MINISODE: How Little Miss Flint Mari Copeny is tackling America’s water crisis

In the years since the Flint water crisis began, the Michigan city is still grappling with the aftermath. Many have gotten involved and stepped up to offer support, including some of the community's youngest members. For the final episode in our series of conversations with youth leaders, Pete talks to our youngest guest yet: Mari Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint, is a 13-year-old water rights activist who rose to international fame when, at age 8, she fought to help her hometown by organizing a mass bottled water drive. To date, she has donated over one million bottles of water and raised over $500,000 for school supplies for Flint-area families affected by the contaminated water.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hi, I'm Pete Bodh Jedge and this is the deciding decade.
A few years ago, our country turned its attention to Flint, Michigan,
a city undergoing a terrible water crisis, one that it
is still facing today. So many gun involved stepped up
to offer support and spoke out, including some of the

(00:27):
community's youngest members. For the final episode in our series
of Conversations with youth leaders, we are welcoming our youngest
ever guest. Marie Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint,
is a thirteen year old water rights activist from Flint, Michigan.
She got her nickname after winning a local beauty pageant
years ago, and then rose to national and even international

(00:50):
fame when, as an eight year old, she fought to
help Flint during its devastating water crisis by organizing a
mass bottled water drive. She also wrote President Obama about
the crisis, asked him to come to Flint and see
it firsthand, and she received not just a response, but
a visit, which will discuss later. Today, she has given
away over one million bottles of water and raised over

(01:12):
five hundred thousand dollars for water bottles, back to school supplies,
holiday presents and books for Flint based families. She was
named a Youth Ambassador to the Women's March on Washington
in two thousand seventeen and to the National Climate March,
and was listed on teen Vogues twenty one. She is
involved with several important campaigns and causes and plans to
run for president as soon as something I'm looking forward to.

(01:37):
Let me start by asking you about a subject that
I care a lot about because I served as a
mayor and one of the most important things that a
mayor is responsible for is water, water and wastewater, making
sure that there's clean, safe, drinking water. And it's one
of those things people don't think about when it's going well,
but when there's a problem with the water, of course
it ruins everything unless they're action. So I wonder, how

(02:01):
would you explain to somebody who never thinks about drinking
water safety why water matters so much? Well, water matters
because that if some people would be like, oh, I
didn't know you guys have bad water. Oh I thought
you know your water was clean. No, the water is bad,
And some people don't realize that the water is bad.

(02:23):
But at the same time, some people are like, well,
I never had bad water, so I don't know how
that's like, I never experienced that, And people didn't realize
that just because you haven't had bad water doesn't mean
that anybody else has had bad water before. So how
did the issue of safe water affect you and your
family directly? So when they had swished over the pipes
and everything, the water had got super bad. There was

(02:45):
like lead, and there was like a whole batch of
other nasty chemicals like the water, and if you were
staying the water too long, you would get really bad
rashes that were said well chemical burns. The water smell
really bad your eyes where you would get really bad headache.
People were dying, keiths were getting lead poison and it
affected a lot of people because that, you know, the

(03:06):
water was toxic and stuff like that. So what was
your role in helping the world understand how big of
a problem this is? So my role was that I
just wanted to help, and I had posted about it
a lot all of my social media's making people would
have listen and donate to my goal floodings and whatever.
I just you know, wanted to help, and I wanted
you just spread awareness and just spread the worth that

(03:29):
Flint has a water cricis, but it's not only Flint
that as a water crisis. America as a water crisis.
Like you might think that let's I'm just pick an state,
Let's go with Florida. You might think that, you know,
Florida is a giant, you know, big station, so you
think they would have bad water. No, there are places
side Floida that has bad water. But there's like there's
a whole bunch of cities inside America that has bad water,

(03:52):
but people don't realize it because it's not talking about enough.
But I want to get that word out that America
has a water crisis. So what made you decide to
write to President Obama? It was the day of the
congressional hearings, and I thought, what if I just sent,
you know, a letter to President Obama to see if
he would to respond because in the letter I talked
about the flood water Carson would have had other people

(04:12):
and you know, I didn't think he was gonna respond
or you know, do any of that, but it was
worth to try. And yeah, so what did you think
when a letter came back? So I had no idea
that he wrote me back like my mom had out
a call from the Secret Service. Now we're saying that,
you know, the president wants to you know, writer back
or whatever. And I was like, this is bake mysteryally

(04:36):
not the letter. They were like whoa wait what and
then she was like okay, okay, okay. And then I
wasn't thigger at the time, so I did not know.
Like I was inside my math class, you know, just
doing my little paperwork, and all of a sudden, I
see my mom, you know, walked out. Was like, oh,
he's probably checking me, you know, coming to pick me up. No,
I see another first amount of like who is this?
Turns out there was like a bunch of camera of
people and now came over to me and they were like,

(04:58):
pets Obama and I only wants to art you. We
he wants to meet you. I was like, what you're lying, No,
he wants to bet he wants to meet you. And
then they started up with letting and I was like wow.
Everybody was like, oh my god, there's a celebrity. Oh
my god, that's Marie. It was. It was really cool.
And what was the visit like when he came to
see you? The visit was really cool because like I

(05:20):
got to see him. I ran up and gave him
a giant hug. He told me to study in school
and do your homework. And then you know, he was
just talking on inspirational things, and you know, he said,
you're the one who worked. I was like, yeah, I
wrote to you. He was like yeah. And then like
he had then he had like CATACORTI set up where
like where he had talked that, and you know, there

(05:40):
was a bunch of my residents and he was just
giving out inspirational speech and telling people that it's gonna
be okay. And yeah, of course people around the country

(06:05):
and around the world know about the problems that happened
with the water in Flint, but there's a lot to
the story of Flint as a community. What do you
wish more people knew about the city you live in?
So basically, some people don't realize that even Flint has
like still has a lot of crisis, like it never
got fixed. Flint is a really good city. Like downtown Flint,

(06:28):
it's super nice. They are like little shops. You know,
there are a whole bunch of really cool people. Like
it's generally like it's really cool on there and it's
like it's you know, I'm just gonna say, and it's
like really cool. But people just think that Flint is
just that, you know, that one really terrible city that's
bad water, that nobody wants to visits, nobody wants to live.
You know, there are people that come to visit and

(06:49):
people that want to live there, and like that's wy
just need. People don't understand that Flint isn't bad. Like
just because the Flint of crisis doesn't mean that we're
not like a good city. A lot of people care
about the water crisis, but not everybody's done what you did.
You have given away a million bottles of water. How
did you get started on that work? And why did

(07:09):
you decide to do it? I just wanted to help
around my community and seeing people that you know who had,
you know, go to the store and pick up water
and it was like a really inconvenient to that you know,
carried out to the car from the store and pay
a whole bunch of money for it. And I was like,
what if I did something that you know saves all
that time to go into the store and you did

(07:30):
it for free. That's why I did my water drives
and yeah, that's why I gave out a million lots
of water. There are people that were like, oh my god,
thank you so much. We also have other supplies and
stuff like that to help people do the lot of crisis.
What a little but here's for another thing comes in.
So basically I found out that people were not taking

(07:51):
the water bottles responsibily, like they were littering. Like it
wasn't good for a bart I mean it. So I
was like, what if I stopped you listen, did something
way better. So I did something totally way better. And
I'm gonna tell you what I did. I parndered with Hydroviv,
a very good water brand that you know does filtures,
and I got my burial water Filtu. Now so now

(08:12):
it's not so now it's you know, a convenience in like,
you know, my water filterer is going to help a
lot of people. And you know there's like a place
but cartridge like it fuilters out every it fuilters outlet
and actual and all that nats and stuff like. You
get clean good water in a stuff I underneath their think,

(08:33):
so you can drink it, you can cook with it. Basically,
you're gonna actually water from my water filter, alright, So
you're not just stopping with the water drive. You're thinking
to the future too. One of the think you said
is that Flint has taught you that we need to
listen to and believe in science and always question even
the things we take for granted the most. I wonder

(08:53):
how you feel when you see politicians who don't seem
to be willing to listen to science, and what you
would say to them to try to change their mind
or or change what they're doing and saying. So, I know,
like a lot of politicians would be like, oh, that's
not true, and they don't, you know, believe in science
like any you know fast that they want to say
that it's fake news. No, they really need to understand

(09:16):
that what you're hearing is true. Don't try to debunking
and say that, oh that's not right or that's not true. No,
it is true. And like politicians need to realize that
you need to listen to science. Science is proven, so
you have to listen to science, you know. I think
one of the worst feelings in the world is when
you're saying something that's important and true, but the person
you're saying it too. Doesn't believe you, do you think

(09:38):
being a kid makes it easier or harder to be
believed on important things. So being my age, which is
you know, on thirteen, but like right, but like back then,
since when I first started, people were not listening to
me because you're awa was still like a really young kid,
and that that I didn't know what I was talking about.
And you know, they're also gonna be like, you don't

(09:58):
know what you're talking about. You that's wrong, So stay
stays at a child place. That was like one of
the biggest things that to overcome and be like, no,
I'm going to spread my word and I'm going to
stay facts. And people still say that I don't know
what I'm talking about. Now I'm kidding a bunch of
back kind of I don't exactly what I'm talking about.
You don't know what you're talking about. It sounds like
people have to respond when you hit him with the facts.

(10:18):
How's it feel when you see people change their mind
or change how seriously they take you in the course
of a conversation. Can you remember the story or an
example of that where maybe at the beginning of an
interaction somebody. You know, I didn't seem like they were
taking you seriously, but by the end, you really had
them responding to you. Okay. So when I used to
like do like little speeches or whatever, people would give
me like really weird stairs and I'd be like, oh,

(10:40):
you know, they're probably just like, you know, neutral mood. No,
I don't. Like I would just see a lot of stairs.
I'd be like, what's going on? While are you guys staring?
I'd be like that, and like, I guess they'd be like, oh,
they don't believe you, you know we're talking about and
it's just I just kind of like, I don't really
care anymore. Well, it sounds like that's going to serve
you well in politics, because sometimes you have to just

(11:01):
stick to what you believe in, even if it's taking
a while to reach people. But another question about politics
I had, and I'm just curious, um, because I know
you've met with the political leaders in both parties and
share the same message with everybody. But in two thousand eighteen,
you endorsed a candidate for governor, Abdul said, who happens
to be an old friend of mine, and you said
you hadn't planned to endorse anybody, but you were inspired

(11:22):
by his ideas. So I'm wondering in twenty too, just
decide to get involved in any campaigns and why are
I not? Okay? So I have to like mini campaigns
with some people, But like I was, like, I just
kind of want to, like I still want to talking
about politics and stuff like that. Body just want to
like chill out about it because you know, I'm like,
I have like a really big opinion about politics, but

(11:43):
it's not like the you know, reasonable opinion to talk about,
Like I still do campaigns and you know, and I
still like, I still like politics, but it's just like
it's just something that I don't like I want to
focus on it, Like this is something that I don't
want to take too much focus on. M hm. And
you've got time, but I've I've heard you say you
might run for president as soon as four, when you'd

(12:04):
be thirty six years years old. Um, and when you're
ready to do that, we should talk because I know
a thing or two about running for president when you're
in your thirties. Although you might do better than I did. Um,
let's do a little batting practice if if you're running
for president And somebody says, why why should I support you?
What would you say to them? Here's the reason why

(12:24):
I support me. If support me, if I remember resident one,
I will support block vice matter. You know, block vice
so matter and they always do too. I support you know,
l g B, t Q plus and all that. I
support trans rights, I support women's rights, I support let's see,

(12:44):
I support a lot of stuff, but like just basically
like I would bring I support clean water. I support
you know, kids voice to be heard. I will not
put kids like cages. I will take kids from their families.
I would not kill kids like I would just be
a really good person. And that's why you sho support me.
It sounds like a pretty good platform to me. Who

(13:06):
do you think will be? Like? Do you think it
will be better? I really hope that's twenty four will
be you know, just a little better as you know
and all like pretty rough, right, yeah, But I feel
like is gonna be like I feel like it's going
to be like high tech future stuff like I don't

(13:26):
want to I don't want to go like too much
to feel about it, like about like you know, having
robots or whatever. But I feel like twenty four is
going to be a really like peaceful year, and I
and I really wanted to be like a peaceful year
for people. You know, one of the things I always
say about young people is that young people don't get
involved enough, don't pay attention to the news, don't get
involved in advocacy or issues until they get older, don't vote. Um,

(13:49):
you're obviously an exception to that rule. What would you
say to other young people to motivate them to be involved.
You have to use your voice. You have to post
about it. One thing to get your voice her, to
get your post her would be hijacking hashtags. Basically, you
would say if you're posted like the lives matter or

(14:10):
something that's like really important to you, that you want
your voice you heard with posted under that hashtag, and
then it will attract different people and then it will
start a conversation about that. That's what I did, and
look where I am now. Don't be scared to speak up.
You have to be like you have to have like
a good mindset and like don't be scared to use
your voice, and like just don't be scared to talk

(14:32):
what you want to talk about, because like your opinion
is valid and like your stuff matters, so just do
what you want to do. Like Mari said, young people
have to use their voices, and she has certainly done
just that so effectively. She understands the power of a
younger generation calling for change, and I expect we will

(14:54):
see and hear a lot from her in the future.
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