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Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate effect of environmental issues on people, neighborhoods, and communities of color. Environmental racism often manifests in the city and or government response to a particular environmental threat. Since African-Americans make up the majority demographic of over 1,200 major cities in the United States, urban areas often suffer the most from environmental disasters, such as the Flint water crisis.
“Inhabitants: Negro — Yes, 60%. Sales Demand: Slow.
New Construction: None.
Clarifying Remarks: Undesirables – aliens and negroes.”
This 1937 document evaluating Flint’s D12 sector illustrates some of the factors that played a part in the disastrous water crisis 75 years later. This decreasing trend in population at this point in time continued well into the 90’s. Declining population and economy eventually led to extreme budget issues citywide. Soon enough, Flint had to hire emergency managers that could bypass typical procedures and take extreme measures to cut costs. . . such as temporarily switching to supply the city with water from the Flint river.
The maps below display two separate demographics of Flint, MI. The first is from 1980, the second from 2010. Each dot represents 20 people who earn an income that falls below the poverty line.
“You can’t shortchange basic services that we provide to our people”
— President Obama addressing the water crisis in 2016
Government Response
Government Response
While poor planning played a role in the Flint water crisis, much of the damage caused to the city and its residents can be accredited to the lack of action from government officials. Even after learning of the contamination and countless health effects caused by the unsafe drinking water, the city shied away from switching back to Detroit water supply, opting for the cheaper “solution” of adding more chlorine to the water. However, this led to trihalomethane in the water, furthermore contaminating the water and endangering Flint’s citizens. The city government also distributed filters that proved to be another bleak attempt at even temporarily solving the issue.
Residual Impacts
Residual Impacts
The long lasting effects of the Flint water crisis will be detrimental to people living in an already highly impoverished city. Firstly, the lead poisoning experienced by many of the inhabitants of Flint has caused numerous health issues, such as brain and learning development problems. This can make it harder for children impacted by these problems to do well in school. In addition, many impoverished families cannot afford learning aids such as tutors, or additional classes. This means that because of their lack of education, these children will most likely grow up to have low-income jobs. Thus the cycle of oppression repeats itself, as without family funds or a well paying job these people will continue to live in poverty. Adding to this problem, lead poisoning affecting mothers can be passed down to their future children, meaning that this problem may continue for several generations. While the city eventually took appropriate measures to correct this disaster—switching back to pure water from Lake Huron and Detroit water system, as well as replacing over 9,500 lead pipes— the costly corrective measures are sure to cripple the city's budget in the foreseeable future.
The sheer neglect for the wellbeing and protection of Flint residents by elected officials exposes the truth about the water disaster: it was not an unfortunate incident, but a direct act of racial injustice.
Works Cited
Works Cited
NRDC, Flint Water Crisis: Everything you need to Know, Mellisa Denchak, November 8, 2018
Urban Institute, Poverty, race, and place: Map your metro, Graham Macdonald, Margery Austin Turner, July 21, 2013
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, The Flint Water Crisis: A Coordinated Public Health Emergency Response and Recovery Initiative, Perri Zeitz Ruckart, Adrienne S. Ettinger, Mona Hanna-Attisha, Nicole Jones, Stephanie I. Davis, MSPH, and Patrick N. Breysse,
Bridge Michigan, Flint, then and now, Mike Wilkinson, Aug. 8, 2017
Othering and Belonging Institute, Structural Racism in Flint, Michigan, Stephen Menendian,
CNN, Flint, Michigan: Did race and poverty factor into water crisis?, Michael Martinez, Jan. 28, 2016
Created by Bella and Ben
January, 2021
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