Jackson Water Crisis

Environmental justice is racial justice. 

Jackson's water crisis is what results when you have years of a state legislature and governors acting as if their primary jobs are cutting taxes and taking care of wealthy donors. 

The Mississippi legislature is so greate at ignoring problems that it let a governor shot down an entire antipoverty program and give hundreds of millions in TANF dollars away to rich friends and it still has held ZERO hearings on the issue. 
 
This water crisis in Jackson is different because you can't sweep it under the rug. 
 
To be clear—this unjust system was put together decades ago to benefit wealthy white residents and disregard Black residents. Two water treatment plants are located only miles apart, segregating the city and leaving the historically Black populated South and West Jackson furthest away from both essential sources. These communities are disproportionately and repeatedly hurt when our water system fails. 
 
In 2021, the legislature was in session at the Capitol building when an ice storm shut down most of the city's water system for days. In response, the majority white legislature took no action. 
 
We fear now that the state will continue to allow communities to suffer and move on after the situation in Jackson is "stable." But real investments are needed to fix the water system. 
 
We fear this because there are other communities in Mississippi without running water. 382,000 people, or nearly 13% of the state's population, have no public water service. They rely on well water. Families in small Mississippi Delta towns have no running water. 
 
And honestly, we fear this because these are largely Black Mississippians that are hurt by the lack of safe drinking water and public investment. 
 

 

Support the organizations that are actively working to assist families, individuals, communities and students harmed by the lack of clean drinking water in Jackson.

The safe drinking water crisis for Jackson, MS residents reached a dangerous apex this summer. The disparities in investments to critical infrastructure projects and access to clean water often disproportionately put Black, Brown and low-income communities at risk of environmental harms. 

The ACLU of Mississippi was able to raise over $60,000, with the help of the Just Trust Foundation, to assist on-the-ground organizations with purchasing and distributing water and supplies to Jacksonians most harmed by the water crisis -- including the Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition. 

Click Here to Support the Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition

 

ACLU of Mississippi is directly supporting these organizations:

  • Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center and the largest provider of primary health care services to the uninsured and under-served in Central Mississippi. 
 
  • New Horizon Church--International is part of the fabric of South Jackson, a working-class community of over 90% Black residents. It is also the most heavily impacted area in Jackson. New Horizon Church-International has arranged to be the South Jackson distribution point throughout this crisis. 
 
  • Springboard to Opportunities is a nonprofit organization working with residents who live in affordable housing to reach their goals in school, work, and life. Springboard is working to ensure clean drinking water is available in all of our communities in Jackson as soon as possible. They are working with partners to provide meals to families, particularly those with children who are virtual learning due to schools closed by the water crisis.