Youth United For Change

WATER ACCESS PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT

First, I would like to uplift the amaziqg young people and YUC members who shared their stories Ijbout the
lack of water in their schools starting last February. The stories of students being forced to purchase water
bottles after gym class because there was no potable water in their building, pushed us to interrogate the
issue of water access, and led us to discover how widespread the lack of water was throughout the
District. These young people are courageous and sharp and inspire the adult support staff at YUC
constantly.
Second, in the day and age where our so-called democratic institutions are becoming less and less
responsive to the concerns of working and poor people, it is indeed refreshing to be able to work closely
with such a grounded and receptive politician as Councilwoman Gym. From the very beginning of her
council tenure, she has prioritized the interests of the grassroots over the grasstops, and because of that,
created real openings for working class people to truly influence the decisions of elected and appointed
officials.
Third, we at YUC stand in solidarity with the folks of Flint and Detroit, MI who have shown us how to fight
for basic human needs with dignity and vision. Water access shouldn't even be up for discussion, but when
you have decision-makers more concerned with polls and dollars than whether or not Black and Brown
people have opportunities to be dreamers and scholars, we are living in strange times.
Finally, we applaud the $1 million commitment made by the District to provide three hydration stations in all
District schools. However, as we know very well at YUC, the issue of implementation is often the snag
that always gets in the way of those commitments becoming material. Therefore, we will still push for the
establishment of a district-wide student-faculty maintenance/evaluation program to ensure students not
only provide input about faulty or non-functioning water outlets; but that they actively assist the school
administration and facilities heads in developing solutions and systems of accountability that make sure
repairs happen swiftly and students handle water infrastructure with care.