Literacy for Environmental Justice

LEJ serves the Bayview-Hunters Point community in Southeast San Francisco.San Francisco is a tale of two cities. On the citys western side, residents enjoy a wealth of parks such as Crissy Field and the new $118 million Presidio Tunnel Tops Park; healthy food options from large grocery stores to boutique markets to countless restaurants; and the peace of mind and freedom that comes with living in a safe, low-crime neighborhood.Across the city in the southeast, lies a different San FranciscoBayview-Hunters Point. For decades, this historically African American community has served as the dumping ground for San Franciscos dirty utilities, heavy industry, and toxic pollution. This three-square-mile industrial neighborhood is bordered by two freeways and home to 700 hazardous waste sites, 325 underground petroleum storage tanks, two Superfund sites, and decades of illegal dumping (SF Department of Public Health -SFDPH).It is also home to 34,000+ residents, 26% of whom are under the age of 18the highest percentage of children of any San Francisco neighborhood (SFDPH). According to CalEnviroScreen, 80% of Bayview-Hunters Point residents are people of color with 33% identifying as African American (the citys largest concentration of African Americans), 34% as Latinx, and 25% as Asian American. Approximately 40% of families in Bayview-Hunters Point are severely low-income, living twice below the federal poverty levela cycle of poverty that will continue without education and workforce development opportunities. Unlike families on the western side of the city, a healthy stroll around the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood is not an option. In addition to air pollution from heavy industry and the neighboring freeways, more than half of Bayview residents report feeling unsafe in their community. Bayview-Hunters Point has double the violent crime rate of San Francisco as a whole (SFDPH).According to the SFDPHs Bayview-Hunters Point Community Resiliency report, Bayview-Hunters Point received Low to Very Low rankings for residents access to healthy food. In addition, that same report noted that unlike other parts of San Francisco, healthy, green parklands and trees are scarce in this heavily industrialized neighborhood.LEJ serves over 1,000 SFUSD youth each year and works closely with community organizations to engage youth and young adult audiences in our environmental education and workforce development programs. We engage Bayview residents in volunteer park stewardship, workshops, and environmental advocacy.