Chicago's "Toxic Doughnut" by Caruth, Tamia B https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard The topic I chose was Chicago’s “Toxic Doughnut.” This is actually the public housing complex of Altgeld Gardens which was originally a federal housing project for World War II African American veterans. Soon after it became a neighborhood with the highest concentrations of hazardous waste sites in the nation. This includes 50 landfills and 382 industrial facilities. These institutions bring many different chemicals along with them and the residents of this area lack the knowledge about the threats they face just by living there. I will focus on different personal experiences faced by people in the community as well as the government’s actions or lack thereof to help the situation. This includes the benefits of the sites for the government and the rules that the government has in place for pollution and toxicity. Also, it will include the Altgeld Garden’s demographic as compared to other areas of Chicago with a completely different demographic which establishes a form of environmental injustice. The connections that I will draw are mainly going to be related to environmental justice. Other areas of Chicago are not treated the same way which demonstrates racial injustice as Altgeld Garden’s is heavily African American. Another connection is distributive justice because as stated before this area has the highest concentration of hazardous waste in the nation. That clearly shows the very unfair distribution. There is also a link to geography due to the fact that this housing area was originally used for relief for World War II African Americans so threats to the environment would be considered threats to their communities and families because there’s a historical conflict there. This also exemplifies a direct historical conflict. Again, due the fact that this housing area was used for World War II African Americans, it led to the unfair use of the land. They didn’t have the resources to fight this, let alone time or energy due to the fact that they were just coming from a very traumatizing war. That left room for these hazardous facilities to take advantage of their ignorance. en-us 2021-05-13 22:34:25 UTC 2025-10-25 13:43:16 UTC hello@padlet.com Research on residents perception of health risk tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1522924694 In this article, there was a study of residents who've lived in Altgeld Gardens for at least two years where they answered questions about environmental health risks and how it affects them. The results displayed that most believed that there were not enough laws to regulate environmental health risks but that it could be solved through everyone working together. This is all important because it shows that they recognize that there is a problem, they know that the government isn’t doing much about it, yet if they work together as a community, they can fix the issue themselves. This helps moving forward because it allows for local organizing efforts and establishes a sense of educational standard in the community. This helps inform program planning.
 
]]> 2021-05-13 22:51:35 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1522924694 Patterns noticed that caused action tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1522954371 The video begins by showing you a lot of names on a wall which you find out are names of all the people lost in the “Toxic Doughnut.” You also see a pattern with whole families being executed by the same issue which is a development of cancer. They have the highest cancer rate than any other place in Chicago which displays environmental injustice and racial injustice because it’s not the same throughout the city let alone the state. They also discuss a personal experience of a lady named Hazel Johnson who realized all the facts and tried to fight for a change who later became known as “The Mother of Environmental Justice.”]]> 2021-05-13 23:10:05 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1522954371 People for Community Recovery (PCR) & Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF) tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1522971307 These two advocacy programs have been working on filing fair housing complaints, lead abatement training, becoming a solar community, and fighting proposals that further increase the environmental injustice. Black and Latino residents are more likely to live close to industrial pollution and have chronic health conditions and this is due to the racial injustice. This racial injustice is shown by the relocation of a recycling facility from a wealthier area to Altgeld Gardens and these organizations are trying to fight this and show that is unfair. They’ve had to fight against things like outdoor firing ranges, coal gasification plants and a petcoke situation. Companies continue to put their waste and hazardous facilities in the Altgeld Gardens because they figure that it’s normal or that there’s a lot of others out there like them anyway.]]> 2021-05-13 23:21:00 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1522971307 Manganese Dust Pollution tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1522991639 This video shows a personal account of Gina Ramirez and her family who live blocks away from the S.H Bell Company which has been releasing excessive amount of toxic manganese dust. It can cause developmental disabilities and affect the IQ of small children when inhaled which immediately concerned Ramirez because she has a toddler. So, she came together with other community activist to educate everybody on the issue and try to come up with a resolution. They want help from the government which they are not receiving. Most hazardous sites are being placed in the area because companies think it’s easy to do that instead of finding something else and they are also not following the correct safety protocols. There’s literally manganese dust in their soil and they’re trying to raise awareness about it.]]> 2021-05-13 23:33:16 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1522991639 Race and Air Quality tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523016492 Air quality and its impact on health are extremely different between neighborhoods. The lowest air quality is found in areas like the Altgeld Garden which is on the southeast side. Downtown Chicago you can bike ride and hang out outside while on the southeast side there’s foul odors, piles of concrete, and crushed metal. This racial injustice is clear and right in your face. Simple activities like talking a walk outside mean something completely different for those that live downtown than those that live in the southeast. Dangerous and toxic industries have been set up near parks, schools and homes for decades and not a change has been made while city officials say that they are working on it.
