An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for
safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy.
When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake
Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that
the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the
mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring
"Here's to Flint!" and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as
we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety
of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back,
Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that
it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water
was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's
water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of
Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled
cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed "emergency managers."
Pauli distinguishes the political narrative of the water crisis from the
historical and technical narratives, showing that Flint activists'
emphasis on democracy helped them to overcome some of the limitations of
standard environmental justice frameworks. He discusses the
pro-democracy (anti-emergency manager) movement and traces the rise of
the "water warriors"; describes the uncompromising activist culture that
developed out of the experience of being dismissed and disparaged by
officials; and examines the interplay of activism and scientific
expertise. Finally, he explores efforts by activists to expand the
struggle for water justice and to organize newly mobilized residents
into a movement for a radically democratic Flint.
