Miss New York, Nia Franklin, might have taken home the crown at this year’s Miss America competition, but it was Miss Michigan who caught the attention of viewers last night when she evoked the Flint water crisis while introducing herself.
“From a state with 84 percent of the U.S. fresh water, but none for its residents to drink, I’m Miss Michigan Emily Sioma,” she told the audience.
https://twitter.com/shaunking/status/1038973300507140101
The crisis began four years ago, when a switch in water supply with lead contamination and other toxins led to the exposure of 100,000 Flint residents, and an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that killed 12 people. Today, Flint residents still do not have access to completely clean water, and won’t “be fully safe” until the lead pipes in the water supply are all replaced in 2020, according to Politico.
Across Twitter, Miss Michigan drew the support and praise of many, who found that her opening statement was much more impactful than any sort of bragging she could have done about herself.
Been rolling my eyes all weekend that Miss America is still a thing but MISS MICHIGAN FOR PRESIDENT https://t.co/Y6Wib6DVRg
— Jane Burns (@jrburns) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/CleverTitleTK/status/1038956819828416514
https://twitter.com/StoryofEverest/status/1038968050379304961
Miss Michigan just introduced herself by shaming her home state for Flint water crisis.
— Julia Terruso (@JuliaTerruso) September 10, 2018
my face at the miss michigan intro #missamerica pic.twitter.com/qVE3Vq0R7m
— andrea (@andreabair_6) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/swaggirljesse/status/1038957435132813313
MISS Michigan bringing the HEATTTTTTT 84% water WITH NONE TO DRINK #MissAmerica
— Christina M. Spann (@ladyteena102) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/KatieJaffke/status/1038958345846185984
While Sioma didn’t advance to the top 15, she at least used her few seconds of airtime to advance Flint’s narrative and remind others that the community has still yet to have their basic needs met by the state.
#Flint https://t.co/i4VVLwUrAl
— Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) September 10, 2018
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