First, we have to say that the stories represented in #BiggerThanWater only represent a small portion of the community in Flint. The #FlintWaterCrisis impacted the entire city and thousands have been exposed to lead, a toxin which can be passed on for six generations. We know that these stories are very powerful and need to be told! So we encourage you to post videos of you telling your story and tag @BiggerThanWater so we can help uplift you narrative as well!
We are extremely thankful to everyone who participated in our documentary as well as all the good people in Flint who continue to fight for the safety of their community. This film was intended to serve as a call to action for those outside the city to #GetEngaged and #Support the grassroots organizations working on the ground! That said, we encourage you to read on and learn more about all the amazing work these folks are doing and show your support by donating to help sustain their efforts!
Pastor Robert McCathren was the first person we met and truly an inspiration. For years, Joy Tabernacle Baptist Church has been a sanctuary for those in need, and after GM closed most of their plants, communities like Civic Park were left to fend for themselves. As unemployment skyrocketed, many of Flint’s younger generation turned to the streets as a form of survival. By 2010, Flint was named the “Most Violent City in America,” and as the murder rate and incarceration rate continued to rise, Pastor McCathren recognized that the young men and women who fell victim to the streets could be the key to healing the community – but only if given the chance. McCathren spent years mentoring young men behind bars and promising to provide a support system when they returned home. And that’s just what he did!
For Kendrick Rush, a young man who spent many years playing in the streets, his chance encounters with Pastor McCathren would be the start of a long relationship and the beginning of his transformation. As the water crisis unfolded and Kendrick’s family began to show signs of distress, Joy Tabernacle was once again a refuge he knew he could rely on.
Kendrick’s Daughter, who at 6 months old broke out in horrific rashes all over her face, was the inspiration for Justice League NYC to call on its networks to donate water, baby food, formula, and other basic resources to support a community in need. Folks from across the nation heard the call and showed they cared by donating tens of thousands of dollars in supplies that were immediately distributed to the community.
For Noah Patton, a young man who lost his mother to suicide at 14 and turned to streets to survive, the Pastor’s mentorship has given an opportunity to become a part of the solution after years of contributing to the problem. As Deacon at Joy Tabernacle, Noah has dedicated his life to serving others. One such example is by starting his own organization that provides young men and women in Flint with solid work and trade skills through refurbishing houses, community clean up campaigns, lawn and garden care, as well as food and water delivery.
Being a single father of three can be very taxing by itself, but when you add the countless hours Noah spends supporting his neighbors, working on houses, and mentoring his peers, you have to recognize that this young man is very special! Recently all of Noah’s children were tested for lead poisoning and the results were not good. Yet, he continues to push forward, reminding us all of the inspirational poem from Maya Angelou “And Still I Rise”.
Edwina Daniel is a strong single mother of three beautiful children who have all dealt with side effects from the tainted water. Her daughter, Irryona, has suffered from anxiety and breathing problems, as well as rashes and hair loss, like the rest of the family. But beyond the health issues, one of the most frustrating things to deal with has been the mounting water bills. Flint had some of the highest water prices for some of the worst water in the years following the switch; and, like so many others, Edwina’s water was eventually shut off by the city.
Her family has recently purchased their first home, but because of past due water bills, they struggle to get the water turned on. Thankfully, Joy Tabernacle provides regular water distribution for anyone in Flint who needs the support!
Micole, a single mom who has no problem telling it like it is, resides in another parish but she often visits Joy Tabernacle with her friend, Edwina. Determined to see justice prevail, she refuses to leave Flint! Like many residents, Micole sees a clear connection between the delays in the city and the state’s initial response, as well as officials’ attempts to mask the severity of the town’s water as some officials made a coordinated effort to rebrand Flint as a college town, and ultimately gentrify the community.
While Pastor McCathren and the Joy Tabernacle family are so many things to so many people in Flint, they have so little support. The roof in the main sanctuary is caving in, forcing churchgoers to hold services in the basement of an adjacent building. We encourage you to support the good work the Pastor and his members at Joy provide in any way you can!
Parents will go to the ends of the earth fighting for their kids’ safety, but what LeeAnne and her husband did was far more inspiring! LeeAnne’s family has suffered tremendously: her daughter lost her hair, and due to a rare staph infection she has had to see a cardiologist at 19; doctors thought her oldest son had cancer after they couldn’t pinpoint the cause of his ailments; one of their twins literally stopped growing and both have lead poisoning! They have difficulty with speech and development as well as behavioral problems associated with lead exposure. Their home is now known as “Ground Zero” but when they first began to report the problems with the water and their families health issues to the city, they didn’t get the support they deserved.
So when Flint officials dismissed LeeAnne’s concerns, calling her a liar and stupid after she showed them water that came from her tap, she hit the books, teaching herself everything she could about the science of river water treatment. She plugged in with EPA manager Miguel Del Toral, who helped her understand the science of water treatment and connected her to Marc Edwards from VA Tech. Soon, LeeAnne dug deep, and after uncovering a glaring violation from the city’s Water Treatment Plant, her efforts caught the eye of national media. Eventually, the media blew the lid off the massive cover-up, which would later be known as the #FlintWaterCrisis.
