Environmental Inequalities

4 Pages 1019 Words

Andrew Hurley, in “Environmental Inequalities,” seems to be answering the same question throughout his telling of class, race, and industrial pollution in Gary, Indiana. From 1945- 1980 there were three distinct groups in Gary. There were the middle-class made up of white doctors, lawyers and management, the working class composed of semiskilled workers earning a moderate pay, and African Americans generally working the jobs that white workers did not want. Wage earnings gradually declined from the middle-class down to African American workers. Throughout this reading Hurley continually answers the question of how industrialization in Gary shaped human activity through pay and pollution, and in turn how humans shaped their environment.
Starting with the middle-class citizens of Gary, Indiana, Hurley tells how they are identified by fresh air, beautiful landscapes and space. Hurley says, “Through the 1970’s, the preservation of suburban amenities would remain the driving force behind middle-class opposition to industrial pollution” (Hurley, 47). The relatively high income of the middle-class, although it varied greatly depending on occupation, allowed for families to move into suburban areas. With the combination of greater pay and efficient transportation, Gary was able to decentralize. This resulted in the primarily white middle-class moving a few miles outside of the downtown area, having more space and concentrating more on health issues. This was also made possible through government programs that further solidified the line between middle-class and working-class citizens. The Federal Housing Authority lowered initial down payments and extending repayment schedules. However, these types of mortgages were not allotted to low-income, inner-city neighborhoods because they were too risky. This was not the case for all Gary residents. “Even by the 1970’s, Gary remained a predominantly working-class community with almost ...