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Essay on poverty and discrimination
Essay on poverty and discrimination
Case study social economic discrimination
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It seems that in practically everything we do, we somehow create waste or pollution. “We live by consuming- buying things and throwing them away, sometimes without even using them” (Woodford paragraph 3). But back then environmental problems weren’t really an issue until now, but what was often a huge conflict has been with Environmental Segregation. The conflict was brought up on “colored” people with the low-income they’d receive in which caused poverty. Environmental racism conspiracy has changed in a spectacular way, in our time period how it’s rare to even see segregation, but during 1970’s through 80’s an environmental justice movement took place in the united states dealing with the first world corporations exporting dirty technologies, dangerous chemicals, and wasteful materials; communities of “color” in which were …show more content…
Of all empty places in the area they chose to place the toxic landfill near an African American community, why not an all American community? Why is it that most African Americans and Mexican Americans have no saying in anything that America chooses? It makes no sense that Americans have “civil Rights” but are still treated unequal, like Martin Luther king Jr. says “I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.” Well the time has already come to a pass and people are still not being treated equal. Is it going to take war for people to actually realize what they are doing? Instead of standing hand in hand helping build one another we are just breaking each other and putting each other
Housing segregation is as the taken for granted to any feature of urban life in the United States (Squires, Friedman, & Siadat, 2001). It is the application of denying minority groups, especially African Americans, equal access to housing through misinterpretation, which denies people of color finance services and opportunities to afford decent housing. Caucasians usually live in areas that are mostly white communities. However, African Americans are most likely lives in areas that are racially combines with African Americans and Hispanics. A miscommunication of property owners not giving African American groups gives an accurate description of available housing for a decent area. This book focuses on various concepts that relates to housing segregation and minority groups living apart for the majority group.
In his article entitled The "environmental racism" Hoax, white male, David Friedman explains his disbelief in the existence of environmental racism. He argues that the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to prevent environmental injustice make it too difficult to push business projects through in urban areas. Therefore business efforts, “shift operations to white, politically conservative, less-developed locations,” to avoid complications with EPA requirements (Friedman). Moving industrial facilities to predominantly white areas creates jobs and economic growth in these areas rather than in areas with larger colored populations. Therefore, it could be seen that the EPA’s efforts ironically counteract their purpose of protecting colored communities. This view attributes for lack of industrial plants in urban areas, but fails to consider the relationship between environmental horrors such as Hurricanes Katrina, Irma, and Jose, DAPL, and the Flint Water Crisis. Effort is not actively put into protecting communities of color in our country. Citizens fail to recognize the weight of this issue because our leaders themselves don’t prioritize
Native Americans have suffered from one of America’s most profound ironies. The American Indians that held the lands of the Western Hemisphere for thousands of years have fallen victim to some of the worst environmental pollution. The degradation of their surrounding lands has either pushed them out of their homes, made their people sick, or more susceptible to disease. If toxic waste is being strategically placed near homes of Native Americans and other minority groups, then the government industry and military are committing a direct offense against environmental justice. Productions of capitalism and militarism are deteriorating the lands of American Indians and this ultimately is environmental racism.
Despite increased diversity across the country, America’s neighborhoods remain highly segregated along racial and ethnic lines. Residential segregation, particularly between African-Americans and whites, persists in metropolitan areas where minorities make up a large share of the population. This paper will examine residential segregation imposed upon African-Americans and the enormous costs it bears. Furthermore, the role of government will be discussed as having an important role in carrying out efforts towards residential desegregation. By developing an understanding of residential segregation and its destructive effects, parallels may be drawn between efforts aimed at combating such a grave societal problem and furthering social justice.
The Help by Katherine Stockett and Marriage is a Private Affair by Chinua Achebe both expresses the issues with segregation through character development. These two stories are set in a time period where segregation was an everyday thing and not viewed as poorly as it is today. However, with this said, the same morals that we have today about segregation, especially over something so trivial as the color of their skin, were held by some and these people were the ones who actually stood up against this discrimination and did something about it. These stories are about people like this, the people who aren’t afraid to stand up against something they know is wrong, even in the face of danger. In The Help and Marriage is a Private Affair the characters that are being discriminated against are characterized as upset with the way they are treated, and although the others are pushing them down they remain strong and able to fight for what they believe in, and what they know deep down is right.
In 1989, seventy five percent of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists, and the number has continued to grow since then (Walls 1). Environmentalism is now the most popular social movement in the United States, with over five million American families donating regularly to environmental organizations (Walls 1). Environmentalists today focus on what kind of world they hope to see in the future, and largely deal with limiting pollution and changing consumption rates (Kent 1 and 9). Modern environmentalists also have much different issues than those Carson’s America faced. With climate change becoming more threatening each year, protection of the natural world is needed more than ever. Pollution has caused the warmest decade in history, the deterioration of the ozone layer, and species extinction in extreme numbers (Hunter 2). It not only threatens nature, but also human populations, who already suffer from lack of clean water and poisoning from toxic chemicals (Hunter 16). Unlike environmental actions in the 1960’s, which were mostly focused on protection, a massive increase in pollution has caused efforts to be focused on environmental restoration (Hunter 16). Like in the time of Silent Spring, environmentalists are not only concerned with one country. Protecting the environment remains a global issue, and every nation is threatened by the
Nydia Velazquez is a representative for New York’s Twelfth Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. In her essay “In Search of Justice,” Velazquez describes several unjust situations that happened in her district. She points out that the residents of Greenpoint, which is the heart of her district, are among the poorest in the country. She argues that large corporations carelessly dump their waste next to poor minorities’ living areas and emphasizes the terrible air conditions in her district. Velazquez believes that minority communities are treated unfairly under the environmental law, which targets large corporations.
