WEBVTT - Civic Cipher 090322 Environmental Racism in Mississippi (Part 1)

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to another episode of Civic Cipher. I'm your host, Rams.

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<v Speaker 2>This's job. He is Rams, this job I am q Woard.

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<v Speaker 2>You are listening to Civic Cyphers.

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<v Speaker 1>Indeed, another great show lined up for you. We are

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<v Speaker 1>going to deal with some stuff as we do. Some

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<v Speaker 1>of this stuff is going to be heavy, and so

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<v Speaker 1>fasten your seat belts and ride along with us as

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<v Speaker 1>we take you through a couple of instances of environmental racism.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a topic that we've danced around on the

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<v Speaker 1>show and we really want to do it right. And

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<v Speaker 1>I won't promise today will be the fully fleshed out

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<v Speaker 1>segment that we really want to bring to you, but

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<v Speaker 1>we will definitely delve into it to a significant degree

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<v Speaker 1>because it is timely and we have to deal with

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<v Speaker 1>some stuff that's going on in Mississippi where a predominantly

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<v Speaker 1>black community is going without drinking water. This is a

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<v Speaker 1>story we've seen time and again in this country, So

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<v Speaker 1>environmental racism stick around to that. We're also going to

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<v Speaker 1>talk about the minor. There's a video that has gone

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<v Speaker 1>viral and in case you haven't seen it, there's a

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<v Speaker 1>Myer nerd that was riding an ATV police tried to

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<v Speaker 1>pull them over. The miner says that he didn't know

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<v Speaker 1>that that was what was going on initially, and then

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<v Speaker 1>when he found out, then he was afraid and kept driving,

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<v Speaker 1>and then they proceeded to pull him off of his

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<v Speaker 1>ATV and beat him up and kick him and all

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<v Speaker 1>this sort of stuff. And he's twelve years old, and

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<v Speaker 1>so we're going to talk about that. That that's kind

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<v Speaker 1>of a sad story. And you know, a common motif

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<v Speaker 1>around here because we often mentioned that black children have

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<v Speaker 1>to grow up before their time, and this is an

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<v Speaker 1>example of how the world seems to make Black children

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<v Speaker 1>into adults well before they're ready. Our way Black history fact,

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to talk about the Chicago race riot and

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<v Speaker 1>much much more. So a lot in store for you.

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<v Speaker 1>Be sure to stick around once again.

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<v Speaker 2>But first and.

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<v Speaker 1>Foremost, like we always do at this time, let's give

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<v Speaker 1>you some ebony excellence. Q shall we we shall abny excellence.

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<v Speaker 1>This week is sponsored by Hip Hop Weekly Media and

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<v Speaker 1>it has brought to you by or it comes via

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<v Speaker 1>Black Enterprise. So it is a new year and more magic,

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<v Speaker 1>Boss Women Media and Capital One return Black Girl Magic

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<v Speaker 1>Digital Summit. So this was created by Marty McDonald in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty sixteen. Boss Women Media is an online membership platform

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<v Speaker 1>and offline women's empowerment and educational community. They create curated

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<v Speaker 1>storytelling content and events to propel boss women forward in

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<v Speaker 1>their careers. You know around here with like Black Girl

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<v Speaker 1>Magic and this sounds like just that. Here's a quote.

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<v Speaker 1>We are on a mission to provide black women with

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<v Speaker 1>the tools and education they need to take the next

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<v Speaker 1>steps toward having more. This was said by Marty McDonald himself.

