Reflection

I was alarmed to find that millions of Americans today still consume tap water through lead pipes and are subsequently exposed to hazardous levels of lead. It saddens me even more that the bulk of these individuals were members of marginalized communities. In many disadvantaged communities today, the water pipelines remain outdated due to budget constraints that hamper water infrastructure projects and industrial development. As such, many people of color and other racial minorities, as well as the lower classes, simply do not have access to clean water and continue to use pipes that are old and dangerous to their health. As an individual who has had access to clean water her whole life, I felt inspired to illuminate this issue through art. I hope that my artwork can inform others about how poor water quality is an issue that falls disproportionately on many marginalized communities. I also wish to break the misconception that clean water is accessible to all. After this project, I plan not to treat clean water as a guaranteed commodity of my everyday life, but more so as a reflection of my own privileged upbringings. I hope to build more awareness about water inequality, promote conservatism, and make monetary contributions by donating to organizations that push for cleaner drinking water for all with the green and social justice coalitions that exist at my school and in my own community.