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Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility
From St. Louis to New Orleans, from Baltimore to Oklahoma City, there are poor and minority neighborhoods so beset by pollution that just living in them can be hazardous to your health. Due to entrenched segregation, zoning ordinances that privilege wealthier communities, or because businesses have found the ‘paths of least resistance,’ there are many hazardous waste and toxic facilities in these communities, leading residents to experience health and wellness problems on top of the race and class discrimination most already experience. Taking stock of the recent environmental justice scholarship, Toxic Communities examines the connections among residential segregation, zoning, and exposure to environmental hazards. Renowned environmental sociologist Dorceta Taylor focuses on the locations of hazardous facilities in low-income and minority communities and shows how they have been dumped on, contaminated and exposed. Drawing on an array of historical and contemporary case studies from across the country, Taylor explores controversies over racially-motivated decisions in zoning laws, eminent domain, government regulation (or lack thereof), and urban renewal. She provides a comprehensive overview of the debate over whether or not there is a link between environmental transgressions and discrimination, drawing a clear picture of the state of the environmental justice field today and where it is going. In doing so, she introduces new concepts and theories for understanding environmental racism that will be essential for environmental justice scholars. A fascinating landmark study, Toxic Communities greatly contributes to the study of race, the environment, and space in the contemporary United States.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2014
117 people are currently reading
2466 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 8, 2020
This book is mainly a comprehensive literature review with the purpose of imploring environmental justice advocates and scholars to fully understand the long histories of racial segregation and housing discrimination. EJ research has yet to sufficiently go beyond “the question of who lives beside what facilities; researches should be willing to tackle the more difficult question of understanding what forces compel people to live beside such facilities” (279). Taylor also offers a critique of current EJ scholarship and suggests several productive directions for future research. Overall an extremely useful book for anyone doing EJ work (I’ll definitely be referring back to her 59 page bibliography!) , but might feel a bit dense and dry to someone not engaged in this kind of research.
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July 29, 2014Read this interview with Taylor here: http://grist.org/people/think-people-...
January 26, 2019
Very impressive and comprehensive!! Written as a true academic novel so a little dry and dense at times.
March 22, 2021
Examples of EJ, or environmental racism is ongoing in the news right now, with Reserve Management moving their plant to SE chi-town.
This book elucidates all of the different facts and laws that have occurred in this country with regards to a specific sector and sort of racism.
This book elucidates all of the different facts and laws that have occurred in this country with regards to a specific sector and sort of racism.
June 20, 2022
your average literature review with a 60-page long bibliography...i learned so much, but i did want to hear more of the author's voice, even if it was just a brief note in the introduction of why she chose this field of research and what it means to her.
December 29, 2020
Very well researched and lots of great information. It is very dense, fact based, and more an academic text which I didn't realize going into it. I feel like there was a lot that could be written in fewer words and things could've been organized differently so topics of discussion were clearer, but I'm not an expert on these types of texts. There is a lot of good information about environmental racism and why it occurs, but I do feel like this book is not palatable to the masses and is moreso for people already working in the environmental justice field.
January 12, 2021
Wow. This book is outstanding as a critical exploration of Why do poisons end up in minority communities? and How much choice do minorities have about where they live? This information should be taught to everyone. The book provides an engaging collection of historical examples and studies that would benefit any real estate agent, environmental justice researcher or lawyer, or any civic minded individual. It primarily focuses on African Americans, but also has examples of Native American, Latin/Hispanic, Jewish, and Asian communities.
What I love about this book is how Dr. Taylor provides recommendations for the Environmental Justice research community of under-evaluated hypotheses. She also clearly states and explores different hypotheses and ways of explaining systemic causes using her extensive knowledge of the literature.
I felt that each chapter had sections with more narrative style and sections with clear but technical research. If you aren't a lover of dense research, you can still find a lot of great passages to read in here, especially the beginning. However, this book is dense and extensive for a reason. Let me tell you a story of my own experience: I once casually mentioned, as a one sentence example, in an NSF grant proposal (with a citation) that highways were used to separate Black communities. For some reason, this statement (of the entire 15 page document not about that topic) was called out and questioned by one of the reviewers. It's amazing how resistant people are to this idea that Black and minority communities were singled out. So, there has to be a lot of excellent research of every angle.
I will definitely need to go back and take notes on this book, but here are a few of my initial takeaways:
-Companies promise jobs, but then give the most dangerous and lowest paying jobs to the minorities.
-There are mountains of documented examples of discrimination and poisoning of communities out there. Community members fight all the time.
