Differences in
health are clear when looking at communities and populations based on income.
Low income is associated with unsafe neighborhoods, unstable housing and
substandard education. Social determinants of health are connected to physical determinants. Environmental racism reveals the ugly truth
that those in low-income neighborhoods, who are predominantly persons of color,
are disproportionately being exposed to toxic chemicals and hazardous waste. Environmental
justice seeks to protect all people regardless of race, national origin or
income. The principles of environmental justice recognize the need for ethical
and universal protection from toxic and hazardous chemicals/wastes.
The Black Lives
Matter movement seeks to eliminate the historical systematic target for demise
and mistreatment of black lives in the United States. The violence inflicted on
black communities has been a part of our society for far too long and has
caused much harm for many generations. Environmental justice recognizes the
mistreatment and blatant disregard of equally protecting individuals from
harmful chemicals and waste. The intentional environmental racism has increased
the health disparities and reveals an additional hurdle in reaching health
equity among all persons. If we can make more progress in addressing the
physical determinants we can improve some of the conditions in the environments
and recognize that at the very least, we should all have the same degree of
protection from environmental and health hazards.
I loved your comment about environmental injustice being another hurdle that needs to be overcome when striving for health equity among all persons. When people think about the Black Lives Matter Movement, they dont tend to see the other injustices that are happening for that community (i.e., toxic waste being dumped in majority of low-income African American communities). Their voices need to be heard, so that everyone is able to feel safe where they live.
ReplyDeleteHi Marisa,
ReplyDeleteReading your post reminded me of Emily Sioma (Miss Michigan) who used her platform to highlight the environmental injustice that is currently happening with Michigan's current water crisis. She used her 8 seconds of introducing herself to speak up for the communities who are impacted by this crisis. In this case, low-income neighborhoods and people of color are experiencing the short end of the stick through the bad intentions of government officials who failed to acknowledge the problem. There will be many hurdles, and there is the responsibility to make it better for everyone, especially vulnerable populations.
Hi Marisa,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughts on environmental justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. As I am learning more about the injustices that exist for low-income and people of color, I feel empowered to use my expertise in public health to make a change. We must use our degrees in public health for the betterment of all communities and to eliminate health disparities.
Carmen