Communities of color face notable discrimination in environmental practices, reported panelists at the recent American Bar Association webinar, “Environmental Justice: Where are we Now and Where are we Headed,” setting the stage for the ABA’s inaugural Environmental Justice Symposium Nov. 14-15 at Howard University.
November 11, 2024 Section of Environment, Energy and Resources
First Environmental Justice Symposium tackles racism, discrimination
Abre’ Conner, NAACP environmental and climate justice director, elaborated further that these communities grapple with problems related to a high burden of proof regarding environmental hazards; the unaccountability of polluters; a lack of transparency around state government funds to fix problems; and difficulty in involving communities in resolving issues in a meaningful way.
“People don’t necessarily see environmental issues as civil rights issues and they may not recognize that there is this intersection that needed to be amplified by the communities that are already overburdened,” Conner explained.
Amy Laura Cahn, an environmental and climate justice movement lawyer, agreed that connecting civil rights and environmental justice is critical to resolving discrimination.
“Title VI is potentially one of the most salient tools to address environmental racism and holding accountable all federal funding recipients to prohibitions against intentional and disparate impact discrimination,” Cahn said.
Conner said that an important goal is to help people view environmental justice, environmental issues and civil rights as “intersectional” matters rather than “siloed” ones.
Cahn noted “escalating backlash” to making such connections but emphasized the importance of pursing more impactful legal interventions on environmental justice. “As the Civil Rights Act of 1964 celebrates its 60th anniversary, Title VI has really remained an unfulfilled promise for fenceline and frontline communities,” she said.