The Racism that Upends the Cradle

Black children experience the trauma of racism even before they are born, and are confronted throughout their lives by a system designed not to support them. This report from The Chisholm Legacy Project and Children’s Environmental Health Network details heartbreaking statistics that represent the lived realities of millions of Black children across the nation due to racist policies and practices — including redlining, the placement of hazardous waste facilities, and systemic exclusion from shared resources. The paper explores the ways that historic and persistent inequities compound jeopardy for Black children and proposes a framework for a Just Transition, embracing systems that enable us to all share in abundance and thrive together, supporting all children’s futures.