Black History Month: Eight Decades of Wrong Complexion for Protection
There’s an old saying that “all communities are not created equal.” This was true more some 236 years ago when our nation was founded and it is true today as we celebrate Black History Month. Much has been written about the glaring racial inequality in employment, education, income and wealth, housing and health care. However, far less has been written or publicized about the glaring inequities that exist in government response to natural and human-induced disasters.
Environmental Justice Encuentro Comes to Houston
HOUSTON, May 17, 2012 –The Environmental Justice Encuentro opened today in Houston and runs thru Saturday May19. The event is held at the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, a historically black college and university (HBCU) whose history is intertwined with the quest for racial justice. Given TSU's history and mission as a "special purpose university for urban programming," the BJML School of Public Affairs is embarking on a new initiative to lead the way in research, policy, and community engagement work in the areas of environmental justice, public health, housing, transportation, land-use planning, regional equity, smart growth, sustainability, equitable development, food security, disasters, clean energy, climate, civil rights and human rights—all seen through a racial equity lens.
Principles of Environmental Justice Turn 21
It was twenty-one years ago today that the Principles of Environmental Justice were adopted on October 27, 1991 at the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, held in Washington, DC. The EJ Summit, attended by well over 1,000 delegates, was probably the single most important event in the Environmental Justice Movement’s history.
A Call for Transportation Justice Now!
A 2010 poll from Transportation for America found 82 percent of American voters say that "the United States would benefit from an expanded and improved transportation system," including rail and buses. A 2012 Natural Resources Defense Council poll found 66 percent of Americans want more funds allocated to public transportation. The survey also found 59 percent of Americans believe the current U.S. public transportation system is "outdated, unreliable and inefficient." All transportation is not created equal. Clearly, transportation remains a major civil rights issue in the twenty-first century.
Earth Day 2013: Call for Environmental Justice Milestones
This announcement is a national “Call for Environmental Justice Milestones” (2012-2013) to be released as part of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University (TSU) Earth Day 2013 celebration. Submissions will need to include hyperlinks.
Nation Loses Environmental Justice Warrior-Grandmother Emelda West
The nation lost a fiery environmental justice warrior on Saturday March 30, 2013 with the death of Emelda West, an 87-year old “take no prisoner” Marine Corps-type leader who became a hero to thousands of environmental justice activists around the country. She was the proud mother of seven children, nineteen grandchildren, and 24 great grandchildren.
An Action Plan for Advancing Environmental Justice
The Environmental Justice Movement is confronted with many old and new challenges. The movement has made tremendous gains over the past four decades as documented in Environmental Health and Racial Equity in the United States: Building Environmentally Just, Sustainable and Livable Communities, a 2011 book published by the American Public Health Association Press (APHA) and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Mounting evidence reveals that race and place still matter and impact the quality of life Americans enjoy. Some communities have the “wrong complexion for protection.” One of the most important indicators of an individual's health is zip code or neighborhood.
