(KPA/Ohlenschlaeger/NEWSCOM)
Black Ohio neighborhood unjustly denied water for decades, jury finds
By Eoin O'Carroll | 07.11.08
A federal jury awarded residents of a mostly black neighborhood in rural Ohio nearly $11 million Thursday, finding that local authorities denied them public water service for half a century because of their race.
The plaintiffs, 67 residents of an unincorporated community in near Zanesville, Ohio, known as Coal Run, were awarded damages ranging from $15,000 to $300,000, depending on how long they have lived in the neighborhood. The money covers pain and suffering inflicted on the residents from 1956, when water lines were first laid in the region, to 2003, when the neighborhood finally got public water. During that time, some Coal Run residents trucked in water from elsewhere, as local wells were contaminated with sulfur from abandoned coal mine shafts. Others dug wells anyway. Some collected rain.
The US District Court jury found that the city of Zanesville, Muskingum County, and the East Muskingum Water Authority violated state and federal civil rights laws by failing to provide Coal Run residents with access to public water, a service that was provided to white residents in surrounding areas.
The Columbus Dispatch describes the childhood of Freddie Martin, who grew up in Coal Run.
As a child, Martin’s parents would fill the bathtub and not change the water until five of the 10 children in the family had bathed in order to conserve the water trucked in to the cistern. Martin was awarded $200,000 in damages.
Martin wished his mother, who lived on Coal Run her whole life, was alive to see the outcome of the lawsuit. He said she was looking down and saying, “Well done.”
Lawyers for Zanesville and Muskingum County said they would file an appeal. The Associated Press quotes Mark Landes, the attorney for county and water authority, who says that about half of Muskingum County residents, who are 96 percent white, are not connected to the public water system even today. Those without public water service include county commissioners and judges.
“This was a case that was started and fired by out-of-town lawyers who saw an opportunity for a cash settlement,” Landes told the AP.
The plaintiffs say that the reason for the lawsuit was not money, but justice. The Newark (Ohio) Advocate quotes Kathleen Hill, 94, who lived in Coal Run for 39 years. She said that she was denied water because of the color of her skin.
“I don’t know if discrimination will ever end,” Hill said. “But this is a good thing today.”
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2. Alan | 07.11.08
Gee, is it still racism when you use the color of your skin to get money. There are many areas that do not have public water. I’m Irish and American Indian and I’m not trying to get money for something that happened before the civil rights movement. I would be more impressed if the citizens of that community raised the awareness for all to see, forgave those who did wrong and shook hands. That is the only path to a future without racism. But then the MEDIA wouldn’t publish a story like that!
3. john | 07.13.08
2. Alan | 07.11.08
Gee, is it still racism when you use the color of your skin to get money. There are many areas that do not have public water. I’m Irish and American Indian and I’m not trying to get money for something that happened before the civil rights movement. I would be more impressed if the citizens of that community raised the awareness for all to see, forgave those who did wrong and shook hands. That is the only path to a future without racism. But then the MEDIA wouldn’t publish a story like that!
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“…and American Indian” indeed!
We’re familiar with that tactic. When was the last time you cared about that?
You’re White, and have enjoyed the benefits of such ALL your life.
And what’s this about “forgiveness”?
What a creative way to kill your parents and then turn around and plead for mercy as a “poor orphan”.
That the people have been denied city water since 1956 is ludicrous. Melting snow?!! For 40+ years? Water in 2003?!! What is this? A developing country? That has got to be a “simple oversight”. No racism here!
“White Privilege” is something else!
4. A very black man | 07.14.08
Zanesville and Muskingum County are very, very racist places to be. You might as well sign up for welfare before you move in because no one is going to give a black man a job. Plenty of thick white women for the taking though.
5. The Truth! | 07.14.08
Small towns in Ohio are very racist! It’s about time someone blows the lid off of this issue! And Alan, you are straight up stupid! Easy for you to “forgive” since you haven’t been affected in anyway by racism!
I’m still waiting for my mule and acre of land!
