Mississippi activists ask to join water lawsuit and criticize Black judge’s comments on race

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG and EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Activists in Mississippi’s majority-Black capital city are trying to join a federal lawsuit against the city for violating standards for clean drinking water. They also say the Black judge presiding over the case is stirring racial division. The activists represent the Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign and People’s Advocacy Institute. They filed court papers Wednesday asking to intervene in the federal government’s ongoing lawsuit against Jackson over water quality problems. At a news conference Wednesday, activists said they spoke for Jackson residents who want more say over reforms to the city’s water system.