This course was originally taught as an undergraduate seminar at the University of Michigan in the spring of 1994. The bibliographic component of the syllabus has been drawn upon to inform several dozen lectures and seminars held since then across the country. Much to the chagrin of the undergraduate participants (according to what they told me) the course's reading load is not light and is substantively formidable. These factors coupled with the editing and updating make what follows a good candidate for an upper level undergraduate or lower level graduate seminar.

The course is designed to introduce students with some knowledge of environmental issues, either from past work experience or attendance in an introductory environmental studies course, to the problems of environmental racism and the struggle against it in the form of a multi'faceted movement for environmental justice.

The syllabus can be partitioned into thematic thirds. The first third sketches a basic framework of the state of ideas and notions about racism, poverty and the (natural) environment. "Official" government definitions of race, poverty, and the environment are examined simultaneously alongside popular and scholarly ones. The content of the readings confines the discussion to the US. The intent is to provide a contextual frame for critical thinking and reflection about interdependencies between the course's sub'themes: racism, poverty and the environment.

The second third examines distinct responses to racism and poverty in the form of movements for social and economic justice. Responses to concerns about the natural environment are examined by focusing on the activities of a traditional, white'dominated, environmental movement. The discussion of social and economic justice movements concludes by examining how and why currents within the two began to synthesize, if not practically, at least ideologically. Bullard's piece (in Week 5) sketches some of the boundaries of the synthesis of the movements and goes a step further to tie them to the environmental movement (primarily as che US. The intent is to provide a contextual frame for critical thinking and reflection about interdependencies between the course's sub'themes: racism, poverty and the environment.

The second third examines distinct responses to racism and poverty in the form of movements for social and economic justice. Responses to concerns about the natural environment are examined by focusing on the activities of a traditional, white'dominated, environmental movement. The discussion of social and economic justice movements concludes by examining how and why currents within the two began to synthesize, if not practically, at least ideologically. Bullard's piece (in Week 5) sketches some of the boundaries of the synthesis of the movements and goes a step further to tie them to the environmental movement (primarily as conceptualized by minorities and low income people), preparing participants for the concluding third on environmental justice.

The final portion of the syllabus, approximately half of the course, focuses on an in'depth examination of environmental justice and its numerous facets. Initially, definitions and clarification of terms are sought. Environmental equity is distinguished from environmental justice which is also distinguished from environmental racism. Next, case studies are drawn from the growing bibliographic record. These cases elucidate specific incidents of "environmental racism" as well as the multiple roles of various actors involved, including community'based organizations, government agencies (on a variety of levels), and myriad polluters. Separate from the case studies, the role and response of government Q acting independently as well as at the urging of community groups -- is scrutinized. Penultimately, considerable time (two weeks) is spent tracing the contours of the international aspects of the movement for environmental justice. The final third concludes with a hopeful outlook examining the "pragmatic, progressive, solutions" that a wide variety of community groups have offered to address the problems of environmental racism.

My hope is that the following syllabus (1) may serve as a means for (re)conceptualizing the racial and ethnic dimensions of environmental issues and the environmental facets of economic and social justice concerns; and (2) will (re)invigorate substantial debate about racism and classism endemic in our society including within the traditional, white'dominated environmental movement. To this end, I would like to encourage open exchange and debate, over the ecojustice list, as well as engage and attempt to provide details and/or insights for any questions directly. The list is located at ecojustice@econet.apc.org and I can be reached at mkdorsey@umcc.umich.edu, mkdorsey@ais.org, or mkdorsey@yale.edu.

Course Description

This course will focus on issues of environmental equity, environmental justice and racism. It will explore the problems that low income and minority communities face as they are adversely effected and burdened by certain environmental hazards.

We will examine (1) the economic, social, psychological and political aspects of race and poverty; (2) the emergence of the environmental and social justice movements; (3) the dynamics of environmental policy surrounding issues of environmental equity, justice and racism; and (4) the birth of environmental justice movements at the local, national, and international levels. Furthermore, the course will go beyond an overview of the problem of environmental racism to detail what "at risk" communities have done and continue to do to "stop the poisoning" and "save the planet."

