I think that’s all a lie… I think It’s genocide Applying a Critical Race Praxis to Youth Perceptions of Flint Water Contamination

• Published in: Ethnicity & disease Vol. 28; no. Suppl 1; pp. 241 - 246
• Main Authors: Muhammad, Michael, De Loney, E. Hill, Brooks, Cassandra L., Assari, Shervin, Robinson, DeWaun, Caldwell, Cleopatra H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Ethnicity & Disease, Inc 01.08.2018; International Society on Hypertension in Blacks
• Subjects: Adolescent; Black or African American - psychology; Black or African American - statistics & numerical data; Community Participation; Female; Humans; Male; Michigan; Original Report: Applying Critical Race Theory; Public Health - methods; Public Health - standards; Public Opinion; Racism - prevention & control; Racism - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Water Quality; Water Supply - methods; Water Supply - standards; Young Adult; Michigan; Youth; Flint Water Crisis; Racism; Trauma; Public Health Critical Race Praxis (PHCR)
• DOI: 10.18865/ed.28.S1.241
• ISSN: 1049-510X

In April 2014, the emergency manager of Flint, Michigan switched the city's water supplier from Detroit's water department to the Flint River. The change in water source resulted in the Flint Water Crisis (FWC) in which lead (Pb) from the city's network of old pipes leached into residents' tap water. Residents of Flint reported concerns about the water to officials; however, the concerns were ignored for more than a year. This study sought to understand how Black youth in Flint conceptualize, interpret, and respond to racism they perceive as part of the normal bureaucracy contributing to the FWC. In 2016, we conducted four community forums with Flint youth aged 13 to 17 years. Sixty-eight youth participated with 93% self-identifying as Black. Participants completed a brief survey. We audio-recorded the forums and transcribed them verbatim. Critical Race Theory (CRT) guided the development of the interview protocol and Public Health Critical Race Praxis (PHCRP) served as an interpretive framework during qualitative data analysis. Content analyses were completed using software. Many youth viewed the FWC through a racially conscious frame. They described Flint as a Black city where historical and contemporary forms of racial stratification persist. Some described the contamination of the city's water as a form of genocide targeting Blacks. The findings from this exploratory study suggest some Black youth in Flint have difficulty coping with the FWC. Those who perceive it through a racial frame attribute the crisis to racism. They feel distressed about this and other traumas (eg, failure to address high rates of crime) they perceived as racism-related. Future research should examine the implications for specific mental health outcomes among youth.