"The main lesson to be learned from the Love Canal crisis is that in order to protect public health from chemical contamination, there needs to be a massive outcry--a choir of voices--by the American people demanding change."

-Lois Gibbs

Social activism has been seen in various circumstances, whether that was against Jim Crow laws or preventing a pipeline from being built. Lois Gibbs emphasizes here that public health thrives off of social activism. Policies are made in response to people fighting for change. For the Love Canal tragedy, countless cases of cancers and other diagnoses sparked a social movement and resulted in the change they had hoped for--at least a majority of it. Environmental justice did occur among the Griffin Manor residents; however, their story was not publicized to the extent of their White counterparts. This serves as a lesson for future crises and ensuring that every voice is heard.

A resident named Lois Marie Gibbs, known as the Mother of the Superfund, is an activist who created the Love Canal Homeowners Association in 1978, after noticing common health issues occurring among the residents. Even her own children had seizures, asthma, liver, and immune system problems. This committee consisted of 500 families, who were mainly blue-collar workers and worked in industry. She also formed the Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste in 1981, to help other communities like Love Canal. This turned into the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice. The LCHA published health reports to the public and the government to make sure their voices were heard. Additionally, protests and marches were held. Families were also interviewed, and this propelled them to make a map depicting the clusters of diseases in the neighborhood.

Besides Lois Gibbs, there were many African American women activists who were somewhat ignored in the fight. Racial tensions were common in the Love Canal neighborhood, but Lois Gibbs tried to collaborate with the Griffin Manor federal housing project group that consisted predominantly of African Americans. However, a bureaucrat in the neighborhood dissuaded her from doing this. As Gibbs attempted to be more inclusive, there were only more blunt reactions from White residents and misunderstandings on why it wasn’t easy to move immediately, despite being on welfare. The residents in Griffin Manor didn’t have the same access to resources as the members of LCHA did, and the structure of their households (single mothers, with the father out working) contributed to the hardship of moving out just as much as White households. Special certificates were required for moving out for those on welfare, and the process was often delayed. Even the LCHA name was quite exclusive, meaning that it was homeowners only, and it prevented the renters from being welcomed. Further, those living in Griffin Manor were silenced by people telling them the chemicals were not harming them anymore. Meanwhile, efforts to evacuate those living closest to the waste site were advanced, while the needs of those in Griffin Manor were ignored completely. This led to the creation of the Concerned Love Canal Renters Association, led by Elene Thornton, and contained residents from Griffin Manor. Yet, Lois Gibbs was confused by the decision to make a separate organization, rather than both groups working together. The Concerned Love Canal Renters Association is not very well known, and most people have not heard of this group, further showing how minorities can be ignored. Pretty much

all of the information presented online focuses on Lois Gibbs and the LCHA without any remembrance of the CLCRA or Elene Thornton and the other African-American women who were involved in the environmental activism movement.

People would burn effigies of Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn, and 10 year-old daughter, Amy, as well as members of the New York legislature. These actions were done in response to the citizens not feeling as though they were heard.

Lois Gibbs and other protesters

Griffin Manor residences

Effigies being burned.

Effigies of New York Governor Hugh Carey and New York State Health Commissioner David Axelrod

Environmental Activism Resources

EPA distinguishes specific environmental justice movements occurring in each region across the US and ways to get involved

https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-your-community

First steps toward becoming an environmental activist

https://ecologi.com/articles/blog/environmental-activism-your-first-steps

Environmental Justice and Environmental Racism definitions

https://greenaction.org/what-is-environmental-justice/

Lois Gibbs speaking out about leadership

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7JVk1JEHDc

References

Lois Gibbs love canal papers. DCA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://dca.tufts.edu/use-our-collections/featured-collections/lois-gibbs-love-canal-papers#:~:text=Many%20of%20the%20residents%20of,for%20Hazardous%20Waste%20in%201981.

Ploughman, P. D. (1980). Abandoned Griffon Manor (LaSalle Housing Development) on 95th St. New York Heritage Digital Collections. State University of New York at Buffalo. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll1/id/1711/rec/10.

Ploughman, P. D. (1979). Family protests with signs: 'I want to live', 'Hooker, take a dump', and 'Dioxin kills' at Governor Carey's speech to New York State teachers at the Niagara Falls Convention Center. New York Heritage Digital Collections. State University of New York at Buffalo. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll1/id/1710/rec/1.

Ploughman, P. D. (1978). Lois Gibbs on the telephone at the Love Canal Homeowners Association Office inside the 99th Street Elementary School. New York Heritage Digital Collections. State University of New York at Buffalo. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll1/id/1567/rec/59.

Ploughman, P. D. (1979). Love Canal Homeowners Association protest targeting the federal government held outside the Niagara Falls, N.Y. Dept. of Health building. Effigies of Jimmy, Rosalynn and Amy Carter are on the ground. New York Heritage Digital Collections. State University of New York at Buffalo. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll1/id/1934/rec/10.

Ploughman, P. D. (1979). Love Canal Homeowners Association protest targeting the federal government held outside the Niagara Falls, N.Y. Dept. of Health building. Burning effigies of Jimmy, Rosalynn and Amy Carter are in the street. New York Heritage Digital Collections . State University of New York at Buffalo. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll1/id/1938/rec/8.

Schulz, K. (n.d.). Gender, race, and class at Love Canal ... - drake university. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://www.drake.edu/media/departmentsoffices/dussj/2019documents/Schulz%20DUSSJ%202019.pdf

State University of New York at Buffalo. (n.d.). Effigies of New York Governor Hugh Carey and New York State Health Commissioner David Axelrod. New York Heritage Digital Collections. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll1/id/1913/rec/14.

State University of New York at Buffalo. (1990). Lois Gibbs speaking at the rally against resettlement of the Love Canal area. New York Heritage Digital Collections. Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll1/id/1500/rec/8.