Environmental racism refers to the perpetual location of environmental hazards near economically and socially disadvantaged areas that are generally populated by people of color. In a 2017 article for the Atlantic, Van Newkirk stated that environmental racism is the New Jim Crow—a legitimization and incorporation of anti-black racism. Five years later, this sentiment continues as we see rising cases and consequences of environmental harm impacting communities of color. Environmental racism is not geographical, it is national. We need to think about who the decision-makers are in our own communities and why environmental racism continues to jeopardize the lives of marginalized people, who experience its worst consequences.

Source: ABC News October 05, 2022 18:02 UTC