Alabama violated civil rights with poor sanitation, Biden administration finds

Report finds state discriminated against Black residents with ‘pattern of inaction and/or neglect’ over health risks of raw sewage

The Biden administration has found that Alabama’s public health departments discriminated against Black residents by denying access to adequate sanitation systems.

A 2017 study, published first by the Guardian, found the hookworm parasite transmitted in fecal matter to be prevalent in a majority-Black Lowndes county. On Thursday, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced that the state and county engaged in a “consistent pattern of inaction and/or neglect concerning the health risks associated with raw sewage”.