Day #1153 in the #FlintWaterCrisis: Saviors
This has been happening a lot lately to Flint. People who have NO idea what is ACTUALLY happening in Flint telling us they're going to come in and teach us how to fight back. People who have no clue how amazing the Flint Residents are to have already organized to fight back against Emergency Management, poverty, education, racism & hate, and yes, the water. Organizing and standing up is Flint's history. Personally, I blame the false "hero narrative" the media portrays where Flint residents were helpless until a doctor, PhD, and former resident dropped in to save us. That leads people to believe that we have just been sitting back looking for a savior. That narrative is completely untrue and damaging. We stood up for ourselves like we always have. We fought back in the courts, the labs, in the legislature, and in the streets. We've been doing that for years so please don't think we need people to come save us or organize for us. That does way more harm than good. What Flint would like are people to come stand WITH US and join the organizing on the ground that ALREADY EXISTS. Like Debra Taylor said "People overlook the brilliance of the true experts, the people on the ground living and fighting these battles." So please, be an ally and stand with us, because we don't want or need a savior.
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| Downtown Flint, Mi. Photo Purple Walrus Press. |
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