The Gray Area with Sean Illing

The father of environmental justice

Listen Later

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with Dr, Robert Bullard, a pioneer in the crusade for environmental justice, about his more than four decades in the fight. They discuss how the movement to recognize environmental civil rights began, overcame some of its early opposition, and the landmark legal case that established a constitutional protection against racist environmental policies and practices. Bullard, a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, also discusses how the Biden administration plans to address disproportionately affected communities.

Host: Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Guest: Robert Bullard (@DrBobBullard), co-chair, National Black Environmental Justice Network; professor, Texas Southern University

References: 

  • "Another Reason We Can't Breathe" by Jamil Smith (Rolling Stone; Oct. 27, 2020)
  • The 17 Principles of Environmental Justice (adopted by the NBEJN on Oct. 27, 1991)
  • "Environmental Racism: Recognition, Litigation, and Alleviation" by Pamela Duncan (Tulane Environmental Law Journal, vol. 6, no. 2; 1993)
  • Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class, and Environmental Quality by Robert Bullard (Routledge; 1990)
  • "One reason why coronavirus is hitting Black Americans the hardest" by Ranjani Chakraborty (Vox; May 22, 2020)
  • "There's a clear fix to helping Black communities fight pollution" by Rachel Ramirez (Vox; Feb. 26)
  • "The Path to Achieving Justice 40" by Shalanda Young, Brenda Mallory, and Gina McCarthy (White House; July 20)


    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
    • Vox Audio Fellow: Victoria Dominguez
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      The Gray Area with Sean IllingBy Vox
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5

      4.5

      10,606 ratings

      More shows like The Gray Area with Sean Illing

      View all
      Fresh Air by NPR

      Fresh Air

      38,419 Listeners

      The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker Radio Hour

      6,903 Listeners

      On the Media by WNYC Studios

      On the Media

      9,239 Listeners

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker by The New Yorker

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker

      4,111 Listeners

      Explain It to Me by Vox

      Explain It to Me

      7,888 Listeners

      Switched on Pop by Vulture

      Switched on Pop

      2,677 Listeners

      Pivot by New York Magazine

      Pivot

      9,732 Listeners

      Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

      Gastropod

      3,647 Listeners

      Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

      Decoder with Nilay Patel

      3,142 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      113,307 Listeners

      Good One by Vulture

      Good One

      1,485 Listeners

      Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

      Radio Atlantic

      2,398 Listeners

      Today, Explained by Vox

      Today, Explained

      10,329 Listeners

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

      7,245 Listeners

      Throughline by NPR

      Throughline

      16,508 Listeners

      Land of the Giants by Vulture

      Land of the Giants

      2,164 Listeners

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by MKBHD

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

      42 Listeners

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

      23,563 Listeners

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe by Vox Media Podcast Network

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

      737 Listeners

      Hard Fork by The New York Times

      Hard Fork

      5,592 Listeners

      Good Noticings by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Good Noticings

      6,489 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      16,508 Listeners

      Unexplainable by Vox

      Unexplainable

      2,306 Listeners

      Cover Story by New York Magazine

      Cover Story

      1,217 Listeners

      The Interview by The New York Times

      The Interview

      1,607 Listeners

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward by Cam Heyward

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

      150 Listeners

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF by Vivian Tu

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF

      1,789 Listeners

      Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Prof G Markets

      1,475 Listeners

      The Opinions by The New York Times Opinion

      The Opinions

      634 Listeners

      Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird by Sue Bird

      Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird

      430 Listeners

      Solutions with Henry Blodget by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Solutions with Henry Blodget

      36 Listeners