This page was created by London Jones. 

Hydronarratives: The Confluence of Water and Environmental Justice

Infrastructural Violence in Flint

What Is Infrastructural Violence?

Click here to see the definition of infrastructural violence.

Flint Was Already Struggling

Flint had been in crisis for decades due to multiple socioeconomic factors such as disinvestment, unemployment, racism, poverty, violence, food insecurity, and depopulation. The citizens of Flint not having affordable housing, facing poverty, food insecurity and unemployment are prime examples of Infrastructural violence because all of those things are basic needs in order to live safely and securely. So, as one can deduce, the denial of sanitized water had extreme negative effects on the already-vulnerable community of Flint. 

Examples Of Infrastructural Violence In Flint

An example of Infrastructural violence that can be found in the Flint water crisis is the fact that citizens of Flint did not have access to clean drinking water.The denial of sanitized and clean drinking water is a form of violence that the community of Flint has went through. As mentioned before though, Flint was already being denied basic things such as housing and food, denial of water caused Flint to further decend in a downward spiral even faster. 

Click here to view Mother and Activist, Melissa Mays detail her experiences and her thoughts on the Crisis

Why is this important?

Infrastrucural Violence is linked with Environmental Racism. When environmental racism is in play, the act of denying infrastructure such as clean, safe, drinking water and housing can be used as a form of violence to the people of Flint who are poor and Black. It's Important to understand how these different forms of violence work together and understanding where they intersect to address or avoid these forms of violence.


 

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