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The Flint Water Crisis - Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint

Rationale By
Molly Love
Link/Citation

Library of Congress, "The Flint Water Crisis," Library of Congress, accessed December 15, 2024, https://www.loc.gov/item/2019452307/. 

  

Source Type:
Book/Printed Material
Suggested Grade Level and Audience: Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12
Instructional value of primary source for the curriculum and/or classroom

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission's report on the Flint Water Crisis, “The Flint Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint” (2017), offers unique and powerful opportunities for educators to integrate real-world, pressing issues into the curriculum. The Flint Water Crisis is a contemporary event that links public health, environmental justice, and civil rights—issues that are highly relevant to today’s social, political, and economic discussions. By using this report, educators can bridge historical and contemporary discussions of systemic racism and environmental injustice, showing students how these concepts are not just abstract ideas, but have real-world consequences.This document invites students to critically examine the intersection of race, policy, and environment, encouraging thoughtful discussions about social justice, equity, and the role of government. 

Summary/Description
  • The Michigan Civil Rights Commission's report, titled The Flint Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint (February 17, 2017), investigates the public health disaster that began in 2014 when the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, became contaminated with lead after the city switched its water supply to the Flint River. This primary source document links the crisis to systemic racism, framing it as not just a failure of public policy and environmental oversight, but also as a result of historical inequalities that disproportionately affected Black communities and low-income residents.  
  • The Michigan Civil Rights Commission calls for accountability at all levels of government, urging reforms that address both the environmental and social determinants of health. It emphasizes that the Flint water crisis is an example of environmental injustice and calls for a comprehensive response that includes policy changes to prevent similar disasters in the future and to empower communities that are most affected by environmental risks. 
  • The report provides not only an analysis of the Flint crisis, but also serves as a call to action for addressing the intersections of race, public health, and government accountability, making it an essential resource for educators, policymakers, and community activists seeking to address issues of environmental racism and social inequality.  
Context for the Primary Source
  • The Flint Water Crisis is a critical event in American history, marked by widespread contamination of the drinking water supply in Flint, Michigan, beginning in 2014. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission's report, titled “The Flint Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint,” was released on February 17, 2017, and provides an important examination of the crisis not only as a public health disaster, but also as an issue deeply rooted in systemic racism and environmental injustice. 
  • The Michigan Civil Rights Commission’s report offers a critical perspective on the Flint Water Crisis through the lens of systemic racism, arguing that the crisis was not simply a public health failure but also a result of broader social and economic inequities that disproportionately affected the Black community in Flint. 
Focus Question(s)
  • What were the key events that led to the Flint Water Crisis? How did the switch in the water supply contribute to the contamination? 
  • How does the Michigan Civil Rights Commission connect the Flint water crisis to systemic racism? In what ways does the report suggest that race played a role in the decision-making process surrounding the crisis? 
  • What is environmental racism, and how does the Flint water crisis serve as an example of this phenomenon? 
  • Who is responsible for the Flint water crisis? Should the state government, local officials, or the emergency manager system bear more responsibility for the crisis? 
Standards Connections

Ohio Learning Standards for Social Studies 

Content Statement 16: Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities - Evaluate the role of government in protecting individual rights and promoting the common good." 

  • This standard connects to the Flint Water Crisis in terms of how government accountability and public policy decisions influenced public health outcomes and how citizens can advocate for their rights. 

Content Statement 19: Public Issues - Analyze public issues from multiple perspectives, including political, social, and economic factors." 

  • The Flint Water Crisis offers an opportunity to analyze the social, economic, and political factors that contributed to the crisis and discuss the role of systemic racism, public policy, and environmental justice in public issues. 

Grade 10 - U.S. History, Content Statement 11: Role of Government - Analyze the role of government in addressing social, political, and economic problems during different periods in U.S. history." 

  • Students can analyze how government responses to the Flint Water Crisis and its mishandling reflect broader historical issues of government responsibility and social justice. 

Grade 10 - U.S. History, Content Statement 13: Civil Rights - Explain how different groups have sought to expand civil rights and liberties in the United States." 

