by Karolyn Raj, F25 Environmental Clinic Student
This year the EPA announced it will end its environmental justice initiatives.[1] Environmental justice addresses disparities in environmental concerns for under-resourced communities. For example, the Houston Ship Channel is a hotspot for industrial pollutants, and contaminated materials are often placed in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.[2] This puts these communities at a higher risk for health issues, such as cancer. Health and other disparities throughout Houston have been further researched, and researchers found a mapping phenomenon. Mapping inequities in Houston reveals the same arrow-like shape.[3]
The Houston Arrow refers to more affluent neighborhoods, such as Montrose, River Oaks, and the Heights. These communities also have a larger non-Hispanic White population than neighborhoods outside of the Arrow. Many organizations have started to research the impact a person’s zipcode has on their quality of life and opportunities. The Environmental Defense Fund found that communities within the Arrow are less vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Air Alliance Houston found that within the Arrow there are less solid waste facilities.[4] This also demonstrates the interconnectedness of environmental concerns. For instance, climate change increases the amount of natural disasters, which may destabilize waste sites, resulting in increased exposure to toxic pollutants.[5] Therefore, while clear disparities exist, these disparities may be exacerbated and worsened over time.
Aside from environmental concerns, researchers have found other inequities. Rice University found that people living within the Arrow typically have better job and transit opportunities.[6] When looking at where people who are unhoused are ticketed the most for encampments, it appears to be within the Arrow.[7] When COVID-19 vaccines were first rolled out, the zipcodes in Harris County with the lowest vaccination rates all were located outside the Arrow.[8] The divide between those living within and outside the Arrow underscores how pervasive inequality is in Houston.
These disparities did not magically appear. Systemic discrimination has a long history in America, and Houston is not immune to the impacts of it. The Houston Arrow is the result of racial zoning, restrictive covenants, and historical redlining. Baltimore was the first city to enact a racial zoning ordinance that required Black and White residents to live on different city blocks in 1913, and many cities followed suit.[9] A few years later, the Supreme Court found these racial ordinances unconstitutional.[10] This did not stop discriminatory practices based on race though. Starting in the 1930s, private lenders would deny home loans to people of color.[11] Racially restrictive covenants also limited the property Black people had access to.
In Houston, specifically, developing areas were advertised as exclusive utopias for wealthy, White men.[12] In River Oaks, the founders utilized “gentlemen’s agreements,” which prohibited selling property to non-White residents. As River Oaks grew, it benefitted from the political power and wealth the founders had. For example, some of the land surrounding River Oaks was restricted to remain as a greenspace, ensuring the exclusivity of the community. Additionally, transportation officials agreed to not demolish properties in River Oaks for highway expansion. Historical Black communities did not have this luxury due to a lack of political power. Today, most of the neighborhoods outside the Arrow are divided by highways.[13] Unsurprisingly, these neighborhoods are still predominantly Black and Brown, and are not as affluent as the White-only communities that once existed.
Understanding the history of Houston is an important first step in addressing inequities. This means confronting the racist legacy of Houston and putting more money in these under-resourced communities. The Arrow can either remain a symbol of division, or it can be a tool to create a more equal Houston.
[1] https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-terminates-bidens-environmental-justice-dei-arms-agency
[2] https://healthygulf.org/hidden-burden-of-the-houston-ship-channel/
[3] https://houstonlanding.org/mapping-the-arrow-can-visualizing-houstons-inequity-lead-to-a-brighter-future/
[4] https://onebreathhou.org/houston-arrow/1-up_and_down_on_richmond/
[5] https://housingmatters.urban.org/articles/millions-americans-live-near-toxic-waste-sites-how-does-affect-their-health
[6] https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/houston-2016-told-through-5-maps
[7] https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/2024/houston-arrow-homeless-encampments/
[8] https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harris-County-vaccination-data-shows-16095780.php
[9] https://calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/sep/25
[10] Buchanan v. Warley, 245 U.S. 60 (1917).
[11] https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4a952275a57246239e6b18b6d10f7e59
[12] https://onebreathhou.org/houston-arrow/2-a_home_for_the_ruling_class/
[13] https://houstonlanding.org/mapping-the-arrow-can-visualizing-houstons-inequity-lead-to-a-brighter-future/
The articles published on this site reflect the views of the individual authors only. They do not represent the views of the Environmental Clinic, The University of Texas School of Law, or The University of Texas at Austin.