Environmental Racism can be defined as:

• A. A policy that ensures equal environmental protection for all neighborhoods
• B. Communities of color living in or surrounded by unhealthy and toxic environments
• C. Economic incentives for industrial development in minority communities
• D. Environmental programs that target wealthier areas first

Answer: (B)

Environmental racism is about unequal exposure to pollution and environmental hazards based on race or ethnicity. It reflects how communities of color often live in or near unhealthy and toxic environments and have less protection or fewer resources to address those hazards. This isn’t about intent; it’s about outcomes and power to influence siting, enforcement, and remediation.

Historically, policies and practices—like selective zoning, disinvestment, and placement of industrial facilities near minority neighborhoods—have concentrated environmental burdens in these communities. A definition that describes communities of color living in or surrounded by unhealthy and toxic environments best captures this pattern of unequal exposure and risk.

The other ideas describe different concepts: equal protection implies no disparity, which isn’t the reality being described; incentives or programs that favor certain areas don’t define the lived experience of exposure and risk that environmental racism focuses on. For a CHW, recognizing this helps guide advocacy for equitable protections, safer environments, and community-led health actions.