Though air is invisible, we all depend on it for life. This Earth Day, join black history educator Brittany Wilkins as she illuminates the environmental challenges facing a community in Mobile, Alabama. Africatown, founded by free slaves who arrived in the United States on the last slave ship, holds a crucial place in black history. Preserving both its history and its people is essential. Discover how environmental racism affects communities of color and learn how you can advocate for policies to safeguard them from environmental hazards.
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Introduction:
Welcome to season 2 of The Coin: Black History on the Other Side hosted by your truly Brittany Wilkins author and black history educator. Happy Earth Day!
As we celebrate Earth Day, it’s crucial to shed light on the intricate relationship between environmental justice and racial equality. In the heart of Mobile, Alabama, lies Africatown—a community deeply intertwined with both environmental degradation and historical racism. Despite being founded by freed slaves over a century ago, Africatown continues to grapple with the devastating impacts of environmental racism. Today, we delve into the complexities of this issue and emphasize the urgent need for collective action.
Historical Context:
Africatown traces its roots back to the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States in 1860. Did you know human trafficking of slaves was banned in 1808? This did not stop a wealthy slave owner named Timothy Maeher who tried his luck by wagering a bet he could take captive slaves from Africa bringing to Alabama. The voyage was successful. To conceal the crime, the slave ship was burned with the remains sinking deep beneath the mobile bay. After the Civil War, the survivors of the Clotilda's voyage established Africatown as a haven for African American culture and heritage. However, this rich history has been overshadowed by decades of environmental injustice.
Environmental Racism:
Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards, pollution, and toxic waste that marginalized communities, often communities of color, face compared to more privileged communities. It's a form of systemic injustice where environmental policies and practices perpetuate discrimination and inequality, resulting in adverse health and environmental effects for vulnerable populations. In Africatown, this manifests in several forms, including industrial pollution, lack of access to clean water and adequate sanitation, and the siting of hazardous waste facilities in close proximity to residential areas. These injustices perpetuate a cycle of poverty, illness, and disempowerment among Africatown residents.
Impact on Health:
The environmental hazards present in Africatown have dire consequences for residents' health. High rates of respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other chronic conditions plague the community, with children and the elderly being particularly vulnerable. Limited access to healthcare exacerbates these issues, further deepening the health disparities faced by Africatown residents.
Community Resilience:
Despite facing systemic challenges, Africatown residents have demonstrated remarkable resilience and activism in the face of environmental injustice. Grassroots organizations, community leaders, and allies have mobilized to advocate for their rights, demand accountability from polluting industries, and push for policy changes to protect their health and well-being.
Call to Action:
On this Earth Day, we must heed the call to action emanating from Africatown and communities like it across the globe. It is imperative that we dismantle the structures of environmental racism, hold polluters accountable, and ensure that all communities have access to clean air, water, and land. Environmental justice is inseparable from racial justice, and only by addressing both can we create a sustainable and equitable future for all.
Conclusion:
As we reflect on the significance of Earth Day, let us remember Africatown and the countless communities impacted by environmental racism. Let us commit to standing in solidarity with those on the frontlines of this fight and to working towards a world where every individual, regardless of race or background, can thrive in a healthy and sustainable environment. The time for action is now.