Imagine waking up every day to poisoned water, toxic air, and dying land; not because of natural disaster but because of where you live and the color of your skin.
This isn’t dystopian fiction, it’s the reality for millions of Latin, Black, and Indigenous people across the United States and Latin America. Environmental injustice, often branded under the broader term “environmental racism,” refers to the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on marginalized communities and it’s one of the most underreported human rights crises of our time.
What Is Environmental Racism?
Environmental racism happens when communities of color bear the brunt of pollution, waste facilities, contaminated water sources, and other environmental hazards, often with little to no political or economic power to resist. It’s systemic. It’s global. And it’s deeply rooted in colonization, redlining, industrial zoning, and the intentional neglect of marginalized neighborhoods.
Poison in the Pipes: The Water Crisis in Latin Communities
In Puerto Rico, over 2 million people, more than half the island, are served by water systems that violate the Safe Drinking Water Act. Many rural residents drink water that contains harmful levels of bacteria, disinfectant byproducts, and even industrial waste runoff. Despite being U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans are often treated as second class when it comes to federal aid or infrastructure funding.
In California’s Central Valley, Latin farmworker communities like Kettleman City and Arvin have long fought against toxic waste dumps and pesticide exposure. These communities face higher cancer rates, birth defects, and asthma but because they’re low income and majority Spanish speaking, their demands for regulation mostly go unheard.
Black Communities Left to Breathe Dirty Air
From Cancer Alley in Louisiana to the South Bronx in New York, predominantly Black communities face some of the highest pollution levels in the country.
“Cancer Alley”, an 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River, is home to more than 150 petrochemical plants. Residents, who are mostly Black and low income stricken, are 50 times more likely to develop cancer than the average American, according to EPA data. Despite public outcry, they continue to be build new plants there.
In cities like Chicago and Detroit, decades of redlining have forced Black families into neighborhoods surrounded by highways, power plants, and industrial zones. The results? Sky-high asthma rates, low life expectancy, and rising health disparities that can no longer be ignored.
Indigenous Land Is Under Attack
For Indigenous communities, the land isn’t just where they live, it’s part of their identity. Yet Indigenous lands are often the first targets for oil pipelines, uranium mining, and deforestation.
Take the Dakota Access Pipeline, which threatens the water supply of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Despite national protests, Indigenous voices were drowned out in favor of corporate interests
It’s not only happening in the States, in the Amazon, Indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia are defending their ancestral land from illegal mining, oil drilling, and deforestation; which costs them their their lives often. According to Global Witness, Indigenous land defenders are killed every year, just for protecting ecosystems we all depend on.
A Pattern of Neglect
Whether in urban cities, rural farm towns, or sovereign nations, one pattern remains clear: when the people affected are Black, Brown, or Indigenous, the response is slower, smaller, or non existent.
Environmental racism isn’t just about pollution, it’s about policy. It’s about who gets protected and who gets sacrificed.
Communities of color are:
- More likely to live near landfills, highways and factories
- Less likely to receive timely government response in environmental disasters
- Entirely left out of environmental policy conversations
Even in 2025, this cycle continues and people’s lives are at risk.
Why Mainstream Media Rarely Covers It
One reason environmental injustice doesn’t trend? It lacks the viral drama of celebrity gossip or election fights. Many of these stories take place in “forgotten” places like border towns, tribal reservations or underfunded rural zones.
And when coverage does surface, it’s often sanitized, statistical, and stripped of human emotion. That’s why platforms like SipWitChyna, community-based journalism, digital media, and creators with purpose are so crucial.
Real Solutions Come From the Ground Up
Despite the odds, local organizers are fighting back:
- Movimiento Cosecha – supports Latinx farmworkers in California’s polluted valleys.
- We Act for Environmental Justice – empowers Black communities in Harlem to fight for clean air.
- Indigenous Environmental Network – defends sacred land and water from corporate exploitation.
These organizations, many led by women, elders and the youth, are doing the work mainstream outlets and institutions ignore. But they need visibility, support, and amplification.
Environmental Justice Is Racial Justice
We can’t talk about climate change, sustainability, or health equity without talking about race and power because it ties together.
If your community is safe from smog, floodwaters, or poisoned water, it’s not because of sheer luck. It’s systemic privilege and if we want a future that’s truly JUST, we have to speak up for those who’ve been silenced.
📢 Call to Action
If you’ve made it this far, you’re already part of the change but don’t stop here as there are more steps to take:
✅ Share this post with your community by sending them the link
✅ Support the organizations listed above that are fighting environmental injustice
✅ Use your platform to amplify underreported stories
Your voice matters. Let’s stop ignoring environmental racism and start dismantling it.