Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice
LWV Chicago’s Chicago in Focus lecture series recently featured a talk from Chakena D. Perry, Senior Policy Advocate for the Safe Water Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where she spoke about the intersection of clean water, environmental justice, and Black maternal health. Watch the full lecture above.
Facts about Black maternal health and environmental justice
Black communities in Chicago are more likely to experience environmental issues for several reasons:
Black communities have fewer trees, which means more flooding and more stagnant water.
Many Black communities, including Back of the Yards and Ashburn on the South side of Chicago, have historically experienced illegal dumping of toxic chemicals.
Chicago has more lead pipes than any other city in the U.S., and Black Chicago residents are two times as likely to live in areas with lead pipes.
All of these environmental issues can cause worse maternal health outcomes.
Black people are often disproportionately exposed to PFAS, a chemical linked to decreased fertility, life-threatening pregnancy conditions, pregnancy-induced hypertension.
What you can do
Contact your congressperson to express support for the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act. You can also Contact Lauren Underwood, co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, for more ways to get involved.
If you have lead pipes (learn how to find out if you have lead pipes here), apply for one of the City of Chicago programs to have your service line replaced.
Sign this petition telling the Biden Administration to remove lead service lines quickly and equitably.
Contact your alderperson and tell them that residents of your area should receive filter pitchers and replacement filters while waiting for lead service lines to be replaced.
Further reading
Chakena D. Perry recently published an op-ed in Harvard Public Health Magazine entitled Access to clean water is a matter of life and death for Black mothers.
Ms. Perry is also the Co-chair of the newly-formed Planned Parenthood Illinois Action Black Maternal Health Task Force. Read more about the Task Force here.
Crain’s Chicago Business recently published an article entitled Black maternal mortality has reached a crisis level. Here are the Chicagoans taking steps to stem it.
Read the stories of Serena Williams, who faced life-threatening pregnancy complications in 2018, and Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympian who died from childbirth complications in June of this year.
This Chicago in Focus lecture was held Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at Oakdale Covenant Church. The event was also presented virtually.
LWV Chicago's 'Chicago in Focus' lecture series seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today.