We all have heard one way or another, about Flint, Michigan, right? 

Since the beginning, people of color and minorities as a whole, have been facing challenges to their safety and overall quality of life. They are often handed the short end of the stick regarding jobs, housing, education, etc. Minority groups are the most impacted by climate change and other environmental issues.  An example of this would be in Flint, Michigan.

The State of Michigan transitioned to utilizing the Flint River as a cheaper alternative to supply water to its citizens. They did not take into account the issues that could come along with using river water. They should have done more research before introducing it to the general public. Lead, e.coli and other harmful toxins were found in the water, which made  citizens complain to the government about these issues, but not much was done about it. They put out an order for bottled water which temporarily solved the problem. 

Flint, Michigan is made up of an African-American population. According to Medical News Today, Helen Millar states, “Researchers have identified more environmental burdens causing racial inequality. These include disproportionally poor water quality, a lack of sanitation, and high exposure to carbon dioxide emissions in communities of color.” The fact that even now, minorities still have to fight for simple human decency is absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for. 

Climate change impacts the health of minorities, as well. According to Turning Green, Earth Day 2021: Year for Environmental Justice, Cooper states,”...communities of color have suffered from population in their backyards. 57% of people of color living in counties with some degree of failing air quality has led to higher rates of asthma.” Minorities are more likely to have certain diseases and this is the very reason why. Race plays a factor in many aspects of life. Being a minority makes your life just that much harder which is the unfortunate truth in society. In relation to this, Going Viral: Covid-19, environmental justice&instutitional racism claimed that” The generational effects of systemic racism are a root cause of the poorer health outcomes in communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) during the viral pandemic.” The preconceived notions against BIPOC(Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) have impacted the quality of healthcare that minorities receive. Healthcare during the pandemic was a priority, just not one that included minorities. In the article, People of Color Are On the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis, the author brings to light how” They’re more likely to have toxic facilities sited near them, less likely to receive adequate protection to prevent disasters, and less likely to get the kind of immediate response White communities get when emergencies occur, says Dr. Beverly Wright, a sociologist and CEO of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) at Dillard University.” We tend to be seen as an afterthought in any and every situation. We are citizens of America, but we are not given the rights that we have been fighting for, since the end of slavery. We have been crying out for so long to no end. This has to stop. Enough is enough. Our leaders need to stop pushing our needs to the side. The last time that I checked, America would not be where it is now without the help of minorities. We invented things, we were enslaved, and we brought over goods from our countries. America became successful in exploiting the work of minorities. Minorities were ripped from their homes and forced to toil over soil that was foreign to them. We have yet to see the fruit of our labor. Every time minorities get something good, it is always taken away from them by society. We can never seem to have anything good. It’s time that America gives us what we have been battling for this entire time. Life. Liberty. Happiness. Protection.