In partnership with Flint Beat and Michigan Radio.
Toxic water. Sick children. Corroded water pipes. The Flint water crisis has been unfolding since 2014, growing to national attention in 2016. Yet nearly seven years later, the government response has remained short-term and insufficient, with Flint residents questioning whether there will ever be accountability for the mismanagement of the city’s water system.
Recent developments appear promising: a federal judge’s pending approval of a historic $641 million class-action settlement, and nine public officials, including former Gov. Rick Snyder, have been indicted. But as ProPublica points out, the underlying problems that led to the water crisis have not been remedied.
Join us for a live digital event moderated by ProPublica talent development director and Flint native Talia Buford. Featuring a panel of local experts, the conversation will go beyond recent headlines to explain the underlying problems still afflicting the city. Panelists will also answer your questions about the latest developments and the future of Flint.
Speakers include:
- Anna Clark, ProPublica reporter and author of The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy
- Jiquanda Johnson, Flint Beat founder and editor
- E. Yvonne Lewis, National Center for African American Health Consciousness founder
- Benjamin Pauli, Kettering University assistant professor of social science
Proposed reforms — including the repeal of Michigan’s emergency manager law, which hands political authority over a city to state-appointed officials, and legislation to make the state’s government more transparent — have been unsuccessful in moving forward. Meanwhile, people exposed to contaminated water face lifelong questions and fears about its long-term consequences on their health.
The event will address other concerns and potential solutions for not only the state, but also on the local and community levels.
This event has ended.