Public Health On Call Series: Water Crises—Poor Infrastructure in Communities of Color
A three-episode series unpacking the water crises in Jackson, Flint, and other U.S. cities.
The Water Crisis in Jackson, Mississippi
Historic rainfall in Jackson, Mississippi overwhelmed the already fragile water system leaving thousands of residents without water weeks later. Richard Mizelle, an environmental historian at the University of Houston, talks with Joshua Sharfstein, MD, about the crisis that was decades in the making, who is most at risk without clean water, and how environmental racism poses deadly threats to communities across the U.S.
Not Just a Water Crisis: The Decline of Jackson, Mississippi
Mauda Monger is a lifelong resident of Jackson, Mississippi. She is also a community advocate and public health professional. She talks with Joshua Sharfstein, MD, about how the water crisis is the most visible sign of a profound decline in her hometown and perhaps could help bring about a brighter future. Monger runs an initiative for young women of color in Jackson called the S-H-E Project. Learn more.
Flint, Jackson, and Beyond: Infrastructure Failures in U.S. Cities
The disastrous water infrastructure issues in Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi are not outliers. Looming failures across water, energy, and transportation systems are threatening dozens of cities. Marccus Hendricks, director of the Stormwater Infrastructure Resilience and Justice Lab at the University of Maryland, talks with Joshua Sharfstein, MD, about these emerging challenges.
