Many residents of Flint, Michigan believe that state and city officials should have responded faster to address the widespread lead contamination of the city’s water supply. Many residents and advocacy organizations are claiming that the state’s response to this crisis was delayed because of “environmental racism.”
The population of Flint, MI is 57% African-American, and more than 41% of its residents live below the national poverty line. Advocates are speaking out and claiming that because Flint is a city comprised of a largely impoverished, African-American community, the response times to this crisis were slower than they should have been.
The city’s lead pipes have still not been replaced, and thousands of Flint residents remain at risk of being exposed to dangerous amounts of lead poisoning.
Read more here about why many believe that race is playing a significant role in this crisis.