A guide to the 2020 First Year Reading program's pick, What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, by Mona Hanna-Attisha
"Never had a government report explicitly stated the role of race in an environmental crisis. And never before had the consequences of the loss of democracy been so keenly demonstrated. Flint may be the most egregious modern-day example of environmental injustice." (p. 308)
This site contains a transcript of the video above.
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission "believes that to properly and completely assess the causes of the Flint water crisis, we must look back much further. We believe the underlying issue is historical and systemic, dates back nearly a century, and has at its foundation race and segregation of the Flint community. These historical policies, practices, laws and norms fostered and perpetuated separation of race, wealth and opportunity."
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission report The Flint Water Crisis: Systematic Racism Through the Eyes of Flint, p. 9 (2017)
EDITORIAL
Dr. Hanna-Attisha wrote this piece about the impact of COVID-19 on Flint and discusses the need for justice, reparations and resilient communities.
Major Figures
The names below were mentioned in What the Eyes Don't See. Check out Environmental Justice by Newton, an ebook listed here, for a thorough list of those active in environmental justice, including biographical sketches.
Environmental Racism in the United States and Canada: Seeking Justice and Sustainability by 
The Nature of Hope: Grassroots Organizing, Environmental Justice, and Political Change by 
Resolving Environmental Conflicts by 
