Dumping in Dixie is a 1990 book by the American professor, author, activist, and environmental sociologist Robert D. Bullard. Bullard spotlights the quintessence of the economic, social, and psychological consequences induced by the siting of noxious facilities in mobilizing the African American community. Starting with the assertion that every human has the right to a healthy environment, the book documents the journey of five American communities of color as they rally to safeguard their health and homes from the lethal effects of pollution. Further, Bullard investigates the heterogeneous obstacles to social and environmental justice that African American communities often encounter. Dumping in Dixie is widely acknowledged as the first book to discuss environmental injustices and distill the concept of environmental justice holistically. Since the publication of Dumping in Dixie, Bullard has emerged as one of the seminal figures of the environmental justice movement; some even label Bullard as the "father of environmental justice".
Publication history
Dumping in Dixie has three editions. Westview Press published the first edition on October 16, 1990. Ensuingly, Westview Press launched the second edition on July 1, 1994. Routledge released the third and latest edition on March 24, 2000.
Summary of chapters
Seven chapters compose Bullard's book.
Chapter 1 - Environmentalism and Social Justice
The introductory chapter of Bullard's book chronicles the rise of the environmental movement in the United States, exposes the void of existing literature examining the intersection of environmentalism and social justice, and details methodologies employed to actualize the novel.
Chapter 2 - Race, Class, and the Politics of Place
The second chapter considers the intersection of race, class, and place. In particular, Bullard alludes to four cases (Chemical Waste Management, SCA Services, Industrial Chemical Company, and Warren County PCB Landfill) to depict how the siting of toxic waste facilities and landfills often burdens communities with high percentages of poor, elderly, young, and minority (mainly black) residents.
Chapter 3 - Dispute Resolution and Toxics: Case Studies
In the third chapter, Bullard examines five case studies from diverse settings (Houston, Dallas, Virginia, Louisiana, and Alabama) to highlight the conflicts and unfairness surrounding "unwanted land uses."
Chapter 4 - The Environmental Justice Movement: Survey Results
Bullard commences the fourth chapter by revealing a gap in the existing literature—while studies underlining how unwanted land uses disproportionately jeopardize poor or minority communities are burgeoning, information regarding how victims cope with such ecological threats is limited. Correspondingly, Bullard presents the results of his survey study investigating environmental dispute-resolution strategies employed by black residents, deriving from 523 responses from 5 locations.
Chapter 5 - Environmental Racism Revisited
Through chapter five, Bullard unpacks the concept of environmental racism—how public policies and industrial practices emanate benefits for white people while shifting costs to people of color—by depicting the economic transition of southern states like Louisiana.
Chapter 6 - Environmental Justice as a Working Model
In essence, the sixth chapter delves into the contemporary environmental protection model while simultaneously advancing an alternative framework, the national environmental justice framework, for addressing the wants and concerns of disenfranchised communities
Chapter 7 - Action Strategies for the Twenty-First Century
The seventh chapter provides a brief recapitulation of Bullard's chief findings on people-of-color environmentalism. Further, it outlines action strategies necessary to enhance the environmental justice movement and environmentalism in this generation.
Reaction
Favorable
Bailus Walker Jr.'s review in the Journal of Public Health Policy commends Bullard's "sensibility" and "style". Moreover, Walker Jr. labels Bullard as a "master at reaching relevant conclusions" while simultaneously lauding Dumping in Dixies uniformity and clarity. Similarly, accentuating the book's "unusual approach", H.H. Fawcett posits that Dumping in Dixie is "a book well worth considering" in a review in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. Finally, Daniel Suman's review in Ecology Law Quarterly ascertains that Bullard's Dumping in Dixie "is an important contribution" to the burgeoning field of environmental equity and racism.