Lessons from Flint: The Case for Investing in the Building Blocks of Communities of Color
American Progress
Mar 3, 2016

“The lead poisoning disaster in Flint, Michigan, serves as a reminder that policymakers are neglecting communities across the United States, putting children of color in harm’s way, and creating barriers to opportunity. Leaders should not expect children to succeed despite where they grew up. Instead, they should work to ensure that children of all backgrounds can succeed in communities that provide opportunity.”

“Housing, infrastructure, health, and education are the building blocks of strong communities and should be the target of increased public investment. Leaders across all sectors and levels of government can work together to correct the harmful discrepancies created by past policies—the policies that created current disparities—and ensure that, as President Barack Obama stated, ‘A child’s course in life should be determined not by the zip code she’s born in, but by the strength of her work ethic and the scope of her dreams.’”

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