-It seems that a big part of the reason toxic industry and minority communities overlap is that judges, the law, the EPA and legislatures consistently protect middle class white neighborhoods and not minority neighborhoods.
-In response to Libertarians who argue that "business doesn't like segregation because they want to sell to Black people": that is clearly not the case since real estate agents made their own pacts to create segregation and not sell to Black people. In absence of law, people just made agreements on their own.
-Data back up that labels of buildings and communities as slums is persistently inaccurate and biased. Black housing is usually labeled as slum housing even when the housing is actually better than white housing. Housing -Projects are misused to displace and segregate people.
-Racially restrictive covenants can be removed, even though they are illegal, they still cause problems.
What I love about this book is how Dr. Taylor provides recommendations for the Environmental Justice research community of under-evaluated hypotheses. She also clearly states and explores different hypotheses and ways of explaining systemic causes using her extensive knowledge of the literature.
I felt that each chapter had sections with more narrative style and sections with clear but technical research. If you aren't a lover of dense research, you can still find a lot of great passages to read in here, especially the beginning. However, this book is dense and extensive for a reason. Let me tell you a story of my own experience: I once casually mentioned, as a one sentence example, in an NSF grant proposal (with a citation) that highways were used to separate Black communities. For some reason, this statement (of the entire 15 page document not about that topic) was called out and questioned by one of the reviewers. It's amazing how resistant people are to this idea that Black and minority communities were singled out. So, there has to be a lot of excellent research of every angle.
I will definitely need to go back and take notes on this book, but here are a few of my initial takeaways:
-Companies promise jobs, but then give the most dangerous and lowest paying jobs to the minorities.
-There are mountains of documented examples of discrimination and poisoning of communities out there. Community members fight all the time.
-It seems that a big part of the reason toxic industry and minority communities overlap is that judges, the law, the EPA and legislatures consistently protect middle class white neighborhoods and not minority neighborhoods.
-In response to Libertarians who argue that "business doesn't like segregation because they want to sell to Black people": that is clearly not the case since real estate agents made their own pacts to create segregation and not sell to Black people. In absence of law, people just made agreements on their own.
-Data back up that labels of buildings and communities as slums is persistently inaccurate and biased. Black housing is usually labeled as slum housing even when the housing is actually better than white housing. Housing -Projects are misused to displace and segregate people.
-Racially restrictive covenants can be removed, even though they are illegal, they still cause problems.
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April 4, 2025Book Review: Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility by Dorceta Taylor
Dorceta Taylor’s Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility provides an incisive exploration of the complex interplay between environmental issues and social justice, particularly concerning marginalized communities in the United States. Through a thorough examination of environmental racism, Taylor sheds light on how industrial pollution disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, thereby highlighting the urgent need for equitable environmental policies.
Summary and Key Themes
Taylor organizes her analysis around several interconnected themes that reveal the systemic nature of environmental racism:
Environmental Racism: The author defines environmental racism as the intentional siting of hazardous waste facilities and other sources of pollution in predominantly minority neighborhoods. She provides a historical context for this phenomenon, illustrating how racism and economic inequities converge to create toxic environments for marginalized communities.
Residential Segregation: Taylor examines the role of residential segregation in shaping exposure to pollution. She argues that zoning laws and discriminatory housing policies contribute to the concentration of environmental hazards in low-income and minority neighborhoods. This structural inequity exacerbates health disparities and limits residents’ quality of life.
Impact of Industrial Pollution: The book details the detrimental health effects of industrial pollution on affected communities. Taylor presents compelling evidence linking exposure to toxic substances with a range of health issues, including respiratory problems, cancer, and other chronic diseases. She emphasizes the need for public awareness and regulatory changes to protect these vulnerable populations.
Residential Mobility: Taylor discusses how industrial pollution influences residential mobility, as families seek safer living conditions. However, the challenges of relocation—such as economic constraints and systemic discrimination—often limit the options available to affected residents. This cycle perpetuates a landscape of inequality and environmental degradation.
Call to Action: In her concluding chapters, Taylor advocates for grassroots activism and community engagement as critical components in the fight for environmental justice. She emphasizes the importance of empowering affected communities to challenge unjust policies and demand accountability from both corporations and government entities.
Critical Analysis
Dorceta Taylor’s writing is both accessible and academically rigorous, making Toxic Communities suitable for scholars, policymakers, and activists alike. Her blend of qualitative and quantitative research provides a comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand, supported by case studies and empirical data that illustrate the real-world implications of environmental racism.
