Environmental Racism

Paper Summary:

The paper reveals that environmental racism underlies policies, practices and directives which discriminate against people of color in environmental issues. The paper looks at studies that show how race has remained a major determinant of socioeconomic predictors and that more than half of the populations living in proximity to hazardous waste facilities were African-Americans, Hispanics, Blacks or Asia/Pacific Islanders. The paper discusses how environmental racism has persisted despite increased advocacy and awareness. The paper then looks at the major environmental health hazards that include lead poisoning, toxic housing, toxic schools and asthma.


New Ways of Viewing the Same Situation
Color Tips the Balance
Environmental Racism Persists Despite Increased Awareness
The Income Gap is Wider Today
The EPA Ineffective, the Rise of the Environmental Justice Movement
Citizen Action and Litigation

From the Paper:

"Inequality among communities is a concrete reality. Economics, political influence and race are among the criteria in the distribution of amenities as well as dis-amenities (Bullard 2003). Racism is a very major consideration in the United States. Environmental racism is one of its forms and found in housing, employment, education and voting. It is an environmental policy, practice or directive, which discriminates, intentionally or not, according to race or color. It is a form of environmental injustice concretized and reinforced by government, legal, economic, political and military institutions. It blends with public policies and industrial practices, which make Whites benefit more than color people to whom the costs are passed on (Bullard)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bullard, R. D. (2007). Dismantling toxic racism. 4 pages. The New Crisis: Crisis Publishing Company, Inc.
• -----------------(2003). Environment justice for all. 6 pages
• Bullard, R. D and Glenn S. Johnson (2000). Environmental justice. 20 pages. Journal of Social Issues: Plenum Publishing Corporation
• Crossman, B. (2005). Resurrecting environmental justice. 20 pages. Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review: Boston College School of Law
• Merchant, C. (2003). Shades of darkness: race and environmental history. 15 pages. Environmental History: ProQuest Information and Learning Company

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• Argumentative Essay # 148757 : "A Discussion on Environmental Racism"

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