Source: bet.com
Last month, Queen Latifah accepted a role in a new Lifetime original movie which was inspired by the whole water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The fact that this brought some controversies to the surface doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the touchy subject.
As a result, many responded to this news with concern and they pointed out the fact that the movie could be an exploitive one.
Some voices also said that this is a little premature at least if you consider the fact that the Flint water crisis hasn’t been resolved in any way yet, as there are still thousands and thousands of people left without clean water.
During a fresh interview, Queen Latifah defended herself and she explained why she did accept the role in the first place, also sharing her overall opinion on the situation.
She stated that she hopes that the movie can help bring more awareness and attention on the situation.
Latifah referred to the Flint water crisis situation as one of the greatest American tragedies in the century, and she also shared her strong opinion that she feels the need for someone to be imprisoned for ignoring such a serious issue.
She also brought up the Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.
“There were a bunch of people who knew about it and then didn’t do anything,” she argued while she was filming a scene in Toronto.
Latifah also explained the inspiration behind the role she took and she shared that her character was one of the many women still seeking justice for residents who were drinking contaminated water without even knowing it.
“Although [my character] is a composite, it took a lot of people to make a lot of noise to get the word to the right people,” Latifah argued.
“This was a team effort to even bring this to light the way it should have been, and then to counter a bunch of people in positions of power who said there was no problem.”
This contamination has lead to serious health issues. Some of them include learning disabilities and also developmental problems, especially in children. Latifah’s character witnesses and experiences the horrible aftermath.
You may also like
