After the recent devastation of Hurricane Ian, it is clear that the environment can threaten to destroy communities. Certain decisions by governments and businesses can exacerbate the effects of natural disasters. Especially for those who are already marginalized.
environmental racism Former NAACP Chairman, Reverend Benjamin E. Chavis, said, “People in developing environmental policy, enforcing regulations and laws, and targeting communities of color for the disposal of hazardous waste and the siting of polluting industries. defined as ‘racism’. Discrimination and harm are often manifestations of the racism inherent in many American institutions.
Princeville A sad example of environmental racism here in North Carolina, just a short drive from North Carolina. It has immense historical importance. floodplain A place where history is washed away with each hurricane.
The Princeville area has always had flooding problems, but the founders had little choice to build elsewhere due to construction practices. red lineThey were now free citizens, but discriminatory mortgage practices were perfectly legal. Black and immigrant neighborhoods like Princeville were marked by the Federal Homeowners Loan Corporation with red and yellow lines signifying unwantedness.
It is still the poorest city In North Carolina, that environmental situation didn’t help. hurricane floyd 1999 had the most lasting and detrimental effect on Princeville. FEMA officials considered the flood damage to be the worst they had ever seen. Although the town is small, over 700 homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Rebuilding was difficult after Hurricane Floyd. population After the earthquake, there is a downward trend.2017 Hurricane Matthew before Princeville fully recovered from Floyd hurt the town even more.
A devastating hurricane was just what Princeville needed to finally grab national attention. did. Researchers at North Carolina Central University set out to collect Princeville stories. This research is not open to the public. We will never know the stories lost during years of being ignored because of racism.
Princeville has a unique history, but the impact of racism on the environment is well known in historically black towns everywhere in America. Research from Redfin In 2021, the red-lined areas were shown to be 25% more susceptible to flooding.
Environmental discrimination is also found elsewhere in North Carolina. pig and poultry farm Located very close to marginalized communities. Proximity to livestock creates constant noise, odors and poor air quality. Animal waste has a negative impact on the inhabitants. Physical and mental health, and for property values.Waste during a hurricane lagoon In violation, fecal particulate matter can flood the area.
of chapel hill, black residents were excluded from many city services and forced to drink from polluted wells, aggravated by filthy water from water treatment plants for white residents. With the sewers not working, residents dumped their waste in the same creek that the children were swimming in, and several died in these situations.
Even though environmental racism has damaged Princeville and other similarly historic black towns, residents still take great pride in their communities.Princeville now opens its own facility doing African American History Museum with the help of North Carolina State University of Designand its first host homecoming celebration this August.
People of Princeville also believe that environment and community go hand in hand. One step anyone can take to help Princeville is planting long-leaf pine trees. The plants are native to the area and Absorbable root Useful during hurricanes.
tree population Diminished Over the past few decades, hurricanes have become an even greater threat than before. North Carolina Conservation Trust was recently awarded a grant to support this project and work with the citizens of Princeville to create a green infrastructure.of US Department of Agriculture It also receives federal funding to protect the remaining longleaf pine forests of eastern North Carolina.
By providing sufficient funding and support to rebuild Princeville, we hope the next hurricane will not be so devastating.Citizens of Princeville and other communities affected by environmental racism deserve institutional support to create more resilient and healthy places for people to survive for generations.
