Is There Environmental Racism in the USA?

Minorities are disadvantaged in various ways, and one commonly overlooked form of injustice is environmental racism. This is an issue that is heavily present throughout the United States of America and it is significantly harming the health of communities of color.

Environmental racism, often referred to as environmental injustice, is the disproportionate placement of pollution in communities inhabited by racial minorities. As seen in the figure below, Black and Latin Americans suffer from more pollution than they produce, while white Americans are exposed to less pollution than they produce.

While this environmental issue has been present for decades, it is still persisting in present day communities such as Flint, Michigan. The city of Flint has a majority African-American demographic. Due to economic concerns, the city of Flint switched their water supply from the city of Detroit Water System to the Flint River in April of 2014 in order to save money.

Soon after, residents began complaining about the water's awful look, taste and smell. However, their complaints were ignored. When examinations were conducted to test the water quality, the residents were falsely told that the water was safe.

The water provided to the people of Flint, however, was not safe at all. It was poisoned with dangerous levels of lead. Residents were forced to switch to bottled water as they'd continue to call on the government to do something about the toxic chemicals they had been exposed to.

Multiple studies tested Flint's water and found dangerously high levels of lead. It is said to be a vicious neurotoxin, which is most damaging to children. They can absorb up to 50% more lead in water soluble form in comparison to adults.

Exposure to lead can lead to a number of serious biological and developmental processes issues such as kidney damage, brain damage, premature delivery, and even fetal death.

With such detrimental health hazards, it is a shame to see that there was such a delayed response. Although residents complained about the concerning nature of the water in April of 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency was officially made aware a year later, and did not act to protect the residents until an additional year passed.

Unfortunately, pollutant disparities and delayed government responses is a pattern seen too often amongst communities of color. The poisoning of the bodies of people of color and the lack of initiative to protect them must come to an end.

We must call upon our government to establish efficient regulations as well as ensure proper execution of these regulations. Whether it is by signing petitions, protesting, or simply being aware, it is important that we push for true equality for all, in every aspect, and urge the government to establish proper protection for all communities.