 
 
 
 
]]> 2021-05-13 23:48:06 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523016492 Visual Representation of the Issue and its Impact tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523209652 This is a short film with a collective of drawings that build on top of each other which visually show the problem instead of just saying the problem. It shows aspects of the issue like birth defects, people dying, and the large amounts of waste being dumped in the neighborhood. It also shows how the amount of companies that produce these hazardous waste products are multiplying. This shows a sense of environmental injustice because you can see how the matter is getting worse and worse with no prevail and therefore many friends, and family are dying because of it. It also shows distributive injustice as you can see many waste sites being piled up in the same place and same area with no attempt to spread it out or relocate.]]> 2021-05-14 01:08:07 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523209652 Altgeld Gardens sue Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523242804 A group of residents sued CHA claiming that the agency has exposed them to poisons in the neighborhood and misled them about the risks. There were many instances where CHA knew about the hazards of the facilities and companies present in the area and have only done stuff about it once it escalated. For example, chemical plant explosion forcing evacuations. The common theme is that they've only acted when it required an evacuation which would require something very extreme. Another example would be when 200 residents were treated for chemical exposure after an industrial accident spewed out a cloud of acid and 14,000 have to be evacuated.]]> 2021-05-14 01:20:18 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523242804 Untitled (Altgeld Gardens) Artwork tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523305001 This painting depicts the degradation of the Altgeld Gardens. It shows how the pollution is bringing every down with it even the people. The man on the floor is very powerful and impactful because for one he is black which is the primary race of that area. Also he appears. to be angry and on the ground which a lot of people are because it is unfair. In the background you can see sun within the communities which depicts how they still hold each other up and they find happiness with in each other. But right outside their neighborhood theirs heavy toxins, facilities, and companies bringing the neighborhood down and ruining whatever light they have. This shows environmental injustice because you can see the many ways and forms the toxins come in as well as an abundance of it.]]> 2021-05-14 01:42:32 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523305001 People for Community Recovery (PCR) tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523337028 The People for Community Recovery is an advocacy program/organization that educates and brings awareness to the cancer crisis brought upon by the environmental justice that is pollution. This initiative has been going on for four decades. They have been trying to make the government and "corporate polluters" aware of their negligence for a long time now. Through research they have also found that there is a direct correlation between the byproducts that pollute the air, water, and land with the health status of urban minority communities. This shows that there is racial injustice because the health status of minority communities are way worse than those of higher status. ]]> 2021-05-14 01:54:21 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523337028 Facilities and Sites Causing the Injustice tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523371183 The community of Altgeld Gardens is completely isolated from the rest of Chicago. The industries surround them, and the city is so far from it. The Chicago Steel Mills spewed copious amounts iron oxide particles that lead to respiratory health issues and even after its closing its impact still lingers in the air. Landfills are a link to the geography because the gardens were built on top of a landfill which shoes racial injustice because it was originally meant for only black World War II veterans. It brings up the topic of them not being deserving of clean land. Also, more landfills were built along with it which reinforces of treatment of these people being waste as well which lowers self-esteem and can cause many psychological problems. The article goes into more companies and facilities as well and discusses the effects it has on the community and what is suggests.
