Flint, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Flint is a city in the U.S. state
of Michigan
and is located along the Flint River
, 66 miles (106.2 km) northwest of Detroit
. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat
of Genesee County
which lies in the Flint/Tri-Cities
region of Michigan. Genesee County is also the entirety of Flint's metropolitan area
, the fourth largest metropolitan area in Michigan with a population of 425,790 in 2010.
Flint is most known for being the birthplace of General Motors
(GM), and the Flint Sit-Down Strike
of 1936–37 that played a vital role in the formation of the United Auto Workers
. Flint is also home to the headquarters of Citizens Republic Bancorp. Flint Charter Township
is adjacent to the city on the west but is politically independent. Bishop International Airport
is also part of the city, even though it is surrounded by Flint Township.
tribes at the start of the 19th century, with a particularly significant community established near present-day Montrose. The Flint River
had several convenient fords which became points of contention among rival tribes, as attested by the presence of arrowheads and burial mounds near Flushing.
Jacob Smith, a fur
trader on cordial terms with both the local Ojibwas and the territorial government founded a trading post in Flint itself in 1819. On several occasions, Smith negotiated land exchanged with the Ojibwas on behalf of the U.S. government, and he was highly regarded on both sides. Smith apportioned many of his holdings to his children. As the ideal stopover on the overland route
between Detroit and Saginaw, Flint grew into a small but prosperous village. The city was incorporated in 1855. The 1860 U.S. census indicated that Genesee County had a population of 22,498 of Michigan's 750,000.
In the latter half of the 19th century, Flint became a lumber center, and at the turn of the 20th century the revenue and infrastructure from lumbering funded the establishment of the local carriage making industry. As horse-drawn carriages gave way to the automobiles, Flint became a major player in the nascent auto industry. Buick Motor Company, after a rudimentary start in Detroit, soon moved to Flint. AC Spark Plug (now part of Delphi) originated in Flint, as did several defunct automobile marques such as the Dort
, Little
, Flint
, and Mason
brands. Chevrolet's first (and for many years, main) manufacturing facility was also in Flint, although its headquarters were in Detroit. For a brief period, all Chevrolet
s and Buick
s were built in Flint.
In 1904, local entrepreneur William C. Durant
was brought in to manage Buick, which became the largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1908. In 1908, Durant founded General Motors, filing incorporation papers in New Jersey, with headquarters in Flint. GM moved its headquarters to Detroit in the mid 1920s. Durant lost control of GM twice during his lifetime. On the first occasion, he befriended Louis Chevrolet
and founded Chevrolet
, which was a runaway success. He used the capital from this success to buy back share control. He later lost decisive control again, permanently. Durant experienced financial ruin in the stock market crash of 1929
and subsequently ran a bowling alley in Flint until the time of his death in 1947.
For the last century, Flint's history has been dominated by both the auto industry and car culture. During the sit down strike
of 1936-1937, the fledgling United Automobile Workers
triumphed over General Motors, inaugurating the era of labor unions. The successful mediation of the strike by Governor Frank Murphy
, culminating in a one page agreement recognizing the Union, began an era of successful organizing by the UAW.
The city was a major contributor of tanks and other war machines during World War II
due to its extensive manufacturing facilities.
A freighter named after the city, the City of Flint was the first US ship to be captured during the Second World War in October, 1939. The vessel was later sunk in 1943.
The eighth deadliest tornado
on record in the United States
struck Beecher, just north of Flint, on June 8, 1953, killing 115 people, injuring 844. Known as the "Beecher Tornado," after the North Side community which the tornado devastated. On the next day the same weather system spawned the worst tornado in New England
in Worcester, Massachusetts
, killing another 94 people.
For decades, Flint remained politically significant as a major population center as well as for its importance to the automotive industry. The city's population peaked in 1960 at almost 200,000, at which time it was the second largest city in the state. These decades are seen as the height of Flint's prosperity and influence, and culminated with the establishment of many local institutions, most notably including the Flint Cultural Center, which remains one of the city's chief commercial and artistic draws to this day.
