Examples Of Environmental Racism

Environmental Justice movement (Environmental racism) What is environmental racism? Environmental racism is the placement of low-income or minority communities in the proximity of environmentally hazardous or degraded environments, such as toxic waste, pollution and urban decay. The environmental justice movement seeks equality for all regardless of race, income, color or origin. Environmental racism happens when low income communities usually of a racial minority are subject to pollution and denial of ecological benefits. This usually happens to low income families or minorities because they are less likely to complain about it or sometimes they don't even know it is happening to them. There are many examples of this like the city of

It all started in April 2014 when they city of flint michigan switched water source to the Flint river. Even though the city knew that the water was contaminated and some people had complained about the water they still switched anyways. Why would they switch? Because “the city of flint michigan is 56% black and 41% of its residents are living below the poverty line” as stated by the wall street journal. That means that most of the people living in the city of flint are racial minorities which thus leads to environmental racism. This is one of the many cases of environmental racism, this mainly happens to low income communities because a low income community is less likely to complain about harsh hazardous conditions than say a upper class community they would rapidly shoot down any idea that would be hazardous to them or their health. In another case like Uniontown Atlanta, 70% of the population there is african american. A fossil fuel plant had a leak of toxic waste and the city of Uniontown Atlanta happily accepted the Hazardous waste to their landfill even though it had hazardous materials like mercury ,coal ash ,crude oil. In another case in west Dallas Texas there was a battery recycling facility but in 1984 it closed down after many years of complaints but just recently some of the town has been declared hazardous and dangerous to health many years after. These are just some of the

Dr. Robert fullard is considered the father of the environmental justice movement he ignited the movement when he said one of his famous quotes “institutional neglect, communities of color in urban ghettos, in rural 'poverty pockets…..face some of the worst environmental devastation in the nation." The environmental justice movement is made up of mainly by African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and Pacific Islanders and Native Americans. This movement had not received much success until the late 1990’s when it started to partner up with environmental protection agency's like the EPA. Then in 1992 the movement finally gained more of a voice when president Bill Clinton appointed 2 environmental justice leaders this finally lead to Environmental justice becoming a part of the government's policy. This was a crucial part of the environmental justice movement but there are other sides regarding this