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<v Speaker 1>Quote with the Black Girl Magic Summit is a pivotal

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<v Speaker 1>part of this mission, as it gives us the stage

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<v Speaker 1>and presence to amplify critical conversations and poignant messages. This

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<v Speaker 1>marks the third consecutive year Capital One is teamed up

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<v Speaker 1>with Boss Women Media for the summit. According to a

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<v Speaker 1>press release, Capital one Business sponsor the Black ro Magic

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<v Speaker 1>Summit pitch competition, providing one hundred thousand dollars in funding

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<v Speaker 1>to three women own businesses small businesses, which is up

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<v Speaker 1>from fifty thousand and twenty twenty one. I want to

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<v Speaker 1>also note that Ebony Excellence this week. It was chosen

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<v Speaker 1>by our very own producer, Maggie aka Maggie b No

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<v Speaker 1>she do she do. And she is another one around

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<v Speaker 1>here that loves to celebrate anything that propels black women forward.

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<v Speaker 1>We recognize and understand that as a community, uplifting black

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<v Speaker 1>women ultimately uplifts all of us. And so once again

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to shout out Martin McDonald and Capital One

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<v Speaker 1>for putting on this event. Now, environmental racism, so that

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<v Speaker 1>if you have never heard that before, it sounds crazy.

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<v Speaker 1>How can an environment be racist?

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<v Speaker 2>Right?

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<v Speaker 1>And it's not that. Think more in terms of racism

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<v Speaker 1>manifested in an environment. Think of it in terms of

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<v Speaker 1>like office place work or work related racism, or sports

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<v Speaker 1>related racism, or you know educational racism, you know healthcare racism. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>this is environmental racism, in other words, something that affects

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<v Speaker 1>a predominantly black, brown, poor, poor, black and brown oftentimes

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<v Speaker 1>community where laws are bent and broken so that corporations

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<v Speaker 1>can dump, so that cities can grow, or you know,

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<v Speaker 1>imminent domain or whatever, and it disproportionately affects black and

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<v Speaker 1>brown people. You know, it factors into the health of

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<v Speaker 1>black and brown people, especially when you're dealing with pollutants

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<v Speaker 1>in the air or in the ground, so forth and

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<v Speaker 1>so on. This is a real thing. It's well documented

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<v Speaker 1>and it goes all the way back to even before

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<v Speaker 1>fair housing was a talking point in this country for

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<v Speaker 1>black and brown people. Because environmental environmental racism is something

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<v Speaker 1>that very much shapes outcomes with respect to the black family.

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<v Speaker 1>The latest instance of environmental racism has come up in Jackson, Mississippi.

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<v Speaker 1>So I will share a bit with you. This one

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<v Speaker 1>comes via Routers. Jackson, Mississippi, will go without reliable drinking

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<v Speaker 1>water indefinitely. Okay, So this is from officials on Monday,

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<v Speaker 1>August twenty ninth, after pumps at the main water treatment

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<v Speaker 1>plant failed, leading to the emergency distribution of bottled water

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<v Speaker 1>and tanker trucks for one hundred and eighty thousand people.

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<v Speaker 1>The city linked the failure to complications from the flooding

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<v Speaker 1>of the Pearl River, but Governor Tate Reeves, who declared

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<v Speaker 1>a state of emergency, said the cause was unknown and

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<v Speaker 1>that the city one run water treatment plant had been

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<v Speaker 1>poorly operated and understaffed for years. All right, let's stop

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<v Speaker 1>right there now. Maybe I'm crazy, Maybe I'm crazy, but

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<v Speaker 1>I remember a story about Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, and

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<v Speaker 1>you know, the levees needed maintenance and they were understaffed

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<v Speaker 1>and underfunded, and on and on and on. But if

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<v Speaker 1>you look at places where, let's say, the population is

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<v Speaker 1>not so colorful, you know, these sorts of things tend

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<v Speaker 1>to be prioritized. These things don't get pushed off, you know.

