Flint Still Has Dirty Water And The World Needs To Listen
It’s January 14th, 2017, nearly three years since Flint residents were first informed that their water was poisoned with lead. And guess what? Flint still doesn’t have clean water.
The media may not be listening. The city of Flint may be corrupt. And the city council? Do they even know what they are doing anymore? But the media blackout and the dirty water cannot drown out the voices of Flint, Michigan, who are demanding that their stories be heard by the public.
Children in Flint have developed lesions from bathing in the water. A resident has been diagnosed with cancer that many believe is due to the long-term lead exposure. And there is bacteria hiding in the water that no one wants to talk about yet – but that nearly every resident I have talked to has mentioned to me first-hand.
The long-term health consequences of the Flint Water Crisis (or should I say the Flint Water Disaster) will last a lifetime for those effected. And for me, the disaster echoes the feelings that many of us have about Hurricane Katrina: that the whole thing could have been avoided, and that help should’ve have come much, much sooner.
Currently, the city of Flint is taxing residents for having clean, bottled water delivered to their homes. The same bottles of water residents have used to cook with, clean with, and bathe their children in for the last three years. If that doesn’t upset you, I don’t know what will.
Today is January 14, 2017. We are one week from a Trump presidency and I want to remind you that Flint still doesn’t have water. And although I am concerned about the state of this country, I am just as concerned about the future of Flint residents.
Today, Flint residents will gather in Front of City Hall to rally against the water injustices happening in their city. Another action will be held in solidarity by For Brown Bleeders in Ithaca, New York, as way to uplift the unheard voices of Flint.
I hope today that you will spend a moment just thinking about the many ways that you use and value clean water in your daily life. As well how important it is when you turn your faucet on to brush your teeth, or take a shower, or cook your favorite meal. While you do that, take a photo or video of you using water with the hashtag #EndTheCrisis to help bring light to the Flint Water Disaster.
Today, it is clear that justice for Flint is in the hands of the people. And that includes our hands too.
Together, we can finally End The Crisis and ensure that water is a basic human right for all — as it should be.
I hope you will join us.
