From the Streets to the World: The Foundations of Environmental Justice

Environmental justice didn’t begin as a theory - it began as a movement.

In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, Dr. Lesley Joseph traces the roots of environmental justice, unpacking how race, class, power, and policy collide to determine who gets clean air, safe water, and healthy communities - and who is forced to bear the burden of pollution and neglect.

From the lived experiences of frontline communities to the emergence of environmental justice as a civil rights struggle, this episode explores how systemic inequality became embedded in land use, infrastructure, and environmental decision-making. You’ll learn why environmental justice goes far beyond “the environment,” how grassroots organizing reshaped national conversations, and why the fight for a truly level playing field is still unfinished.

Whether you’re new to environmental justice or deeply involved in the work, this episode will challenge listeners to see environmental harm not as accidental, but as political, and to recognize that justice is something communities have always had to demand.

This is where the work begins.

Resources: 
The Principles of Environmental Justice

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