In the United States of America, environmental racism is a topic that is usually overlooked and disregarded. However, its implications and the ramifications that can occur from it may be detrimental. In general, environmental racism can be defined as "environmental decisions, actions, and policies that result in racial discrimination or the creation of racial advantages." So why is this important and why should people of privilege care? Well, we should all care because this means that minorities and people of color are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards, have inadequate garbage or transportation systems, lack access to healthy and nutritious food, and live in proximity to noxious factories amongst many other things. An example of environmental racism is the large and growing number of nuclear waste dumps placed on native American reservations. Thus, environmental racism has created an unfair paradox wherein minorities are exposed to more pollution than others, and those creating the most pollution live in the least polluted places.  In my own hometown of  Oakland, California, historic "white flight" has made Oakland a victim of environmental racism. People of color occupy the majority of East and West Oakland, while white people are the majority in areas such as Piedmont and Montclair. The disparities between the two areas can be evidenced by the striking racial separation, but also the lack of grocery stores and overcrowded housing in East and West Oakland. To solve this issue of environmental racism, people need to gain a greater understanding of the systematic oppression that people of color face (gentrification, redlining, food deserts, etc.) and become proponents for environmental justice.

Here is a link to my source: http://www.pollutionissues.com/Ec-Fi/En … acism.html

Victoria, this is an important and unfortunately often overlooked topic, thank you for bringing it up.  Environmental racism is a cruel reality that has been allowed to manifest in numerous communities, such as in Oakland like you mentioned.  People who are less privileged, usually minorities, are subject to poor environmental conditions and lack of adequate nutrition.  Places known as food deserts where people are unable to purchase fresh and healthy foods contribute to the environmental crisis on a civil note.  Out of the 23.5 people in food deserts, 50% are low income.  Often times, these poor minority communities suffer from malnutrition because of the products of mass industrial agriculture and manufacturing.  For instance, in the San Joaquin Valley, people consume groundwater water containing nitrate, most of which are people who live in Latin American communities.  This case not only shows the atrocities of environmental racism but how environmental pollution itself plays a hand in the low quality nutrition these communities receive.  It is not only important to a ddress problems on a purely environmental note, but from a civil rights view as well, such as with environmental racism.
http://www.foodispower.org/environmental-racism/
https://apps.ams.usda.gov/fooddeserts/fooddeserts.aspx links to sources