  • The Flint Water Crisis can be used as a case study to discuss how marginalized communities, particularly communities of color, have fought for their rights and for environmental justice. 
Suggested Teaching Approaches
  • In the classroom, students will analyze the Flint Water Crisis as a case study of environmental racism and compare it to other examples of environmental injustice in the United States, as explored in Dorceta Taylor's "Toxic Communities" and Robert Bullard’s work on environmental justice. Students will explore how environmental racism functions in communities of color, focusing on the Flint Water Crisis and other examples like toxic waste sites or pollution in urban areas. 
  • The teacher could teach students to explore the role of activism in addressing the Flint Water Crisis, comparing it with other moments of community-driven advocacy as highlighted in Mona Hanna-Attisha's TEDx Talk and "The Poisoned City" by Anna Clark. This lesson will focus on the impact of activism and community response to the Flint crisis. Students will learn about grassroots efforts and how local residents and activists pushed for change. 
  • The teacher could pair this book with Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow. Students will analyze the role of systemic racism in public health crises, focusing on the Flint Water Crisis, and discuss how structural inequalities affect health outcomes in marginalized communities. The paired texts will be Michelle Alexander’s "The New Jim Crow" and the Michigan Civil Rights Commission's report. This lesson focuses on the intersection of race, public health, and government policy in the Flint Water Crisis, using "The New Jim Crow" to help students understand how racial discrimination intersects with public health and environmental policies. 
Potential for Challenge
  • The Flint Water Crisis and related resources, such as the EPA reports, President Obama's statements, and Michigan Civil Rights Commission findings, can present several potential challenges in the classroom. These challenges may arise from various perspectives, including sensitive content, political viewpoints, and differing opinions on government accountability and social justice. The Flint Water Crisis involves topics such as childhood lead poisoning, public health disasters, and systemic racism. The emotional and health impacts of the crisis might be distressing to some students, especially younger ones or those who have experienced similar public health issues. The Flint Water Crisis has political ramifications, particularly regarding government accountability at both the state and federal levels. President Obama’s comments, the role of the Michigan governor at the time, and various government agencies’ responses may invite partisan or political discussion. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission’s report explicitly connects the Flint Water Crisis to issues of systemic racism, environmental injustice, and government neglect toward predominantly Black and low-income communities. Some students may need guidance with these discussions, because they may feel uncomfortable with these topics, particularly if they are not familiar with the concepts of institutional racism or environmental justice. 

 

Links to resources for approaching those topics

  • The Color of Water: The Flint Water Crisis and Environmental Racism. This article explores how environmental racism played a significant role in the Flint Water Crisis, focusing on the intersection of race, class, and government neglect. It provides background on how historically marginalized communities often bear the brunt of environmental disasters. Harvey, Fiona. "The Color of Water: The Flint Water Crisis and Environmental Racism." The Guardian, January 28, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/28/flint-water-crisis-racism-environmental-injustice. 
  • EPA: Lead and Drinking Water. This resource provides detailed information on the health risks of lead exposure, the ways lead can contaminate drinking water, and what communities can do to reduce the risks, like those faced by Flint. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water." Last modified March 6, 2023. https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water. 
Alternative or Complementary Primary Sources
  1. Photo of Water Tower in Flint Michigan is an excellent photo/visual for starting conversations about water accessibility/water storage.  
  2. This historical photo of Flint, MI, and how small houses like this received water might be a strong alternative. 
Additional References
  1. "What the Eyes Can't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City" by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha 
    • This book by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician who played a key role in exposing lead contamination in Flint’s water, provides a first-hand account of the crisis and its aftermath. 
    • Hanna-Attisha, Mona. What the Eyes Can't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City. New York: One World, 2018. 
  2. "The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America" by Richard Rothstein 
    • Rothstein's book offers a deep dive into the history of government-imposed segregation, which helps contextualize the systemic racism issues reflected in the Flint Water Crisis. 
    • Rothstein, Richard. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2017. 
  3. PBS NewsHour - “The Flint Water Crisis Timeline”  
    • This interactive timeline from PBS provides a detailed chronological account of the Flint Water Crisis, from the initial decision to switch the city’s water source to the widespread contamination and the subsequent public health crisis. It includes key events, dates, and quotes from government officials and experts. 
    • PBS Frontline. Flint's Deadly Water. WGBH Educational Foundation, 2016. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/flints-deadly-water/. 
  4. President Obama’s Remarks on the Flint Water Crisis (2016) 
  5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Report on the Flint Water Crisis 
    • The EPA’s official investigation into the Flint Water Crisis, released in 2016, details the failure of local and state authorities to take appropriate action when lead contamination was discovered. The report offers technical and scientific findings about lead levels and the municipal water supply, as well as recommendations for improving water safety and governance. 
    • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "Flint Water Crisis." Last modified May 2021. https://www.epa.gov/flint. 
Subject:
Nonfiction/Informational Text , Government, Law, and Politics
Topics:
Government, Law, and Politics , History , Informational Text , Photographs, Prints, and Posters
Year/Date of Creation or Publication
2017