Public Housing and Pollution

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Description: Research Paper in my research methods course on the Altgeld Gardens public housing in Chicago environmental pollution site. 

Analysis: One of the goals of mine as an urban environmental educator is to look for ways to help my community in Chicago and to understand the environment through the lens of gaining knowledge to combat environmental injustice.  I researched the Atlgeld Gardens public housing, one of the worst environmental injustice sites in history. At one time, this area had a historic high rate of miscarriages, birth and defects  concentrated in the area. Also, one of the first environmental justice organizations, People for Community Recovery, was started in this public housing. 

Reflection: It was really empowering for me to read that one of the first environmental justice groups were black and started in Chicago. It made me feel like my path was less weird and that ancestors had laid ground for me to get into this work. It was also horrific and a reminder of how poor people are often the ones suffering from pollution that they did not cause. I hope to one day become active with this group in some way or at least spend some time going to the site and learning from those affected.