Clean and White: A History of Environmental Racism in the United States
- ISBN-10
- 147987437X
- ISBN-13
- 9781479874378
- Category
- Social Science
- Pages
- 288
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2017-10-03
- Publisher
- NYU Press
- Author
- Carl A. Zimring
Description
When Joe Biden attempted to compliment Barack Obama by calling him “clean and articulate,” he unwittingly tapped into one of the most destructive racial stereotypes in American history. This book tells the history of the corrosive idea that whites are clean and those who are not white are dirty. From the age of Thomas Jefferson to the Memphis Public Workers strike of 1968 through the present day, ideas about race and waste have shaped where people have lived, where people have worked, and how American society’s wastes have been managed. Clean and White offers a history of environmental racism in the United States focusing on constructions of race and hygiene. In the wake of the civil war, as the nation encountered emancipation, mass immigration, and the growth of an urbanized society, Americans began to conflate the ideas of race and waste. Certain immigrant groups took on waste management labor, such as Jews and scrap metal recycling, fostering connections between the socially marginalized and refuse. Ethnic “purity” was tied to pure cleanliness, and hygiene became a central aspect of white identity. Carl A. Zimring here draws on historical evidence from statesmen, scholars, sanitarians, novelists, activists, advertisements, and the United States Census of Population to reveal changing constructions of environmental racism. The material consequences of these attitudes endured and expanded through the twentieth century, shaping waste management systems and environmental inequalities that endure into the twenty-first century. Today, the bigoted idea that non-whites are “dirty” remains deeply ingrained in the national psyche, continuing to shape social and environmental inequalities in the age of Obama.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2016-01-08
- 288 pages
- Paperback
- NYU Press
Similar books
-
How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets
By Dana K. WhiteReally, this is a must read for anyone who wants to learn the secrets that all those organized types seem to know.” “I felt like a failure already.
-
The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World's Greatest Challenge
By Gary White, Matt DamonAll the authors’ proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Water.org.
-
Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control
By Dana K. WhiteHere she offers 100 organizing tips to help us understand: Why changing how we think about clutter is the first step to getting rid of it The basics of organization for people who don't like to organize Why you need to get a grip on laundry ...
-
Giving God the Worst of Me
By Dana K. WhiteShe had no idea where her deslobification journey would lead, both in her home and in her spiritual life. This is the story of how God worked in her life to show her that He was more concerned with her heart than her home.
-
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
By Dr. Robin DiAngeloIn this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.
-
White Socks Only
By Evelyn ColemanBravery, defiance, and a touch of magic win out over hatred in this acclaimed story by Elevelyn Coleman. Tyrone Geter's paintings richly evoke its heat, mood, and legendary spirit.
-
The Killing
By Lionel WhiteTwo million bucks should be enough to last him a lifetime or two. But a two-faced dame has another idea: Let Johnny do the work, then she'll take it for herself and her boyfriend. Originally published in 1955 under the title Clean Break.
-
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter
By Margareta MagnussonIn The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism.
-
Dad Jokes for Kids: 350+ Silly, Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for the Whole Family!
By Jimmy NiroPlus, children can learn to write their own dad jokes with fun activities in the back! This book is perfect for: The whole family - perfect for kids ages 7 to 12, but offers fun for the entire family!
-
The Snatchers / Clean Break - the Killing
Two early crime novels from Lionel White, originally published in 1953 and 1955, about a kidnapping and a heist that turn sour.