A large part of our health is determined by our environment. For generations, the impact of pollution and environmental damage has largely fallen on marginalized communities. Systemically racist policies have resulted in people of color having an increased likelihood of exposure to unsafe drinking water, lead paint in homes, and industrial waste.

Racism has led to redlined, heat-absorbing, asphalt-heavy neighborhoods with little cooling vegetation, as in parts of Yonkers. According to The New York Times, “even small differences in heat can be dangerous. Higher temperatures can strain the heart and make breathing more difficult, increasing hospitalization rates for cardiac arrest and respiratory diseases like asthma. Black children suffer with asthma at rates five times as high as white children.

In its 2018 annual air quality report, The American Lung Association graded Westchester an “F” for ozone pollution. A disproportionate share of the health harm from air pollution falls on vulnerable populations including children and adults, 92,337 of whom suffered from asthma and 41,034 people with COPD.

Today we are looking at the environmental justice movement and the people of color pushing for change.