Required Texts

1. B. Bryant and P. Mohai, eds., Race and the Incidence of Environmental Hazards: A Time for Discourse (Boulder: Westview Press, 1992).

2. R. Bullard, Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality (Boulder: Westview, 1990).

3. A. Makhijani, From Global Capitalism to Economic Justice: An Inquiry into the Elimination of Systemic Poverty, Violence and Environmental Destruction in the World Economy (New York: Apex, 1992).

4. S. Chase, Defending the Earth: A Dialogue Between Murray Bookchin and Dave Foreman (Boston: South End Press, 1991).

5. M. Horton, The Long Haul: An Autobiography (New York: Doubleday, 1990).

6. K. Schafer,What Works Report No. 2: Local Solutions to Toxic Pollution. (Washington, DC: The Environmental Exchange, 1993).

7. Coursepack -- see syllabus.

Additional Optional Texts

R. Bullard, Confronting Environmental Racism: Voices from the Grassroots (Boston: South End Press, 1993).

R. Bullard, Unequal Protection: Environmental Justice and Communities of Color (San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1994).

B. Bryant, Environmental Justice: Issues, Policies, and Solutions (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1995).

Requirements (to be discussed in class)

1. Class Participation

2. A final research paper and presentation

3. Three short papers analyzing one week's readings

Syllabus

Week 1: Philosophical Grounding: Issues of Racism

# D. Bell, "Divining Our Racial Times," in Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism (New York: Basic, 1992), Introduction, pp. 1'14 .

# C. R. Lawrence, "The Id, the Ego, and Equal Protection: Reckoning with Unconscious Racism," Stanford Law Review, 39, 2, 1987, pp. 317'387.

# P. S. Rothenberg, "The Problem: Discrimination -- United States Commission on Civil Rights," in Racism and Sexism: An Integrated Study (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988), pp. 9'19.

# P. S. Rothenberg, "Some Definitions of Racism and Sexism," in Racism and Sexism: An Integrated Study, pp. 20'21.

Week 2: Philosophical Grounding: Issues of Poverty

# J. A. Devine and J. D. Wright, "The Definition and Measurement of Poverty," in The Greatest of Evils (New York: De Gruyter, 1993), pp. 1'23.

# W. W. Goldsmith and E. J, Blakely, "Seperate Assests: Race, Gender and Other Dimensions of Poverty," in Seperate Societies: Poverty and Inequality in U.S. Cities (Philadelphia: Temple, 1992), pp. 15'55.

# Start Reading -- S. Chase, Defending the Earth: A Dialogue Between Murray Bookchin and Dave Foreman (Boston: South End Press, 1991), Introduction.

Week 3: Philosophical Grounding: Issues of Environment

# Continue Reading -- S. Chase, Defending the Earth: A Dialogue Between Murray Bookchin and Dave Foreman (Introduction).

# D. E. Cooper, "The Idea of Environment," in D. E. Cooper and J. A. Palmer, eds., The Environment in Question: Ethics and Global Issues (London: Routledge, 1992), pp. 165'180.

# E. Johnson, "Treating the Dirt: Environmental Ethics and Moral Theory," in T. Regan, ed., Earthbound (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1984), pp. 336'365.

# N. Dower, "What Is Environmental Ethics?" in N. Dower, ed., Ethics and Environmental Responsibility (Aldershot: Avebury, 1989), pp. 11'37.

Week 4: The Environmental Movement (Emerging)

# V. B. Scheffer, "The Roots of Environmentalism," in The Shaping of Environmentalism in America (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1991), pp. 3'15.

# R. C. Paehlke, "Conservation, Ecology and Pollution," in Environmentalism and the Future of Progressive Politics (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989), pp. 13'40.

# V. B. Scheffer, "The Societal Background," in The Shaping of Environmentalism in America (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1991), pp. 16'30.

