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This study investigates the perceptions of African American head-of-households regarding the connotative definitions of “environment.” Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to address this research question. Qualitative data was derived from 32 elite interviews and 20 individual interviews. Quantitative data was derived from a household survey of 262 single-family residences. This population has shown a range of perceptions in regard to the environment. The primary connotations relate to abstraction, home, family, pollution, water, and trees. Unlike a majority of environmental organizations' definitions that focus on wildlife and nature, people were included in this population's definition of environment. The study findings indicate that the word, “environment,” yields several connotations to the members of the African American community. It is recommended that community environmental education programs are developed that define and address “environment” the way the community residents do.