Dear Reader,
On January 25, 2016, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission unanimously passed a resolution to hold a series of hearings to determine if any civil rights had been abridged by the contamination of the Flint water distribution system.
At all three hearings, we heard of the many challenges and hardships faced by residents unable to access clean drinking water. We also toured several Flint neighborhoods, meeting with residents and hearing how their lives had been affected and changed immeasurably. The July 14th and September 8th hearings included expert testimony focusing on the history of Flint’s economy and housing, environmental justice, and the application of the current emergency manager law.
Reviewing the historical governmental actions impacting the living and health conditions of Flint residents, i.e., the legacy of Flint, was sobering and left a deep impression. We must come to terms with the ongoing effects of “systemic racism” that repeatedly led to disparate racial outcomes as exemplified by the Flint Water Crisis. This can no longer be ignored.