 
]]> 2021-05-14 02:07:12 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523371183 Health Problems tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523435403 This article discusses the different health hazards and diseases derived from living in the complex. These include lead poisoning, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. This exemplifies the toxicity of the environment and how unsafe it is to live there with in turn shows environmental injustice. The article also discussed government interaction that is making progress worse. Trump's administration proposed a massive budget cut to EPA of 31 percent, including its efforts to address air and water quality and lead-risk reduction which is the exact problem the community if facing. This shows how the government really shows no in trust in fixing or addressing the problem which is horrific to those apart of the community. It also reinforces and inhibits environmental injustice because nothing will be done to change it as funding is lacking.]]> 2021-05-14 02:32:26 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523435403 Lack of Government Interference tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523453727 Reports find that the government is barely cleaning up toxic sites near public housing and have failed to inform residents of the threats they face by living in the Altgeld Gardens. They also don''t care to include their voices on the matter in terms of what to do with the land. Policies and practices have directly encouraged public housing initiatives to be built in areas of environmental contamination and have also encouraged polluting industries to build near low- income areas. It's also as if the government is acting blind to what is happening. A resident feels that they have to prove to them the environmental injustice that they already know is going on. All of this goes to show the negligence that the government shows to this community and how hard it is for them get out of this hinderance.]]> 2021-05-14 02:39:48 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523453727 Government wrongfully enabling tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523482002 When the residents of the Altgeld Gardens began fighting to clean up waste and hazardous sites with the help of the EPA, Trump cut the funding and staff by a drastic amount. This eliminated as many as 3,000 jobs. These cutbacks also include the staff and resources for the Office of Research and Development which provides expertise to monitor polluters and make sure that every facility complies with the health codes. Funding for the environmental justice programs will also drop by a huge 78 percent. All of these changes, impact the community in the worst way possible. It basically means that this is there life and there's no way out it which is unfair. Because of the minority status, there is really no way for them to reach the political office and advocate for themselves which silences their voices. This is racial injustice at its finest.]]> 2021-05-14 02:51:02 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523482002 Personal Account of Moving out of Altgeld Gardens tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523511229 There was a lawsuit against the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) claiming that there was racial discrimination in its housing policy which came to be true. This made CHA move people out of the projects and into the suburbs. The writer of the article is one of them and she accounted for the major differences between the two ways of life which clearly shows the racial injustice. Her family went from dodging chicken bones, broken glass, and fist fights on their way to school to being in what seemed a scene out of the Brady Brunch. They now had dishwashers, washing machines, swimming pools, and golf courses in every direction while the gardens did not. It was her first time not seeing any rust in the park and the most striking difference to her was that there were no roaches. That says a lot about the inequality of the two neighborhoods. It sounds as if she's in a completely different country the way she speaks about it.]]> 2021-05-14 03:03:52 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523511229 Need for Sidewalks tcaruth https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523535712 Residents of the Altgeld Gardens have to go as far too even ask for sidewalks. This is something that isn't even though about in the wealthier communities. They have an abundance of them by the urban minority community of the Altgeld Gardens does not. Deloris Lucas has been advocating for a sidewalk on 130th Street which is an interstate-like roadway. This forces people walking to the Rosebud Farm Stand to tread along a narrow, muddy dirt trail by the side of the road. They also have no option but to make this walk because it is the only source of fresh produce and healthy groceries in the area. This also shows an inequality in the lack of resources and development in that area. It is completely unacceptable to have just one place where you can get your groceries and even worse that it is a hassle to get to it. Also the fact that there is a lack of sidewalks shows another form of danger apart from the pollution because there can easily be a car accident due to this.]]> 2021-05-14 03:15:28 UTC https://padlet.com/tcaruth/y9urwj917tqj1ard/wish/1523535712