Environmental justice is an idea that came to play in the 1960's. During these times coloured people had less justices and rights and therefore their environmental and health rights were not respected. Big companies started building landfills, incinerators and factories that have big health and environment issues, right next to the growing black community. This is at a time and place where blacks made up 20 % if the population. Can you imagine that? These companies couldn't have put it anywhere else and made it a environmentally racist act. From those days people have pushed for equality in dealing with the environment.  The National Black Environmental Justice Network is a group today helping coloured people be environmentally equal. They have made way be winning relocations and by getting a clean air act passed.

 Environmental justice is a social movement in the whose focus is on the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. All members of society will receive the same burden/benefits unlike as was with the incinerators in black communities.