<I>Flint is Family</I>
date: label: Date
content: 2016
name: label: Created by
content: LaToya Ruby Frazier, American, born 1982
label: Subject of
content: Shea Cobb, American, born 1984
label: Subject of
content: Zion Brown, American
label: Subject of
content: Renée Cobb, American
label: Subject of
content: Amber Hasan, American
notes: label: Description
content: A digital photo essay with the title Flint is Family. It was created by visual artist LaToya Ruby Frazier and documents the impact of the Flint water crisis on the lives of three generations of Flint women.
label: Description
content: At the beginning of the essay, Flint artist and poet Shea Cobb can be heard saying, "When you think about water, you don't consider government. In fact, you don't consider people at all. Even though we've built plants and machines to alkalize and purify, when you think about it, you only in your most remote mind, if at all, think about God..." As she speaks, a slideshow depicting aerial footage of the Flint River, Flint Water Tower and local signage addressing the water crisis appears on the screen. One billboard reads [CHECKED YOUR / WATER FILTER? / GREEN LIGHT = FILTER WORKS / RED LIGHT = CHANGE FILTER CARTRIDGE]. Another sign reminds people to filter the lead coming from the pipes in their houses. Shea Cobb continues reciting her spoken word poetry about water and racial discrimination as a slideshow of black-and-white photographs plays on the screen.
label: Description
content: At 00:02:13, Cobb introduces herself, provides a brief autobiography and describes her morning routine and her occupation, before moving on to her relationships with her mother and her daughter, Zion. As she speaks, the slideshow switches from images of Flint to images of Shea Cobb’s family. Some of the photos in the slideshow depict scenes such as Shea helping Zion with her homework, Shea and Zion dining in a local restaurant, Shea and Zion using bottled water to brush their teeth, Shea with fellow artist and friend Amber Hasan, Shea and other family members at a wedding in Flint etc. The photo essay ends with Shea describing her plans to leave Flint and the way the crisis will ultimately separate her family.
place: label: Place depicted
content: Flint, Genesee County, Michigan, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Artists' films
label: Topic
content: Communities
label: Topic
content: Domestic life
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Government
label: Topic
content: Health
label: Topic
content: Humanitarianism
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: Race discrimination
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: Spoken word (Poetry)
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 2001-
label: Topic
content: Urban life
label: Topic
content: Urban planning
label: Topic
content: Women
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Portfolio/Series
content: Flint is Family
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, purchased through the American Women's History Initiative Acquisitions Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2021.60.6
objectType: label: Type
content: digital media - born digital
label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: black-and-white films (visual works)
label: Type
content: short subjects
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © LaToya Ruby Frazier
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: digital
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 00:11:47
label: Dimensions
content: 22.77 GB