The water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi has affected everyone in the city, including Deion Sanders and Jackson State University.
Coach Prime took to Instagram to alert everyone that they are in “crisis mode” due to the severe water problems plaguing Mississippi’s capital city.
“We don’t have water,” said Sanders. “Water means we don’t have air condition, we can’t use toilets. We don’t have water, therefore we don’t have ice, which pretty much places a burden on the program. So right now, we’re operating in crisis mode.”
The city of Jackson is under a water emergency primarily due to years of neglect of the city’s aging water system and the welfare of its residents.
Add to that the torrential rains that hammered the city and you have the crisis that is crippling the city.
Jackson is 83% Black. Not surprisingly, that amplifies claims of racial bias against the city when it comes to funding, particularly for infrastructure that would address the long-standing issues plaguing the city and its communities.
And that affects everyone, including Jackson State University and its Tigers football team.
Mississippi governor Tate Reeves said their water treatment plant began failing on Monday, but that’s really the culmination of years of neglect and reallocation of funds away from these types of structural necessities.
Keep in mind, the city was already under a boil water notice since July.
Now they’re running out of bottled water supplies for residents who waited as long as two hours for one case of water.
The university brought in temporary restrooms for students, but Deion Sanders isn’t waiting around for the governor or his promises to rectify the situation.
He’s taking action, which includes finding proper housing and facilities for his affected players. That includes making sure “all our kids are fed and all our kids have the necessities of life for the next several days until this crisis subsides.”
We’ll keep you updated on the situation, but here’s a great thread of information on how you can help the community during this time of need.
