Breathing Free: Environmental Justice Climate Justice, and Advancing Black Reproductive Health
Black communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards like air and water pollution, toxic industrial waste, and harmful chemicals in everyday products – a pattern of environmental racism that threatens public health.. During the final installment of the 2024 speaker series, Black Women’s health equity advocate, Dr. Astrid Williams, and activist Mari Copeny, known as Little Miss Flint, discussed the critical link between environmental justice and Reproductive Justice, in addition to their collective impact on Black communities.
Environmental racism encompasses polluting industries, landfills, and contaminated water sources in Black neighborhoods, undermining reproductive freedom and community well-being. In Our Own Voice’s “Breathing Free” discussion explores how policy decisions and corporate neglect create toxic conditions that Black women, children, and families shoulder every day.
What Is Environmental Injustice?
Environmental injustice occurs when policies and practices expose Black, Brown, and low-income communities to higher levels of air and water pollution, hazardous waste, and climate-related risks. Rooted in red-lining and chronic under-investment, these hazards drive asthma, cancer, and pregnancy complications far above the national average.1
Why Environmental Justice Matters for Black Reproductive Health
Environmental hazards touch every stage of the reproductive journey for Black women and families, turning polluted air, water, and heatwaves into direct threats to healthy pregnancies and births.2 3 4
- Toxic Air: Fine-particulate pollution increases pre-term birth and low-birth-weight rates for Black mothers.
- Contaminated Water: Lead and PFAS impair fertility and healthy childhood development.
- Climate Pressure: Extreme heat and flooding disrupt prenatal care and clinic access.
Key Takeaways from the Breathing Free Panel
The conversation surfaced several clear, actionable lessons for advocates and community members alike:
- Environmental justice is inseparable from Reproductive Justice; both demand healthy places to live and bodily autonomy.
- Community data—such as door-to-door air-quality monitoring—strengthens legal cases against polluters.
- Youth leadership, exemplified by Little Miss Flint, keeps national attention on water crises long after headlines fade.5
Watch the Full Conversation
Download the Discussion Guide
Share these insights and mobilize your network to fight environmental discrimination.
Breathing Free Discussion Guide (PDF)
1 Natural Resources Defense Council: What Is Environmental Racism?: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-environmental-racism.
2 NIH: National Library of Medicine: Resveratrol acts via melanoma-associated antigen A12 (MAGEA12)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling to inhibit the proliferation of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8806796.
3 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Your Health: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html.
4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/pregnancy.htm.
5 VOX.com: https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/4/24/17272716/flint-water-crisis-mari-copeny.