Miss Michigan may not have won the crown at the Miss America competition on September 9th, but she certainly earned admiration online for her activism and willingness to use her Miss America introduction to highlight a critical issue: the Flint Water Crisis.
Emily Sioma, who represented Michigan in the Miss America pageant on Sunday night, used her introduction statement as a chance to bring light to her state’s ongoing water crisis. According to Hello Giggles, in 2014, Flint, Michigan switched its water source in an attempt to cut costs, but it ended up exposing its residents to high levels of toxins and lead. Four years later, the water is still not safe to drink.
Concerns about unsafe water has spread to other parts of the state as well. The Detroit Free Press reported last week that drinking water was cut off in Detroit public schools due to concerns about safe drinking levels, forcing students to drink from water coolers and bottled water.
“From a state with 84 percent of the U.S. fresh water but none for its residents to drink, I am Miss Michigan, Emily Sioma,” she said during the Miss America broadcast.
“from the state with 84 percent of the u.s. fresh water but none for its residents to drink, i am miss michigan emily sioma” — the new #missamerica2019 pageant did not come to play pic.twitter.com/H05eifix2e
— alex rees (@maybealexislost) September 10, 2018
People on Twitter were moved by Sioma’s activism and call to action regarding her state’s ongoing water crisis.
The rest of the competition is irrelevant at this point. Call these other contestants an Uber.
— Ess (@ScottyLiterati) September 10, 2018
One Twitter user even used Nike’s new slogan from its 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign to applaud Sioma’s introduction.
“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
— April (@mamarubinelli) September 10, 2018
Another Twitter user said they loved “woke” Miss America.
I love woke Miss America.
— Christina Jefferson (@tampagirl19655) September 10, 2018
Sioma told ABC News that “it wasn't a very spur of the moment decision,” saying that she thought about making a statement about the water crisis two days before the competition.
“I had this gut feeling that if I didn't make it into the top 15, I would never have a chance to be able to speak on national television about something that was important to me, or to make the moment meaningful,” Sioma said.
“I just really wanted to make sure people understood this isn't just about Flint anymore. It still is about Flint but it's about the communities across the state that are impacted by contaminated water,” Sioma added.
Sioma acknowledged that her statement “was very hyperbolic,” but said she wanted to drive the point home.
According to ABC News, the statistics she cited, in regards to the Great Lakes making up 84 percent of North America’s surface fresh water, come from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Great Lakes, however, are not just limited to Michigan; different parts of the various lakes cross over into jurisdictions of other states and even Canada. In regards to her comment that “none” of the residents receiving that water, Sioma said, “We know that's not true.”
“It wasn't supposed to be an educational lesson. It was supposed to be a call to action,” she said.
Sioma said she was pleased with the mostly positive response her introduction has received.
“Having this opportunity to reignite the conversation about the water crisis in Michigan... that to me is more about what Miss America is than just winning a crown,” she said.