Film Pre-Screening: A Benton Harbor Story

A Benton Harbor Story, a film by CMU Sociology faculty member Cedric Taylor, examines how racism, infrastructural decline, and the erosion of democracy converged to produce a water crisis—and how a poor, majority-Black community fought to save itself. 

Though the Flint water crisis lingers in recent memory, Benton Harbor has its own story to tell. Many Americans see cities like Benton Harbor through the lens of the past, but its story may foretell an unsettling future for the rest of us.

This pre-screening of the film in progress is the Critical Engagements 2026-2027 kickoff event.