There is considerable evidence that pollution and other forms of environmental degradation take a heavy toll on African‐American communities. African Americans, however, have not been attracted to mainstream environmental groups. Grassroots environmental groups—with their emphasis on environmental justice—have attracted a larger following within African‐American communities. The 1980s have seen the struggle for environmental equity take on a civil rights meaning. Using preexisting social justice and grassroots organizations for leadership, black community residents have begun to challenge government and private industries that would turn their areas into the nation's dumping grounds for all types of health‐threatening toxins.