There are a lot of “hot button” topics this election season, and one important issue to not overlook is environmental justice. Marginalized communities, which are often low-income communities and communities of color, are the most impacted by this issue. The Black community is unequally burdened with environmental hazards, which is where intersectional environmentalism comes in.
Activist Leah Thomas is the face of Black girl environmentalism. The 2022 TIME100 Next honoree, author, and non-profit co-founder is leading a movement that highlights social injustice, the environment and marginalized communities. Intersectional environmentalism is a term that she coined to describe the link between environmentalism, racism and privilege. As a self-declared “eco-communicator,” her work centers all people of color, as she seeks to rectify both social and environmental injustice.
Thomas spoke with 21Ninety about intersectional environmentalism and how it impacts the Black community.
Just Water Infrastructure
One aspect of intersectional environmentalism is ensuring that communities of color have safe drinking water. If you have heard about the Flint water crisis, then you understand the importance of just water infrastructures.
Thomas shared that Black and Latino homes are two times more likely to lack complete plumbing, while Native American Americans are 19 times more likely. More than 9 million homes get their water from lead pipes. Black and Indigenous communities are the most likely to live with chronic contamination and incomplete plumbing. Just water infrastructure is all about amplifying the needs of communities facing critical water challenges.
Food Apartheid
Another aspect of intersectional environmentalism is bridging the gap to healthy, organic foods for people of color. Thomas is not a fan of the term “food desert.” She said that it doesn’t completely represent the systemic barriers that limit marginalized communities from accessing food. Instead, she uses the term “food apartheid.” To her, food apartheid is a system of segregation that divides people with access to an abundance of nutritious foods from those who have been denied access.
Thomas explained that communities are not deserts. Instead, they are thriving communities impacted by unjust systems that limit the amount of fresh, organic produce. These also are areas where healthier foods are only available at higher costs. In 2017, nearly 19 million people had limited access to a supermarket or grocery store.
Tree Inequity
A lack of trees in communities of color is another aspect of intersectional environmentalism. One Nature Conservancy study of more than 100 large U.S. cities found in 92 percent of the neighborhoods studied, low-income blocks have less tree coverage than high-income blocks. Less trees leads to higher temperatures and more air pollution. Trees naturally remove carbon and pollution from the air, lessen heat-related illnesses and provide shade.