Flint Water Crisis and African American’s fear of the healthcare system
Throughout this course, I have been astounded by these descriptions of traumatic events, from sexual assault to abuse to genocide. Each of these traumas are unique and present unique symptoms. While reading about genocide, I thought of other traumatic events due to mass oppression, specifically events of mass oppression that were not labeled genocides. For centuries, oppression has traumatized vulnerable populations in unique ways. Two examples are that of the low-income individuals whose water supply was polluted with lead and African American individuals denied proper healthcare.
In Flint, Michigan, the low-income individuals were traumatized by a government who poisoned their water supply. The city is still dealing with this. They are not allowed to drink their own water. They are not allowed to bathe in their own water or cook with their own water. The implication of the lead in the water has many serious health effects. Lead consumption “can affect the heart, kidneys, and nerves. Heath affects of lead exposure in children include impaired cognition, behavioral disorders, hearing problems, and delayed puberty” (CNN Library, 2018). Dangerous levels of lead were found in resident’s home. In December 2015, Flint declared a state of emergency (CNN Library, 2018). Many lawsuits were filed against the city, and six state workers were charged. As of April 6, 2018, the free bottled water program will end, stating that the water is clean. But I wonder what trauma the residents face from this crisis? They were supposed to trust their government, but were betrayed by this. The residents were faced with the fear of not having clean water. They were exposed to harsh amounts of lead through their water that left many physical ailments and developmental issues in children.
Goodnough and Atkinson (2016) mention many of the mental health problems associated with the water crisis. A lot of depression was seen in adults, especially due to their children. These parents could not even give their children baths in clean water, leading to them feeling depressed and suicidal. Children were traumatized due to their fear, especially from hearing frightening details on the news. Childhood trauma has implications through life that the children from Flint, Michigan will have to experience the rest of their life.
Another more historic example is the trauma the African American community experienced, specifically in regards to healthcare. In history, African Americans were used by medical professionals as experiments, without their permission. African Americans were denied healthcare, and this fear from the past, is showing in the present generations. Today, African Americans are more likely to die from the same diseases as their white counterparts. For example, African Americans are three times as likely to die from asthma, have 25% higher cancer death rate in men and 20% in women, and tend to develop chronic disease earlier in life with shorter life expectancies than the white population (Williams, 2016). As shown, this is a serious issue. A prime example of why African Americans, especially men, are reluctant to receive healthcare is the men of Tuskegee, Alabama. In Tuskegee, African American men who had syphilis were denied treatment to examine the natural progression of the disease. This 40-year government study is frequently referenced as the “singular reason behind African-American distrust of the institutions of medicine and public health” (Gamble, 1997, p. 1773). Other incidents have also been documented of inequality in the treatment of other diseases. African Americans have been historically discriminated against and oppressed. This is another example of this. The trauma these African American men experienced from health professionals has been passed through generations. Their anxiety and fear comes from what the medical professionals will do to them or that they will not properly treat them.
Both of these examples are of major events, mostly stemmed by the government, which traumatized vulnerable populations. These traumatic events are important and should be addressed thoroughly. Just as there is institutional oppression, there can be institutional trauma. Institutional trauma can be as significant and as long-lasting as other forms of trauma. These events should not be ignored or swept under the rug. We must acknowledge these traumas and prevent future trauma from happening as well.
References
CNN Library. (2018). Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts. Retrieved from
https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/04/us/flint-water-crisis-fast-facts/index.html
Gamble, V. (1997). Under the Shadow of Tuskegee: African Americans and Health Care.
Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1381160/pdf/amjph00510-0023.pdf
Goodnough, A. and Atkinson, S. (2016). A Potential Side Effect to the Flint Water Crisis:
Mental Health Problems https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/us/flint-michigan-water-crisis-mental-health.html
Williams, J. (2017). Black Americans don’t trust our healthcare system- here’s why. Retrieved