A seed planted in the soil that stretches far like a branch
Working as one, a collective, like the soldiers of an ant
In fruition does the side grow that is exposed to the sun
And it’s the other side of the tree, full of shade, feeling
that its growth is done
The dichotomy of disparity isn’t the same
Nature is supposed to be pure
Full of camaraderie and growth
Instead one side changes fast
while the other changes slow
Nature is supposed to be the cure
Not divisive, nor discriminatory
Instead one side is damaged
while the other seeks eternal glory
One drop of the elixir of life would prove best for both
But equality doesn’t live when one side wants to
experience a bigger growth
What I’m talking about isn’t false
Not a tale, story, or fiction
What I’m referring to is environmental racism
And the result on the minority neighborhood condition
Bullard[1]was clear in listing the results,
The fundamental difference of the three
Procedural, geographic, and social
The compromised types of unjust equity
Fairness in policy is nonexistent and homes are too
close to environmental hazards
The social sphere is filled with constructs, such as
politics, race, and all the things that don’t matter
Bullard hoped that this injustice would be answered
With just five simple steps
The first is environmental protection
And the last is to reduce inequities that we must accept
The purpose of this piece was to show the consequences
that Black and Brown families must face
Racial tension, health problems, socioeconomic
disparities, and all
Are things that didn’t grow naturally but were put in place
Environmental racism, injustice, and human rights,
Things that affect a certain group of people
Lead to the greater problem of climate change and
injustice and deliver a dosage that is lethal
If we continue to disregard the environmental
discrimination placed on others
Then we can’t as community fully understand how the
fight for climate change can be recovered
Bullard wasn’t the only one who tried to understand
There were multiple brave others
Specifically Carrington and Penniman
Carrington[2] focused mostly on climate change
Through the phrase of climate apartheid
He formed a connection between climate change, poverty, race
And the many other consequences that arise
Carrington knew that the impacts of climate crises
exacerbated divisions
And our current trajectory isn’t the answer
The lack of adequate policy reform for every individual
Will begin to eat away at our community like a cancer
Penniman[3] had an interesting start
Being amongst the few black farmers around
But she soon reminded
That our ancestors connected with agriculture in the past,
and this was our stomping grounds
She aligned her passion with her interest
Although the majority of her colleagues were white
Her answer was land ethic with a social justice mission
And the implementation of better policy was her fight
She mentions how racism seeped into the food system of
the United States
And as a result became known as food apartheid
The inability to get food that can reduce diet-illness,
another human right denied
Bullard, Carrington, and Penniman
All describe one important connection
Wealth and access
An interesting concept that can no longer be used as a
weapon
Although Black and Brown families will be the first to
feel the harmful effects of environmental injustice it
won’t stop there
The connection to climate change and climate justice is
too grand, and it will lead to world-wide scare
We must listen to the facts
And find solutions to these
problems
Policy and awareness must be our
goal
To ensure our tree of life
blossoms
Instead of taking space
And garnering all resources to
oneself
Be selfless and sympathetic
To the people who deserve the
right to good health
