By Ed Potosnak and Marcus Sibley
In addition to honoring the abolition of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth also recognizes the ongoing struggle for racial justice.
It is a time to celebrate Black Americans’ tenacity and acknowledge the amount of work that has to be done as a group.
Unfortunately, many people still lack access to freedom and equity, particularly those communities that have historically and purposefully been situated close to environmental devastation.
Black communities in New Jersey, the final Northern state to outlaw slavery, are still burdened by environmental racism. The harm being caused is a breach of fundamental human rights, ranging from poisonous air and water to restricted access to green areas.
Think about these three cities.
Asthma-related ER visits are four times more common among inhabitants of Trenton, the state capital, which has an 87% Black and brown population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.This startling figure emphasizes the link between air pollution and other types of pollution and health issues.
In a similar vein, 1 in 4 youngsters in Newark, where the bulk of the population is Black, may receive an asthma diagnosis. For decades, the city’s citizens have battled against the pollution caused by industry, automobiles, and airports, which has harmed families and taken lives.
Because of the air pollution in Paterson, 21% of third graders have been diagnosed with asthma or a similar respiratory condition. And because of the urban heat island effect, communities like Camden and Atlantic City typically experience 8 degrees greater temperatures than nearby cities when there is a decrease in heat-reducing vegetation and an increase in heat-absorbing architecture.
These are not isolated incidents; rather, they are signs of a system of environmental injustice that has been in place for many generations and continues to this day.
How did we arrive here?
Black and other communities of color have historically been situated around or close to factories, highways, waste incinerators, and other sources of toxic contamination, and these placements were not made by mistake.
They resulted from political neglect of marginalized neighborhoods, discriminatory zoning, and redlining.
Even though environmental challenges disproportionately affect communities of color, they are frequently left out of the procedures that shape the environmental policies that have the biggest effects on their daily lives. Instead, politicians and organizations that may be completely uncaring or even antagonistic toward them frequently decide their futures.
Leadership is necessary for environmental justice.
We cannot only say we support environmental justice if we don’t act on it. The voices of people on the front lines must be given priority. We are thus fully in favor of a clean energy bill that will set us up for a 100% renewable energy transition by 2035.
Protecting the environment isn’t the only reason to pass the 100% renewable energy bill and other necessary environmental laws. The goal is to right injustice.
By enshrining a vision of clean, healthy, and equitable communities in law, Governor Phil Murphy and our Legislature have an opportunity to take the lead on civil rights concerns as well as climate change.
The foundation for this continuous fight has been established by environmental activists such as Dr. Robert Bullard, who is widely regarded as the father of environmental justice.
By redefining environmentalism as a civil rights issue and arguing that all communities, regardless of race or poverty, had equal protection under environmental laws, Bullard’s work helped spark a national movement.
Let’s do more than just think this Juneteenth. We must take action. When and wherever you can, raise your voice against environmental injustice. Support Black communities that have endured too much silence and lack of protection. Until every family in New Jersey has the right to live in dignity, breathe clean air, and drink safe water, we won’t stop.
