Team 3: Story 2: The Strange Way The Enviroment Changes

What Is Enviormental Racism

Environmental racism refers to the larger number of environmental hazards and pollution that are placed in marginalized communities, often composed of people of color and low-income individuals, where they face more environmental issues compared to more predominantly white communities. This concept brings together a clash of race, class, and the environment, highlighting how systemic inequalities result in the unequal distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. For instance, in the 1980s, Warren County, North Carolina, a mostly African American community, got picked for a hazardous waste landfill despite locals and activists fighting against it. This is one of the many cases that shows how power imbalances keep environmental injustices going.

We can see this now in our present-day communities, as Starkville is kept clean, while 15 minutes on the border of Starkville and West Point sits a huge landfill. The health effects of environmental racism are clear, with people in burdened communities facing more asthma, cancer, birth defects, and other health issues from exposure to harmful pollutants. Children and older folks are hit hardest. To fix environmental racism, we need to tackle the root causes and immediate problems. This means changing policies that hurt marginalized groups and organizing communities to push for fairer treatment. We also need to invest in clean energy and infrastructure to create a healthier future for everyone. Environmental racism is so disappearing and heavy in areas, due to tons of systemic injustice. This systemic injustice arises from historical discriminatory policies such as redlining and zoning regulations, which deliberately marginalized certain communities while privileging others. Consequently, polluting industries, waste facilities, and toxic sites are concentrated in minority neighborhoods, exposing residents to increased health risks and diminishing their quality of life.

With the issue of environmental racism being a problem all over the state of Mississippi, it is happening in the Golden Triangle should be no surprise despite the largest university in the area being one of the most diverse in the state. Mississippi State ranks as the eighth most diverse university in the state, according to Niche.com. With that, however, the signs of environmental racism are still very prevalent to those who live in and in the neighboring communities. The community of Starkville, however, still struggles with battles that have been going on for quite some time. With Starkville growing by the year, the community needs to come together on this topic and provoke change within the community.

The change can come from something as simple as cleaning up one of the parts of town that is affected heavily by environmental racism. Another solution to this would be putting money into those parts of the communities. Investing in the affected areas would go a long way in ending environmental racism. Those changes could look like having nicer sidewalks and roads instead of letting them get in terrible condition. These are just some simple changes that could be made. The changes do not have to be drastic to start. However, there are long-term investments that could be made to improve the lives of those who live with this issue. With the amount of money coming into the Starkville community, this could be done quickly without much argument. The problem with this is that the people who are in charge of these parts of the communities are not being affected directly by this problem. Those types of people have more than most times never been affected by this. They do not see it often so although they are aware of it, it is not a problem they have a main priority in fixing. This can be said not just for the Golden Triangle but all over the state and country. This is a problem that needs to be one of the top priorities and could change the outlook of the community once a solution is put into place. 

 

The History Of Envirmental Racism

History and racism are linked with each other for the rest of time. Whether it be here in the United States, in Africa, In Ireland, or anywhere that has dealt with discrimination because of skin tone. This is not anything new for some, but there are ways to see it on a smaller but impactful level. Putting a garbage disposal dump next to a neighborhood or having small electrical problems because of the place you live. This has a history that has expanded for generations not just in recent years. A study done by the University of Michigan showed that minority and low-income neighborhoods are targets because of the lack of resistance that is shown when industrial parks or waste cities are being considered for new locations. This could also go back to the start of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution could be seen as the starting point in Great Britain and in America as a “start” to environmental racism. Many of the plants and locations for the revolution were in low-income and minority communities because, while the living environments were horrendous, it offered those low-income families jobs to work for the plants.

Smog was one of the first instances that caused many people to trouble during these times and areas like Detroit and Chicago were major target points because they became one of the meccas in the world for cars. The production of cars left many communities under continuous dark and dirty skies. This is when the toxic waste dumps and garbage disposals are placed in these low-income areas. This will allow birth defects, and low birth weight and can cause several types of cancers. Normal treatments for any form of cancer could cost up to 150,000 dollars and that is an unaffordable price for many that live in these areas. That is why they are targeted because knowing that people do not have the funds to defend themselves, anything can happen. It is modern-day war tactics on everyday Americans. There is a war that is being battled each day because of how incentive some companies can be.

This issue started as a double-edged sword and has now become one of the many issues surrounding communities today. This is with housing, roads, and the atmosphere that is being affected. Many sicknesses developed that caused many people to die from these environments. That is where most of these environmental issues are seen. History has shown that these communities will be taken advantage of because of their income and even if they try to fight it not much can be done about it because they lack the support to battle for what would seem to be basic rights in the environment.

