The environmental justice movement came from communities that historically bore the brunt of hosting waste sites in their backyards. When a predominantly black county in North Carolina protested a toxic waste landfill, it galvanized the nation to talk about environmental racism.

Watch Film Excerpt: Environmental Justice Meets Human Rights

Activist Bob Bullard and journalist Philip Shabecoff describe how it took decades for different movements — mainstream environmental, environmental justice, and civil and human rights — to work together towards their common goals.

This is a film excerpt from A Fierce Green Fire. American Masters presents A Fierce Green Fire, the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement, premiering nationally Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 9-10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) in honor of Earth Day.