Let them Eat Lead: Flint, Race and the Devastating Effects of Neoliberalism in the World

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Black lives matter has been the refrain of millions around the country since the events in Ferguson in the fall of 2014. Unfortunately it’s been ignored by most of those who run the country. In Flint, Michigan, it is apparent that the lives of black children don’t matter. Indeed, an estimated 9,000 children now have lead poisoning, disproportionately poor and black. However what has happened in Flint represents the result of a social and political movement that began several decades ago in what has been called “neo-liberalism.” This entails the belief in the “free market” which has resulted in massive cutbacks in social services provided by all levels of government, especially on the state and local level. Neo-liberalism has impacted the entire world, with the resulting negative treatment of minorities in virtually every country.

Sub Unit

• Area VII: Criminal Justice Policy and Practice

Individual Presentations

• Let Them Eat Lead - Randall Shelden, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Cassandra Boyer, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Beyond the Water: The Real Problem in Flint, Michigan.” - William B. Brown, Western Oregon University; Stephanie Kaplan, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• False Confessions: Commonalities between two Different Countries: China and the United States - Yu Zhang, Jackson State University; Scott Tighe, Western Oregon University

• Through the Looking-Glass of Disposable Justice: The Politics of Intersectionality and Policing Violence Against LGBTQ Citizens of Color - Danielle Shields, Rutgers University

Discussant

• Robert G. Stanulis, Forensic Psychology/Neuropsychology Portland OR