For months, over 150,000 residents in Jackson, Mississippi have been dealing with unsafe water and boil water advisories. Many were forced to use bottled water for basic tasks such as brushing their teeth and bathing. This prompted Houston native rapper and activist Trae tha Truth to spring into action.
Earlier this week, Trae posted photos of himself in Mississippi handing out water filters and supplies to those who needed them the most. “Jackson, Mississippi, it’s messed up watchin’ y’all go thru this. We heard YOU loud and clear! We here … Any families in need, tap in,” he wrote on Instagram. Yesterday (Sept. 14), the city’s Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba shared that water pressure was restored, however, it still was not up to par.
In an article published today (Sept. 15), Trae spoke with Houston news station KPRC 2 about the people he helped during the ongoing issue. “[They’re] definitely grateful because, you know, just the fact of knowing somebody can be out there that even take the time to understand their situation. Something that I found out that a lot of us didn’t know is this has been going on since the 80s and 90s out there. So, you know, we think it has been happening for two weeks not knowing it’s been almost two decades that they [haven’t] had pure water,” he said.
Fans on social media praised his efforts. “Trae Tha Truth donated hundreds of water filters to families in Jackson. That man doesn’t have a selfish bone in his body,” one person wrote on Twitter. Another said, “Trae Tha Truth always comes through.”
The Houston activist told the outlet he didn’t see many government agencies present to assist while he was in the Jackson area. Trae shared, “I think it’s just people trying to help take care of people, but it’s not a situation you’re gonna be able to fix anytime soon. You got to think, if you saying that’s been happening over two decades, there’s no way that’s gonna be fixed that quick, you know?”