Photo / Silas Walker
The People’s Tribune hosts discussions on the water crisis facing so many of our communities across the country where people can share experiences and strategize. Send your story to info@peoplestribune.org! — The Editors
Inez, Kentucky, nestled in the hills and hollers of eastern Kentucky’s coal fields in Martin County, was chosen by the United Nations to host world Water Day. Postponed from March because of the pandemic, water activists BarbiAnn Maynard of Martin County Water Crisis, and Anthony Diaz, of the Newark (New Jersey) Water Coalition, united around their mission of starting a national movement for clean, affordable water for all, spoke to media at the event held in October.
BarbiAnn, involved in the fight for clean and affordable water for twenty years, was called “crazy” when she first complained about the water to the district. For years residents have complained about the poor water quality, frequent outages and high bills. “It’s not just Martin County. It’s Newark, New Jersey; Aliquippa, Pennsylvania; Denmark, South Carolina,” she said. “It’s lots of little cities all around the United States. What people don’t know is we’re really working on a major movement to make a difference nationally.” Acknowledging that she has been exposed to polluted water since childhood, she emphasizes that she’s fighting for the next generation. “I’m fighting for the little kids who go to recess or PE and go to the water fountain. To me, that’s like lambs being led to the slaughter. I’m fighting for them now.” Maynard said.
Diaz emphasized that even in a time when the country is divided, we can join together to fight for access to clean water. He has been actively organizing in his community for two years after discovering high levels of lead in the water. “Black and brown communities always get the short end of the stick. It just happens. Here we are in a white community in rural Kentucky and they are also getting the short end of the stick. It’s not what separates us, it’s definitely what joins us up.
If you can organize around water, you can organize around
any issue.”
Information from Kentucky.com
Cathy Talbott is a former telephone operator, a job lost to automation. She was a homeless mother of two and fights for welfare rights. A former co-host of a weekly community radio program out of Carbondale, IL, “Occupy the Airwaves,” Cathy is the Environmental Desk for the People’s Tribune.
They probably called her crazy because she is an abusive drunk. Maynard should not be given a platform