Environmental Racism
The Flint Water Crisis’ water issues can be understood through the lens of environmental racism, where racial and economic inequalities are keeping resisdents from accessing clean water. Environmental racism was coined by the civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. after he noticed that pollution and an increase of waste facilities was primarily in communities populated by African Americans, Latinos, Indigenous people, Asian Americans, and low-income workers. Since Dr. Chavis’ discovery study and study has proven his statement by showing that these communities are disproportionately exposed to fumes, toxic dust, ash, soot, and other hazardous pollutants. In Flint, a predominantly African American city, the state's neglect and failure to protect residents can be seen as part of a broader pattern of environmental racism in the United States.
Socioeconomic factors play a crucial role in exacerbating the impacts of water crises. In Flint, the city's economic decline and high poverty rates left residents with little political power or resources to fight back against the water contamination. The crisis disproportionately affected low-income African American residents, many of whom lacked access to alternative water sources or healthcare to address lead exposure.