Let’s Talk About Environmental Racism

A DARK HISTORY 

While the terminology may be new to some, America’s longstanding tradition of exploiting and exposing people of color to environmental burdens is as old as the nation itself. From the systematic and violent removal of Native Americans from their land to the Jim Crow practice of segregation in National Parks, instances of environmental racism far precede the 1982 protest in Warren County.

One such instance in 1960 best illustrates this point. Carolyn Finney, retells the true story in her book Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors. In it she writes:

“A white professor of theology from Boston University was planning an upcoming vacation at a National Park in Canada for himself, his wife, and an African American couple who were good friends. Aware of the hostilities toward black people in the United States, Dr. DeWolf wrote the owner of the Fundy Park Chalets in New Brunswick to eliminate any embarrassment that might befall his African American friends when they all showed up at the park. In his letter, Dr. DeWolf stated that he was “confident” that his friends would be treated well, but he just wanted to be sure. Dr. DeWolf described the husband as “university-trained, with four degrees, an author,” and underscored that both the husband and wife were highly cultured people “of superior character.” Dr. DeWolf did not get a response right away, and when he did, it was not the answer he hoped for. The owner of the chalets stated that because they get many American guests at their site, he could not “accept the possibility of embarrassment which may arise from this situation” (MacEachern 1995).

The irony of this story is that the African American couple that was refused a reservation at the Fundy Park Chalets in Fundy National Park was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King. Dr. King was simply exhausted from his civil rights work and wanted the chance to renew his spirit and focus on his writing. No doubt Zahniser, Leopold, Brower, and Muir would have understood Dr. King’s impulse to choose a national park—a wilderness setting—to find that renewal, inspiration, and peace. But not even someone as distinguished as Dr. King, arguably the most visible icon of the civil rights movement, could escape the vagaries of that time, even by crossing the border.”

SLOW VIOLENCE

It is easy for those who do not experience environmental racism first-hand to be skeptical of its existence. This largely has to do with how we, as a society, tend to view violence, which is to say, as explicitly harmful acts. Scholar and author Robert Nixon, calls to expand on this idea, with a concept he coined slow violence, or “violence that occurs gradually and out of sight.” Examples include, climate change, ocean acidification, deforestation, etc.

Environmental racism often falls under the umbrella of slow violence, making it difficult to adequately draw attention to it and thus fix. As a result, people typically pay attention to disasters, like hurricane Katrina and Maria, rather than focus on systematic inequality that exacerbates the consequences of those very disasters. "Fast" cinematic violence is prioritized over "slow" less visual violence making it difficult to identity and therefore solve environmental crises fueled by racial inequalities. It also makes it easier to disguise acts of injustice as merely acts of nature, erasing the root of the problem.

WHITE PRIVILEGE

While some may deny it, white privilege’s existence is as real as the racism it perpetuates. Acclaimed geographer and scholar Laura Pulido writes about the dangers of ignoring one’s white privilege in her article “Rethinking Environmental Racism.” As she so eloquently puts it:

“Because most white people do not see themselves as having malicious intentions, and because racism is associated with malicious intent, whites can exonerate themselves of all racist tendencies, all the while ignoring their investment in privilege. It is this ability to sever intent from outcome that allows whites to acknowledge that racism exists, yet seldom identify themselves as racists.”

HOW TO HELP

There are thousands of grassroots environmental justice organizations that need support. Do your research and find one that speaks to you. What’s more, most organizations have volunteer opportunities. Don’t be afraid to reach out and inquire about getting involved. If you aren’t sure where to look, the NAACP keeps a list of environmental and climate justice organizations to consider.

OTHER RESOURCES TO CHECK OUT

• “The Principles of Environmental Justice”
• Black Lives Matter
• Rethinking Environmental Racism: White Privilege and Urban Development in Southern California
• “The Case for Letting Malibu Burn”
• Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors
• Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor
• Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class, And Environmental Quality, Third Edition

Kate Eplboim is a travel writer and graduate of UCLA who passionately studied Literature and the Environment. Over the last four years, she has cultivated her passion for travel, environmental journalism, and gardening. She is a native of Los Angeles.