Hip Hop Unites for Flint Water Crisis.

Someone, please tell me how the most developed country in the world can have a widespread water contamination issue?  A state of emergency has been declared in Flint to alleviate the city’s lead contaminated water crisis, the Detroit Free Press reports. President Barack Obama’s response releases up to $5 million and authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts. This action will cover 75 percent of the costs for providing clean water, filters and other items to residents.This is infuriating. Thank God, individuals are lending a hand to alleviate the crisis. This week, Hip Hop got involved.Rapper Meek Mill  has stepped up to the plate to help out residents in Flint as they deal with the current widely reported water crisis. The rapper responded to a tweet that basically told him and 50 Cent to cease with a petty back and forth social media beef and help residents. Mill did just that. The rapper stated on Instagram that he's giving $50,000 to Flint to help its residents. Mill also challenged 50 Cent to do the same.Other rappers, such as Sean Combs and Big Sean, also took to social media to rally entertainers to help with Flint's water crisis. And beyond rappers helping, last week Cher donated 180,000 bottles of water to the city.The president rejected Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s appeal for a disaster declaration, which would have allocated more federal funds and resources. Under federal law, only catastrophes caused by natural disasters are eligible for a disaster declaration, compared to the lower-level federal emergency declaration.Unlike a disaster caused by a hurricane, Flint’s water emergency is man-made. In 2014, officials switched the city’s water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River to save money. The more polluted river water, treated at the Flint water treatment plant, turned out to be corrosive to the city’s pipes and caused toxic levels of lead to seep into drinking water. Meanwhile, the governor is under pressure to resign over what has become a scandal. Critics say that state officials knew for months that the water supply was unsafe before Snyder declared a state of emergency and sought help from Washington.Help the people of Flint. Here's an excellent article which outlines a number of ways how you can do that.