Thesis Abstract

Abstract
The study focused on investigating the impact of dumping in Dixie on race, class, and environmental quality. This research aimed to explore how the practice of dumping waste disproportionately affects marginalized communities in the Dixie region, particularly in terms of race and socioeconomic status. Through a combination of quantitative analysis and qualitative research methods, the study examined the correlation between environmental quality and the demographic characteristics of communities in Dixie that are most affected by dumping. The findings revealed that communities with a higher percentage of minority residents and lower socioeconomic status were more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards resulting from dumping activities. Furthermore, the study highlighted the interconnectedness of race, class, and environmental injustice in the Dixie region. It underscored how historical patterns of discrimination and systemic inequalities have led to the disproportionate burden of environmental degradation on certain communities. The research also shed light on the role of regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms in perpetuating environmental injustices, as well as the challenges faced by marginalized groups in advocating for their rights to a clean and healthy environment. The implications of the study are significant for policymakers, activists, and community members seeking to address environmental injustices in the Dixie region. By highlighting the intersectionality of race, class, and environmental quality, the research provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics that underlie environmental disparities. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and policy changes to address the root causes of environmental injustice in Dixie and promote environmental equity for all residents. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of research on environmental justice and the intersection of race, class, and environmental quality. By examining the impact of dumping on marginalized communities in the Dixie region, the research offers important insights into the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in accessing a safe and healthy environment. The findings underscore the urgent need for transformative policies and community-based initiatives to address environmental injustices and promote environmental sustainability in the Dixie region.

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION

To be poor, working-class, or a person of color in the United States often means bearing a disproportionate share of the country’s environmental problems. Starting with the premise that all Americans have a basic right to live in a healthy environment, Dumping in Dixie chronicles the efforts of five African American communities, empowered by the civil rights movement, to link environmentalism with issues of social justice. In the third edition, Bullard speaks to us from the front lines of the environmental justice movement about new developments in environmental racism, different organizing strategies, and success stories in the struggle for environmental equity.Environmental Quality

Dumping in Dixie, Robert Bullard contends the issue of environment racism. His exhaustive research is neatly packed into sections which continue to awe the reader; each section being filled with facts that prove that minorities are in fact living in less environmentally safe areas. These areas are the locations that large corporations choose to have their power plants and toxic waste dumps. Bullard proves that these areas are consciously chosen by corporations and the government so that they may avoid and escape pollution laws.Environmental Quality

Bullard, as an environmental sociologist, hit the target with this classic book. The book is a statement or a demand for the rights of people of color and poor communities to be protected. It stresses the widening health, economic, and environmental disparities which are all present moving into the 21st century. He uses as examples a few small, poor-income towns which are the location of hazardous waste. Through these few towns he explores the country’s corporate hold over laws, namely pollution laws. Bullard’s main stress point is that the environmental movement did not begin or grow in low-income communities thus allowing for “environmental injustice” and somehow permitting the exploitation of those who are less fortunate; those who are unable to make a voice for themselves and moreover, those who lack the education of such an issue.