Social determinants include multiple factors that affect our health throughout our lifetime. These can include factors such as race, skin color, socioeconomic status, education, job, built environment, and much more. Throughout history, we have seen how many of these factors, particularly race and skin color, are health indicators within communities of color . Even in present day, we witness issues such as the Flint water crisis affecting predominantly black communities in Michigan.
Even in our own backyard, San Francisco hosts a 1989 EPA-classified Superfund site in the Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP) Naval Shipyard, which houses 100 Brownfield sites, multiple leaking underground fuel tanks, and over 100 hazardous waste handlers in addition to the toxic remains of the abandoned shipyard that was left behind without proper clean-up. About 90% of the BVHP community are people of color with almost 50% being black. Health problems are common, such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, and emphysema as well as breast and cervical cancer. I'm confident in saying that I'm no genius when I say there is a clear trend in history and connection between environmental injustice and communities of color, particularly within black communities.
In-depth article about BVHP Superfund site:
http://greenaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/TheStateoftheEnvironment090204Final.pdf
If in 1991, the Principles of Environmental Justice called for, "universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food", why are people of color still fighting for their rights to a healthy life in neighborhoods such as BVHP? I believe we have finally arrived at a moment in history where awareness encourages advocacy, something we witness via the Black Lives Matter movement, placing these issues at the forefront to demand change. There is very little accountability being taken by the very government that is supposed to protect us, so Black Lives Matter has taken it upon themselves to organize and advocate for this change.
Hi Nalleli,
ReplyDeleteThank you for shedding light on the BVHP Superfund Site, I had no idea about it and to think that's right in our backyard. The images you've shared along with your post are so powerful. I agree with your statements, " I believe we have finally arrived at a moment in history where awareness encourages advocacy, something we witness via the Black Lives Matter movement, placing these issues at the forefront to demand change. There is very little accountability being taken by the very government that is supposed to protect us, so Black Lives Matter has taken it upon themselves to organize and advocate for this change".
Advocacy is a profound tool for change and BLM is advocating for the reduction and elimination of injustices against the black communities. Justice is blind in hopes of being impartial and objective, perhaps it is time that the blindfold be taken off so justice can be fair for all.
I highly agree with you Nalleli when you say that, "social determinants include multiple factors that affect our health throughout our lifetime." I think a huge determinant is socioeconomic background that affects our health throughout our lifetime. For example, if we do not have the funds to eat healthy, we can resort to a cheap diet that does not allow for the nutrition we need. Thanks for sharing Nalleli!
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