Since the late 1960s, Flint has suffered from disinvestment
, deindustrialization
, depopulation and urban decay
. Initially, this took the form of the "white flight
" that afflicted many American towns and cities, but the decline was exacerbated by the 1973 oil crisis
and subsequent collapse of the U.S. auto industry. In the 1980s, the rate of deindustrialization accelerated with local GM employment falling from a 1978 high of 80,000 to under 8,000 by 2010. Only 10% of the manufacturing work force is still left in Flint. Many factors have been blamed, including outsourcing
and exporting jobs abroad and to non-union facilities, unionization, exorbitant overhead, globalization
, and most recently, a dramatic decline in General Motors sales. These rationales are often strictly applied along lines of political orientation, and labor remains the most divisive and polarizing local issue.
This decline was highlighted in the film Roger & Me
by Michael Moore
(the title refers to Roger B. Smith, the CEO of General Motors during the 1980s). Also highlighted in Moore's documentary
was the failure of city officials to reverse the trends with entertainment options (e.g. AutoWorld
) during the 1980s. Moore, a native of Davison
(a Flint suburb), revisited Flint in his later movies, including Bowling for Columbine
and Fahrenheit 9/11
.
Another aspect of Flint's history is reflected in its legacy of racial discrimination and tension. From the turn of the 20th century, African Americans in particular were drawn to Flint, as were most migrants, by the lure of work in the factories. However, for much of this time General Motors did not hire African Americans to assembly positions, and they were excluded from affluent neighborhoods like the East Village
through housing compacts. Despite such discrimination, the Flint City Council selected Floyd McCree as mayor, making him one of the first African American mayors of a large city. The city diversified as a whole, and by the 1990s African Americans formed a plurality of the population, and a majority by the 2000 census. Mexican Americans remain a small but demographically significant population within Flint. Recent politics have typically polarized along racial lines, with candidates appealing to a small swing contingent of African American voters.
. By 2002 Flint had accrued a $35 million debt.
In 2002, the City's voters recalled
mayor Woodrow Stanley
. A few months later the State of Michigan
appointed an emergency financial manager, Ed Kurtz. The emergency financial manager displaces Temporary Mayor Darnell Earley
back into the city administrator position.
Of the nearly 80,000 people that worked for General Motors in Flint during its peak years in the late 1970s, only about 8,000 are left after the most recent 2006 buyouts. Details on specific plant openings and closings are found in the article Flint, Michigan Auto Industry
.
In the last decade, local efforts to counter deindustrialization have centered around diversifying the economy, either by attracting small parts manufacturers with vacant industrial space and tax incentives, or steering the city toward a more commercially driven economy.
Industrially, the vacated Buick City
site is currently the United States' largest brownfield
. Its accessibility to the Flint River and major rail networks has made it potentially attractive to shipping interests. A local shipping company has considered turning Buick City into a large shipping center.This center could provide 600 jobs and spur many small businesses.
In the new GM-UAW deal, an agreement was reached to build a new engine plant on a portion of the Buick City site. This plant is expected to provide 800 new jobs.
Commercially, local organizations have attempted to pool their resources in the central business district and to expand and bolster higher education at four local institutions. Landmarks such as the First National Bank building have been extensively renovated, often to create lofts or office space, and filming for the Will Ferrell
movie Semi-Pro
resulted in renovations to the Capitol Theatre. In 2004 the first planned residential community in Flint in over 30 years, University Park, was built north of Fifth Avenue off Saginaw Street, Flint's main thoroughfare. Local foundations have also funded the renovation and redecoration of Saginaw Street, and have begun work turning University Avenue (formerly known as Third Avenue) into a mile-long "University Corridor" connecting University of Michigan–Flint with Kettering University
. Atwood Stadium
, located on University Avenue, has already received extensive renovations and the Cultivating Our Community project is landscaping 16 different locations from in Flint as a part of a $415,600 beautification project. Wade Trim and Rowe Incorporated have done major renovations to transform empty downtown Flint blocks into business, entertainment, and housing centers. WNEM, a local television station, has signed a ten year lease on space in the Wade Trim building facing Saginaw Street.
