Hazel Johnson was an amazing woman who made great strides in the development of the environmental justice movement. Her and her husband both lived in Altgeld Gardens until 1979, when her husband died of lung cancer. After he died, Hazel reached out to her neighbors to find out if they had experienced any of the same things she had. Such as a rise of cancer in the family, pregnancy issues, and in general any other sicknesses. While doing this she noticed that there was definitely an increase, and that the rates were extremely high.

    When she started to find out that there were common and consistent problems in her neighborhood she took the initiative, and called around to different organizations to find out what was happening. She discovered that the rate of cancer was highest in the area of chicago where Altgeld Gardens was located. She was able to link many of the health issues to the toxic chemicals being released from the production plants surrounding the housing development. When she realized that this is what was affecting her neighbors she decided to set up PCR, People for Community Recovery. This was an organization that was set up to support residents in Altgeld Garden as well as other places in Chicago.

    She continued to support her community all of her life. After discovering that there were dangerous air and water pollution problems in the area, she was able to discover why. Industrial buildings near by were using areas by Altgeld Gardens as a toxic dumping zone. She convinced the state to test water within her area for toxins, and other chemicals. They finally agreed to do so , and it was discovered that there was cyanide and other toxins in the water. The city then had to make a change, and they ended up installing water and sewer lines.