Inequality: The Destruction of Nature and a Healthy Community

Inequality and discrimination still thrives today across the world in all cultures. The detrimental health risks and situations that have occurred over hundreds of years have effected the environment and changed many landscapes overall.

• “This mural describes the destruction of Black Wall Street and how a community lost their way of living because of jealousy. Visiting Black Wall Street was a learning experience about more racial discrimination and prejudice towards people of color. The destruction of communities that thrived in nature and provided wealth to their own soon ceased to exist after the riots and burning down of buildings or houses. It was difficult to listen to the stories of the struggles that occurred after the riots.”

• “The picture is one of the last standing buildings from Black Wall Street. What used to be a prosperous church for people of color turned into a damaged church that had to have every part of the church renovated besides the basement kitchen, where black people hid during the race massacre. The rebuild of the whole city really put my thoughts into perspective on how disruptive the outside community was. I could not imagine the pain and suffering that the black community went through having to rebuild their whole life.”

• “This picture shows a description of the massacre that occurred in Tulsa because of an angry supremacist mob. I was able to walk around the city and see the culture that Black Wall Street was and continues to be today. The emotions that I personally felt and saw within my fellow teammates really had me deep in my thoughts. It is so crazy to think about people mobbing and terrorizing nature and people’s health because they didn’t want to be equal to others.”

• It was amazing to hear another person’s perspective on the devastating events that occurred within Black Wall Street. Chloe was able to provide me with outsiders observations of events that occurred so long ago. She told me the truth of what she thought about the facts that she learned and how they affected her mentally. It was difficult to see her getting emotional when talking about these pictures because visiting the city and learning of the events that took place made her have a newfound appreciation for some of the struggles I have to go through in life. Also, she spoke on seeing some other historic pictures of the scenery after the riots broke out and it was difficult to listen about those grave details. Seeing others learn what struggles black people had to endure to live without equality but also showing the constant fight that never went away as well in their environment was tough. I think that this content reveals Chloe’s capturing of struggles, lost, but triumphs as well.

• One main theme that Chloe portrayed through these pictures was the quietness of what was left after the destruction. It was easy for people to rebuild over what was lost, but they never forgot the events that occurred or the people that were lost. Instead of shying away from the hatred that transpired, she was able to contrast it with a picture of a creative mural along with a monument and its details that is important to that community.

• A reading from class that I thought shed some light on the community and where it protected nature well was the Latino Gardeners in Santa Cruz, California. They were protective over their sacred farming land within their community because that farming land of how people stayed healthy and survived. Having the opportunity to be able to protest and protect themselves was an important aspect on how this story became popular news. When comparing this story to the destruction of Black Wall Street I can only think that they had no freedoms to speak freely and feel as though they had rights to protect their land, instead they worried on protecting their health and families. Seeing the development between these two stories helped me consume the idea that even today there are people who want to control all aspects of the environment and take away the natural components to help health.

• All in all, the intertwinement between humanity and the environment is an interesting aspect in science. The impact that humans have on each other and how we treat each other is a crucial factor in helping or hurting the environment. In the instance of the pictures and statements that were provided it is clear that it has been difficult for people to understand and except that change is inevitable. Even with the burning down of this communities homes, shops, and church they still came out of the trenches. Life will only become easier once people become in tune with themselves to then become in tune with others. That instance will allow equality and thoughts about how to better our health and keep nature prospering for the future.