Robert D. Bullard is the name “father of environmental racism” and his studies have backed what happened in 1982. He wrote “Environmental Justice In The 21st Century” detailing many of the injustices that have happened over the years from Martin Luther King leading to different landmark issues that led to the 1991 First National People Of Color Environmental Leadership Summit that he said could have been the most important single event for the history of these budding movement. Here is where 17 principles were adopted that allowed President Bill Clinton to issue Executive Order 12898 which was the “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-income Populations” which targeted and attempted to address the environmental injustice that was in existing federal laws and regulations. There are times when people have lost their land because of how fruitful it could be and they were placed in an area that was not as suitable or agriculturally sustainable because of where people are. This has happened in Mississippi and all over the country but a spark in 1982 in Warren County, North Carolina brought a closer look into the injustices that happen in many neighborhoods.

An African American community was designated to host a hazardous waste landfill and it would be accepting contaminated soil that was caused by illegal dumping of toxic waste along the roadway. Even when removing the soil, they still targeted the African American community for its location and undermined their small area with low-income families and minorities around them and the country. This expression was similar to how other people across the country felt and they believed that something should be done about it because it felt like there being targeted for their demographic. That is where most of these environmental issues are seen. History has shown that these communities will be taken advantage of because of their income and even if they try to fight it not much can be done about it because they lack the support to battle for what would seem to be basic rights in the environment.

This can also be seen in ways that cities want to progress. Starkville is a fitting example of this. The city and Mississippi State University generate billions of dollars in agriculture but with that comes a high demand for food, housing, and locations for places to increase that market. However, when trying to expand many of the smaller neighborhoods are forced to clump together to increase the community population which also causes prices to rise as well. Environmental racism is not only dealing with the physical environment. The marginal things add up to different forms of racism and it can be seen by anyone in any community.

A Small Town but Big Issue

There are many ways that the environment can change around you. When a person stays in the same area for many years, they will tend to think back about a store that moved, or an old burger place turning into a new coffee shop. One thing is sure, change is a constant and will forever happen. But noticing the insignificant details about your constant environment is something many people will not have recollection of.

Many people can talk about changes in the environment. Think of that elderly town couple or that old, yet sweet grandpa living down the street. There are many stories behind their eyes and with the environment, someone could have years of experience with positive changes although it took a while to feel the effects of the changes.

Central Mississippi has dealt with issues surrounding the environment for years. Ophelia Kelly has seen many changes around her in her tenure in Clinton, Ms. She was one of the first to integrate the Clinton Public School District when schools began to start migrating together. She might be short in stature, but she is brimming over the top with life and has watched many changes in her lengthy stay in the state of Mississippi.

At the ripe age of 70, she has been affected in many ways by some of the racism that was commonplace during her adolescent years in the small yet plentiful town directly west of Jackson. In the environment specifically, she knows the before and after with different experiences during her time living in her white house, or even when she was younger living in the country.

Some of those issues where roads were still made of gravel and septic tanks were still being used in areas that did not have that much support. In her time in Mississippi, she noticed many of the changes in the capital city as well. Jackson, Mississippi has dealt with road issues for quite some time. She has lived in the Magnolia state for close to 50 years so there are many stories behind the brown eyes of Kelly. For her, she can remember the issue of the roads that hampered her for weeks, months, and even years.

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Racism can be experienced in many different ways. You have your verbal, mental, and more commonly environmental. It has turned into one of the most unnoticed acts of diversity that many will not even notice. Some do like Ms. Kelly and there are many more like her who have experienced it throughout their life. You could be one too and you might not even notice. Take a look around and notice the minor changes that could be for better or worse but know that the environment will always be progressing in one way or another.

She also knows what it was like living in Detroit for a brief time and the smell and type of environment that the city brought with it. On an average day, the sounds of manufacturers would reach the edges of the city like a tornado siren. It was something that she had to get used to as she was trying to raise a family. But that can be hard to do in an unhealthy environment that also causes others to react and feel the same way. That is why population is an intriguing way to view what people believe is a good environment or not. Slowly but surely, Mississippi is feeling the effects of this. The Magnolia State is one of the only States that are consistently losing people either down to the fact that not many opportunities are here or because of the living environment that most people are born into. Jackson, Mississippi can be one on the front list of many things done wrong to the environment.

A once budding city with a zoo and many economic advances has turned into an abandoned warehouse. Many houses, buildings, and parks have become wasted space because of the affordability that also comes with living in the city. Jackson is an expensive city to live in per the metrics, but because of the low-income communities, it becomes a reflection of the city and what once was a growing population. Environmental racism is not only about the environment in particular but can also be the after-effects of what happens because of it. Sickness, homelessness, toxic funds being inhaled, prices being raised and more things are side effects of what can happen when these places are ignored for so long. Targeting low-income communities all for personal gain also goes against what more environmental protections can bring because of how limited people are in resources and with a lack of resources more people can be taken advantage of. The question is what can people do to stop this? Is this a state government issue or does it come down to a hatred that some people believe is in the government officials' hearts? Until then, keep a look around at your environment because you could be targeted next, even if you think you are in a neighborhood that seems safe.

Email the team at jcs1275@msstate.edu with any questions

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