The Clean Water Campaign for Michigan
Protecting the future of our water
The Clean Water Campaign for Michigan is a program of the non-profit organization Title Track, and initially launched in February 2018. With a deepening commitment to equity, justice, and youth, the Clean Water Campaign for Michigan seeks to amplify the groundswell of public support for clean water issues, using music and storytelling to motivate groups and individuals to step into advocacy and stewardship. Building upon the success of our first year in 2018, the Clean Water Campaign represents an opportunity to place clean water issues front and center by partnering with environmental organizations across the state to educate and mobilize citizens and political leaders alike to take a strong stand on critical issues affecting Michigan’s waters, ensuring the protection of our waters for generations to come.
Subscribe and listen to the Clean Water Campaign for Michigan’s official podcast, State of Water, on Spotify, Soundcloud or Apple Podcasts.
Stay up to date on all of our featured interviews of leading activists, water protectors, and clean water politicians on our media page.
We welcome you to join our statewide movement of highly regarded creative professionals, nonprofit organizations, business leaders and foundations as we work to create lasting and meaningful change!
What is at stake here?
The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world; this region is home to 30 million people and over 3,500 species. Michiganders stand united in cherishing and protecting our Great Lakes, yet we have seen recent failures in leadership from our state officials that have put our lakes at risk and endangered citizens who rely on clean drinking water for survival.
From the failure to shut down Line 5 at the Mackinac Straits to the catastrophic damage inflicted by the water crisis in Flint, the Great Lakes Basin is facing a pivotal moment in its history. It’s time for Michiganders to partake in their democracy and come together to elect leaders who will hear our call to protect our waters.
CLEAN WATER CAMPAIGN origin story: success in 2018
Our objective was as clear as Lake Michigan on a bright summer day as we launched on February 1, 2018: to protect the future of our water by spreading awareness for clean water issues in the 2018 elections and empower the public to elect candidates who will ensure clean, safe drinking water for all people.
PHASE ONE: STORYTELLING
The first six months of the Clean Water Campaign was focused on storytelling and the development of a documentary series that was released online. A team of documentarians spoke with citizens across Michigan who shared their experiences and interactions with water, with the intent to bring personal stories about the Great Lakes to the forefront. These videos were shared widely and effectively spread awareness for clean water issues across the state by making a strong, strategic and heartfelt case for water in the year building up to the 2018 elections.
PHASE TWO: MUSIC
During the summer of 2018, we produced music events across the state featuring a diverse slate of renowned Michigan-based artists. Each event included insightful conversations with guest speakers about Michigan water issues, get out the vote information, plus great music, fresh foods, tasty beverages and fun for all ages. Clean water issues became a focal point of many races and carried many clean water candidates to victory.
How can you help?
Through a continued emphasis on storytelling and music, we look forward to growing this social movement as we work with partners and citizens across the state to protect our waters. With a deepening commitment to equity, justice, and youth, we look forward to doing the work of ensuring clean water for all for generations to come.
Those of us lucky enough to call the Great Lakes our home know that fresh, clean, safe water is our shared identity. Our shared legacy. Our shared responsibility. We’ve found ourselves in the midst of a crisis that will not fix itself. Let’s make some magic happen and change the game together! We hope you’ll join us and we welcome your feedback and questions as we move forward.
Yours,
Seth Bernard (founder and director)
