Over the last year, the Flint Water Crisis has gained national news attention. And while much is known about the government missteps that led to the contamination of Flint's public water supply, how much is actually known about the families and residents of Flint whose lives have been affected by the crisis?
Journalism student Hannah Brenner used her talents as an aspiring photojournalist to capture the people of Flint’s stories in a way that the news has not.
She took portraits of people at various locations in the Flint area, including the Brennan Senior Center. Her portraits are a part of the “Faces of Flint” series by WKAR and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
“The goal was to capture these people’s' spirits and show them as not just victims of the water crisis but individuals,” Brenner said.
Brenner recently shared her portraits at the Mid-Michigan Symposium for Undergraduate Research Experiences (Mid-SURE), which took place in July at Spartan Stadium. The symposium offers students from MSU and other institutions the opportunity to present their work to peers and faculty.
“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” Brenner said. “Many people stopped and asked questions about the subjects of my photos. That was the goal for me, to not present on the water crisis but the people affected.”
Looking ahead, Brenner said she is far from finished with the people of Flint. She has plans to return to the senior center to visit with the seniors again.
“I am very taken with the seniors there and I want to expand on that part of the project,” said Brenner. “I will also be expanding my networks and trying to reach more residents to profile.”
To find out more about the “Faces of Flint” series, click here.
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