Lead, racism and poverty poisoned the Flint water supply. Add in a tablespoon of media silence and a gallon of government denial, and you’ve got a two year crisis that Michigan Governor Snyder has called, “…his Katrina” – alluding to the Bush administration’s disaster of hurricane management.

An emergency manager appointed by Governor Snyder triggered the crisis in 2014. Attempting to fund corporate hand-outs through cuts to Flint, Snyder’s emergency manager switched Flint from Detroit’s water supply to the polluted Flint River.

After the switch, the story, and the water, got darker. Since January 2015, state workers in Flint have been receiving bottled water instead of being obligated to drink contaminated water. Despite government knowledge, hundreds of citizen complaints were ignored, email pleas from health officials passed over, and an outbreak of rashes overlooked.

Whether it’s police officers or crony government officials, we need institutions that serve instead of hurt communities of color. Whether it’s polluted water or police violence, we need to stand with the ongoing human casualties of racism–break the silence, and say that Black Lives Matter in Flint.

We need a mass movement of people working to end racism and support justice in Flint. Invite a friend to chat about Flint, share a moving post on Facebook, or send resources to a grassroots group in Flint. Here’s a powerful call to action from the Coalition for Clean Water (WaterYouFightingFor.com)