Water is critically needed for people, and its quality ensures their safety significantly. In cases where water control is inattentive, a crisis may arise, as happened in Flint, Michigan. Due to the authorities’ disregard for the safety and quality of water, the largest outbreak of Legionnaires disease has occurred (Ellis, 2019). Even though the authorities received warnings about the danger, they showed environmental racism and classism when they did not respond to the problem.
The crisis in Flint is enormous in the scale of its consequences. Many residents fell ill and then died or received long-term health effects. The situation is a manifestation of environmental racism and classism since most of the city’s population is people of color and poor. Similar cases are common; for example, racism manifests itself when a recycling plant is built in an area where predominantly African-Americans live. If the population of Flint was not so poor, they would not have had a problem with water quality, and the site would receive significant attention for improvement. The population was vulnerable and politically marginalized since it had no political influence, and due to poverty, it could not allow a clean water source. Unable to resist, the people of such cities suffer from the consequences of the decisions made by the authorities.
Thus, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, is a manifestation of environmental racism and classism. The city’s population is predominantly people of color who are below the poverty line. Consequently, the district did not receive the necessary assistance, and the authorities treated it dismissively, leading to water quality problems. Citizens are vulnerable and politically marginalized because they do not have enough political influence and cannot resist decisions that negatively affect them.
Reference
Ellis, A. (2019). Flint’s deadly water [Film]. PBS. Frontline.