Environmental Racism
What is Environmental Racism? Who is targeted? What are the issues?
Environmental racism has continued to marginalize people of lower SES. The psychosocial effects of having limited access to grocery stores, farmer markets, drug stores, bus lines, parks, safe neighborhoods and good public schools can be devastating for individuals who inhabit those communities. Additionally, people who experience environmental racism often have little power or voice in municipal decisions which have a direct impact on the life and health of their communities. Many times, these environmental factors contribute to long lasting negative psychological effects that may lead to: low educational attainment, perpetration of the poverty cycle, and development of mental and physical ailments.
The definition of enviromental racism differs from source to source. Below we offer two definitions:
1. Environmental racism refers to the enactment or enforcement of any policy, practice, or regulation that negatively affects the environment of low-income and/or racially homogeneous communities at a disparate rate than affluent communities (Wikipedia definition).
2. "Environmental racism is "the systematic use of institutionally based power by whites to formulate policy decisions that will lead to the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards in minority communities (Bryant & Mohai, 1991).
There is also a problem of terminology – The term “environmental racism” insinuates that this is an issue of race when the inequality is impacted by geography. In cities like Seattle which are so racially segregated, the issue of race and SES go hand in hand. However, this is not always the case…
Enviromental racism has had devestating effects on vulnerable populations. Many times residents decide to matters into their own hands. As seen below, residents in Chester, PA block a dump truck from accessing their neighborhood.
Geographic Segregation Nationally
Geographic segregation by ethnicity is often a taboo subject. Many negate the fact that it is a reality and that unjust distribution of wealth is affected by geography. While gentrification is causing some changes, the displaced folks are moving into lower SES geographic areas. Consequently, only moving geographic lines but keeping low income folks clustered in non-desirable areas. Areas with low-income folks tend to be filled with environmental health hazards, low performing school, less grocery stores that sell fresh produce and less accessible public transportation. They tend to be filled with liquor stores, quickie marts, pay day advance locations and violence. All these factors affect the daily lives of individuals living in such areas and breaking the cycle of poverty is a continuous struggle.
For those individuals who do not believe that geographic segregation of individuals is affected by ethnicity, Eric Fischer created a map to help us see how real this segregation is. Eric Fischer was astounded by Bill Rankin's map of Chicago's racial and ethnic divides and wanted to see what other cities looked like mapped the same way. To match his maps, Red is White, Blue is Black, Green is Asian, Orange is Hispanic, Gray is Other, and each dot is 25 people. Data from Census 2000.His maps paint an amazing picture of racial geographic segregation. Seattle
For those individuals who do not believe that geographic segregation of individuals is affected by ethnicity, Eric Fischer created a map to help us see how real this segregation is. Eric Fischer was astounded by Bill Rankin's map of Chicago's racial and ethnic divides and wanted to see what other cities looked like mapped the same way. To match his maps, Red is White, Blue is Black, Green is Asian, Orange is Hispanic, Gray is Other, and each dot is 25 people. Data from Census 2000.His maps paint an amazing picture of racial geographic segregation. Seattle
New York City
Seattle
Eric Fisher was able to map 107 US cities. He had done a great deal of work mapping geographic segregation throughout the United States. To see more of his work visit his website; http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/sets/72157624812674967/
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Our blog focus:
Seattle Neighborhoods
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Racial History of Seattle's Neighborhoods
Racial History of Seattle's Neighborhoods
For most of its history Seattle was a segregated city, as committed to white supremacy as any location in America. People of color were excluded from most jobs, most neighborhoods and schools, and many stores, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial establishments, even hospitals. As in other western states, the system of severe racial discrimination in Seattle targeted not just African Americans but also Native Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, people of Mexican ancestry, and also, at times, Jews.