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<v Speaker 1>Now there have been some notable exceptions I'm well aware of,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, in California, all those mansions and all those

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<v Speaker 1>fires being started because of poor maintenance of electricity poles

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<v Speaker 1>and that sort of stuff. But by and large, we

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<v Speaker 1>can point to a systemic issue that disproportionately affects black

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<v Speaker 1>and brown people. So this is one of the tell

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<v Speaker 1>tale signs, but it doesn't tell the full story because

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<v Speaker 1>lots of things are poorly maintained. We're going to take

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<v Speaker 1>into account how we get there, and then, of course

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<v Speaker 1>what the response is afterwards. And then I think those things,

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<v Speaker 1>combined with other factors, will suggest to you whether or

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<v Speaker 1>not something is an example of environmental racism. I'll continue.

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<v Speaker 1>In any case, the capital city of one hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>fifty thousand people and thirty thousand in surrounding communities could

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<v Speaker 1>go without running water indefinitely. As official warned, anyone with

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<v Speaker 1>access to tap water should boil it for three minutes. Quote,

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<v Speaker 1>we need to provide water for up to one hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and eighty thousand people for an unknown period of time.

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<v Speaker 1>Please stay safe, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said at the

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<v Speaker 1>evening briefing Jackson, the state capital is more than eighty

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<v Speaker 1>percent black or African American, so that is also key.

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<v Speaker 1>Eighty percent black or African American according to US Census data. Again,

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<v Speaker 1>do not drink the water, Reeves told a hastily called

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<v Speaker 1>news conference. In too many cases it is raw water

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<v Speaker 1>from the reservoir being pushed through the pipes. The city said.

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<v Speaker 1>Recent flooding of the Pearl River created complications at the

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<v Speaker 1>Obie Curtis Water Treatment Plant, which sits next to a

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<v Speaker 1>reservoir that drains into the river just north of town.

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<v Speaker 1>The town has been under a boiled water alert for

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<v Speaker 1>a month. Reeves said that the motors powering the plant's

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<v Speaker 1>pumps went out recently, leaving it to operate on backup pumps,

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<v Speaker 1>which failed on Monday. State would establish an incident command

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<v Speaker 1>center at the plant early Tuesday, hoping to re establish operations. Now, cute,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to ask you something. In the United States

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<v Speaker 1>of America, have you ever heard of people not getting

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<v Speaker 1>clean tap water from their sinks and having to boil

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<v Speaker 1>their water. Has that been a story that you've ever

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<v Speaker 1>heard about in this country outside of Mississippi, outside of

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<v Speaker 1>the story we're talking about today. Unfortunately, yes, you've heard

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<v Speaker 1>this story. But boiling the water as the solution is

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<v Speaker 1>the part that stands out to me. Oh okay, I

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<v Speaker 1>hadn't heard especially one's government instruct its people to just

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<v Speaker 1>boil the water for a few minutes. So, okay, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>glad you said that, because I want to lean into

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<v Speaker 1>that for a second. But we do have to get

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<v Speaker 1>back to the main point because I got some real

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<v Speaker 1>important questions to ask. But does it seem like that's

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<v Speaker 1>kind of a lackluster effort to remedy the problem? Because

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<v Speaker 1>you're so kind, I'm just asking you know, this is

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<v Speaker 1>a question I would sure I'll go with lackluster. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>So let's flip this around. Let's say, for instance, in

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<v Speaker 1>Mississippi the population is eighty percent white, just to pick

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<v Speaker 1>a race, could you imagine a governor coming forward and

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<v Speaker 1>saying that we have a problem. There is no solution

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<v Speaker 1>on the horizon, and there you will have to boil

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<v Speaker 1>water indefinitely. Could you see that happening in a community

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<v Speaker 1>like that.

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<v Speaker 2>It depends and this is maybe some nuanced, unintendedly always

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<v Speaker 2>injected into the story. Are those people poor? Okay?

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<v Speaker 1>Right?

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<v Speaker 2>Because what we've learned is that if by nature it

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<v Speaker 2>also suppresses the poor black and brown in that community,

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<v Speaker 2>then it would and then poor white people in that

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<v Speaker 2>community are going to have to be affracted by those

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<v Speaker 2>same rules. Unless there's some wealth, even a little bit,

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<v Speaker 2>some people that that that are above the poverty line

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<v Speaker 2>in this country, apex capitalists, maybe all those poor people

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<v Speaker 2>would be instructed to boil their water.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, it's really sad that a lot of times

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<v Speaker 1>our conversations point back to capitalism and that because we

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<v Speaker 1>live in a capitalist model.

