Students are applying their knowledge of the history of racism in the United States to understanding the origins of environmental racism and injustice, in which people of color disproportionately take on the burdens of harmful actions against the environment, such as landfills, the disposal of hazardous waste, a lack of environmental resources such as trees and green space, and activities that create air pollution, such as the installation of highways and factories.

So far, students have engaged in an in depth study of Black history in the United States and studied national, state, and local cases of environmental racism and injustice. In the next step of the project, students will use their knowledge to make recommendations to local legislators on ways to prevent, mitigate, and solve instances of environmental racism.

Below, students have analyzed and displayed what they have learned so far in both ELA and Social Studies.