by Marsha Rakestraw
(Almost) every being on Earth shares a common need for clean air, water, and shelter.
But we don’t share equitable access. For example:
More than half of people who live close to hazardous waste are people of color.
Black children are twice as likely to suffer from lead poisoning than are white children.
The Dakota Access Pipeline was pushed through a trajectory that affects mainly indigenous people. It was rerouted after a route near Bismarck was considered “not a viable option,” in part due to potential threats to the water supply. Ninety-two percent of Bismarck residents are white.
Environmental racism is a long-standing, systemic problem.
And it’s vital that we humane educators and solutionaries increase awareness about environmental racism and the need for environmental justice initiatives and meaningful solutions that do the most good and least harm for all.
We’ve curated resources (websites, activities, videos, etc.) focused on issues of environmental racism and environmental justice, to help you learn and/or teach more about these issues.
We would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think about our content by leaving us a comment or by emailing us at feedback@humaneeducation.org.
