They’re Poisoning Us on Purpose: The Fifth Ward’s Silent Death Sentence

Houston’s historic Fifth Ward is sounding the alarm—and this time, the city can’t ignore it. Residents are calling out decades of toxic neglect, shouting, “This city still doesn’t care about us—60 years later!” What was once a thriving post-Civil War Black community is now at the center of a health crisis: cancer clusters, deadly pollution, and silence from officials. The culprit? A contaminated rail yard owned by Union Pacific, leaking cancer-causing chemicals into the soil near schools and homes. Even after the EPA found dangerous levels of dioxin near the beloved Julia C. Hester House, leaders continue to downplay the danger. Meanwhile, children like 11-year-old Kyle Turner are battling leukemia just blocks away. The community is demanding justice, accountability, and clean air—before it’s too late. This isn’t just a health emergency—it’s environmental racism, and Fifth Ward residents are done being ignored.