Environmental Racism

Environmental racism refers to the process and outcome of racial discrimination in the enactment and enforcement of environmental laws, rules, and regulations and in targeting minority communities for the siting of polluting industries. It also refers to the exclusion or restriction of people of color from representation in public and private boards and commissions and from meaningful participation in environmental movement organizations. The broader term, environmental justice, refers to environmental inequities in relation to a larger set of social categories, such as social class and gender. Environmental justice also refers to the movement to address environmental injustice and environmental racism. The term environmental racism was coined by Reverend Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr. of the United Church of Christ (UCC) Commission for Racial Justice. Grassroots environmental ...