Flint
On April 25, 2014, the city of Flint, MI made the official change from current water provider, Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to the Flint River as a way to save money. Officials did not immediately treat the Flint River water to ensure it didn't cause corrosion in the pipes - instead, they took a "wait-and-see" approach. Many residents began to notice a new smell and color of the water. In fact, General Motors stopped using Flint River water for fear of corrosion in the machines. In 2015, a city test show high lead content in the water of a Flint home. Continued tests in September by a Virginia Tech team showed how serious the levels of lead in the cit water were. Not only were there elevated levels of lead in the water, but also in the blood of children. In October, Flint switched back to the Detroit water supplier and by December, the city was declared as a state of emergency of the elevated lead levels in the city's water. In April 2016, the water was still deemed unsafe and officials were taken to court. To date, the lead levels in the city's water tested below the federal limit, however, many residents are still unsure about their water and who they can trust.
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In 2016, we sent a group of 7 students to Flint, MI in an effort to document the amazing people in Flint. The mission for this trip was to reveal the water crisis through a personal lens by hearing the stories and capturing photographs of the faces of Flint. Photography was not a vehicle for our own voices to travel, but to amplify the voices of the people of Flint themselves. While in Flint our members assisted with water distribution, primarily at water distribution sites and door to door. Additionally, our members listened to the stories of the people and worked to highlight the positivity happening in Flint. To learn more about Faces of Flint, go
