” Water & Wastes Digest, 23 April 2021, https://www.wwdmag.com/flint-water-crisis/flint-water-crisis-7-years-later. Accessed 27 September 2021.
Denchak, Melissa. “Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know.” NRDC, 8 November 2018, https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know. Accessed 23 September 2021.
Yagoda, Maria. “From Strange-tasting Water to Federal Emergency: The Flint Water Crisis in 6 Clicks.” People, 22 January 2016, https://people.com/celebrity/flint-michigan-water-crisis-what-you-need-to-know/?slide=2387097#2387097. Accessed 28 September 2021.
Palmer, Brian. “Watered Down.” NRDC, 26 January 2016, https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/watered-down. Accessed 26 September 2021.
State of Michigan. “Gov. Rick Snyder: Comprehensive action plan will help Flint residents address water concerns.” Michigan, 2 October 2015, https://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/0,4584,7-212-96477_90815_57657-366315--,00.html. Accessed 27 September 2021.
Borunda, Alejandra. “The origins of environmental justice—and why it’s finally getting the attention it deserves.” National Geographic, 24 February 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/environmental-justice-origins-why-finally-getting-the-attention-it-deserves. Accessed 21 September 2021.
City of Flint News. “Mayor Neeley continues moratorium on residential water shutoffs in City of Flint.” City of Flint, Michigan, 31 March 2021, https://www.cityofflint.com/2021/04/01/mayor-neeley-continues-moratorium-on-residential-water-shutoffs-in-city-of-flint/. Accessed 27 September 2021.
Bullard, Robert D. “Solid Waste Sites and the Black Houston Community.” Sociological Inquiry, vol. 53, no. 2, 1983, pp. 274-288. EBSCO Host, https://web-p-ebscohost-com.proxy.binghamton.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=9fc5161a-c1b5-4ec2-899c-c747b1c91575%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=13759710&db=sxi. Accessed 11 January 2022.
Mikati, Ihab, et al. “Disparities in Distribution of Particulate Matter Emission Sources by Race and Poverty Status.” The American Journal of Public Health, vol. 108, no. 4, 2018, pp. 480–485. National Center for Biotechnology Information, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5844406/. Accessed 22 December 2021.