Kashea McCowan Nicole Cardoza Kashea McCowan Nicole Cardoza

Respect the Chicago hunger strike.

Though Chicago is home to some of the most vibrant urban forests, prairies, and wetlands, in 2020 it set the record for having the worst, unhealthy air quality streak in ten years, ranking even higher than busy cities like Los Angeles. Coupled with COVID-19, experts and advocates predicted the damage would hit Black and Brown communities the hardest (abc 7 chicago). In addition to the many contributing factors that make this city environmentally unsafe such as daily emissions stemming from rail, road, and air traffic, Little Village—a Black and predominantly Latinx neighborhood—soon will have to endure the harsh effects of a metal-shredding operation on top of the pandemic and daily exhaustion.

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. The hunger strike for environmental justice led by organizers in Chicago over the past month has inspired the heck out of me. Sometimes the injustices the world faces may feel insurmountable, and that we alone can't make an impact. But that should never stop us from trying. Three people started a hunger strike – and with that, a youth-driven movement that is likely to transform their community. Learn more in today's newsletter.

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Nicole

TAKE ACTION

  • Follow the efforts of the strike on Twitter at @CHIhungerstrike.

  • Research environmental organizations like weact.org to learn about the many ways to support environmental justice.

  • Consider: how does environmental conditions differ in your own city, town or neighborhood? Who are the leader(s) advocating for change?

GET EDUCATED

By Kashea McCowan (she/her)

Though Chicago is home to some of the most vibrant urban forests, prairies, and wetlands, in 2020 it set the record for having the worst, unhealthy air quality streak in ten years, ranking even higher than busy cities like Los Angeles. Coupled with COVID-19, experts and advocates predicted the damage would hit Black and Brown communities the hardest (abc 7 chicago). In addition to the many contributing factors that make this city environmentally unsafe such as daily emissions stemming from rail, road, and air traffic, Little Village—a Black and predominantly Latinx neighborhood—soon will have to endure the harsh effects of a metal-shredding operation on top of the pandemic and daily exhaustion. 
 

Without the metal-shredder, Black and brown citizens residing on the southeast side of Chicago already are having to overcome a “moderate” air quality index (AQI) of 52. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines “moderate” as air potentially unhealthy to sensitive groups including children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing cardiovascular or respiratory health conditions (IQAir). In order to protect themselves from air pollution, these groups have no access to fresh air as it is recommended for them to keep their windows closed to avoid dirty outdoor air and reduce outdoor exercise. According to the EPA, the neighborhood surrounding the new scrap yard site is in the 95th percentile for diesel emissions, 90th for hazardous waste, and 80th for air pollution (grist). 
 

“Many of our residents already have problems with respiratory issues because of the ongoing industry that is operating in our neighborhood. We’re just adding a lot more stress to our public health,” says Edith Tovar in July 2020, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization community organizer. (abc 7 Chicago).
 

With awareness of these health constraints, Mayor Lori Lightfoot gave Stephen Joseph, chief executive of Reserve Management Group, the go ahead in late 2020 to acquire General Iron, a metal-shredding company rebranded as Southside Recycling. Expressed in a detailed two-page agreement is a timeline of when Joseph could expect to undergo the move of the decades-old business from the north side, a predominantly white neighborhood, to the south side where people of color mostly reside beginning in early 2021. The car and metal-shredding operation was often cited for violations of air pollution in the white part of town. This prompted its relocation, instead, to the Black and Brown part of the city. Despite protests from residents about the environmentally racist move, Lightfoot signed the agreement and all but sealed the deal with Joseph and General Iron (Chicago Sun Times). 
 

Beginning on February 4, 2021, the relocation of the metal-shredder did not sit well with the Latinx community who it would affect the most and thus, began a month-long hunger strike. Among those leading the strike was Oscar Sanchez, Breanna Bertacchi, and Chuck Stark with Sanchez and many other protestors willing to go without food for however long it takes. 
 

“It is immoral, it is discriminatory, and we cannot allow [this plant to operate] in a pandemic when we can prevent it,” says Byron Sigcho-Lopez, a 25th ward alderman who joined the hunger strike (EcoWatch).
 

The EPA suspended its environmental justice investigation into whether Illinois discriminated against the predominantly Black and Latinx southeast side community after the initiation of discussions about an informal resolution agreement. According to the Chicago Tribune, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is looking for Biden and his administration to make the call of whether or not the scrap yard can be moved to the southeast side (EcoWatch). 
 

Lightfoot finally reached out in response to the strikers via a letter on February 23 acknowledging the hunger strike and the environmental racism the neighborhood faces, but has yet to deny General Iron’s permit and has failed to commit to the hunger strikers demands. Last Thursday, more than two hundred protesters gathered on the streets of Chicago with signs that read “Stop General Iron” and face masks with the words “We deserve clean air!” and “Ecological devastation is immoral”. The scrap yard violated EPA’s standards in 2018, 2012, and 2006 and was regarded by white neighbors as a nuisance. Many of the speakers at the rally including students who attend George Washington high school stated that they should not have to starve themselves just to get their Mayor’s attention (The Guardian). 
 

According to Dr. Susan Buchanan, public health professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago noted that the particular matter that often escapes these types of businesses can lead to severe heart and lung conditions. Joseph says that the pollution controls at the new site will be enough to keep residents safe as he feels like he and his company are not the enemy (The Guardian).
 

Kudos to those neighbors like Oscar Sanchez who are willing to sacrifice their physical and mental health for what they believe in. Sanchez lost about twenty pounds from participating in the hunger strike for thirty days, and though the hunger strike ended yesterday, he says that the fight is far from over. 
 

“Think about somebody pulling into your home and wanting to kill or hurt those around you. You’re gonna put yourself in line, right? We’re risking our lives just by living here, of course we’re going to fight,” says Sanchez. “This fight for the southeast side is a fight for Chicago and a fight for Chicago is a fight for Illinois and the nation because no one else should suffer at the hands of pollution.” (Grist)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • In 2020, Chicago set the record for having the worst, unhealthy air quality streak in ten years, ranking even higher than busy cities like Los Angeles.

  • Little Village, a Black and predominantly Latinx neighborhood, soon will have to endure the harsh effects of a metal-shredding operation on top of the pandemic and daily exhaustion. 

  • Mayor Lori Lightfoot gave Stephen Joseph the go ahead to acquire General Iron and move decades-old business from the north side, a predominantly white neighborhood, to the south side where people of color mostly reside.

  • Though the hunger strike ended yesterday, the fight for environmental justice is far from over.

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