These centers, which are used by cities such as New York to provide air conditioning for residents who don’t have it at home, are the result of a decadeslong fight against “environmental racism,” a term which refers to environmental injustice that occurs both in practice and policy. Young people have advocated for an intersectional approach to the climate crisis that addresses the realities of environmental racism. Environmental racism is a leading cause of death in communities of color. Environmental racism doesn’t affect only low-income communities. Environmental racism can also be expensive for people of color.