Dominating Flint’s Water Future

• In Event: 1540 - Community

Abstract

Prior research has begun to explore the role of the state in creating and exacerbating the Flint Water Crisis. We know less about the outside interests served by this chain of events, and about responsible actors’ continued domination of Flint through municipal bonds and water agreements benefitting new suburban water authorities. In this case study, we draw on critical race theory, studies of power and racial capitalism to understand the following: how is the domination of Flint seen as legitimate? What are the contours of the public-private constellation of interests, and how does this domination facilitate the ongoing extortion of Flint? Flint’s crisis was sparked by two suburban “water secessions” from black-governed water systems. They needed Flint to help pay municipal bonds for these projects, but Flint's needs were not considered. Flint’s four years under emergency financial management (state control replacing majority-black elected leadership) facilitated domination of the city and modeled a repressive relationship reproduced in contemporary water agreements. Despite Flint’s legitimate claim to reparations for the harm incurred, outsiders are still exploiting this captive “resource” of water customers, with domination both facilitating and legitimating extraction.

Authors

• Louise Seamster, University of Iowa

• Amanda Ricketts, University of Tennessee-Knoxville