"I Can't Breathe": Examining the Legacy of American Racism on Determinants of Health and the Ongoing Pursuit of Environmental Justice.

This paper traces the roots of systemic anti-Black racism in America from its origins in the 1400s, through systems of scientific racism that pathologized Blackness in order to justify slavery, and through evolving policies and structures that have shifted over time but consistently exposed many African American communities to unsafe and unhealthy environments. We conclude with calls for bold solutions to move through and past this oppressive history and toward true environmental justice the enables all communities to thrive together.