Mississippi water crisis uncovers racism against blacks

Residents of Jackson, Mississippi, most of whom are black, have lost access to clean water since last month, an incident described as a “climate justice wake-up call” that reflects how African-Americans have been abandoned by the country. 

In August, a historic flooding hit Mississippi, damaging the main water pump in the central water treatment facility in Jackson and leaving around 150,000 residents without access to safe drinking water. Most of those residents have been left with no option but to use filthy drinking water for weeks, the result of decades of neglect of the infrastructure. Residents had to line up on streets throughout the city to pick up water at distribution sites because of the shortage, ABC News reported. 

Amid major national catastrophes, black people have been always been neglected by the country, and this is especially true in Jackson, an area that is not rich or predominantly-white. The last few decades have witnessed a reduction in Jackson’s population, with white residents leaving the area, resulting in less tax money and therefore less resources for development, the New Arab reported. 

This is not the first water crisis to impact large numbers of black Americans. The Flint water crisis several years ago highlighted the systemic racism against poor black communities, which is sadly a feature of American life, according to the New Arab. 

According to ABC News, Mississippi is one of the states most dependent on the federal government, currently ranking third in federal funding, behind West Virginia and New Mexico, according to a 2022 study from financial tech company SmartAsset. For every $1 it pays in income tax, the state receives $2.53 in federal funding, according to SmartAsset.

The situation in Jackson echoes previous disasters that affect people of color. A recent investigation of Chicago’s tap water found that one in 20 homes tested had lead levels above the federal limit—with the highest found in majority-Black areas, the Nation reported. 

Although President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocates more than $50 billion for water infrastructure, this amount is not enough to recover decades of mismanagement. Jackson alone could need $1 billion to maintain the water distribution system, and billions more to upgrade it. Unless action is taken now, the difference between money invested and money needed for water infrastructure will grow to $434 billion by 2029, according to the Nation. 

It is worth mentioning that Jackson residents have filed a federal lawsuit against the city, as well as past and current city officials and infrastructure engineering companies for their responsibility in the water crisis, ABC News reported.