Introduction
The racism and neglect of human rights witnessed in areas inhabited by a nonwhite population are alarming. Research by Pulido (2016) traces severe cases of inequality and imbalance in the city of Flint, whose major inhabitants are blacks. The research shows the poor living standards in Flint, which the author attributes to the deliberate negative activities of the administration. Pulido demonstrates that Flint is “a powerful example of both environmental racism and the everyday functioning of racial capitalism” (Pulido, 2016, p. 1).
Environmental Racism and Racial Capitalism in Flint
The evident situation is a tendency to abandon and undervalue the general social setting of the nonwhite American population in areas where they are the majority. The accounts of abandonment in the city of Flint highlight the general economic, political and historical environment that produces a vulnerable society living in an unhealthy environment. The dilapidated condition of most of the social services within Flint exposes the negligent actions of the administration right from the senior capacity. The water system is poisoned, but there is very little urgency in how the administration is providing the solution required. The author describes the situation as “environmental racism” meant to degrade the nonwhite population living there (Pulido, 2016, p. 1).
The people living in Flint are so devaluated that their lives are secondary to fiscal solvency. Even the industrial sector is crippled, and the author traces the root cause to past activities of the previous administrations. The current status of the city is characterized by fewer services, poor infrastructure investment, and less democratic practices (Pulido, 2016). The failure by the administration to provide necessary social services underscores the fact that the water poisoning in Flint is intentional.
The article shows that the black inhabitants of Flint form three forms of surplus: “Outcast,” Underground,” and “Threat.” Since it is considered a place of racially devalued population, it is where experimentation with new forms of racism is done (Pulido, 2016, p. 2). The neglect has made the city to be poor and even blacker, while they are being seen as a threat. Instead of the admiration to focus on general welfare and social investment, they focus on security and policing. The conditions such as increased poverty and crime in Flint are direct effects of poor government policies aimed at exploiting the residents. In particular, the Flint water disaster cannot be considered only as the result of capitalism or racism but as a result of several overlooked factors.
The Racial Justice Commission report (1987) outlines how African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Asian Americans are exposed to waste, which is harmful to their communities. The report defines racism as “the intentional or unintentional use of power to isolate, separate and exploit others” (United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, 1987, p. 3). The exercise of power is based on a belief in exaggerated identity, superiority of some race, or presumed racial characteristics. The document thus draws attention to the fact that race is a major factor associated with the presence of hazardous waste in communities across the United States (United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, 1987). It concludes by suggesting that hazardous waste in blacks, Hispanics, and other racial and ethnic communities should be in priority for all levels of government.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the information provided by the two-research shows that some of the environmental, economic, and social problems people face today are promoted by racist ideologies. Their motivation is to imbalance the world from their selfish needs. Apparently, the individuals involved do not face any prosecution because they tend to corrupt the system to end up having legitimacy for their wrongdoings. This is saddening and needs attention from the responsible organizations to intervene.
References
Pulido, L. (2016) Flint, environmental racism, and racial capitalism, capitalism nature socialism, 27:3, 1-16.
United Church of Christ. Commission for Racial Justice. (1987). Toxic wastes and race in the United States: A national report on the racial and socio-economic characteristics of communities with hazardous waste sites.