Late 1900s and early 2000s Lessons

This lesson situates a local environmental justice issue—University Park’s lead contamination crisis—within national patterns of infrastructural neglect, racial inequality, and civic disempowerment. It connects to themes in U.S. history such as environmental racism, privatization of public services, federalism, and social movements. Paired with the Flint water crisis, this lesson illuminates how systemic inequalities in infrastructure and governance shape community health outcomes. The comparison underscores historical continuities and local specificities in how Black communities have organized to demand accountability and resources.