Jackson Water Crisis
The Issue
Jackson residents have boiled their tap water in order for them to drink, clean, or bathe, and just weeks ago, many had their access to tap water completely shut off - while delivering water full of dirt and sediment into the homes of this majority-Black city.
Now, instead of focusing on fixing Jackson's aging, neglected water system and delegating the federal funds needed, Governor Tate Reeves is eyeing a state takeover of the water system.
The state should stop all efforts to sabotage the local management of Jackson's water system. We have seen this pattern before – leading to the privatization of public resources - and we will not stand for it.
Advocate for Jackson
The City of Jackson has continuously asked the state for more funding to fix the pipes that service Jackson residents. The state and current Governor has refused many of these funding requests. It's time for us to take our advocacy further.
The Jackson community deserves to be prioritized when it comes to safe and clean drinking water. It's up to us to urge the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency to take the water issues in Jackson more seriously. Send your public comments to the EPA and DOJ advocating for Jackson residents by July 31, 2023.
What We Know About Jackson
This crisis is manmade — and preventable. The state of Mississippi has not stepped up to ensure the basic needs of its residents are met. It's time for us to take matters in our own hands and advocate for the residents of Jackson, MS.
Watch the Hearing
Stand with Jackson Residents
The Mississippi legislature is targeting Jackson residents to silence their voices and remove local power from the community. The state is looking to unconstitutionally restrict free speech and add judges to oversee issues in Jackson who do not represent the residents. This is intentional and demonstrates why we cannot let them win. The state legislature has introduced a number of bills to prevent a Black state capital from having access and local control to safe, drinking water or to be able to speak out against injustices the City continues to face.
Sign the petition to tell the state legislature and Governor that:
- Jackson residents should be able to control their own resources such as their water system and local judges.
- Residents will continue to fight for safe, drinking water and will not be unconstitutionally silenced.
Advocating for Jackson Residents
For too long, the city of Jackson has been historically disadvantaged due to targeted neglect from politicians. As the state attempts to move forward with its Intended Use Plan for federal funds, we're demanding that the City Jackson continues to control its own water and that the state prioritize the city for much-needed infrastructure funding.
Advocacy in Action - Jackson, MS
Water crisis in Jackson, Miss., raises concerns about environmental racism
The Jackson crisis is part of "the conversations about how Black communities are deprioritized when it comes to ensuring that there's infrastructure planning, ensuring there is resiliency built within the communities," said Abre' Conner, director of environmental and climate justice at the NAACP.
The water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, has gotten so bad, the city temporarily ran out of bottled water to give to residents
Running water could not be guaranteed by city officials, since the water pressure had dropped throughout the entire water system. The failure of the main water treatment plant in Jackson, Mississippi, means 180,000 people in the capital city and its surrounding areas will be without reliable drinking water for the foreseeable future.
Residents Without Safe Drinking Water in Jackson, Mississippi After Flooding, Treatment Plant Failure
President of the NAACP Derrick Johnson addressed Governor Reeves on Twitter. "We demand on behalf of the Jackson communities that you request federal aid from @FEMA and other agencies to ensure people have access to a basic human right: WATER," read Johnson's tweet.
Sign the Jackson Community Bill of Rights
Mississippi officials must be held accountable for any misinformation and inequitable decisions that harm the Black community of Jackson. It's time for us to demand funding, access to free water testing, and other essential resources to ensure the safety of Jackson residents.
Sign on to the Jackson Community Bill of Rights to continue the conversation about what residents need to see from their government officials.
THE BILL OF RIGHTS:
- The City of Jackson must have a state-of-the-art water system
- The state must be held accountable for discriminating against residents
- Justice40 funding must go to the City of Jackson
- Community voices must be part of any long-term, medium, and short-term planning for the water crisis
- Mississippi state agencies must have accountability and more oversight for environmental decisions that harm Black communities
- Community members must be prioritized with jobs, contracts, and other economic benefits in fixing the water system
- Black business owners and other workers must have access to resources to access jobs for the water system
- Access to free water testing and home assessments
- Any changes to water rates must be examined with a lens of equity and justice
- The Governor must be held accountable for intentionally misinforming the public about the harm he has caused in Jackson
When children in a predominantly Black city are without in-person schooling & Black folks are without a plan for drinking water in a state capital, this is why environmental justice is a racial justice issue. Infrastructure funding needs to be prioritized in places like Jackson.
- Abre Conner, Director, Environmental and Climate Justice
