'People are not coming to save us first. We are at the last of everything.”
Mississippi’s capital and largest city is 82 percent Black and has been living with a water crisis for years. Residents spent much of the last month under boil water advisories. Now, the water issue is life-threatening. Governor Tate Reeves in an emergency briefing on Monday: “Do not drink the water. In too many cases, it is raw water from the reservoir being pushed through the pipes,” he said. “This is a very different situation from a boil water notice.
In addition to the residents from three RECH houses sharing one house’s low water pressure, earlier on Tuesday Frederick invited three of the organization’s volunteers to use their shower. “We cover ourselves,” Rogers said. “Water is a necessity for us all. You can’t leave anybody behind in a crisis.