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Water crisis tests Mississippi mayor who started as activist

Pastor Dwayne Pickett, of New Jerusalem Church in Jackson, questions Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba during a community meeting at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church regarding a number of issues brought before the city's residents, including the water treatment plant, during a community meeting held at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church, on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Jackson, Miss. The meeting was held to update the public on the current water system situation. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Ronald Gilbert, right, former operations supervisor at the O. B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant, shares with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba his experience of working at the water treatment plant during a community meeting held at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Jackson, Miss., Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, center, greets a resident following a community meeting at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. The meeting was held to update the public on the current water system situation. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Evelyn Ford ,of Jackson, details to Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba the difficulty and disrespect she encountered while picking up water at one of the city's water distribution sites, managed by the state National Guard, at a town hall meeting on Sept. 13, 2022, at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church, in Jackson, Miss. It was held to update the public on the current water system situation. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba stands in prayer near a poster outlined with plans for improving the primary water system plant, on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, at the start of a community meeting at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Jackson, Miss. It was held to update the public on the current water system situation. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba responds to a question, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, during a community meeting at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church, in Jackson, Miss. It was held to update the public on the current water system situation. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Clouds are reflected off the City of Jackson's O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Facility's sedimentation basins in Ridgeland, Miss., Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. Jackson's water system partially failed following flooding and heavy rainfall that exacerbated longstanding problems in one of two water-treatment plants. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Jackson, Miss., Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba speaks at a Sept. 6, 2022, news conference, at City Hall. regarding updates on the ongoing water infrastructure issues. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Jackson, Miss., Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba speaks at a Sept. 6, 2022, news conference, at City Hall. regarding updates on the ongoing water infrastructure issues. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Known for his distinctive beard and sharp attire, Jackson, Miss., Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba speaks at a Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, news conference at City Hall, regarding updates on the ongoing water infrastructure issues. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), right, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, second from right, and Jim Craig of the Mississippi State Health Department, second from left, listen as Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, left, speaks about work being done, during a visit to the City of Jackson's O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Facility in Ridgeland, Miss., Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. Jackson's water system partially failed following flooding and heavy rainfall that exacerbated longstanding problems in one of two water-treatment plants. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba discusses elements of a coordinated response with federal agencies, that he believes will help deal with the city's long-standing water problems, during a Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, news briefing, in Jackson, Miss. Lumumba also conferred with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan, left, and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, background, and other officials to explore options. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) FILE - Attorney Chokwe Lumumba, who would later be elected mayor, is seen in Jackson, Miss., May 16, 2013. Lumumba died Feb. 25, 2014, in office at 66. His son Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, credits his parents for instilling in him a value system he employs with his work. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File) FILE - Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba participates in a forum about the challenges Mississippi's capital city faces with a declining tax base and crumbling infrastructure, Nov. 14, 2013. Lumumba, who died Feb. 25, 2014, had served a term as city councilman and helped spearhead a 1% local sales tax to fund infrastructure improvement. His son Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, credits his parents for instilling in him a value system he employs with his work. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Water crisis tests Mississippi mayor who started as activist