Also, plans have been recently passed to turn the long-vacant Durant Hotel into a mixture of commercial space and apartments attractive to young professionals or college students, with 93 units. Work has already begun and the project is expected to be complete by fall 2009. In March 2008, the Crim Race Foundation put up an offer to buy the vacant Character Inn and turn it into a fitness center and do a multimillion dollar renovation.
Similar to a plan in Detroit, Flint is in the process of tearing down thousands of abandoned homes in order to curb crime and reduce city services to a level where the population can sustain it. As of June 2009, approximately 1100 homes have been demolished in Flint, with one official estimating another 3000 more will have to be torn down.
Rick Snyder appointed a state eight-member review team (Roger Fraser, deputy state treasurer; Doug Ringler, director of the Office of Internal Audit Services in the Department of Technology, Management and Budget; Laura Argyle, vice president of finance and chief financial officer for the Midland Center for the Arts; Gene Dennis, former president and CEO of Universal Systems; Darnell Earley
, Saginaw city manager; Robert L. Emerson
, former state budget director; Brom Stibitz, senior policy adviser in the Michigan Department of Treasury; Fred Headen, director of the Michigan Department of Treasury’s Local Government Services Bureau) to review Flint's financial state with a request to report back in 30 days half the legal time for a review. On November 8, 2011, Mayor Dayne Walling defeated challenger Darryl Buchanan 8,819 votes (56%) to 6,868 votes (44%). That same day, the Michigan State review panel declared the City of Flint to be in the state of a "local government financial emergency" recommending the state appoint an emergency manager. Governor Snyder appointed Michael Brown
as the city's Emergency Financial Manager on November 29, effective December 1.
and various bus
lines. Amtrak
provides intercity passenger rail service on the Blue Water
line from Chicago
to Port Huron
at the border to Canada. For travel within and around the city, the Flint Mass Transportation Authority
(MTA) provides local bus services. Greyhound Lines
also runs inter-city bus services north to Bay City
and south to Detroit. Indian Trails
runs inter-city bus services west to Chicago
.
Flint lies in the Flint/Tri-Cities
region of Michigan
. Flint and Genesee County
can be categorized as a subregion of Flint/Tri-Cities.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 34.1 square miles (88.3 km²), of which, 33.6 square miles (87 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (1.26%) is water. Flint lies just to the northeast of the Flint hills. The terrain is low and rolling along the south and east sides, and flatter to the northwest.
, Delta Chi
, Theta Chi
, Lambda Chi Alpha
, Theta Xi
, and Delta Tau Delta
Fraternities.
These neighborhoods were the center of manufacturing for and profits from the nation's carriage industry until the 1920s, and to this day are the site of many well-preserved Victorian
homes and the setting of Atwood Stadium
. Just north of downtown is River Village, a successful example of mixed-income public housing. To the east of I-475
is Central Park
, a small neighborhood defined by culs-de-sac.
The North Side and 5th Ward are predominantly African American
, with such historic districts as Buick City and Civic Park on the north, and Sugar Hill, Floral Park, and Kent and Elm Parks on the south. Many of these neighborhoods were the original centers of early Michigan
blues
. The South Side in particular was also a center for multi-racial migration from Missouri
, Kentucky
, Tennessee
, and the Deep South since World War II
. These neighborhoods are most often lower income, but have maintained some level of economic stratification. The East Side is the site of the Applewood Mott Estate, and Mott Community College, the Cultural Center
, and East Village
, one of Flint's more prosperous areas. Just north is Eastside Proper, also known as the "State Streets," a low-income rental area that has rapidly diversified and is the center of Flint's Hispanic
community. Eastside has had trouble with prostitution
, particularly in districts centered on Dort Highway and Olive Avenue. The West Side includes the main site of the 1937 sitdown strike, the Mott Park neighborhood, Kettering University
, and the historic Woodcroft Estates, owned in the past by legendary automotive executives and current home to prominent and historic Flint families such as the Motts, the Manleys, and the Smiths.
