The Ramapough are way too familiar with being discounted. Even though they have lived in the mountains of New York and New Jersey for hundreds of years, the government outright refuses to recognize their Black, Indian heritage. But that’s not the worst part.
In the 1960s and 70s, Ford Motor Company dumped a deadly cocktail of cancer-causing chemicals on their land. Decades later, the Ramapough had abnormally high cancer rates, birth defects, skin sores, and a host of other physical issues, including early deaths.
The Ramapough organized and sued Ford Motor Company. The government pretended to clean up the site several times, all while the Ramapough continued to suffer and die. The result?
Incredibly, they LOST against Ford! To add insult to injury, the government accepted a multi-million dollar payoff from the car company to allow the pollution to stay on Ramapough land – and to continue to kill them off and cause other health problems!
The Ramapough refused to take the money, though, because their integrity can’t be bought.
The Ramapough has long known that the government won’t protect them. Their resilience and refusal to allow their fortunes to be determined by racist companies and authorities is inspiring. Whether we accept their payouts or refuse with our pride intact, we must challenge anyone who refuses to treat us and our communities with the respect we deserve!