Week 5: The Social Justice Movement

# M. Horton, The Long Haul: An Autobiography (New York: Doubleday, 1990).

# Film -- Eyes on the Prize.

# Read all of PANOS Institute, We Speak For Ourselves.

# Start Reading -- (Chapter 1) -- R. Bullard, Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality (Boulder: Westview Press, 1990).

Week 6: Environmental Equity/Environmental Justice/Environmental Racism -- Movements, Mergers and Strength through Diversity.

# D. A. Mazmanian and D. Mitchell, "The 'NIMBY' Syndrome: Facility Siting and the Failure of Democratic Discourse," in N. J. Vig and M. E. Kraft, eds., Environmental Policy in the 1990s (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 1994), Second Edition, Chapter 11, pp. 233'249.

# Continue Reading -- (Chapter 4) -- Bullard, Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality.

# R. Bullard, "Anatomy of Environmental Racism and the Environmental Justice Movement," in R. Bullard, ed., Confronting Environmental Racism: Voices from the Grassroots (Boston: South End Press, 1993), Chapter 1, pp. 15'39.

# National Law Journal, Unequal Protection -- "The Big 10: A Wake Up Call."

# "Principles of Environmental Justice" and Call to Action from the Proceedings of the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, Washington, D.C., 1991.

# "From Toxic Racism to Environmental Justice," E: The Environmental Magazine, 3, 3, 1992, pp. 28'35.

# G. Boggs, "Beyond Environmental Racism: The Need for a Multifaceted Struggle," in B. Bryant and P. Mohai, eds., Environmental Racism: Issues and Dilemmas (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Office of Minority Affairs, 1991), pp. 20'25.

Weeks 7 and 8: Case Studies (Local, National, International)

# National Law Journal, Unequal Protection: The Racial Divide in Environmental Law .

# Film -- Breathless (New York: Paper Tiger, 1991), 28 minutes.

CASE STUDIES -- A wide variety of literature is available for this section. Cases involving metropolitan New York and the its tri'state area (NY, NJ, CT); the LA basin; Denver; Detroit; "the toxic donut of Chicago's South Side; and other locales have been documented to varying degrees. In large part this section will attempt to showcase locales representing a significant cross section of class members.

For further sources, see, for example:

Environmental Protection Agency, Enviromental Equity (EPA 220'B'92'024) (Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency, 1992).

Laura J. Fitton, J. Choe, and R. Regan, Environmental Justice: Annotated Bibliography (with September 1994 Update) (Washington, DC: Center for Policy Alternatives, 1994).

Terry Link, "Environmental Racism/Environmental Equity: A Bibliography," Green Library Journal: Environmental Topics in the Information World, 2, 1, 1993, pp. 17'22.

Michael Meuser, Environmental Justice Bibliography (Online), Santa Cruz, 1995, unpublished.

Paul Mohai, "Race, Class and Environmental Quality: A Bibliography," Ann Arbor, 1988, unpublished.

Kevin Lyskowski, Our Earth Matters, Environmental Justice: A Research Guide (Los Angeles: NAACP'LDF, Spring, 1994).

Richard Regan, Environmental Racism: An Annotated Bibliography (Washington, DC.: Center for Policy Alternatives, 1993). (1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20009, tel: (202) 387'6070/986'2539 (fax)).

Week 9: Environmental Policy: Responses to the "Racism"

# Selected Chapters from B. Bryant and P. Mohai, eds., Race and the Incidence of Environmental Hazards: A Time for Discourse (Boulder: Westview Press, 1992), Introduction, pp. 1'10; Chapter 2, pp. 10'27; Chapter 4, pp. 55'63.

# General Accounting Office, Siting of Hazardous Waste Landfills and Their Correlation With Racial and Economic Status of Surrounding Communities, GAO/RCED'83'168 (Washington: General Accounting Office, 1983) (13 pages).

