In October 2021, local news turned international: Benton Harbor, a small Michigan town along the shores of Lake Michigan, was dubbed “the next Flint” for lead in its water pipes above and beyond federally safe levels. Reverend Edward Pinkney, local pastor and president of the Benton Harbor Community Water Council, helped lead a grassroots effort to achieve safer water for the community. Hear Rev. Pinkney’s story and insights into effective community environmental advocacy.

Rev Edward Pinkney, Environmental Justice Advocate and Educator

Reverend Edward Pinkney is a long-time advocate for social and economic justice for Benton Harbor, a small town in Southwest Michigan. He is pastor of God’s Household of Faith Church and the founder of numerous community-based organizations. In 2003, he founded the Black Autonomy Network Community Organization, a political and social justice coalition working in Benton Harbor in the wake of a death of a 28-year-old African American while being pursued by police. He’s also established the Benton Harbor Community Water Council, where he sits as president. The water council was key in bringing to the EPA and media attention the lead water crisis in Benton Harbor in 2021, leading to the replacement of the pipes. His church was also a leading distributor of water and educational space for the community about the dangers of ingesting lead.