Mental Health and It's Linkage To Environmental Racism

I recently read the most eye opening book from Harriet A Washington called A Terrible Thing To Waste on the impacts exposure to environmental toxins has on mental health - specifically of BIPOC.

Harriet A. Washington, the writer of phenomenal book A Terrible Thing to Waste, is an avid advocate for the mental health and well being of people of color - all of which is threatened by the environmental racism we see today. 

Exposure to Toxins

This book really dives deep into environmental toxins found in our air, water, food, etc. and its harm to millions of marginalized communities around the world.

Air: The air contamination alone has its extreme impacts on BIPOC. It’s been linked to millions of premature deaths, higher asthma rates for African americans (estimated to be 100x greater), and increased risk of mental illness (anxiety, depression) as well as lowered intelligence. 

Lead: Lead exposure has one of the fastest and most vigorous impacts on one's health. A lead paint chip the size a finger nail can send a toddler into a coma and one tenth of that would lower its IQ. With that could come many things like anxiety, depression in the future as well as a more difficult time learning.

Why is all of this happening?

It all comes back to location. Did you know that middle class African american households with incomes between $50,000 and $60,000 live in neighborhoods that are more polluted than those of very poor white households with incomes below $10,000? That has it’s impact and it clearly shows that race has a greater impact in the determining of hazardous sites than poverty. "Hazardous zip codes" have become a way for officials to bring racism back into the lives of many and to deprive certain communities of many opportunities.

And some may argue why residents don't simply move somewhere less polluted and where their safety is more secure... but many can't. Why? Because of such deadly, intoxicated location it is almost impossible to get #1 enough money to move into a nicer area and #2 someone to even want to live there. These restrictions hold back BIPOC from moving to better area for them and their families.

We also have to consider the fact that these communities have less access to the economic, social and political resources that would allow them to be involved in where industry gets placed, putting a lot of the burden on an already overburdened group of people.

I completely and fully recommend reading the book A Terrible Thing To Waste and the documentary There's Something In The Water. The first step is always learning and educating yourself. Because once you know better, you have the power to do better.