Reverend Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Activist and Founder and President of the National Rainbow Push Coalition will be in Flint, Michigan on Sunday, January 17, 2016.
Rev. Jackson is the guest speaker for the 10:30 a.m. morning service at Heavenly Host Church of the Harvest. Following morning service, at 1:30 p.m, Jackson will hold a Town Hall Rally calling for justice in the city's water crisis. Heavenly Host Church of the Harvest is located at 2202 Dartmouth Street..
Pastor, Bishop Neal Roberson says Rev. Jackson specifically chose the eve of the national observance of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday to come to Flint to help bring awareness to the city's public health crisis.
In 2014, under an Emergency Manager, appointed by Governor Rick Snyder, the city of Flint switched from the Detroit Water System to the Flint River as its primary source of water. The switch was done as a cost savings measure. Soon after the transition, residents began complaining of discolored, and foul smelling water coming from their tap. Some complained of hair loss, body rashes, and other physical ailments as a result of being exposed to the water. State officials denied there was a problem. It was later discovered the city's water contained unsafe levels of lead and was not safe for consumption.
Nearly two years after the first concerns were raised about the water, the Governor just declared a state of emergency in Flint.
Dozens of volunteers, including Michigan State Police, have been dispatched into the city to go door to door delivering bottled water and water filters to the residents. Several resource centers have been opened in the city's fire stations to assist residents with getting safe, clean drinking water.
Individuals and organizations from all over the country have donated thousands of cases of water to the city for distribution to the residents.
