COUNTERPOINT: Disadvantaged Often Marginalized

By Mary Mulligan

While many people, groups and communities throughout America may be disadvantaged due to a lack of social control and economic power, people of color (specifically African Americans), and urban communities (specifically communities of color) have the distinction of not only being disadvantaged but of also being marginalized. The reason this is significant to point out is because marginalization is one of the destructive results of racism and its exclusions in providing the best that our society has to offer.

Through historical and unrelenting overt and subvert acts and trends of this society, there are disproportionate rates of poverty, joblessness, injustice, lack of investment, contaminated property, gentrification and other ills affecting people of color and communities of color throughout America. However, this reality is changing and is beginning to have far-reaching impacts on others as well.

With the evolution of brownfield redevelopment in urban communities came the rationalizations about why development and investment were lacking in these communities. And there are numerous reasons given by economists, planners, policy makers and the like as to why this is.

But the reality is, if each community had money, could keep money in the community by using “first source” hiring and increased local business opportunities, and had business and industry that supported the community through commitment and investment, the community would be different. There would be a culture of local corporate citizenship and stewardship of the community — the kind of corporate culture that many communities have and all communities desire.

Instead, many communities have limited money, can’t keep and turn over the money they have, and are home to business and industry that have no citizenship or stewardship in the community. The fight for environmental justice continues to be one of the many struggles that society has tried to silence through ineffective policies, poor science and biased opinions.

Where Brownfields Fit In
The brownfield assistance that comes from the federal government to local governments and communities is definitely helping many communities. Unfortunately, it is a partial or short-term approach to what disadvantaged and marginalized communities really need. It should be noted that many of the communities that have received brownfield funding have not been disadvantaged nor marginalized. Think about it. 

The reality is that after the inventories and initial assessments are completed, a community may not get more money for the remaining assessment work or cleanup, and if it does, the financial assistance needed for job training, infrastructure and redevelopment is missing. If it is already known that a local government and community lack the necessary economic wherewithal needed to complete projects that could elevate the community to greater self sufficiency, why isn’t the kind of help and assistance that is really needed provided?

If what has historically been done continues to be done, we will continue to get what we have been getting: disproportionate rates of poverty, joblessness, injustice, lack of investment, contaminated property, gentrification and other ills.  Issues with environmental justice will continue to plague communities and public health issues will continue to rise.

In order to help local governments and disadvantaged and marginalized communities there must be a consistent inflow of dollars with support services and technical assistance, as needed, to aid and assist in the redevelopment of brownfields from beginning to end. There must be the right mix of tools and resources through a federal multi-agency approach for each community because each community has its own needs. There can no longer be the cookie cutter approach that far too many want to apply to disadvantaged and marginalized communities. BFN

Mary Mulligan is the brownfields specialist for the City of Gary, Indiana’s, Department of Environmental Affairs.

POINT: Race, Poverty and Redevelopment
By Ken Brown

OTHER COUNTERPOINTS

Brownfield Redevelopment Not About the Disadvantaged
By Lance Stokes

All Brownfields Are Not Created Equal
By Lenny Siegel