Project Abstract

Abstract
Dumping in Dixie refers to the environmental injustice faced by minority and low-income communities in the southern United States, particularly in the region historically known as the "Deep South" or "Dixie." This research project aims to explore the effects of dumping in Dixie on the health, environment, and social well-being of the affected communities. The practice of siting landfills, hazardous waste facilities, and other polluting industries in or near minority and low-income neighborhoods in Dixie has been a long-standing issue, perpetuating social and environmental inequities. This research seeks to investigate the extent of environmental racism and injustice in Dixie, examining the disproportionate exposure of these communities to pollution and its adverse impacts. Through a combination of quantitative analysis and qualitative research methods, this study will assess the health outcomes associated with exposure to environmental hazards in Dixie. By analyzing existing data on air and water quality, as well as health indicators such as rates of respiratory diseases and cancer, the research aims to highlight the disparities in environmental health risks faced by communities in Dixie. Furthermore, this project will investigate the social and economic implications of dumping in Dixie, exploring how environmental degradation and pollution affect property values, employment opportunities, and overall quality of life in these communities. By conducting interviews and surveys with residents, community leaders, and environmental justice advocates in Dixie, the research will elucidate the lived experiences of those impacted by environmental injustice. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the existing literature on environmental justice and environmental health disparities, particularly in the context of the southern United States. By shedding light on the environmental burdens shouldered by minority and low-income communities in Dixie, this research seeks to raise awareness about the need for policy changes and community action to address environmental inequities. In conclusion, the effect of dumping in Dixie is a multifaceted issue that requires attention from policymakers, environmental regulators, community organizations, and the general public. This research project endeavors to amplify the voices of those affected by environmental injustice in Dixie and advocate for a more equitable and sustainable future for all communities in the region.

Project 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.