Courtesy of Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University will host the 2023 HBCU Environmental Justice Summit on its campus on April 19 and 20, 2023. The event will provide awareness of the environmental injustices that exist within predominately minority neighborhoods and will feature discussions with experts, community leaders, students, and representatives from government agencies.
In metro Atlanta, 36% of Black households experience a severe energy burden compared to other ethnicities.
Clark Atlanta University and other HBCUs work diligently to increase focus on the natural environment, sustainability, and climate change. CAU’s research into environmental justice has uncovered the extreme environmental and climate disparities that people of color endure.
“The intentional concentration and unapologetic embracing of environmental scholarship distinguishes our university amongst peers. Leveraging our strong connections to many of the most marginalized communities in the country, positions HBCUs to blaze a path forward on climate research, policy, and action,” said George T. French, Jr., Ph.D., president of Clark Atlanta University, and the longest sitting HBCU president in the nation.
The Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, income, and educational levels with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of protective environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” Research shows that communities of color bordering the Atlanta University Center rank highest for asthma and inhalable particulate matter in the air. Additionally, extreme heat, flooding, the use of minority communities as dumping sites, and other unnaturally occurring, human-enhanced calamities have thinned the air in downtown communities. As a result, CAU currently supports the government-wide approach to the climate crisis through innovation-driving research that can lead to the distribution of clean-energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Additionally, Clark Atlanta University serves as one of the leading HBCUs in the field of environmental justice.