Segregation maps Here is a set of detailed maps showing residential locations for Blacks, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Jews, Hispanics, and Native Americans in Seattle from 1920-2000. Follow the link above to the full set of 27 maps.Racial Restrictive Covenants Was your neighborhood restricted? From the 1910s through the 1960s, many Seattle neighborhoods and King County suburbs practiced overt and total racial exclusion. White-only clauses and other restrictions (which sometimes excluded Jews as well as people of color) can be found today in property deeds for many many neighborhoods. We have collected more than 400 restrictive covenants from deeds on file in the King County Recorder's office. Follow the link above to our database and see if your neighborhood was "restricted." (http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/segregated.htm)
For more information visit this link:
Poverty in Seattle
Below is a map from the 2000 Census showing the percentage of people living in poverty. Notice the where the largest percent of poverty is (darker shades of red). Keep this information in mind when reading about the different areas of Environmental Injustice discussed in relation to the King County Neighborhoods.
Gentrification and its role in Enviromental Racism
The following is an excerpt from an article written by Henry McGee, professor of law at Seattle University. To keep read the whole article please click on the blink at the end of the excerpt.
Looking beyond the gross numbers the Census reported subtle but significant changes within the Central District community. The overall percentage of households reporting incomes of $50,000 or more has risen substantially. Most black families in the area report incomes of less than $15,000 and these low income families comprised a smaller percentage of the total households in 2000 than in 1990. In 2000 most of the area’s residents between 22 and 39 were white or Asian. Most blacks, in comparison, were either under 22 or over 60. These percentages suggest that there are fewer blacks in the District in prime income earning years. The white and Asian American residents of the community are also generally better educated. Their presence, and the presence of their children in Central District schools, has increased the “education gap” between black and white children and adults. The Central District, for blacks at least, is increasingly becoming a community of the very young or the very old with many better educated, working class African Americans moving southeast into Seattle’s Rainier Valley or beyond into Renton and other inner suburbs.
Ironically the promulgation of anti-housing discrimination legislation has encouraged this movement. In 1977 Washington passed two anti-discrimination statutes, the “Mortgage Disclosure Act,” and the “Fairness in Lending Act.” These measures made the trickle of blacks into the suburbs in the 1960s a flood by the early 1980s. At the same time younger European Americans, concerned about rising gasoline prices and attracted by the urban lifestyle their parents had fled a generation earlier, began to seek out the Central District which in the 1980s was made even more attractive by depressed housing prices, a consequence of decades of redlining that was finally on the decline. Young European American childless couples, or those with young children, now purchased properties in Central District neighborhoods their parents, with few exceptions, would have regarded as racially contaminated.
http://www.blackpast.org/?q=perspectives/gentrification-integration-or-displacement-seattle-storyIronically the promulgation of anti-housing discrimination legislation has encouraged this movement. In 1977 Washington passed two anti-discrimination statutes, the “Mortgage Disclosure Act,” and the “Fairness in Lending Act.” These measures made the trickle of blacks into the suburbs in the 1960s a flood by the early 1980s. At the same time younger European Americans, concerned about rising gasoline prices and attracted by the urban lifestyle their parents had fled a generation earlier, began to seek out the Central District which in the 1980s was made even more attractive by depressed housing prices, a consequence of decades of redlining that was finally on the decline. Young European American childless couples, or those with young children, now purchased properties in Central District neighborhoods their parents, with few exceptions, would have regarded as racially contaminated.
Group Reflection
It was a bit challenging to find so much information about the disparities that exits. Most shocking was how evident they were. Through the maps we were able to pin point marginalized communities and who lives in them. While Seattle is not as diverse as other large cities, the problems of racial geographic segregation still prevail. We found that environmental discrimination is not only about the environment but also about health care, access to grocery stores, parks, proper education, air quality, mental health resources, etc. There is an overwhelming amount of information available that clearly depicts the disparities that exist yet most people decide to ignore the issue.
We were able to connect the readings for the class to many issues that we covered on our blog. We were able to see how many of these issues have a deep historical construct. Policy can change many of the issues but for some reason, policy seems to only work for a small population.
The biggest thing that we take away from this project is that there are many organizations, groups and individuals working on this issue. This is not an issue about one community it is an issue that is affecting poor people, this is an issue about oppression and privilege. This is a human rights issue and until questions are asked and people are pushed, everything will remain the same.
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