Water and

Environmental Racism

New Lesson

The Flint Water Crisis is one of the most egregious examples of environmental racism in recent memory.

Flint is not anomalous. In every corner of the country poor people and people of color are disproportionately burdened by environmental contamination — in their neighborhoods, schools, and homes.



Drawing from three recent real-world case studies (Flint, Michigan; Newark, New Jersey; and Jackson, Mississippi), we introduce a new mixer activity (suitable for middle and high school students) that surfaces both the causes and consequences of environmental racism. 

This lesson, by Matt Reed and Ursula Wolfe-Rocca, is described in the Spring issue of Rethinking Schools magazine.

Pipeline Battle in Memphis

Protest of the proposed Byhalia Connection Pipeline. Photo by Brad Vest.

Our hearts have been with the people of Tennessee these past two weeks with the murder of students and school staff, student walkouts to demand gun reform, and the expulsion of two elected Black legislators.

One of those representatives, Justin Pearson, was active in the campaign to stop the Byhalia Pipeline in Memphis, which threatened a Black community's land and the entire city's access to clean drinking water.

An episode of The Sum of Us podcast by Heather McGhee describes how a multi-racial coalition successfully resisted the pipeline. There is also a young readers’ edition of her book, The Sum of Us.

Under the Skin

Environmental Racism and Health

On Monday, April 24, Linda Villarosa will be in conversation with Jesse Hagopian to discuss her new book, Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation.

Villarosa pays particular attention to issues of environmental racism, challenging programs that attribute illnesses in Black communities to individual patients’ habits while ignoring the refinery next door.

For an introduction to her work, read “Pollution Is Killing Black Americans. This Community Fought Back.”

This 90-minute event will start at 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET on Monday, April 24.

ASL interpretation provided.

Professional development credit certificate provided upon request.

Spotlight

Teaching for Black Lives Study Group

Since 2020, the Zinn Education Project has hosted hundreds of Teaching for Black Lives study groups. Teachers discuss how to teach for Black lives and gain the strength to face right-wing attacks. There is power in numbers. We periodically spotlight Teaching for Black Lives groups.

At Cordley Elementary (K–5) in Lawrence, Kansas, 15 teachers meet monthly to discuss Teaching for Black Lives. They describe their group as “a community that is moving from consciousness to disrupting of racial inequity.”

The study group formed after several teachers observed Black Lives Matter at School’s Week of Action in their classrooms in 2022 and committed themselves “to grow this movement and include more staff.”  

Their coordinators wrote:

Applications are open for Teaching for Black Lives study groups for the 2023–2024 school year.

We need your support to double the number of study groups in 2023–2024.

Teach Truth Day of Action

June 10, 2023

We invite educators, students, parents, and community members to host #TeachTruth events on June 10, 2023, at historic sites to speak out against anti-history education bills and anti-LGBTQ+ attacks.

The right-wing legislation restricting lessons on history and systemic racism also denies students climate literacy.

These events can provide a valuable counter-narrative to the oversized media coverage of anti-CRT protests. 

Plan an activity of any size — from 1 to 100+. They are uplifting and impactful.

We Need Your Help

Teachers are under attack for teaching truthfully about U.S. history. Please donate so that we can continue to offer free people’s history lessons and resources, and defend teachers’ right to use them.