This story is part of “All Those ‘Racial Reckoning’ Promises” Word In Black’s series exploring the pledges made to the Black community following the Summer of George Floyd and what organizations and leaders can still do now to promote racial equity and justice.
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In Minneapolis, the most densely populated city in Minnesota and the sixth most polluted, the issues of racial injustice and environmental degradation are inextricably intertwined.
In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd — and amid the growing outcry for justice and action — officials assured the Black community they’d address environmental concerns.
Angela Harrelson, who is George Floyd’s aunt, has seen first-hand how hard to expect promises from police to be kept in a broken system. Harrelson, like many Black people in the city, has a weary skepticism.
“What people need to realize is that for 400 years, the system was broken. People made promises from a system that was already broken. When my nephew was killed the chains were broken,” Harrelson tells Word in Black.
And the environmental protections for Black people in Minneapolis are broken too. Change, of course, takes time. But with Black residents disproportionately suffering from asthma and developing rashes from contaminated water, time isn’t a luxury these communities can afford.
The Climate Action Plan
One sore spot is that city officials released a climate action plan in 2013 that has barely been updated, and activists say it’s all talk.
The plan includes goals to accomplish by 2025, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.
Black activists have long been upset that they were not consulted…
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