Closing the Gap on Systemic Environmental Injustices

From the 1960s through the 1980s, individuals—primarily Black, Indigenous, and people of color—sought to address the inequity of environmental protection in their communities, leading to the environmental justice movement we know today. When you hear the words “environmental justice,” though, what comes to mind? Work in minority areas? Decreasing the number of polluting facilities in low-income communities? Providing better access to parks? The meaning varies.