MLAW358B

In thousands of communities across the United States, children are exposed to toxic substances such as lead. Places like Flint, Newark and Baltimore have become infamous in recent years because so many "lead kids" live in each community - a reflection of the impact of lead in the municipal water supply, of leaded paint in older homes, and of contaminated soil left by toxic industries and leaded gasoline. No level of lead exposure is safe: even at extremely low levels, lead can cause a brain injury that affects a child cognitively, behaviorally and physically. In this course, we will examine the many ways that social conditions leave children vulnerable to lead exposure and also deprive children, their families and their communities of access to just responses.