Environmental Justice

         
  The social determinants of health are influential aspects of an individual’s make-up that influence his or her health outcomes. These factors include race, housing, income, education, and gender. The environment where an individual lives matters for their health. If they live on a farm, they might be exposed to pesticides or if they live next to a factory, they will likely be exposed to toxic pollutants.
Nick Chiles (2015) described that African Americans have a history of being at greater risk of exposure to pollutant chemicals due to where they lived. He presented eight different examples of where black people were living in close proximity toxic chemicals. In my backyard of Richmond, CA, Chevron has been dumping air pollution over the mostly African American neighborhoods for the past 100 years.
In healthcare, we have been searching for reasons why African Americans have higher rates of most chronic diseases and some cancers. Toxic chemicals are likely a contributing factor to these disparities. These injustices are important to communicate to the public, so that the advocacy and politically active groups including Black Lives Matter can fight against abusive industries.

We cannot count on the Trump era or the of EPA’s Scott Pruitt to keep our citizens safe from toxic chemicals. Get involved. Speak up. Call your local congressmen to advocate on behalf of greater regulation of industry’s production of toxic chemicals and on behalf of the protection of vulnerable populations.

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