In a very powerful metaphor,
he describes justice as water in a mighty river, that could drown out the weeds
of racism, and turn those weeds into an oasis of freedom and justice for
everyone. “We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot
vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no,
we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down
like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream (from the book of Amos
5:24.” Studies show that many racially divided US cities experience
disproportionately higher levels of pollution than less segregated communities.
In these communities, the level of pollution affecting the minority population
is so high that it bleeds over into the white population. Although white
residents are “better off” than their neighbors of color in these segregated
communities, they are still worse off compared to their white counterparts in
integrated communities. According to the New York Times, “studies have found
this relationship between segregation and air pollution, water pollution and
even noise pollution.” Similarly, studies show that "unequal societies
invest less in environmental policies, monitoring and research,” allowing these
issues to perpetuate. This form of environmental racism – in which minority
communities are statistically more likely to live nearby polluted sites and as
a result be at a greater risk for asthma, heart disease, and other conditions –
is a key target of the environmental justice movement. Environmental justice
advocates seek to organize and advocate for minority communities who are taken
advantage of by majority communities and governments. MLK did his share of
blessings with water, many of his speeches referenced water, see the above
quote from Amos. This was his dream, where justice would roll down like a
river. Even in the desert state of Mississippi, Florida, and many others. When
will we ever learn……that we can only be human together….?
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