The Environmental Justice Activist’s Handbook

The bedrock of the environmental justice movement confronts and ultimately seeks to dismantle a stark reality: America’s most toxic, contaminated environments are predominantly home to disadvantaged people of color. This glaring systemic flaw, termed environmental racism, is one that environmental justice activists from marginalized communities of color have fought against for decades. We have undertaken a project to examine a variety of case studies from across the country to identify five primary resources activists can use to advance their fight for justice. In our research, we have identified several underutilized topic areas that we believe are essential for furthering the cause of the Resilient Activist. Although not exhaustive, these areas encompass coalition building, leveraging representative offices, engaging with public hearing periods, accessing legal aid, and harnessing media coverage and attention.

Elayna Whiteman (Project Lead), Seerat Bath, Chen-Wei Hu, Vaani Kapoor, Nadia Sultana, and Khwaish Vohra