The Anthropology of Toxicity

While waiting for more information about our film project, which will be based in the Pleasantville neighboorhood of Houston, I thought it would be useful to try to obtain context for the place. Through my research, it became clear that Pleasantville is a subdivision in the superneighboorhood “Pleasantville Area.”

Mapping

Short of actually visiting the area, I began an online investigation through Google Maps. From this, I gleaned relative location, as well as some features of the space. The Pleasantville Area is located in East Houston, inside the 610 innerloop, and sub-divided by I-10 which runs through the area. Satellite View reveals that the area south of I-10 is greener, with two parks, an elementary and middle school, and residential areas. North of I-10 is a more commercial or industrial area. I also utilized Google Street View to gain a sense of the neighboorhood. I did this informally, but there is precedent for using google street view to perform neighboorhood audits (see Michael D. M. Bader’s “The Promise, Practicalities, and Perils of Virtually Auditing Neighborhoods Using Google Street View“).

Demographics and History

According to the City of Houston’s Super Neighboorhood description of the Pleasantville Area, it “was developed after World War II and is predominantly African American.” The report also notes that “the high homeownership rate and strong neighborhood identity has staved off deterioration even as the residential area has been surrounded by warehouses and industries.” Other articles note that Pleasantville was the “first planned community for African-Americans in the city,” but faces pressures and environmental concerns from industry, the ship channel, and nearby highways. Specifically, “warehouses, metal recyclers, salvage yards, [and] Anheuser-Busch’s Houston brewery” are nearby.

The area takes up 3.54 square miles, and is included in four police beats, three Houston City Council Districts (B,H,&I) and two school districts: HISD and North Forest Independent School. With these multiple jurisdictions, the designation of super-neighboorhood gives the area a cohesive way to access resources from the Houston network. It was given the super neighborhood designation in 2001.

As of 2015, the super neighboorhood had a population of 2,217,706, and was 26% Non-Hispanic White, 22% Non-Hispanic Black, and 44% Hispanic, making it a minority area. Spanish is the primary language spoken at home for 47% of households. The median household income was $46,187.

Community Activism 

ACTS or “Achieving Community Tasks Successfully” is a non-profit based in Pleasantville focused on bringing resources to under-served communities, with a focus on Environmental Justice. ACTS is focusing on “flood mitigation and air quality” through a partnership with the  HBCU-CBO Gulf Coast Equity Consortium, under the direction of Dr. Robert Bullard and Dr. Beverly Wright. Some of the efforts they are focusing on including advocating for updated drainage infrastructure, as well as air monitoring. Texas Southern University and the Environmental Defense Fund are two other important stakeholders working with ACTS.