The term Environmental Racism can sound very intimidating. From Portland to Oakridge, environmentalism is either a lifestyle or a stigma. There s so little diversity here that anything regarding race hardly gets challenged. Yet it is this very lack of diversity and the hegemony of privileged environmentalists that can make environmental racism insidious.
Environmental racism refers to racial discrimination in environmental policy and planning.
It is bias in regulation and enforcement of environmental law. It is the targeting of disenfranchised people who have been marginalized due to race and class. Finally, it is the exclusion of people of color from the decision-making process. Unfortunately, Oregon has a history of racial discrimination, particularly in its land-use laws. This discrimination manifests itself not just in the wilderness, but where we live, work and play.