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<v Speaker 2>White supremacist capitalist model too, So there you go double down.

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<v Speaker 1>So as a result of that, we don't have that

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<v Speaker 1>ultimately is the end of the conversation. That's the end

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<v Speaker 1>of the trail in most instances. And you know, the

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<v Speaker 1>funny part about it is that you know, I've been

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<v Speaker 1>to the Statue Liberty and there's a line there that says,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, give me your I know we know about

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<v Speaker 1>the huddled masses, but there's the line there says, you

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<v Speaker 1>know you're poor, and I'm just thinking, like, man, that's

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<v Speaker 1>the promise that this country has made to its people.

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<v Speaker 1>Then this country has failed to deliver on that promise.

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<v Speaker 1>Side note, I had a conversation on my other show,

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<v Speaker 1>the Black Information Network Daily Podcast. I wute you to

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<v Speaker 1>check it out. It's on iHeartMedia on the iHeart platforms,

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<v Speaker 1>and I was talking about this very thing, the failure

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<v Speaker 1>of the government to keep its promise to the people.

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<v Speaker 1>And I was doing a discussion about the what is

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<v Speaker 1>it the student loans, So the student loan relief by

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Biden. You know, there's obviously a lot of Republican

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<v Speaker 1>opposition to that, and I heard a lot of talk

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<v Speaker 1>work points, right, but I heard a lot of talking

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<v Speaker 1>points about this. But you know, one talking point that

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't hear was that, well, let's take into account

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<v Speaker 1>what does the government. First off, what is the government

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<v Speaker 1>supposed to do? And my point was, you decide what

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<v Speaker 1>the government is and what it should do based on

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<v Speaker 1>how you vote. And then what is the government's commitment

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<v Speaker 1>to the people, you know what I mean? And for

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<v Speaker 1>that answer, we can look at what the government has

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<v Speaker 1>promised the people in addition to what it is we

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<v Speaker 1>want from our government, the voters, we the voters. And

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<v Speaker 1>the connection that I made that I didn't see made

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<v Speaker 1>anywhere else in popular meat. Yeah ways, I connected it

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<v Speaker 1>with trickle down economics, which was something that you know,

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<v Speaker 1>our conservative facet of this country has sold to the

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<v Speaker 1>masses as being something that will work. Let's make sure

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<v Speaker 1>the rich guys get richer, so that this wealth will

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<v Speaker 1>trickle down to the middle class. Right, And we have

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<v Speaker 1>a now a forty to fifty year experiment that's been running,

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<v Speaker 1>and we've seen after the thirty year mark that it

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<v Speaker 1>does not, in fact produce a stronger middle class, does

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<v Speaker 1>not lift up poor people. The wealth gap is wider

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<v Speaker 1>than it's ever been, and the richest people in this

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<v Speaker 1>country have concentrated all that.

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<v Speaker 2>Wealth and that is its intent. Sure, sure they know

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<v Speaker 2>that they just marketed it, but they had fifty.

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<v Speaker 1>Years of like pulling the wolves over our eyes and

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<v Speaker 1>robbing us all blind us, we the people. So because

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<v Speaker 1>the government has to take responsibility for what the government

0:14:50.640 --> 0:14:54.480
<v Speaker 1>promised to the people, if that responsibility is, hey, you

0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:56.800
<v Speaker 1>know what that trickle down economics thing that didn't really

0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:59.280
<v Speaker 1>work out, and you went to school, and you got

0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:01.240
<v Speaker 1>loans to go to school, and you studied hard, and

0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:04.360
<v Speaker 1>you went out and you got a job, and you

0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:08.360
<v Speaker 1>find yourself not having that American dream that says I

0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:12.040
<v Speaker 1>can have a house, two cars in the garage to

0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:14.320
<v Speaker 1>stay at home spouse, and I can go on vacation

0:15:14.440 --> 0:15:15.920
<v Speaker 1>twice a year, and I can afford to take care

0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:18.280
<v Speaker 1>of a couple of kids. Since you can't do that

0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:21.120
<v Speaker 1>with that college degree, we should probably get you back

0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:22.200
<v Speaker 1>on that college degree. Dad.

