Martin Luther King Jr. and Environmental Justice

This past Monday, we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Most know Dr. King for his leadership in the American civil rights movement and as a champion of nonviolent protest to fight for equality. Some know how his work inspired the signing of the Civil Rights act of 1964 that ended legal segregation of people in public places (which later paved the way to help bring equality for people with disabilities as well). Dr. King is less remembered for his environmental advocacy. However, more than 50 years after his assassination in 1968, Dr. King’s legacy can be closely tied to the modern environmental movement. 

In a famous 1964 sermon Dr. King delivered on Christmas day, he explained, “All life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Although his words were meant to promote global peace and an end to war, Dr. King’s espousal of our interrelatedness as human beings can be closely tied to the idea that our impact on the environment has an effect on us all. 

This week at Nature Links, we explored the life and legacy of Dr. King, and learned about the concept of environmental justice. Students explored this topic while working together to create an imaginary city (which they chose to name San Juan). Students were told they must separate their city into three territories: one part for people who are in charge of the city, one part for people who clean the city, and a part for all other workers. Students then worked collaboratively to place various facilities within their city. Where should we put the coal-fired power plant? What about a nature trail? Where should the factories go? After everything was designed, our city planners looked back to reflect. Students discussed whether or not they felt that our city gave every citizen an opportunity to live a safe and healthy life. We shared our opinions on which part of the city would have the healthiest air and water, what part would suffer from the most pollution, and where we ourselves would choose to live. Students connected their design to the work of Dr. King and his insistence upon the idea that everyone should have the opportunity to be free. Are people free if they aren’t healthy?, students asked each other. We learned about how environmental racism and injustice affects many throughout real urban and rural areas across the country.

A slide from our collective city planning activity.

Undoubtedly, Dr. King’s work will continue to inspire the fight for equality across a range of domains, including that of people of color and those with intellectual disabilities. Hopefully, his work will also inspire more and more awareness of the impacts of environmental racism on our country.

Thanks to the Center for Humane Education and Teaching Tolerance for the inspiration for this lesson.