You’ve probably heard of this city even if you have never been to the midwest. It’s the seventh largest city in Michigan- located on the Flint River northwest of Detroit - 56.6% African American. Historically, the city’s economy was dependent on General Motors which began downsizing in 1978 causing a deep economic depression. Over the next 30 plus years, Flint lost half its population and according to 2016 Census data has the highest poverty rate among cities with at least 65,000 residents in the U.S (Mack, 2017). In April 2014, the city’s drinking water was changed to the Flint River though it was known to be highly polluted. Insufficient water treatment resulted in lead contamination in the city’s drinking water. No safe blood levels of lead in children has been determined according to the CDC (Health, 2017). Yet, it wasn’t until January 5, 2016 that a state of emergency was declared and the people of Flint were urged to use bottled water. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission declared Flint’s water emergency an act of environmental racism,
"We are not suggesting that those making decisions related to this crisis were racists, or meant to treat Flint any differently because it is a community of color. Rather, the response is the result of implicit bias and the history of systemic racism that was built into the foundation of Flint. The lessons of Flint are profound. While the exact situation and response that happened in Flint may never happen anywhere else, the factors that led to this crisis remain in place and will most certainly lead to other tragedies if we don't take steps to remedy them." (Jiquanda Johnson, 2017)
"We are not suggesting that those making decisions related to this crisis were racists, or meant to treat Flint any differently because it is a community of color. Rather, the response is the result of implicit bias and the history of systemic racism that was built into the foundation of Flint. The lessons of Flint are profound. While the exact situation and response that happened in Flint may never happen anywhere else, the factors that led to this crisis remain in place and will most certainly lead to other tragedies if we don't take steps to remedy them." (Jiquanda Johnson, 2017)
For More Information about the Flint Water Crisis and Lead Poisoning
- Flint Water Crisis CNN article
- Flint Weighs Scope of Harm to children Caused by Lead in Water NY Times article
- Racism played a role in Flint water crisis, says state report
- The Flint Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint
- Flint is nation’s poorest city, based on latest Census data.
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