Facilities associated with General Motors in the past and present are scattered throughout the city, including GM Truck and Bus, Flint Metal Center and Powertrain South (clustered together on the city's southwestern corner); Powertrain North, Flint Tool and Die and Delphi East. The largest plant, Buick City
and adjacent facilities, have been demolished.
Half of Flint's fourteen tallest buildings were built during the 1920s. The city's tallest building, the 19-story Genesee Towers
, was completed in 1968. The building has become unused in recent years and has fallen into severe disrepair; a cautionary sign warning of falling debris was put on the sidewalk in front of it. City officials have considered having the building demolished.
zone (Köppen
Dfb), with four distinct seasons. Summer is very warm and humid, with a July daily mean temperature of 70.6 °F (21.4 °C), and highs reaching 90 °F (32 °C) on about 7 days per year. Though days of 100 °F (38 °C) are rare, the record high is 108 °F (42 °C), set in July 1936. Winters are cold and snowy, with a January average of 21.3 °F (-5.9 °C) and lows falling to 0 °F (-18 °C) or below on 10 to 11 nights a season. The lowest temperature on record is at most −25 °F, set in January 1976. Though snow averages 48 inches (122 cm) per season, snow cover is not necessarily reliable and may disappear for short periods of time. Precipitation is greatest toward the end of summer.
of 2000, there were 124,943 people, 48,744 households, and 30,270 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,714.9 per square mile (1,434.5/km²). There were 55,464 housing units at an average density of 1,649.1 per square mile (636.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.27% Black or African American
, 41.39% White, 0.64% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races
, and 3.14% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 7.2% were of German
and 5.6% American
ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English
and 2.5% Spanish
as their first language.
There were 48,744 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.0% were married
couples living together, 27.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,015, and the median income for a family was $31,424. Males had a median income of $34,009 versus $24,237 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,733. About 22.9% of families and 26.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.4% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
. Students attend 25 elementary schools, a gender based 7-8 academy (Holmes), and three high schools (Flint Northern High School
, Flint Northwestern High School, and Flint Southwestern Academy
).
The state-run Michigan School for the Deaf is located in Flint.
The Valley School is a small private K-12 school.
Print
The county's only daily newspaper was the Flint Journal
, which dates back to 1876. Effective June 2009 the paper ceased to be a daily publication, opting to publish on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The move made Genesee County the largest county in the United States without a daily newspaper. The Flint Journal began publishing a Tuesday edition in March 2010.
The East Village Magazine is a non-profit news magazine providing information about neighborhood issues since 1976. The monthly magazine centers on the East Village neighborhood, outside downtown Flint, but is distributed throughout the city. The Uncommon Sense was a recent publication featuring critical journalism, satirical cartoons, and articles on music and nightlife, but it ceased publishing in 2007. In January 2009, Broadside became the current independent newspaper, exclusively available in print. In early 2009 Flint Comix & Entertainment began circulating around college campuses, and local businesses. This monthly publication features local and nationally recognized comic artists, as well as editorials, and other news.
Two quarterly magazines have appeared in recent years: Innovative Health Magazine and Downtown Flint Revival Magazine. Debuting in 2008, Innovative Health highlights the medical advancements, health services and lifestyles happening in and around Genesee County, while Downtown Flint Revival reports on new developments, building renovations and the many businesses in the Downtown area.
University publications include University of Michigan–Flint's student newspaper The Michigan Times
, Kettering University
's The Technician and the MCC Chronicle, formerly the MCC Post, which is a monthly magazine from Mott Community College
.