One of the book’s strengths lies in its interdisciplinary approach, drawing from environmental studies, sociology, and public policy to offer a holistic view of the systemic problems surrounding industrial pollution. Taylor’s advocacy for community engagement is particularly commendable, as it underscores the importance of local voices in the struggle for environmental justice.
However, while the book effectively addresses the issues of environmental racism and their implications, some readers may find a desire for more extensive discussions on potential solutions and policy innovations. A deeper exploration of successful case studies in community activism could enhance the practical applicability of her recommendations.
Conclusion
Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility* is an essential contribution to the dialogue on environmental justice and advocacy for marginalized communities. Dorceta Taylor eloquently articulates the connections between systemic inequality and environmental hazards, urging readers to recognize the urgent need for equitable solutions. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in understanding the intersections of race, environment, and public health, serving as a vital resource for scholars, students, and advocates committed to fostering justice in vulnerable communities.
Dorceta Taylor’s Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility provides an incisive exploration of the complex interplay between environmental issues and social justice, particularly concerning marginalized communities in the United States. Through a thorough examination of environmental racism, Taylor sheds light on how industrial pollution disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, thereby highlighting the urgent need for equitable environmental policies.
Summary and Key Themes
Taylor organizes her analysis around several interconnected themes that reveal the systemic nature of environmental racism:
Environmental Racism: The author defines environmental racism as the intentional siting of hazardous waste facilities and other sources of pollution in predominantly minority neighborhoods. She provides a historical context for this phenomenon, illustrating how racism and economic inequities converge to create toxic environments for marginalized communities.
Residential Segregation: Taylor examines the role of residential segregation in shaping exposure to pollution. She argues that zoning laws and discriminatory housing policies contribute to the concentration of environmental hazards in low-income and minority neighborhoods. This structural inequity exacerbates health disparities and limits residents’ quality of life.
Impact of Industrial Pollution: The book details the detrimental health effects of industrial pollution on affected communities. Taylor presents compelling evidence linking exposure to toxic substances with a range of health issues, including respiratory problems, cancer, and other chronic diseases. She emphasizes the need for public awareness and regulatory changes to protect these vulnerable populations.
Residential Mobility: Taylor discusses how industrial pollution influences residential mobility, as families seek safer living conditions. However, the challenges of relocation—such as economic constraints and systemic discrimination—often limit the options available to affected residents. This cycle perpetuates a landscape of inequality and environmental degradation.
Call to Action: In her concluding chapters, Taylor advocates for grassroots activism and community engagement as critical components in the fight for environmental justice. She emphasizes the importance of empowering affected communities to challenge unjust policies and demand accountability from both corporations and government entities.
Critical Analysis
Dorceta Taylor’s writing is both accessible and academically rigorous, making Toxic Communities suitable for scholars, policymakers, and activists alike. Her blend of qualitative and quantitative research provides a comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand, supported by case studies and empirical data that illustrate the real-world implications of environmental racism.
One of the book’s strengths lies in its interdisciplinary approach, drawing from environmental studies, sociology, and public policy to offer a holistic view of the systemic problems surrounding industrial pollution. Taylor’s advocacy for community engagement is particularly commendable, as it underscores the importance of local voices in the struggle for environmental justice.
However, while the book effectively addresses the issues of environmental racism and their implications, some readers may find a desire for more extensive discussions on potential solutions and policy innovations. A deeper exploration of successful case studies in community activism could enhance the practical applicability of her recommendations.
Conclusion
Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility* is an essential contribution to the dialogue on environmental justice and advocacy for marginalized communities. Dorceta Taylor eloquently articulates the connections between systemic inequality and environmental hazards, urging readers to recognize the urgent need for equitable solutions. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in understanding the intersections of race, environment, and public health, serving as a vital resource for scholars, students, and advocates committed to fostering justice in vulnerable communities.
November 24, 2021
The first half of the book was a really excellent exploration of the deliberate concentration of environmental harms in non-Hispanic white communities and how those communities typically lacked agency to dictate where they lived and what environmental toxins were allowed in their communities as well as how resulting harms were redressed (spoiler: more harms and less redress).
Unfortunately, the latter half felt like a long, unnecessary tangent on residential segregation policy that was outright divorced from the earlier environmental justice conversation. It covers important history, sure, but there are other books covering 20th c segregation in much greater depth, and those would be the obvious choice if a reader were interested in that topic. Rather, I picked up this book to learn more about the specific intersection of environmental injustice and residential segregation and did not get any of that in the second half of the book.
