Addressing Environmental Health Disparities in Southern California’s Black Communities

Not far from UCI, some of the nation’s unhealthiest air blankets neighborhoods. One of the world’s busiest international airports, shipping ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles and their associated diesel truck traffic, industrial sites and oil refineries contribute to pollution not just in the air, but in the soil and water, as well. Residents in those communities are at higher risk of asthma, cancer and cardiovascular disease associated with pollution, among other negative health impacts. And those residents are predominantly people of color. A new faculty hiring initiative, the UC Irvine Black Thriving Initiative Faculty Cluster Hiring Program, aims to promote environmental justice and health equity in Southern California’s Black communities by advancing the understanding of the Black experience and the drivers of well-being for the Black community.