blogged by: @ashleytearra
Nearly four years later, the Flint Water Crisis still continues to affect the city of Flint, Michigan.
The heart-wrenching disaster began back in April of 2014 when the city’s drinking water source was switched to the polluted Flint River.
Due to insufficient treatment of the contaminated water supply, thousands of Flint residents were exposed to lead poisoning.
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However, as a result, the devastating crisis has since gained worldwide attention.
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Last year, rapper #VicMensa paid a visit to the town, and in a recent sit-down, Mensa admits that it was very eye-opening.
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Ahead of his performance for AT&T Audience Network Concert Series, the 24-year-old Roc Nation signee spoke on the experience, detailing the emotions that it brought about.
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“I went [to Flint]. I’m listening to these stories from the people, and I’m seeing brown water that they’ve kept in gallon jugs,” he says. “I’m hearing about people whose hair fell out. I actually spoke to a kid who was telling me [that] all of his hair fell out.”
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Mensa then went on to reveal how it impacted him afterward.
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“We did a benefit concert the first time I went. The second time I went, we did like a food and clean water drive,” he explains. “That was a dope moment for me because I was really able to appreciate the things that I don’t have to worry about and really pay attention to people in the real world. That was an experience for me.”
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Although Flint’s water crisis is said to be seeing some improvements, the battle still remains a tough one to fight.
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As of now, citizens of the area are asked to use bottled and/or filtered water until all lead pipes have been replaced, which won’t be completed before 2020 at the earliest.
