Why do so many people of color live in neighborhoods with polluted air and contaminated water? Experts explain...
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00:00When folks say that I can't breathe, we can't breathe, it is literally happening all the time,
00:0724 hours a day, seven days a week, in black and brown communities across our country.
00:11Environmental racism means that communities of color, lower wealth white communities,
00:15and indigenous peoples get all of the waste, all of the negative things that nobody else wants.
00:20Coal-fired power plants, incinerators, petrochemical facilities,
00:25lower wealth housing that has lead and other toxins in it.
01:30Coal-fired power plant right across the river. And my community was also built on top of an old mine.
01:35And unfortunately, in the community that I grew up in, you know, we had high rates of cancer.
01:40People in my family have had cancer multiple times. You know, my best friend's family had cancer.
01:46The other place that I grew up, which was completely different than Appalachia,
01:49was in Detroit. But they were dealing with similar situations, you know,
01:53dealing with pollution that comes from traffic, dealing with pollution that came from plants.
01:58Many of the same challenges, sometimes they're wrapped in slightly different packages,
02:03are impacting all of us.
02:15I would say that the environment does not discriminate within itself, but that not all
02:22communities are created equal. Communities of color are not suffering because of chance.
02:27It's because of decisions that have been made.
02:41We have to stop the system from unintentionally or consequentially impacting the same communities.
02:49And if you are not doing that work to stop it, then you are part of the problem.
02:54We're thinking about green and healthy homes, right? We're thinking about transportation
03:00that's more inclusive of greater mobility options so that you're not stuck in your car.
03:04And really thinking about how we have clean water, but not just clean water, affordable water.
03:09That's why all of us have to be a part of the sets of solutions to make real change happen.
03:14I'm very hopeful and optimistic around environmental justice
03:18and us moving forward in a positive direction. Because I get a chance to work with so many
03:23incredible people all across this country. And I know their level of commitment,
03:27from six years old, all the way up to our elders. We've got an intergenerational movement that's
03:32going on. But of course, that energy and innovation is coming from young people.
03:36And young people say, I can't wait.