LeeAnne continues to fight for the community with an organization she founded called C Do, Community Development Organization of Flint. C Do is a citizen created and citizen-managed organization that addresses the city of Flint, Michigan’s infrastructure, healthcare, educational, family assistance, and economic development needs that have arisen from the Flint Water Crisis. We encourage you to support this organization as they continue to do the hard work of rebuilding their #BelovedCommunity!
VA Tech. Civil Engineering professor Marc Edwards has a long history of standing up for what’s right. In the early 2000s, Marc fought to expose the lead problem in Washington, DC, which was 60 times worse than Flint’s lead problem. And although the battle in DC left him with many painful memories, broken friendships, and dark thoughts, he didn’t hesitate to come to the aid of the good people of Flint.
Marc and his students at VA Tech created the #FlintWaterStudy, a group of faculty and students, who along with LeeAnne Walters, her husband Dennis, and many other Flint residents, tested almost 300 homes’ tap water, proving that the lead problem was a citywide issue. Later, Marc would file several FOIAs, Freedom Of Information Act requests, for emails that would later reveal much of the corruption among Flint officials. The team updates the world through their amazing website, FlintWaterStudy.org, with newly released emails, new test results, and solid information the community can count on. Not only have they spent a ton of time and energy testing the water, but they have also developed lifelong relationships with many of Flint’s residents.
One of the most beautiful things we have witnessed is Marc’s relationship with LeeAnne’s family! They share a genuine bond there and when you see him with the Walters twins you really get a sense of the compassion, empathy, patience and so many other positive attributes that obviously make him an amazing teacher and all around great person!
Nayyirah Shariff is the executive director of Flint Rising, a coalition of community organizations and allies working to ensure that directly impacted people are building the organizing infrastructure and leadership necessary for this long-haul fight for justice and creating the future that Flint families need and deserve. Her commitment and compassion for her community is prevalent through every interaction we have ever had with this powerful young woman.
Flint Rising continues to canvas across the city to triage families needs, rapidly respond to those needs by providing water, filters, and other basic resources while getting a real sense of what the current community looks like. After gathering this information, they engage with those families who want to tell their story to ensure the directly impacted are controlling the narrative and have a voice at the table when the time comes for much needed change.
San Juana “Juani” Olivares is the President & CEO of the Genesee County Hispanic and Latino Collaborative (GCHLC), whose mission is to to advocate for the Hispanic-Latino populations in Genesee County in the areas of education, cultural awareness and social needs. Juani has helped provide water, filters, and other important resources to many of Flint’s undocumented residents. Her commitment to ensuring everyone is informed and has access to the tools necessary to survive was awe-inspiring, and we encourage you to support GCHLC’s efforts!
Monica Lewis Patrick of We The People of Detroit was also one of the first people we met in Flint at a #BlackLivesMatter gathering intended to spread information on how folks outside Flint could provide support and resources for community members. Monica has been a huge resource for us to understand the web of connections between globalization and privatization, as well as the necessary background information exposing how the #FlintWaterCrisis connects to the contrived Detroit Bankruptcy, and how the Emergency Manager law has devastated many communities in Michigan.
We encourage you to support the efforts of We The People Of Detroit as they continue their work to improve the quality of life for the good people of Detroit, as well as raise the awareness on issues like water as a human right.
Keri Webber is a force to be reckoned with! As a mother of two children who were poisoned by the tainted water, she has a lot to be upset about! At the age of 16 Keri’s youngest daughter, Vicki, has a liver of a 75-year-old; her other daughter, Stephanie, was the first confirmed case of Legionnaires Disease directly connected to the toxic water; her husband Mike suffers from extremely high blood pressure and had an eye stroke which left him blind in one eye; and to make matters worse, the water even killed the family dog. And even after all that heartache, Keri harnessed the power of her emotions to organize with LeeAnne Walters, The #FlintWaterStudy team and now the Community Development Organization of Flint. She has dedicated her time to raising the awareness for the disabled and the elderly in Flint while vowing to hold those responsible for this mess #Accountable!
Nakiya Wakes is one of the strongest people we met in Flint. Her resilience is unmatched. After losing her unborn twins to the tainted water, she later found out that both of her two other kids were lead poisoned. Her son Jalen has been suspended 57 times due to behavioral issues associated with lead poisoning and her daughter has suffered from anxiety and aggression as well. But Nakiya has also taken all of this pain and anger and turned it into the fuel needed to light fires under tails of those that can effect change as she continues to speak out and organize with Flint Rising.
Councilman Eric Mays is definitely one of the most outspoken members of city council. From the early days, he was out in the streets on the front line of the protests against Public Act 4, the Emergency Manager Law and has stayed connected with groups that continue to bring awareness to the #FlintWaterCrisis. At one point, Councilman Mays was the only person on the mayoral ballot in 2015, and as FOIAs were processed and City and State officials were forced to release their emails, we learned of conversations between lawmakers who thought “this guy was trouble” and that they had “put to much work in Flint” to let him become Mayor. Eventually, they had the law changed which resulted in the election of the current Mayor, Mrs. Karren Weaver.