0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:22.880
<v Speaker 2>That was our bad.

0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:26.800
<v Speaker 1>And so I'm connecting the government with their responsibility.

0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:28.200
<v Speaker 2>And that'd be tight if they do that well.

0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:31.560
<v Speaker 1>That This is what I'm connecting to Joe Biden's student loan,

0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:35.320
<v Speaker 1>you know, relief thing, you know, little thing. It's not enough,

0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:38.240
<v Speaker 1>but it's nothing. It's got a really low ceiling. But correct,

0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:42.600
<v Speaker 1>it's not nothing. Right, So the statute of liberty says,

0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:44.880
<v Speaker 1>send me you're poor. So why in this country do

0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:47.320
<v Speaker 1>we treat poor people bad? We already know that black people.

0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.400
<v Speaker 1>This show exists because this country oftentimes treats black people bad.

0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:52.960
<v Speaker 1>But you know, to your point, yes, poor people get

0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:58.480
<v Speaker 1>treated badly. But I want to continue, Q. Can you

0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:03.320
<v Speaker 1>name the city that had a problem with their water.

0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:12.880
<v Speaker 2>You said had has shouts to my Flint Stones, all

0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:16.760
<v Speaker 2>my people back home in the great mitten shaped state

0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:21.680
<v Speaker 2>of Michigan. But yeah, Flint, Michigan has been dealing with

0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:27.200
<v Speaker 2>a drinking water problem for years now. Once again an

0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:35.280
<v Speaker 2>American city and strange. You know, Jackson, Mississippi is capital city,

0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:38.880
<v Speaker 2>major city, like wow.

0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:43.760
<v Speaker 1>So I want to ask you another question. Now, maybe

0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:46.720
<v Speaker 1>I'm a conspiracy theorist. Maybe I see patterns where they

0:16:46.760 --> 0:16:49.800
<v Speaker 1>don't exist. Maybe I connect the lines where they don't

0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:51.960
<v Speaker 1>need to be connected. But never heard of such a thing.

0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:56.280
<v Speaker 1>But I want to ask this question. I really genuinely

0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:57.360
<v Speaker 1>don't know the answer.

0:16:58.440 --> 0:16:59.080
<v Speaker 2>I hope I do.

0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:06.520
<v Speaker 1>Would you guess that there are a significant amount of

0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:10.520
<v Speaker 1>black people that live in Flint, Michigan.

0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:15.920
<v Speaker 2>Without knowing any data, I'm winking my eye for people

0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:20.200
<v Speaker 2>who are listening to us on the radio podcast. Without

0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:24.280
<v Speaker 2>knowing any data, I'd guess that, yes, there are a

0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:28.199
<v Speaker 2>significant number of black people living in Flint, Michigan.

0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:32.360
<v Speaker 1>I would guess the same thing because obviously, I've been

0:17:32.400 --> 0:17:35.760
<v Speaker 1>alive in this country for the past since Obama was

0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:40.040
<v Speaker 1>in office, and I'm well aware of this issue, and

0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:45.240
<v Speaker 1>I'm well aware that Flint is fifty seven percent black.