Unfortunately, the latter half felt like a long, unnecessary tangent on residential segregation policy that was outright divorced from the earlier environmental justice conversation. It covers important history, sure, but there are other books covering 20th c segregation in much greater depth, and those would be the obvious choice if a reader were interested in that topic. Rather, I picked up this book to learn more about the specific intersection of environmental injustice and residential segregation and did not get any of that in the second half of the book.
July 22, 2020
this book is absolutely virtuousic in the volume of material used to navigate the the ins and outs of how racism shapes where geographic boundaries are drawn, which communities are more able to move and get loans, how gentrification happens, and much more. taylor’s book demonstrates racism’s overt pervasiveness, even when judicial branches deem these practices illegal. taylor is also frank in her calls for environmental scholarship to address the racial histories of places and their present-day ramifications. if nothing else, this book will show you just how much racism is baked into american society, even if we so want to claim otherwise.
April 6, 2025
“… minority communities with gargantuan waste disposal facilities in their midst are in the unenviable position of bearing the risk of hosting these facilities for the greater good of the nation, yet courts have signaled, these communities have little hope of enacting stringent regulations that can protect residents, compensate them for the risks they are undertaking, to help them deal, disasters, if and when they occur, or stop the waste from entering their communities in the first place. This line of reasoning has left minority communities shouldering a big share of the nation solid waste, disposal burden.”
January 23, 2021
Taylor’s contributions to EJ scholarship are phenomenal. Her arguments are unbelievably through and her research is bulletproof. This was a truly enlightening text.
Having said that, it would be nicer to have more anecdotal evidence and case studies to make the reading more interesting. I say this knowing that the genre is scholarly and not necessarily meant to entertain the reader. I think there are ways of going about this that wouldn’t sacrifice the important statistics that the book is mostly composed of.
Having said that, it would be nicer to have more anecdotal evidence and case studies to make the reading more interesting. I say this knowing that the genre is scholarly and not necessarily meant to entertain the reader. I think there are ways of going about this that wouldn’t sacrifice the important statistics that the book is mostly composed of.
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January 28, 2025Dense. Packed with information regarding every argument for or against every theory related to environmental justice. Every small step comes with a dozen or so examples.
Topics covered include: redlining, residential segregation, siting of refineries, internal colonization, discrimination vs disproportionality, legal cases, white flight, labor exploitation, housing discrimination, urban “renewal” and gentrification.
Topics covered include: redlining, residential segregation, siting of refineries, internal colonization, discrimination vs disproportionality, legal cases, white flight, labor exploitation, housing discrimination, urban “renewal” and gentrification.
November 25, 2024
The Impact of Segregation
Rather than try to start looking for solutions (rather than from addressing historical discrimination such as the causes of segregation) to cater to White fragility, the book went into the appropriate amount of detail on that subject. It is a good read on it’s own, but also a good companion read to, The Color of Law.
Rather than try to start looking for solutions (rather than from addressing historical discrimination such as the causes of segregation) to cater to White fragility, the book went into the appropriate amount of detail on that subject. It is a good read on it’s own, but also a good companion read to, The Color of Law.
January 17, 2025
This is a pretty comprehensive literature review with some interesting arguments and contributions to the literature. I really enjoyed the chapter on enforcing environmental protections. She discusses case law extensively throughout the book which was great to learn about. It is definitely an academic text and is quite dense but worth taking the time to sift through.
June 16, 2020
This book was informative, but it was tough to get through. It was a much more academic read, as there were many scientific studies and historical events cited. The author clearly did a lot of research and is very knowledgeable.
August 27, 2020
Incredibly comprehensive and thoroughly researched. An excellent resource for anyone researching this topic.
October 1, 2020
The expectation did not meet the reality. The book should be retitled as an Academic History of Toxic Communities.
November 5, 2021
This is very academically written, so parts of it were harder for me to wade through, but it was very enlightening.
January 5, 2022
I’ve been reading on environmental justice for years and still learned something new. This book made me wish I had finished it before some scholarly pieces I recently finished.
April 26, 2022
Very well researched and easy to understand. Fantastic breakdown of complicated topics.
June 12, 2022
A little more academic than what I was looking for and thus I didn’t take as much from this book as I would’ve hoped. Solid references throughout and an eye opening read nonetheless.
December 16, 2022
Reads like a dissertation. Although very informative and in-depth, it is a struggle to get through and retain.
April 9, 2023
Informative but very dry and encyclopedic at times.
November 12, 2024
Our country is so racist.
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October 27, 2015I only read a few pages of this book, but I can't figure out how to remove a book from "currently reading" without putting it in my "read" list. Anyhow, while I am very interested in the topic of environmental racism, this book was way too academic and dry for me. And it was due at the library. So I just gave up.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews