Unmasking the individuals whose lives bear the burden of environmental injustice
WORDS AND IMAGES BY NITASHIA JOHNSON
EDITED BY NEHAA BIMAL
“In my documentation project, titled "The Faces That Face," West Dallas holds a special place in my heart, serving as the backdrop to my earliest memories. From the red brick housing projects that sheltered my family to the local burger joint and schools, it was my first home—etched vividly in my recollections.
One compelling aspect of this project involved collaborating with Janie Cisneros, a true representative of the neighborhood's resilience. Born and raised in West Dallas, Texas, Janie is a first-generation Latina and the driving force behind Singleton United/Unidos—an empowering group dedicated to raising awareness about pollution risks in the community.” -Nitashia Johnson
Signage on the side of a daycare near the GAF location. Image by Nitashia Johnson.
Singleton United/Unido’s GAF’s Gotta Go/GAF Vete Ya Campaign is united towards the goal of defending their “basic rights to breathe clean air.” Their mission is the David versus Goliath task of removing the GAF factory from the residential community as, prior to 2022, it was the “largest polluter of Sulfur Dioxide and the 4th largest Particulate Matter polluter in Dallas County.”
West Dallas has a deep environmental history that began during the Industrial Revolution in the United States. Similar to numerous major cities, Dallas underwent industrial development and expansion and became known as the Cement City. Racial segregation served as a fundamental influence in land use policy, impacting residential areas and neighbourhood compositions.
Singleton United leader Janie Cisneros and her mother Rosa Maria Cisneros at her home in Dallas, Texas near the GAF location. Image by Nitashia Johnson.
The practice of redlining hindered Black and Brown communities from receiving equivalent investment and support from government entities and banks—unlike the privileges enjoyed by White neighbourhoods. Consequently, this resulted in the concentration of poverty in Black and Brown communities, contributing to the exploitation of land for industrial use or other undesirable purposes.
West Dallas began as a community on the outskirts of Dallas and was officially incorporated into the city in 1954, making essential services more accessible to the residents. However, in 1959, a major development occurred with the construction of a 3,500-unit public housing complex located close to a RSR lead smelter facility, which was raising potential environmental concerns due to inadequate control measures during the refining, casting and processing stages. Residents complained for decades about the negative health impacts but it was only in 1994, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed the Preliminary Close Out Report for the RSR Corp, that residents received some respite.
“You talk to people around here and they’ll tell you really quickly how bad it smells and how the smell makes their tummy hurt, their eyes watery, makes them cough and sneeze. When there’s irritants in the air, your skin starts breaking out into a rash. We’ve lived like this and it’s not okay. Enough is enough.”
The GAF asphalt shingle manufacturer serves as a constant reminder of how the City of Dallas continues to allow industrial polluters to operate next door to residents.
The GAF manufacturing plant. Image by Nitashia Johnson.
Cisneros, a longtime West Dallas resident, has personally experienced the environmental challenges posed by industrial activities in the area.
“I only found out about the amount of pollution in this area because I agreed to have an air monitor hooked up to my home as part of an air quality study. I saw the levels of pollution and it blew my mind that this was what we’ve been living with. I then started thinking that if those are the current levels of pollution, then what were they when RSR lead was also operating at the same time as GAF?,” she says.
Janie Cisneros on November 14, 2023, when Singleton United convened at Dallas City Hall to advocate for the right to file for amortization. Over the past two years, Singleton United, alongside community allies, has been actively engaged in efforts to eliminate the GAF shingle factory from their neighborhood by the year 2029. Image by Nitashia Johnson.
Cisneros still resides on Bedford Street in West Dallas, a couple hundred feet to the west of GAF. Cisneros suspects that prolonged exposure to pollution may have contributed to her mother's health issues, her father’s cancer, and her four year-old daughter Lila’s struggles with asthma.
“It’s not a coincidence. There is a reason why so many people are being hurt and damaged by the pollution that is in this area. It is environmental racism and it is environmental injustice because it is disproportionately impacting the Black and Latinx community that lives here,” says Cisneros.
