(Image source from: People)
Emily Sioma, who vied in Sunday's Miss America competition representing Michigan, used her introduction as a chance to make a statement about her state's current water crisis.
Instead of speaking about herself, Miss Michigan said: "From a state with 84 percent of the U.S. freshwater but none for its residents to drink, I am Miss Michigan, Emily Sioma."
Sioma told ABC News that "it wasn't a very spur of the moment decision," having thought about making a statement regarding the water crisis for two days leading up to 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 said.
Sioma was acclaimed by galore Twitter users for using her platform to raise the issue of the Michigan water crisis on a national level.
Miss Michigan needs to win the 2019 Miss America Pageant simply for stating there still isn't any clean water during her introduction! #Michigan #MissAmerica
— SundaeCouture™ (@SundaeCouture) September 10, 2018
Instead of stating her accomplishments, Miss Michigan said “we still don’t have clean water” and I have chills.
— Madyson (@madysonb73) September 10, 2018
Miss Michigan using her 10 second intro to speak on flints water crisis instead of herself is truly using her platform for her state
— Jesse Keener (@swaggirljesse) September 10, 2018
I am SALTY that Miss Michigan did not make it. I’m so glad she used her time on that stage to speak truth to power. #MissAmerica
— Shontal Cargill (@shontalcargill) September 10, 2018
Sioma, who did not progress to the next level of the contest, acknowledged to ABC News that her wording "was very hyperbolic," but said that she did that to drive the point home.
The datum she cited comes from the Environmental Protection Agency, which reports that the Great Lakes make up 84 percent of North America's surface fresh water.
Sioma said that while most of the response to her comment has been positive, there are also some people pointing out that she said "none" of the water is making it to Michigan residents. "We know that's not true," said Sioma.
"It wasn't supposed to be an educational lesson. It was supposed to be a call to action," she said.
The water crisis in Michigan first gained notoriety when it was discovered that cost-cutting measures led to unsafe levels of lead in drinking water in the city of Flint.
The Detroit Free Press reported earlier this week that drinking water was cut off in Detroit public schools out of concern over harmless drinking levels, forcing school children to drink from water coolers and bottled water.
By Sowmya Sangam
