By DEWAUN E. ROBINSON May 7, 2025 (dcreport.org)
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This letter to the editor is part of “Flint Unfiltered: Stories from An American Water Crisis,” a project that we have partnered on with the School of Journalism at Northeastern University to examine one of the country’s worst public health crises – over a decade later. Please visit the project’s website HERE.
“We Will Not Be Silent”
The water crisis was an act of human negligence in an urban community where failed leadership creates man-made disasters. The Emergency Act is a ploy for taking over Black communities by suppressing local government while selling city assets under the guise of budget cuts. Flint has suffered for 11 years since switching over to the Flint River, which is not an ideal source for drinking water but a waste disposal site for untreated refuse from auto industries to meat packing plants, lumber, and paper mills. The river received raw sewage from the city’s waste treatment plant and toxins from landfills. The Mayor and City Council decided, with the embattled Governor Rick Snyder, to subject residents to a human health crisis. The effects of this epidemic are felt a decade after with children experiencing learning disabilities, homeowners left with rising costs due to the burden of replacing house lines, and many people dying from Legionnaires’ disease.
The residents of Flint have not been made whole, and nobody has been held accountable. The case has been mishandled, and the Attorney General made several errors, ultimately leading to a case dismissal. The initial $626 million Flint water crisis settlement was approved in November 2021. If it were not for the activists who stood on the frontlines addressing structural racism and the poisoning of our community, the world would not have known about the water crisis in Flint. The people who stayed and sacrificed their lives for future generations to live in a robust community, not plagued by failed leadership. Flint is more than known for bad water, but it’s a beacon of light when the residents come together and do not accept political disenfranchisement. We are not victims, but victors, and we still are advocating for righteousness.
Let this unfortunate situation in Flint serve as a reminder to those who sought to capitalize on urban communities by pushing discriminatory practices, allowing special interest groups to dictate local governments, and people who do not have the best interests of the people they serve. We will not be silent. We are dedicated to making a difference. I greatly appreciate those who stand with us during this transitional period.
Thank you,
DeWaun E. Robinson
Chief Executive Officer
Artistic Visions Enterprise
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Author
- DeWaun E. RobinsonDeWaun E. Robinson is a community leader and activist for the city of Flint, Michigan. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of Artistic Visions Enterprise and Chief Operations Officer for Urban Renaissance Center.
