24d • General discussion
Environmental Health: Protecting Our Communities and Our Future
Environmental health (EH) is about how our surroundings—homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, air, and water—affect our health. In Black communities, environmental health is especially critical because of historical and ongoing inequities:
1️⃣ Higher Exposure to Hazards
- Many Black neighborhoods are closer to industrial sites, highways, and landfills due to redlining, zoning, and disinvestment.
- This means higher exposure to air pollution, lead, PCBs, mold, and other toxins, which can cause asthma, developmental issues, cancer, and chronic disease.
2️⃣ Health Disparities Amplify Risk
- Black communities have higher rates of asthma, hypertension, and diabetes.
- Environmental hazards worsen these conditions, leading to more hospitalizations and preventable illnesses.
3️⃣ Generational Impact
- Exposure to toxins like lead or PCBs can affect children’s development and health for decades, creating long-term community impacts.
4️⃣ Representation Matters
- More than 8 in 10 environmental health professionals are White, and only 7% are Black.
- Communities are safer when the people making decisions and inspections look like and understand the community. Black EH leaders bring lived experience, trust, and culturally informed solutions.
5️⃣ Trust + Communication Saves Lives
- Public health advice only works when communities trust the messenger.
- Local Black-led EH organizations can educate, intervene, and implement solutions faster and more effectively.
6️⃣ Justice and Opportunity
- Environmental health is a civil rights issue.
- Protecting Black communities ensures equal access to clean air, water, and safe housing.
- EH careers also create local jobs, leadership opportunities, and pathways to community empowerment.
Call to Action / Discussion Prompt:
👉 What environmental hazards in your neighborhood concern you most, and how could local leadership address them?
👉 Could you or someone you know see a future in environmental health to help your community?
0
0 comments
Environmental Health: Protecting Our Communities and Our Future
powered by
skool.com/black-public-health-nerd-1015
culturally grounded education tools that communities can use!
Suggested communities
Powered by