environmental racism

there is a city in southern california 

that is not known for its sandy beaches or clear skies

it is known for its pollution, visible to the naked eye

wilmington, ca is home to oil refineries 

that are plaguing and sucking life out of communities 

politicians were strategic in the placement of these black skies  

cause you won't see flares in the dead of night  

in calabasas or beverly hills or even van nuys 

there, people don’t have to fight 

for their right to breathe

or march for their lives, 

shouting "tesoro! valero! no queremos tu dinero!" 

after an 8 hour work day

in the suburbs, children do not have canceled school days 

because neighboring refineries fogged the skies

stealing air from people because they are not rich and white

wilmington, ca is not a tourist attraction 

populations with alarming rates of asthma

if you google wilmington, ca refineries 

the map has so many red dots its looks like cystic acne  

a "toxic tour" destination 

“if you look to your right, you will see a flare”

refineries and corporations burning poison into the air

in environments filled with black and brown bodies

struggling to breathe 

if lungs could speak, these would scream 

we are just trying to live, we are just trying to breathe 

and how much is a dollar really worth?

does Valero not care whose health they hurt? 

low income, nonwhite, and with poor health

these outcomes are no surprise

they were strategic and planned by those who have not felt 

the consequences or lived the results

who have not been touched by asthma

who don't feel the need to protest and revolt 

and thats what is called 

environmental racism