Environmental Justice as stated by the US EPA is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." When I think about all the places around the world that turn the other way when it comes to polluting the earth it breaks my heart. This feeling deepens as I learn how these incinerators, waste lands etc are developed and ran near less developed neighborhood or countries and in communities filled mostly with people of color. It seems to happen more often than not, due to lack of education, socioeconomic status, employment levels, and the physical environment.
This fits into the concept of social determinants of health because those living in low income communities have less opportunity or options available to them when it comes to removing themselves from such toxic environments. It is unfortunate that Black communities are most affected by environmental health risks. There is currently a movie out, Last Black Man in San Francisco, and it touches on this topic briefly in the beginning of the film. The opening scene shows an older Black gentleman preaching in front of the Bay while men in hazard suits are cleaning the water and surrounding area. He is asking why are they wearing such protection while he and his fellow community members are left with no protection. Forced to breathe in the air they refuse. We see time and time again Black communities being treated as less than worthy of clean air, water, and healthy foods. A perfect example is Flint, Michigan.
As mentioned in the article by Jedediah Purdy (2016), the movement of Black Lives Matter calls for action in removing incinerators, waste facilities, and other pollution sources that are more often than not concentrated in poor non-white neighborhoods. Black Lives Matter therefore, is not only about the racial injustices that happen within the Black community, when it comes to police brutality, but also the way in which our communities are treated environmentally.
Hey Aika,
ReplyDeleteI definitely learned something new about the Black Lives Matter movement with this week's blog post. I had no clue that they advocated for environmental justice as well. It makes sense though being it being a movement for injustices in America, but like you I really thought it was just against police brutality. They actually were instrumental in the changes in Flint Michigan saying that violence can occur environmentally as well.
Really insightful thoughts, it is interesting to see that justice is not just about the liberties to be physically safe and free from violence, but also safe from your environment.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this insight, Aika. I agree that racial justice demands our attention to these fine details of environmental justice throughout the United States!
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