7. Carla | 07.16.08
Im white. And my family lived on coal run when I was a child. My family had the same problems. Even a outhouse! You know what they did? Moved to the city. Crying racisim in this day and age is getting old! Oh and by the way. If you look around Zanesville you will see alot of bi-racial people to. Give me a break!!!
8. Melissa | 07.19.08
Carla -
Its great you were able to move to the city but did you ever tell others about the living conditions in Coal Run? Did you somehow raise awareness to better their condition? It doesn’t seem like you did. Great, your family was able to move, you were one of the few able to get out but not everyone is that privileged. Exposing truths isn’t “crying.” This situation involved classism, racism and injustice. Do you really feel affluent people would be forced to use only contaminated well water? Of course not. In this day and age, money talks and I am glad the residents are receiving their fair share.
And Alan, its seems like the residents are in fact raising awareness through their lawsuit. Would you have known of their plight otherwise? And the residents aren’t suing for something that happened before the Civil Rights Movement, these are events happening in our own day and time.
9. not racist | 08.22.08
Racism in Ohio is indeed much more prevalent than in other places in the country.
First of all, I will agree that people of ALL political persuasions and races sometimes use politics and race as a means to an end, which is usually money. For example, some minorities will sue someone (their employer, the government, etc.) for race discrimination, regardless of whether it actually happened or not, because they know that that issue is a very sensitive one and that they will most likely get a settlement. Also, the media (both liberal- AND conservative-leaning publications) will publish anything that gets riled people up, because that sells newspapers.
There are the people who do the most damage to this country, in my opinion- the extremists on either side of the aisle who are simply taking advantage of the system. These people are divisive.
All of that said, I can tell you that I have often witnessed racist behavior in Ohio - I grew up there so I should know. Obviously, not EVERYONE there is racist; it’s just like anyplace else, there are all types of people. But you often hear racist jokes in Ohio. You often hear problems (either personal or those of the country) blamed on minorities. There is a somewhat paranoid, xenophobic attitude towards minorities; people are truly scared that minorities represent a threat to them and feel that something “should be done about it”.
The last time I was in Ohio, a few months ago, I was at a restaurant and overheard a father telling jokes to his teenage sons. One of them was, “why do black people walk so slow and run so fast?” Later that same day, I was in the park and overheard a conversation where people were discussing politics and referring to the “chinks in China” who were destroying our nation.
I have often heard this type of thing in Ohio and it would be considered racist in most places. I do not believe that people there intentionally mean harm - some of them are just trying to be funny (honestly). The region has been in economic decline for the past 50 years mainly because of competition for its products (steel, manufacturing) from foreign countries and also from other states. “Brain Drain” continues to this day - a majority of the higher-educated people in the state leave for other places. So, these things probably explain the xenophobia. But, they do not excuse it or justify it. Frankly, this type of attitude is BAD for Ohio, because it encourages emigration and cannot be good for business.
10. Carlton | 09.29.08
hmmm, alan I stopped being incensed by insensitive comments from white folks who tell me to just forgive and forget. I agree I should forgive but how do I forget that in America, the same America that countless black lives have died to build as slaves and preserve as cannon fodder, that in this America:
Blacks still get sub par health care, black with health insurance.
That a hundreds of black daughters gone missing is not even foot note, but white child is a national news.
That in some communities, DWB is cause enough to be stopped by the ’servants of the people’ our police this (DWB Driving While Black)should not be a reality, and yes I have experienced it in my community in AZ.
Help me to forget when our justice system equates being black with being guilty.
Help me to forget when the pools show 6% for those people honest enough to answer it says being black disqualifies you for high office.
Help me to forget towns being burned down, rapes, atrocities, and your answer alan is ooops, sorry, my bad, lets just forget it and move.
Please alan inquiring minds would like to know how do I forget when I am constantly reminded by continued acts of racism in America, my America.
tell me alan, how do I forget this nightmare, I find myself in.
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1. Bill Gates | 07.11.08
And racism still survives in the good ole’ US of A - or is that