0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:52.520
<v Speaker 1>Thank you, Maggie for that statistic. Now here's two examples

0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:59.960
<v Speaker 1>of cities that have failed their black, primarily black citizen

0:18:00.520 --> 0:18:05.680
<v Speaker 1>in this way. That's not to say that other cities

0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:12.000
<v Speaker 1>that are predominantly black don't miss the mark. They just

0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:14.080
<v Speaker 1>have not gotten to the point where they're doing this

0:18:14.119 --> 0:18:16.359
<v Speaker 1>for an indefinite amount of time, you know, et cetera.

0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:19.359
<v Speaker 1>That's not to say that other places where the black

0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:24.000
<v Speaker 1>population makes up a significant amount of the population is

0:18:24.119 --> 0:18:27.639
<v Speaker 1>not adversely affected in other ways. Maybe it's not water,

0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:32.760
<v Speaker 1>maybe it's you know, another thing, right, But I think

0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:37.240
<v Speaker 1>that these things again point to environmental racism again. One

0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:40.720
<v Speaker 1>day me and Maggan Q will sit down and really

0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:43.080
<v Speaker 1>flesh this out for you. But we have to talk

0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:47.000
<v Speaker 1>about I just I just, you know, thank you for

0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:49.800
<v Speaker 1>listening every week. I appreciate you listening every week. I

0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:51.680
<v Speaker 1>know that we have to talk about this stuff. And

0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:54.040
<v Speaker 1>the truth is, if you're listening to me, I reckon you,

0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:56.439
<v Speaker 1>my sister, I reckon you, my brother. We're gonna get

0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:59.240
<v Speaker 1>through this together. But this is the sort of thing

0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:06.160
<v Speaker 1>that I cannot see happening unless we're talking about black people.

0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:10.000
<v Speaker 1>If it's a black city, Katrina. People were going to

0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:12.360
<v Speaker 1>stores trying to get relief, trying to get food, trying

0:19:12.400 --> 0:19:14.840
<v Speaker 1>to get whatever. And yes, there were some people trying

0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:18.280
<v Speaker 1>to get whatever. Sure, I'll give you that, but you

0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:21.520
<v Speaker 1>know how many people the police shot? How many? You know?

0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:25.680
<v Speaker 1>I don't even want to go into that. But I

0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:27.800
<v Speaker 1>saw that happen. I was in five when I first

0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:31.679
<v Speaker 1>got in the radio. I saw it happen. And we

0:19:31.720 --> 0:19:34.760
<v Speaker 1>all know Kanye got on TV and he said what

0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:38.399
<v Speaker 1>he said about George Bush. He should have said poor

0:19:38.640 --> 0:19:42.680
<v Speaker 1>people that too, right, But the thing is, it feels

0:19:42.800 --> 0:19:51.160
<v Speaker 1>like more often if a person is poor and white,

0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:55.359
<v Speaker 1>there is more empathy for the person, for the family,

0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:59.560
<v Speaker 1>for the community, well individually, sure, like if someone's having

0:19:59.560 --> 0:20:01.359
<v Speaker 1>a converse with we're looking at.

0:20:01.240 --> 0:20:04.879
<v Speaker 2>A photo of Sure, but the poor white people that

0:20:04.960 --> 0:20:08.320
<v Speaker 2>live in the conditions with the poor black people live

0:20:08.359 --> 0:20:09.360
<v Speaker 2>in the same conditions.

0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:12.480
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so they get affected the same way. Yeah. Yeah,

0:20:12.560 --> 0:20:17.520
<v Speaker 1>So that obviously is not something where I can furnish

0:20:17.560 --> 0:20:20.320
<v Speaker 1>hard data. That just is kind of generally speaking, the

0:20:20.400 --> 0:20:22.159
<v Speaker 1>way that that has felt to me.

0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:27.960
<v Speaker 2>You you may have the absence of the affirmative right,

0:20:29.240 --> 0:20:33.040
<v Speaker 2>but give us an example. Listeners, Followers, give us an

0:20:33.080 --> 0:20:37.479
<v Speaker 2>example of an affluent white community in the history of

0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:41.040
<v Speaker 2>this country that has ever experienced something like this, so

0:20:41.080 --> 0:20:44.280
<v Speaker 2>we don't have to have the affirmative data that it's happened.

