Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Labor Movement Responds to Mississippi Water Crisis

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

A water crisis has left residents in Jackson, Mississippi, reeling after flooding overwhelmed the city’s water treatment infrastructure. Mississippi’s lack of funding in water infrastructure has been an ongoing problem for decades, and it’s a clear case of systemic disinvestment in the majority-Black city. When our communities are in crisis, the labor movement is always there to step up and help those in need.

Earlier this week, the AFL-CIO responded to the Mississippi labor movement’s request for help by delivering a full truck with more than 2,000 cases of water. The water will be distributed on Labor Day to union members and their families who are struggling. “We have been extremely busy coordinating efforts to take care of our citizens who have been affected by unsafe water, lack of or no water pressure and the flooding crisis,” said Chris Gray, a labor leader who is helping to coordinate disaster response in Jackson.