Abstract
The pursuit of social justice in the American South has a rich history and a vibrant present. A recent emphasis in social justice struggle in the region has been on environmental justice, a concept which is used to argue that people have a right to nonhazardous environments in which to live, work and play. Significantly, the concept of environmental justice (EJ) originated in the social relations of the southeastern United States. Emerging from a convergence of environmental and civil rights activists in the ∞Ω∫≠s, the EJ movement claims that people have a civil right to an environment that is not harmful to health and well-being. The civil rights-based critique of environmental conditions focused at the outset on a tendency in the American South for hazardous waste facilities to be located in communities of color and of low income. This problem identification was bolstered by a government study that found that three of nation’s four largest hazardous waste landfills were located in the Southeast, in predominantly African American census tracts (GAO ∞Ω∫≥).
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call