How This Affects Lower-Income Communities and Communities of Color

Low-income families and people of color are the ones that are most exposed to air pollution and other harmful greenhouse gasses. This leads to a social and racial injustice because there are many people of color living in lower-income neighborhoods.

Data collected by census traced a higher proportion of Hispanics, Asians, and African Americans having higher levels of substances, such as nickel, nitrate, silicon, vanadium, sulfate, and zinc. This leads to a rise in deaths in lower income communities and communities of color due to harmful air.

African Americans are 75% more likely to populate areas where air pollution is produced the most. They populate these areas more due to making a low income, not receiving as much funding and support, and affordability. Many Black Americans are being highly exposed to harmful air since they're located near areas with highways and infrastructures.

White communities are more likely to recover well from natural disasters and are even shown to have a wealth increase after natural disasters due to donations and reinvestment funds. Lower-income communities and communities of color are shown to have a decrease in wealth after natural disasters due to lower levels of reinvestment. White and more affluent neighborhoods are able to pay for repair costs whereas lower income communities struggle since they had less than enough money to begin with.

Similar to other parts around the world that have big cities, Boston is no different because it’s the lower income communities and people of color that are affected the most by air pollution due to the fact that their living environments are more exposed to harmful air. Cities such as Chelsea and Mattapan are highly populated with low-income families and people of color. These people suffer more from the air pollution in Boston than anyone in higher class neighborhoods. In Massachusetts, low-income families, people of color, and people without a degree in education are the most affected by the harmful environment.