Several other residents are also facing various health challenges, possibly linked to their proximity to the GAF fenceline. Cisneros, who has lived in the area for 25 years, is grappling with pulmonary issues and heart problems. Her home is situated just 110 yards from the GAF fenceline. Janie's mother Rosa Cisneros, has resided in West Dallas for 45 years and is battling rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and pulmonary issues, including lung nodules. Rosa's house is located 135 yards from the GAF facility.
Ms. Verna Childress is a cherished, long-standing resident of the West Dallas community. Her home is situated directly in front of the GAF manufacturing plant. Living in such close proximity to an industrial facility can raise important questions about environmental factors and quality of life. Image by Nitashia Johnson.
“You talk to people around here and they’ll tell you really quickly how bad it smells and how the smell makes their tummy hurt, their eyes watery, makes them cough and sneeze. When there’s irritants in the air, your skin starts breaking out into a rash. We’ve lived like this and it’s not okay. Enough is enough,” she says.
Vernon Childress, who has been a part of the West Dallas community for over 36 years, has a history of heart problems and has undergone several operations. She also has a son with asthma. Her residence stands 120 yards away from the GAF fenceline. Delores Burns, a long-term West Dallas resident for nearly 30 years, is coping with asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and COPD. Delores lives 230 yards from the GAF facility. “I don't care about money. I don’t care about nothing. I just want to live,” says Childress.
Pedro Suarez, who has been in West Dallas for 40 years, has had four recent emergency room visits, indicating ongoing health issues. He experiences vertigo and stomach problems and resides just 20 yards from the GAF fenceline.
The common thread among these residents is their proximity to the GAF facility, suggesting a potential connection between their health conditions and environmental factors in the area. Further investigation and monitoring may be necessary to assess and address the health concerns in this community.
Pedro Suarez, a resident of West Dallas for the last 40 years, has had four recent emergency room visits. Image by Nitashia Johnson.
Many residents work alongside Janie to raise awareness about the GAF facility and its negative health impact on the community. In September 2021, Singleton United/Unidos was officially established and the GAF’s Gotta Go/ GAF Vete Ya campaign was launched with the sole mission to remove GAF from their residential community. In the summer of 2022, the nearly 80-year-old West Dallas Shingles Plant, located so close to residential schools and living spaces, agreed to shut down after the campaign released a report, ‘The Case for Amortization’, that outlines how the City of Dallas can and should close the factory using their land use laws. Another study by Paul Quinn College had previously identified the plant as one of the city's top polluters.
Singleton United/Unidos joined a housing discrimination complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) against the city of Dallas. Other complainants included the Joppa Environmental Health Project, Neighbors United/Vecinos Unidos, Marsha Jackson and the Coalition for Neighborhood Self-Determination. The HUD complaint alleges that the city's industrial zoning of single-family neighborhoods of color violates the Fair Housing Act, as residents lack protection from both legal and illegal industrial polluters due to this zoning.
Over the past two years, Singleton United, alongside community allies, has been actively engaged in efforts to eliminate the GAF shingle factory from their neighborhood by the year 2029. Image by Nitashia Johnson.
The GAF company has since revealed its seven-year closure timeline of 2029, which is an unreasonable timeline and is unacceptable to the community. They refuse to be a sacrifice zone any longer and their fight continues for environmental justice.
“It’s not a coincidence. There is a reason why so many people are being hurt and damaged by the pollution that is in this area. It is environmental racism and it is environmental injustice because it is disproportionately impacting the Black and Latinx community that lives here”
Mr. and Mrs. Gipson owners of the Gipson grocery store currently located in West Dallas, is one of the longest-running Black-owned groceries in the nation. It opened its first doors over 60 years ago, in 1956. This image is representative of the West Dallas culture. Image by Nitashia Johnson.
“What makes me happy is seeing my daughter growing up and seeing her take in the world, observing it and trying to understand it and I love helping her with that,” says Cisneros. As mentioned in the Singleton United/Unidos mission statement, for this West Dallas neighbourhood, worrying about their family’s health should not be a consequence of where they live and children living in the community deserve to grow up in a neighborhood where playing outdoors is carefree, not a health risk.
This story was created with the support of Aesop and our Revolutionary Storyteller Grant (2024 applications now open). Support Singleton United by visiting their LinkTree
This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center and Diversify Photo through the Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant.
Visit 2023 Revolutionary Storyteller Grantee Nitashia Johnson’s virtual exhibit:
