James Young talks about his work on the water crisis of Flint, MI

Sometimes, you can go home again - in fact, sometimes you HAVE to.


The Flint Water Crisis is a national disgrace now entering its third year without a comprehensive solution for the near-100,000 residents still unable to use their local water supply after the city switched its source in a bungled attempt to save money. Unable to drink, cook, or even shower with their tap water, the city's residents have been pushed to the limit while waiting for a solution to come from somewhere - anywhere. This has not gone unnoticed by several high-profile NBA personalities, perhaps most notably by former Boston Celtics big man Rasheed Wallace, who has been very active in advocating for the city's residents, who wrote in The Player's Tribune last October about the crisis:

"When you woke up this morning, what’s the first thing you did? Took a piss and flushed the toilet? Brushed your teeth? Took a shower? Whatever you did, I’m guessing you used water. What’d you do after that? Made yourself some coffee or tea? [...] You definitely used some water. That’s all normal, part of our everyday lives. Unless you live in Flint, Michigan. You probably think that, because they’re not all over your TV anymore, the problems of Flint are in the past. Well, I’ve been visiting Flint for the past year, so let me tell you the truth. Some of the folks in Flint can’t take showers because their water is still poisoned with lead. They have to boil water, pour it into the sink and then wash in it. [...] That shit ain’t right. It’s still going on today. And it’s not going away anytime soon."

Needless to say, people - in the league, and in general - are upset. Quite a few have stopped waiting for the government to do something, and have taken matters into their own hands, as Wallace has been, and recently, he was joined by current Celtics wing James Young, who talks about his experience helping out his hometown. That's right - this is where he is from:



There's some talk about the Celtics impending trip to the playoffs and Young's interest in e-sports in there too for good measure, but the bulk of the interview addresses Young's experience providing water to a community that helped raise him. Give it a listen, and if you are so disposed, get involved. For more information on the crisis, check out the video below where 'Sheed breaks it down to Kevin Garnett on Area 21, or read his letter to The Player's Tribune.



For more about James Young on CelticsLife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.




Photo via WXYZ/Scripps Media, Inc.
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