Water has been a big part of Kayla Flannery’s two years in Michigan. She reports on World Water Day in Lansing.
KAYLA FLANNERY
Global Mission Fellow*
Early last week I received an email telling of the opportunity to join a group of people going from Detroit to Lansing to spend a day at the State Capital. This past Wednesday, March 22nd was World Water Day.
Since moving to Detroit in August of 2015 to work on disaster recovery from the flooding in Detroit, my life has revolving around water and the issues surrounding it.
Among the concerns that rode with those on the bus headed to the capital were:
- thousands of families in Detroit living day to day without water after shut-offs;
- parents and children in Flint dealing with the effects of lead in their water;
- nearly 23 million gallons of oil flowing daily through the aging Enbridge Line 5 pipeline located at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac;
- billions of gallons of ground water pumped out of mid-Michigan’s springs by Nestle.
I’ve become really interested in learning more and becoming active in ways that would lead to a positive change for water rights here in Michigan.
Serving at Motown Mission in Detroit, I was able to hop on the bus on March 22nd to head to Lansing. What I didn’t realize before I left was that there would be people from all over the state and all over the country who we meet and join as one voice.
There were college students who traveled from Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland and from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who spent the day with our group. Also in attendance was a gentleman of Native American heritage who has spent time at Standing Rock with the Water Protectors. He is now traveling the country to support other Water Warriors in the fight for water. The experience had two parts. The first part of our day was spent learning more about the wide-ranging issues surrounding water here in Michigan. We heard from people who are living through the experience of having their water shut off. We listened to residents of Flint who brought us the truth of how life really is moving along after all the media attention has faded away.
The second half of our day was spent either in the offices of our elected officials or in the Gallery of the House of Representatives where we were recognized as present for World Water Day. Our aim was to encourage support of the new Michigan Water is a Human Right Bill Package.
The package consists of 23 bills that have to do with many different parts of the water issues in Michigan. A similar package of bills was introduced last year but never got out of committee so were tossed out. Representative Stephanie Chang and other colleagues are reintroducing the bills to this year’s session.
The day ended with everyone joining together for a rally on the steps of The Capital. A highlight for me occurred during our lunch break when five Representatives spoke to us about why they support this package of bills. While each of them had a few moments to share about why they are sponsoring, co-sponsoring or supporting these bills, you could tell that they all have a passion for the people in their districts and really do want to affirm accessibility to clean, safe and affordable water as a priority.
I believe the Representatives were listening very closely to the stories that were being shared by people from Flint and Detroit. These are the stories that the wider public needs to hear and understand. Earlier in the day, I had the opportunity to speak to the Representative from my district directly. He said he is a “Detroit boy” who completely supports these bills because he understands the struggles that people there face. When I first decided to hop on the bus to Lansing I don’t think I understood how impactful this day could really be.
More and more we hear about days designated for celebration, mourning, remembrance or activism around a particular cause or issue, fueled by social media.
I didn’t realize that there was a gathering for World Water Day in Lansing last year as well that advocated for the same things we addressed last week. Some of the people who were there with me have been in the trenches of water rights for many years. I now have deeper admiration for their strength to continue on day after day despite the setbacks they have faced.
March 22nd in Lansing was a time for hope. Organizers estimated there were three times as many people in attendance this year than in 2016.
While full of positive experiences, last Wednesday’s activities were also a stark reminder that, no matter what the issue may be, change takes time and the support of many coming together to join as one voice.
* The Global Mission Fellow program of The United Methodist Church is a 2- year mission opportunity for young adults ages 20-30. This program allows for transformation and leadership development to take place while addressing roots of social injustices with other young people from around the world.
Last Updated on December 28, 2022