In "Dumping in Dixie," Robert Bullard's main focus is the hazardous living environment and how blacks face racial injustice because those hazardous wastes are dumped where they live. Bullard also point out that other factors, such as class, also affect where the wastes end up since it follows the path of least resistance. However, I feel that he trivializes those factors in comparison with race. Bullard points out that "poor whites along with their more affluent counterparts have more options and leverage mechanisms at their disposal than blacks of equal status" implying that while class is a factor, it is not as important compared to the racial factor. I do agree with him that race is a big issue, however I don't agree with him that class has little significance compared to race.
Class and race are intertwined when talking about environmental issues. It's because of their lower class that blacks end up in those horrid living conditions; they don't have the monetary means to move to a better location. I feel that while race is one of the biggest factors, class is also another big factor that shouldn't be dismissed easily. It's not like these hazardous wastes are also dumped into the middle class blacks backyard; these wastes are generally in the poor living conditions of the lower class.
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As I said in class, I don't think Bullard is dismissing class as an important factor in hazardous waste siting, but his point is that, all other factors being equal, more trash and toxins get produced and dumped in black communities than white ones.
ReplyDeleteIf you're curious, here's a link to the EPA's list of Superfund sites, by region.
Oops, that was the wrong link. Here's the correct one.
ReplyDeleteI think class is a significant aspects, but while poverty is an issue many politicians would take up to defend poorer communities against this dumping, blacks and hispanics wield significantly less political power, especially considering their low voter registration rates, which were even lower before the 2008 election. Therefore, while class does play a big issue, the mere fact that these minorities lack political protection probably has more to do with it, and therefore is less of a hassle for the companies.
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