The people living on the frontline and at the fenceline of industry have long held an awareness of the disproportionate burden of environmental degradation and pollution that face their communities. Warren County, North Carolina is often considered the first environmental justice fight in the United States. In 1982, PCB-laden soil was intentionally dumped in a predominantly African American community, despite significant protest from the community. Researchers took note and in 1987, the United Church of Christ published their report “Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States”.

In the video below by MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, scholars of environmental justice connect industrial pollution, racism, and public policy.

Environmental-Justice_-Histories-of-Contamination,-Stories-of-Resistance from MIT IDE on Vimeo.

Since the 1990’s, federal, state, and local governments have taken action to advance environmental justice. However, most of the progress on environmental issues has been won through community advocacy. “Mayah’s Lot” is a short zine that depicts a community’s resistance to a toxic waste site in their community. The video below is a narration of “Mayah’s Lot”.

Environmental justice is more than preventing the siting of dangerous operations in already vulnerable communities. Developed by the delegates to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, held in 1991, the Principles of Environmental Justicealso affirms the sacredness of the earth, including nonhuman nature. Organizations and individuals should use these principles as a guide for acting in solidarity with environmental justice communities.

The video above provides a basic overview of climate justice. Much of Climate Justice organizing today is devoted to advancing a Just Transition to climate change. Part of this work also includes advocating against “false solutions to climate change.” False solutions are identifiable as such because they violate the Principles of Environmental Justice linked above.

Mainstream environmental organizations have a long way to go before they can consider themselves a full partner of the environmental and climate justice movement. This process starts by learning about the Principles of Environmental Justice, reorienting work to abide by these principles, and repositioning themselves in alignment with the leadership of grassroots Environmental Justice, Indigenous, and Workers movements.

Linked Resources

• “Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States: A National Report on the Racial and Socio-Economic Characteristics of Communities with Hazardous Waste Sites.” Alexander Street, Part of Clarivate, search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cweb_document%7C3935385/toxic-wastes-and-race-united-states-national-report-racial-and-socio-economic-characteristics. 
  
• “Environmental Justice: Histories of Contamination and Stories of Resistance.” Vimeo, 13 May 2023, vimeo.com/473072467. 
  
• La Greca, Charlie, and Rebecca Bratspies. “Mayah’s Lot.” Http://Cuer.Law.Cuny.Edu/Wp-Content/Uploads/2012/08/Mayah_EJ_MAG.for-Uploading.Pdf. 
  
• “Mayah’s Lot.” YouTube, 30 Jan. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDF5apIFocg&ab_channel=CUNYSchoolofLaw. 
  
• “Climate Justice Is Social Justice.” YouTube, 23 July 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY2eWJ-U_VQ&ab_channel=Earthrise. 
  
• False Solutions to Address Climate Change, jtalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/False-Solutions.pdf.  

Supplemental Resources

• Wright, Willie Jamaal. As Above, So Below: Anti-Black Violence as Environmental Racism, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/anti.12425.
• Johnson, Ayana Elizabeth, and Katharine K. Wilkinson. All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, & Solutions for the Climate Crisis. One World, 2021. 
• Taylor, Dorceta E. Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility. New York University Press, 2014.

Navigation