Michigan civil rights officials say "systemic racism" going back decades is at the core of problems that caused a lead-contaminated water crisis in the majority black city of Flint. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission issued a 130-page report Friday following three public hearings and other meetings to determine whether residents faced discrimination or racial bias.
The report says nobody "intended to poison Flint," but concludes that decisions would have been different had they concerned wealthier, predominantly white communities. Recommendations include replacing or fixing the state's emergency-manager law to analyze the root causes of a community's financial problems.
To save money while under state control, the city used water from the Flint River for 18 months without treatment to prevent pipe corrosion. The water caused toxic lead to leach from old pipes into homes.