# R. Bullard, "Conclusion: Environmentalism with Justice," in R. Bullard, ed., Confronting Environmental Racism: Voices from the Grassroots (Boston: South End Press, 1993), Chapter 12, pp. 15'39.

# (In the Public Domain) EPA Memorandum, Subject: Environmental Equity Communication Plan, from Lewis S. W. Crampton, Nov. 15, 1991.

# EPA Document, Environmental Equity: Reducing Risk for All Communities, Vol. 1 Work Group Report to the Administrator.

Week 10: Economics and the Environment or "Is it race or poverty?"

# A. M. Freeman III, "Economics, Incentives and Environmental Regulations," in N. J. Vig and M. E. Kraft, eds., Environmental Policy in the 1990s (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 1994, second edition), Ch. 9, pp. 189'208.

# M. Sagoff, "Ethics and Economics in Environmental Law," in T. Regan, ed., Earthbound (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1984), pp. 147'178.

# R. Kazis and R. Grossman, Fear at Work: Job Blackmail, Labor and the Environment (New York: Piligrim, 1982), pp. 3'51.

# Start Reading A. Makhijani, From Global Capitalism to Economic Justice: An Inquiry into the Elimination of Systemic Poverty, Violence and Environmental Destruction in the World Economy (New York: Apex, 1992), Chs. 1, 2, 3.

Weeks 11 and 12: International Relationships and Environmental Justice

# D. Alston, "Environmental Racism: An International Perspective," in B. Bryant and P. Mohai, eds., Environmental Racism: Issues and Dilemmas (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Office of Minority Affairs, 1991), pp. 66'70.

# I. Perfecto, "Hazardous Waste and Pesticides: An International Tragedy," in B. Bryant and P. Mohai, eds., Environmental Racism: Issues and Dilemmas (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Office of Minority Affairs, 1991), pp. 36'39.

# Selected Chapters from B. Bryant and P. Mohai, eds., Race and the Incidence of Environmental Hazards: A Time for Discourse (Boulder: Westview Press, 1992), Ch. 14, pp. 177'203; Ch. 15, pp. 204'214.

# I. Perfecto, "Pesticide Exports to the Third World," Race and Class: The New Conquistadors, July'September, 1992, pp. 107'114.

# Greenpeace International, "International Trade in Toxic Waste: Policy and Data Analysis," in Third World Network, eds., Toxic Terror: Dumping of Hazardous Waste in the Third World (Penang: Third World Network, date unknown c. 1988), pp. 39'52.

# H. Todd, "Impact of Toxic Waste in Asia," in Third World Network, eds., Toxic Terror: Dumping of Hazardous Waste in the Third World (Penang: Third World Network, date unknown c. 1988), pp. 53'64.

# Special United Nations Service, "EEC Hails African About'turn on Toxic Waste," in Third World Network, eds., Toxic Terror: Dumping of Hazardous Waste in the Third World (Penang: Third World Network, date unknown c. 1988), pp. 65'75.

# Continue Reading Makhijani, A. From Global Capitalism to Economic Justice: An Inquiry into the Elimination of Systemic Poverty, Violence and Environmental Destruction in the World Economy, Chps. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

# K. Watkins, "Fixing the Rules: North'South Issues," in International Trade and the GATT Uruguay Round (London: CIIR, 1992).

Weeks 13 and 14: Potential Solutions and Rap'up

# Complete Reading A. Makhijani, From Global Capitalism to Economic Justice: An Inquiry into the Elimination of Systemic Poverty, Violence and Environmental Destruction in the World Economy, Chapter 9.

# Complete Bullard, Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality.

# National Law Journal, Unequal Protection: The Racial Divide in Environmental Law .

# R. Rapp, "Leading the People: Two Approaches to the Role of Ideology in Community Organizing," in J. M. King and P. S. Posner, eds., Dilemmas of Activism: Class, Community and the Politics of Local Mobilization (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990).

# K. Schafer, What Works Report No. 2: Local Solutions to Toxic Pollution.