Houston’s at-risk Black communities could soon experience significant shifts in federal funding policies, potentially deepening long-standing racial inequities.
A recent executive order from President Trump eliminates a long-standing requirement for federal agencies to consider race and income when shaping environmental policies—a move that many in the Black community see as a direct threat to progress.
Founded shortly after World War II, Pleasantville became Houston’s first planned Black community, but its proximity to the Houston Ship Channel brought challenges that persist today.
With the construction of I-10 and I-610, the neighborhood found itself surrounded by heavy industry, with generations of Black families bearing the environmental and health burdens.
Now, ongoing efforts to deepen and widen the ship channel are raising fresh concerns about potential exposure to toxic sediment, and many residents fear they will once again be ignored in the name of economic progress.
Historically, millions of federal dollars have been allocated to clean up predominantly Black and brown low-income communities such as Pleasantville, Sunnyside, and Kashmere Gardens—funding that has provided some relief but not nearly enough to address decades of neglect and harm.
“That is absolutely a concern that we have right now, that the money is going to be frozen,” said Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, one of the few Black leaders fighting to ensure these communities aren’t left behind.
President Trump’s order labels policies that consider race as “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral.” Many Black Houstonians see this as yet another example of systemic disregard for their lived experiences and the persistent racial disparities that affect their health and well-being.
“There have been no cancer clusters determined in River Oaks. There are no cancer clusters that have been identified in West U. We have seen cancer clusters in Fifth Ward. We know that there is a lower life expectancy for folks in Manchester. These are predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods,” Menefee said. “It’s not a race-blind solution because it’s not a race-blind issue.”
As of now, the federal government has yet to provide clear guidelines on the next steps.
For Black communities in Houston, the only option is to wait and continue the fight for environmental justice and equitable funding.