Young Black children (age 1 to 5) in the U.S. are more likely than their Hispanic and White peers to live in housing and neighborhoods that expose them to lead and have related elevated blood lead levels. And, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, one in two Black children in 2019 lived in counties with one or more pollutant concentrations above the levels of the current air quality standards. Black communities are disproportionately exposed to air and water pollutants and toxins, with significant immediate and long-term impacts on their health and well-being.
What are the consequences of early toxic exposure for Black pregnant women, child-bearing people, and young children? And how do we make progress toward ensuring every Black child breathes clean air and drinks clean water? Join the National Black Child Development Center and Project TENDR (Targeting Environmental Neuro-Development Risks) in a discussion of the scientific evidence linking prenatal and early childhood exposure to toxic environmental chemicals to neurodevelopmental disorders, the effects on Black child development, the challenges of addressing race as a distinguishing variable in studies of environmental impact, and the urgency of translating research into national, state, and community level policies and practices that eliminate environmental threats to current and future generations of Black children.