Oral history interview with Mona Hanna-Attisha, 2021
Abstract
Mona Hanna-Attisha reflects on her career as a pediatrician and professor, and discusses her research and advocacy surrounding the Flint, Michigan water crisis. She speaks widely about the recent history of Flint and pediatricians' unique understanding of the communities in which they work, and describes major social determinants of the health of Flint's residents. Hanna-Attisha narrates her experi ence of the Flint water crisis, and provides details about major relevant events and issues, including the accumulation of reports of medical problems related to lead exposure; her water quality and population health research; her decision to present her research publicly and the backlash she received; her encounters with local, state, and national officials; the importance of citizen activists and researchers; and Obama's visit to Flint in May 2016. Hanna-Attisha also reflects on critical themes relevant to the crisis and response, including the nature of expertise and the role of scientific, medical, and civilian experts in public affairs, as well as the importance of trust in public institutions. Also discussed are issues of environmental justice and environmental racism in relation to the Flint water crisis, Hanna-Attisha's evaluation of the government response to the crisis, and her involvement in the establishment of nutrition prescription programs in Flint
Mona Hanna-Attisha is a pediatrician, public health advocate, and professor, who at the time of the interview was the Charles Stewart Mott endowed professor of public health and an associate professor of pediatrics and human development at Michigan St ate University College of Human Medicine. She is also the founder and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children's Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative. In 2015, Hanna-Attisha became aware of the presence of lead in the Flint, Michigan water supply, and she rose to national prominence through her research and advocacy surrounding the water crisis. In 2018, she published a memoir, "What the Eyes Don't See," recounting her effort to expose the crisis
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on July 7, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Mona Hanna-Attisha, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023