Rescuing STEM: Environmental Racism, Industrialism, and Education

This paper argues that environmental racism is a constitutive feature of modern science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries, rooted in a historical system of racial capitalism that exploits marginalized communities and environments for profit. It demonstrates how a STEM education characterized by technocratic Eurocentric curricula perpetuates this system by producing ethically disengaged professionals. To challenge this complicity, this paper calls for a radical transformation of STEM culture and pedagogy. It proposes actionable strategies to decolonize STEM, including the establishment of an independent truth and reckoning commission, the adoption of fugitive-inspired and Afrofuturist pedagogies, and a foundational commitment to equity ethics. These recommendations aim to dismantle extractive practices and reorient STEM toward the paramount goals of justice, ecological repair, and liberation.