Black Environmentalism and Gender Differences: An Ethics of Care?

Examined Black gender differences in concern for the physical environment of communities and level of environmental participation to determine if Black women possess an ethic of caring that supercedes that of Black men. Data were derived from the Louisiana Environmental Equity Survey (1993), which targeted majority Black communities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans where 112 polluting industries and 38 major chemical companies comprise an environmental corridor known as "cancer alley." The sample was composed of 226 women and 178 men. Results show that Black women are more concerned but less active than Black men regarding the environment within their communities. The mean response of environmental activity/participation shows a wide range of consensus among Black men and women.