0:20:45.600 --> 0:20:47.760
<v Speaker 2>I don't know of an example that I've ever heard

0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:51.800
<v Speaker 2>of where the truth is the same for an affluent community,

0:20:51.800 --> 0:20:53.080
<v Speaker 2>I won't even have. You don't have to say white

0:20:53.160 --> 0:20:56.280
<v Speaker 2>or black. Right, If it's poor, it's going to have

0:20:56.320 --> 0:20:59.720
<v Speaker 2>a greater black population. That's the way this thing was

0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:01.960
<v Speaker 2>set up. If it's affluent, it's going to have a

0:21:02.000 --> 0:21:05.200
<v Speaker 2>greater white population. It was set up that way on purpose.

0:21:05.280 --> 0:21:09.400
<v Speaker 2>It has flourished in that manner for its entire history. Sure,

0:21:10.280 --> 0:21:12.639
<v Speaker 2>so we don't need the specific data to point to

0:21:12.640 --> 0:21:17.600
<v Speaker 2>the specific place. There's no opposite of it. You're not

0:21:17.640 --> 0:21:19.280
<v Speaker 2>going to call us like, hey, there was this one

0:21:19.320 --> 0:21:22.760
<v Speaker 2>time in bel Air where there was no drinking water.

0:21:23.400 --> 0:21:25.439
<v Speaker 1>And you know, for a weekend, and even if it

0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:27.960
<v Speaker 1>was that, yeah, there would be no indefinite there would

0:21:27.960 --> 0:21:30.160
<v Speaker 1>be no flint where it's been an ongoing thing for years,

0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:34.760
<v Speaker 1>you know, this sort of thing. So, yes, definitely something

0:21:35.200 --> 0:21:38.879
<v Speaker 1>to bear in mind. And then, of course, you know,

0:21:39.520 --> 0:21:44.560
<v Speaker 1>if you feel so inclined, perhaps there's you know, ways

0:21:44.560 --> 0:21:48.200
<v Speaker 1>that you can support beyond just sending water to Mississippi

0:21:48.240 --> 0:21:54.960
<v Speaker 1>to these people. You know, this is a a major

0:21:55.000 --> 0:21:58.400
<v Speaker 1>American city. This could happen to your city. You know,

0:21:58.480 --> 0:22:00.359
<v Speaker 1>this could happen in our city. This is you know,

0:22:04.000 --> 0:22:07.040
<v Speaker 1>it's not something that is beyond the realm of possibilities.

0:22:07.080 --> 0:22:10.560
<v Speaker 1>But the response to it and the reaction to it

0:22:10.680 --> 0:22:16.560
<v Speaker 1>just kind of seems lackluster. And again the connection that

0:22:16.800 --> 0:22:20.560
<v Speaker 1>I slash we are making is that eighty percent black

0:22:21.080 --> 0:22:23.520
<v Speaker 1>kind of checks out. And because we have to talk

0:22:23.520 --> 0:22:27.320
<v Speaker 1>about those things here, here's your conversation. Now, I do

0:22:27.400 --> 0:22:32.000
<v Speaker 1>want to also mention something else. So this comes via

0:22:32.200 --> 0:22:36.880
<v Speaker 1>the Well News. Detroit residents ask Congress to eliminate environmental racism.

0:22:37.800 --> 0:22:41.120
<v Speaker 1>Residents of the Detroit area suggested Thursday during a congressional

0:22:41.200 --> 0:22:44.840
<v Speaker 1>hearing that the Biden administration take care of environmental racism

0:22:45.119 --> 0:22:48.399
<v Speaker 1>before celebrating its recent successes against climate change. They are

0:22:48.440 --> 0:22:52.119
<v Speaker 1>concerned about manufacturing and hazardous waste processing plants that emit pollution,

0:22:52.480 --> 0:22:58.040
<v Speaker 1>particularly in their neighborhoods with predominantly minority and immigrant populations. Quote.

