Comedian Mike Epps helps Jackson, Mississippi, residents still facing water problems
JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — Comedian and actor Mike Epps was in the metro Sunday helping Jackson residents facing water problems.
Before entertaining a crowd in a weekend comedy show, Epps handed out water to Jacksonians still struggling to access this essential resource.
“It’s no laughing matter — and the rest of the country don’t understand how bad it is,” Epps said.
Epps joined members of local fraternities and sororities who gathered at the convention complex for a bottled water giveaway. It was also part of a day of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“To come here, man, and to see how resilient these people are here in Jackson,” Epps said. “Jackson’s always been a great city in America, and I think as a country and as a government, we need to support them.”
With a new federally appointed third-party administrator now running the water system plus $600 million promised for major repairs, the bottled water distributions could become a thing of the past but not just yet.
Recent water main breaks have triggered notices to boil water, and a loss of pressure for people, including Wilma Williams. “You can barely take a bath. You have to go buy water and it’s really costly,” Williams said. “So, this really helps. It does, and I appreciate it.”
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba also came out to help distribute water and thank Epps for his contribution to the community.
“As long as they say that people have support for them and people are praying for them from other places, I think that will keep their morale up.”
Organizers said they distributed about 200 cases of water, which a local grocery store donated.
Epps, 52, is a native of Indianapolis.