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‘By it being a Black city, people really don't care’: Benton Harbor pastor blasts mayor, governor

The city is currently going through a crisis, as its water isn't consumable due to high levels of lead.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — On Thursday morning, many people woke up in the southwestern Michigan city of Benton Harbor without water, after a main broke Wednesday afternoon.

The city is currently going through a crisis, as its water isn't consumable due to high levels of lead. With a broken water main added to the mix, tensions are starting to boil over in Benton Harbor.

Local pastor, Rev. Edward Pinkney, who's also the president and CEO of the Benton Harbor Community Water Council, spoke very candidly and critically of both the mayor of Benton Harbor and the governor of Michigan, alleging they knew about the potential water crisis for years and failed to act. 

Pinkney said race is definitely playing a part in what he calls a lack of response.

“The sad part is the governor and the mayor knew the water was bad for over three years, and they did exactly nothing,” said Pinkney.

“Think about this, if you were interviewing a white woman with a baby in her arms, and she's crying that this lead is killing my baby, they would have the army out here. They would have FEMA out here. They would have the pentagon."

Pinkney added, “Joe Biden would be calling down here to talk with her on the phone, ‘What can we do?’ But by it being a Black city, people really don't care.”

Pinkney said when this is all done, he just wants whoever is responsible to be held accountable.

13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to the mayor of Benton Harbor, Marcus Muhammad, for a response or an interview and the mayor sent the following statement via email:

“My focus is on the residents of Benton Harbor, working with the City Commission and Whitmer administration to supply clean drinking water to every resident. In addition my attention is on the removal and replacement of every lead service line in the City of Benton Harbor in 18 months.”

Additionally, 13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to governor’s office for a response but have not yet heard back. 

Benton Harbor Schools cancel classes after water main break leaves city waterless 

The water main break forced the Benton Harbor Area Schools to cancel classes. Superintendent Andrae Townsel said they are staying encouraged, and the students and staff that make up this district are proud people.

Townsel said once the district got word of the high levels of lead in the water in the city, they drew up a plan to ensure that every student and faculty member had access to bottled water.

“At the school district what we did out of an abundance of caution is we tested all of our schools in the district,” said Townsel. “We completed testing on Friday, we expect to have all those results by this Friday. And so, out of an abundance of caution, we shutoff all of our drinking fountains, and we're providing all of our students and staff with bottled water and those are delivered on a weekly bases."

Townsel said they have their students covered but added this is a residential issue. He knows when they go home they are dealing with this water crisis so the goal is to ensure they provide them with as much water as possible.

Townsel said it's a great day to be strong as a tiger. He said the spirit of Benton Harbor is there is no quit in them, and they'll take this adversity head-on.

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