A Brief Note On Environmental Racism Of Los Angeles

Mihaela D. Vincze 07/15/15 Davidson Geog 350 Environmental Racism in Los Angeles Racism consists of philosophies and ideologies that aim to cause the unequal distribution of privileges, goods or rights amongst different racial groups. Our society’s forebearers planted the seeds of discrimination into our consciousness, as racism stems back into the middle ages. Many of our citizens are classified as second class, being disadvantaged in areas that other citizens are not. There is not a sense of urgency when discussing the continuing issue of racism, as many people believe it has been eradicated. However, racism can exist in many forms- some being less obvious than others. In particular, Los Angeles has had a long history of racial†¦show more content†¦Warren County became a token of a new philosophy called environmental racism as people of low socioeconomic status and people of color were victims to ecological risks (Mohai 2009). This superiority complex is a continuing issue and is ingrained in the way people treat each other today. Racism stems back into the middle ages. During the Renaissance period, Europeans were coming into contact with people of darker pigmentation in Asia, the Americas and Africa. These Europeans were making judgments about these darker people since they weren’t used to such appearances. Ultimately, they justified their rationale for enslaving Africans due to their disbelief of god. They were thought of as heathens, and this offended them. Slave owners and slave traders sometimes interpreted a passage in the book of Genesis as their justification. Even during the Enlightenment period that paved the way for great scientific innovations had many defenders of racism. They believed that races constituted different species- some being superior to others, (Fredrickson 2003) The Environmental Protection Agency defined environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. People shouldn’t be grouped in communities based off