Social determinants of health are factors that tend to adversely affect health, such as socioeconomic status, environment, and race/culture. Due to social determinants of health, primarily socioeconomic status, many African Americans reside in low income neighborhoods, which tend to house off-site commercial hazardous waste landfills. In 1987, the Commission for Racial Justice found that race was the strongest variable in predicting the location of waste facilities (Bullard & Johnson, 2000). Other than socioeconomic status, African Americans have been a historically marginalized population in the United States. Stemming from decades of slavery, medical mistreatment, segregation, socio cultural inequalities, legal mistreatment, and socioeconomic status, the idea of “Black Lives Matter,” was created. The notion of environmental justice is tied into the “Black Lives Matter,” because this movement is demanding that people acknowledge and remedy generations of mistreatment of African Americans. This movement is also bringing to light the structural, social, political and economics inequalities that exist for African Americans in the U.S.
According to the EPA, environmental justice advocates fair treatment, protection from health hazards and equal access for all regardless of race, color, ethnicity or income. I have a budding interest in environmental justice because of how it relates to health equity for all and can have the power to allow all communities to thrive.
It’s very common to see that minorities are housed near freeways, have lack of access to fresh food options, have more crime and pollution. It was upsetting read that environmental racism is still an ongoing issue in modern-times. I was in shock to see how many places there are in the U.S. that are known to be toxic, such as Mossville, LA which has been referred to as “Cancer Alley.” It’s upsetting to see that there are so many toxic areas with known health issues that are still inhabited by minorities. If places are that toxic, no one should be living there. It’s sad that despite the evidence and people getting sick, that no one is doing anything to make it stop.
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ReplyDeleteHi Christina,
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that it's really upsetting to know that environmental racism still exist. It was my first to learned about those corporations and their negative effects in the communities. I also wonder why the government are not doing anything even though people in those communities are getting sick? I think it would be a good idea if the people living in those poor communities work together and speak to their representatives/public government officials to create solutions.
Hi Christina,
ReplyDeleteIt is very upsetting that environmental racism is still an ongoing issue in 2017. It's frustrating that one community is more targeted and the most susceptible to environmental injustice based on housing, school setting and food insecurity in the communities African American live in.