0:22:58.040 --> 0:23:03.479
<v Speaker 1>Our community has been disregarded, said Robert Schob, a Detroit resident,

0:23:03.520 --> 0:23:08.280
<v Speaker 1>who reports respiratory problems from the nearby Stalantes plant. Here

0:23:08.320 --> 0:23:10.840
<v Speaker 1>he goes again, quote everything is based off of finance

0:23:10.880 --> 0:23:14.159
<v Speaker 1>instead of people. He added, I don't go outside as

0:23:14.240 --> 0:23:16.879
<v Speaker 1>much these days to avoid the odor of plants as

0:23:16.880 --> 0:23:19.639
<v Speaker 1>well as coughing and chest pain. This plant is making

0:23:19.720 --> 0:23:25.520
<v Speaker 1>us sick. The Subcommittee on Environments called areas where Americans

0:23:25.560 --> 0:23:28.800
<v Speaker 1>fill their health is sacrificed for the profits of corporate polluters,

0:23:28.840 --> 0:23:33.960
<v Speaker 1>sacrifice zones. The Environmental Protection Agency or the EPA, is

0:23:34.000 --> 0:23:38.080
<v Speaker 1>supposed to control high pollution industries through the permitting processes

0:23:38.560 --> 0:23:42.760
<v Speaker 1>it administers under the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.

0:23:44.000 --> 0:23:50.480
<v Speaker 1>But again, even in Queue's city of his birth, and

0:23:50.560 --> 0:23:53.439
<v Speaker 1>again there's a lot of black folks there, it just

0:23:53.560 --> 0:23:56.720
<v Speaker 1>kind of seems like, eh, you know, it's kind of

0:23:56.760 --> 0:23:58.879
<v Speaker 1>got to deal with it, and it moves slow, and

0:23:59.320 --> 0:24:05.639
<v Speaker 1>people are kind of not concerned, and then we end

0:24:05.720 --> 0:24:10.240
<v Speaker 1>up with these outcomes that affect health, quality of life,

0:24:11.000 --> 0:24:15.920
<v Speaker 1>property values, mobility in society, things like this. Environmental racism

0:24:15.960 --> 0:24:18.280
<v Speaker 1>is another sort of invisible force that we have to

0:24:18.440 --> 0:24:21.760
<v Speaker 1>deal with as a Black community. Now again, I'm not

0:24:21.800 --> 0:24:24.240
<v Speaker 1>trying to complain about ramses Ques, not trying to complain

0:24:24.240 --> 0:24:27.480
<v Speaker 1>about q but we have to bring issues to the

0:24:27.520 --> 0:24:30.520
<v Speaker 1>forefront so that if you have never heard of these things,

0:24:31.119 --> 0:24:34.679
<v Speaker 1>you at least are aware that they exist. A and B.

0:24:35.480 --> 0:24:39.200
<v Speaker 1>We're not crazy, We're not nobody wants to just complain

0:24:39.240 --> 0:24:42.399
<v Speaker 1>all the time. Nobody like who you know. We're hard workers,

0:24:42.480 --> 0:24:44.639
<v Speaker 1>we don't want anything free. We're men, you know what

0:24:44.640 --> 0:24:47.480
<v Speaker 1>I mean. And Maggie's woman, you know, so we like

0:24:47.520 --> 0:24:49.080
<v Speaker 1>as an adult woman, you know. So.

0:24:50.359 --> 0:24:55.639
<v Speaker 2>It is, however, exhausting, to have these repetitive truths for

0:24:55.880 --> 0:24:59.080
<v Speaker 2>the entirety of our lives, you know, made to feel

0:24:59.160 --> 0:25:00.800
<v Speaker 2>like we're complaining. Yes, indeed,