Detroit to Flint water justice journey

By Nancy Price, Earth Democracy Committee

Detroit WILPF Branch member Kim Redigan along with her activist colleagues and sponsoring organizations planned the Detroit to Flint Water Justice Journey – a 70-mile walk July 3-10 calling for affordable, clean water for all statewide.  

At the International Social Movement Gathering on Water and Housing (May 29-31) that Mary Bricker-Jenkins and I attended, Kim mentioned this idea to me. As Kim exclaimed in a recent email to me, “Can’t believe we pulled this together in a month – utterly exhausting, but exhilarating.”

The walk is described as “simply the thread that weaves together a series of important public events to highlight the issues by hearing from people on the front lines -- local residents personally affected by unsafe and unaffordable water, concerned citizens, people committed to water justice including public health workers, attorneys, pastors, elders and youth.” 

The walk started in Detroit where for over 13 years thousands of citizens have had their water shut off and where the 2005 Water Affordability Plan was passed by the Detroit City Council but never implemented.  Walkers continued to nearby Highland Park where the community has endured and is still threatened with mass water shut-offs after years of administrative mismanagement.

The journey concluded on Friday, July 10 in Flint where residents report serious health problems related to unsafe water from the polluted Flint River – hair loss, autoimmune disorders, skin burns, and children with lead poisoning.  Here’s the full schedule of events.

Kim explained: “The walk gave us the opportunity to listen to people along the way who are struggling with high water bills and, in the case of Flint, unclean water. To a person, all agree that water is not a commodity and that privatization is a bad idea.  Once we explained the 2005 Water Affordability Plan that was passed by the Detroit City Council, but never implemented, people were supportive, even enthused, about the idea of a water affordability plan for the entire state. Folks also were deeply attuned to the public health crisis and sheer immorality of the shutoffs.”

The take-away?  Michigan needs clean, affordable water. Water is a sacred trust that should be held as a common rather than a commodity for private control and profit?”  Here’s the announcement from the Peoples Water Board and an excellent news report.

Congratulations Kim and all who made this walk a great success – a great example of  collaboration to accomplish a really impressive event.  

Earth Democracy’s Human Right to Water committee, along with Advancing Human Rights and Corporations v. Democracy, is working with the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization to challenge the practice of the Welfare Department removing children from homes where water has been shut-off claiming that families are not providing a safe environment!
 

PHOTO: Kim Redigan is at the bullhorn as the marchers proceed from Detroit to Flint, Michigan, to demand clean, affordable water for all.    Photo by Valerie Jean