Ep 2

Flint, Michigan switched its water supply in 2014, leading to contaminated water with lead. The residents noticed discoloration and smell, but authorities dismissed their concerns. The city has a predominantly black population with low income, suggesting environmental racism. Environmental racism is the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on communities of color. The next episode will discuss how to combat environmental racism and the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Welcome back to another special episode of Decode It. I'm your host Jasmine Brown and this is episode 2 of Decode It, What Happened to Flint, Michigan. To recap, Flint, Michigan switched its water supply in April 2014 and in June of 2014 it was revealed that the water was contaminated with lead. Now that you're all caught up I'll answer what the catch was in episode 1. Well sadly the residents initially were aware that something was different. There was reports that the water was discolored and smelly. Now listeners, what would you have done in that situation? Suddenly your water is a different color and smells? Well that wasn't the end of it. Flint, Michigan residents started having health issues but authorities told residents it's nothing to be concerned with. I wonder why? Why didn't authorities immediately spring into action? Well for one, let's take a look at who was affected by this public health crisis. Flint, Michigan has a population of around a hundred thousand people and of that 53% are black. Flint is also home to an incredibly high poverty rate and has low levels of access to education. So to break it down Flint is comprised of predominantly black residents with a low income. Is anyone thinking what I'm thinking? Well yes, racism. No, not just racism but environmental racism. Environmental racism is defined as the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards, pollution, and siting of waste facilities or other environmentally harmful activities on communities of color, particularly African-American, Hispanic, and indigenous peoples. It includes and is not limited to the intentional and unintentional discrimination acts and practices that disproportionately plague individuals and communities with environmental risks and hazards. And this is compared to what they are predominantly white communities where this issue would never have happened. So let me ask you viewers, have you ever heard of environmental racism? Have you ever been affected by environmental racism? Well if the answer is yes, how do you combat it? Stay tuned for the next episode where I'll answer how you can combat environmental racism, how the Flint, Michigan water crisis became leading news. Well I guess you have to tune in to learn more. I'm your host Jasmine Brown.