Segregation was a big deal in the United States. Most white people believed they were better than the blacks. Water fountains, seating sections, and the bus seats are examples of things that were segregated. Segregation had a major effect as our country was leaving the 1800’s and going into the 1900s. The Jim Crow laws, White Supremacy, and the Plessy v. Ferguson trial were crucial setbacks for blacks in the late 1800s and the early 1900s.
Environmental racism is starting to get attention in Florida legislature. Low-income; minority ; Blacks ; Hispanics / Latinos ; Asians ; Philippines ; Latin American ; factory owners people with people with money. Environmental Racism is something that effect black minority and low- income people around the world.
A large number of low-income and minority families live in poor economic conditions. The economy is altered on account of multinational companies locating new facilities where land values and operation costs are low. Cheap lands are easily attained by polluting facilities because underprivileged communities are unable to effectively prevent such shortcomings. When companies locate their new facilities in these areas, property values decline and quality of life decreases (Mohai and Saha 2007: 345). Following this phenomenon is a decrease in the white and affluent populations of these areas. When property values decline, housing is made affordable, therefore, minorities and the poverty-stricken move in. This paradox commences the stages of environmental racism. Despite notable improvements in environmental inequalities, internationally, billions of people live in hazardous physical conditions. Furthermore, “These communities suffer both the physical and social consequences of housing discrimination, residential segregation, and...
Even after the University of Georgia conducted research finding elevated levels of toxins within the produce and soil people continued to undermine the threats to this neighborhood because of their ethnic heritage (Checker 83). Yet, these people continued to fight for their homeland, as they believed they deserved better. However, not until attorneys Bill McCracken and Harry James appeared, was the health of these people considered important (Checker 93). These men helped to develop a lawsuit that stated this group of people were undergoing environmental racism as they were not being thought of during the dumping of harmful chemicals in the lands surrounding their homes (Checker 117). Unfortunately for Hyde Park residents, many of the lawsuits filed in hopes of obtains some sort of justice for these people being wronged were settled in favor of the other party (Checker chapter 6). These decisions were likely solely based on the ethnic background of those living in the area. These people had been living in this area for many years and had been metaphorically trapped within the confines of the companies that were causing their surroundings to become hazardous. This confinement of sorts and the race of the residents within allowed
Most Americans conjure imagery of a planet replete with pristine wilderness, crystal blue oceans, fresh air, and verdant forests when they think about the natural environment. In recent decades, this description is becoming increasingly applicable only to certain areas of the United States because poor and minority communities are overwhelmingly subjected to dangerous environmental hazards. As such, the concept of environmental racism has become a major issue affecting every aspect of their lives because of their placement and proximity to environmentally dangerous areas such as landfills, toxic waste sites, and other forms of pollution. The environmental justice movement seeks to remedy this problem by recognizing the direct link between economic, environmental, race, and health issues. The biggest aim of environmental justice is for all people to live, work, and play in clean, and environmentally safe communities. However, in mainstream American environmentalism, poor and minority communities are typically ignored in environmental communication because their white counterparts dominate the discourse. Recent scholarship suggests that people of color play a crucial role in fighting environmental discrimination because their cultural traditions, experiences, and histories allow them to uniquely communicate environmental risk and health concerns within their communities.
It wasn’t until a study called Toxic Waste and Race done by the Church of Christ in 1987 showed that the most significant factor is deciding a location of a hazardous waste facility was racial did the movement gain momentum. While there are many debate on what environmental justice is, most would say the first significant documentation of it was when the Principles of Environmental Justice was written, signed, and sent to DC to be reviewed in the 1990’s. Various community leaders from churches to council members to school teachers came together at the National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit and made a point in showing that the citizens are not happy with how their environment has been handled and the ideals that legislation has come to fruition under. Ideals such as fairness when making policy, responsible use of renewable resources, balanced relations with native americans, use of military force on peoples, and mitigation for victims domestically and abroad are only a few controversial topics they
Sit-in- A sit-in, in reference to The American Civil Rights Movement, is an event in which African-Americans would go to whites only restaurants and would not leave until they were served. This was a way African-Americans would show their discontent with segregation in society. By doing this, they were saying they wanted to be able to eat in the same restaurants as Caucasians. Sit-ins were not just about eating in the same restaurants, African-Americans wanted to be permitted to use all the same businesses as Caucasians. Often times, African-Americans who were conducting a sit-in were harassed. Sit-ins were another way African-Americans would express discontent with segregation. Sit-ins were a way African-Americans would make the point they wanted immigration, just like “the Nine” did by going to Central High School. Melba and the rest of “the Nine” were, in a way, performing a sit-in by going to Central. They went to Central and did not want to leave until they were taught and had graduated (most of “the Nine” did have to leave for their own safety, even though they did not necessarily want to). This can be compared to African-Americans entering a restaurant and not leaving until they received service. In both cases, integrationists went into a public facility and didn’t leave until serviced (food or education) or forced to leave.
The treatment if the African-Americans have, in my opinion, almost always been worse than e.g. the treatment of European people. Back in the 17th century, the white people travelled to Africa and took the Africans as slaves back to their country. In their country, they continued to treat them as slaves with, no respect, to do the hard work, i.e. picking cotton, harvesting tobacco, building railroads etc. You were basically judged based on your skin color, not by your character. Even though the slavery was set a long time ago, the segregation and discrimination has yet not completly ended.