Juneteenth is not only a day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, but also an acknowledgement of the fight for racial justice that persists to this day.
It is a time to honor the resilience of Black Americans, and to recognize all the collective work still left to be done.
Unfortunately, freedom and equity remain out of reach for many, especially for communities traditionally and intentionally placed near environmental harm.
In New Jersey, the last Northern state to abolish slavery, Black neighborhoods continue to suffer under the weight of environmental racism. From toxic air and polluted water, to lack of access to green spaces, the damage being done is a violation of basic human rights.
Consider these three cities
In the city of Trenton, the State capital, where the Black and brown population is 87% per the U.S. Census Bureau, residents visit the emergency room for asthma four times more often than the average New Jersey resident. It’s a staggering statistic that drives home the connection between air, and other forms of pollution, and health complications.
Similarly in Newark, where the majority of residents are Black,1 in 4 children will be diagnosed with asthma. Residents throughout the city have fought against the industrial, vehicular and airport related pollution that have sickened families and shortened lives for decades.
In Paterson, 21% of third graders have been diagnosed with asthma or a related respiratory health issue due to the pollutants in their air. And due to the urban heat island effect, when there’s a reduction of heat reducing vegetation and an increased production of heat absorbing infrastructure, cities like Camden and Atlantic City have temperatures 8 degrees hotter on average than surrounding cities.
These are not isolated cases, instead they are symptoms of a deeply entrenched system of environmental injustice that began generations ago and persists to this day.
How did we get here?
Historically, factories, highways, waste incinerators, and other sources of toxic pollution have been placed in or near Black and other communities of color, and these decisions were not accidental.
They were the product of redlining, discriminatory zoning, and political neglect of vulnerable communities.
Despite communities of color being the most affected by the environmental issues, they are often excluded from the processes shaping the environmental policies most directly impacting their lives. Instead, their fates are often decided by politicians and agencies who may be entirely indifferent or even hostile towards them.
Environmental justice requires leadership
If we claim to support environmental justice, then we must do more than just pay lip service. We must center the voices of those on the frontlines. That is why we’re in full support of a clean energy bill that will put us on track for a transition to 100% clean energy by 2035.
Passing the 100% clean energy bill and other needed environmental legislation isn’t just about protecting the planet. It’s about correcting injustice.
Gov. Phil Murphy and our Legislature have a chance to lead, not just on issues of our climate but on civil rights, by codifying a vision of clean, healthy, and equitable communities into law.
Environmental leaders like Dr. Robert Bullard, widely recognized as the father of environmental justice, have laid the groundwork for this ongoing struggle.
Bullard’s work helped launch a national movement that reframed environmentalism as a civil rights issue and argued that all communities, regardless of race or income, have equal protection under environmental laws.
This Juneteenth let’s do more than just reflect. We need to act. Speak up and speak out whenever and wherever you can about environmental injustice. Stand with Black communities who have been unprotected and unheard for too long. We will not rest until every family in New Jersey has the right to breathe clean air, drink safe water, and to live with dignity.
Calling your elected representative in the state Assembly or Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To find your state Assemblymember and Senator to voice your position, go to the New Jersey Legislature website’s Legislative Roster.