WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM?

Environmental justice refers to the basic right of all people to be free of poisons and other hazards (Pezzulo & Cox. 2015). Environmental racism is a term used to describe the disproportionate environmental injustices that minority communities face. Communities of color in America are more likely to suffer the burden of pollution and other environmental issues in comparison to their white counterparts. "African-Americans are 75 percent more likely than other Americans to live in so-called fence-line communities, defined as areas situated near facilities that produce hazardous waste" (Villarosa. 2020). 

​

Grays Ferry, Pennsylvania is just one community that faces environmental racism in America. With a 150-year-old oil refinery across the highway, asthma and cancer are just two illnesses that a majority of the Black community of South Philadelphia faces (Villarosa. 2020). 

​

“Cancer Alley”, Louisiana is another minority community burdened by the chemical plants in its backyard. Many Louisiana residents living in St. Gabriel either suffer from cancer or know someone who has due to poor air quality. These chemical plants have been burdening the Black community for decades and will continue to do so for many more. “Many of the new plants planned in Louisiana’s petrochemical heart are being built in or near communities that EPA models estimate already have some of the most dangerous air in America. Our analysis shows the problems are especially acute in predominantly black and poor communities, like St. Gabriel…” (Shaw & Perlman.).