(ABC
), formerly one of ten ABC owned-and-operated stations, is currently the only area station to operate from Flint. WSMH
(Fox
) and WCMZ-TV (PBS
) are licensed to Flint, but their programming originates from outside of Flint proper, with WSMH originating from Flint suburb Mt. Morris Township and WCMZ rebroadcasting WCMU-TV
of Mount Pleasant
. WEYI (NBC
), licensed to Saginaw, and WBSF
(The CW
), licensed to Bay City
, has their studios in nearby Vienna Township
, just north of Flint. Other stations outside the Flint area that serve the area include Saginaw-based WNEM-TV
(CBS
) (which has a news bureau in Downtown Flint), Delta College
's WDCQ-TV (PBS), and WAQP
(TCT
).
Casey Kasem
had his first radio job.
WTAC-AM 600 (now religious station WSNL) was a highly-rated and influential Top 40
station in the 1960s and 1970s, showcasing Michigan artists and being the first in the U.S. to play acts like The Who
and AC/DC
. WTAC changed its format to country music in 1980 and then became a pioneering contemporary Christian music station a few years later; the calls are now on 89.7 FM, a member of the "Smile FM
" network. WTRX-AM 1330 also played Top 40 music for a time in the 1960s and '70s.
The city's very first radio station, AM 910 WFDF, first went on the air in 1922. It has since relocated south into the Detroit market, changing its city of license to Farmington Hills and increasing its power to 50,000 watts.
In 1985, WWCK-FM 105.5 became the highest-rated rock station in America. The station (whose calls were derived from those of Windsor, Ontario
's legendary CKLW
) continued as a market leader after changing its format to CHR
, which it has remained since, in 1989.
Today, the following stations serve Flint with an array of programming choices:
AM
FM
Regent Broadcasting's WCRZ is consistently the top-rated station in Flint and has been near the top of the ratings consistently since changing format from beautiful music
WGMZ in 1984. Sister stations WRCL and WWBN also regularly chalk up top 10 ratings in Flint. Cumulus Media
's top stations are WDZZ (usually the #2 rated station 12+ in Flint, second only to WCRZ) and WWCK. Citadel Broadcasting
owns popular country station WFBE (which for many years was a classical-music public radio station owned by the Flint school system), as well as sports-talker WTRX and Saginaw/Bay City's WHNN (96.1 FM, Oldies) and WIOG (102.5 FM, Top 40), which both have good signals and significant listenership in Flint.
Radio stations from Detroit, Lansing, Lapeer and Saginaw may also be heard in the Flint area; Detroit's WJR
(760 AM) is regularly rated among the top 10 stations in Flint and often higher-rated than any local Flint-based AM station.
1929, 1974).
The City is currently run under its 1974 charter that gives the city a Strong Mayor form of government
. Its also instituted the appointed independent office of Ombudsman
, while the city clerk is solely appointed by the City Council. The City Council is composed of members elected from the city's nine wards.
call center, located in the police department headquarters, which operates independently of Genesee County's call center in Flint Township. The Public Safety Director is Alvern Lock.
“It’s been a very difficult year,” Walling said on December 16, hours after the city’s 64th homicide. In dealing with the city’s multimillion-dollar deficit, Walling laid off 66 police officers in 2010, including the 20 layoffs that took effect December 17, 2010.
"Families of Murder Children Support Group" Robert Johnson noted the growing numbers of unsolved Homicides in the City of Flint: 2008 32 homicides, 19 convictions; 2009 36 homicides and 12 unsolved; and 2010 to date 64 homicides with 33 unsolved. As a result of the record number of homicides in 2010, a research report was published by the Center for Homicide Research describing the problem and proposing public policy changes. The Layoff numbers, according to Keith Spears (Police officers Union President) "In February '09 Walling laid off 46. December 17, 2010 Mayor Walling laid off another 20. In 2008 we had 208 patrol officers (this is not counting Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, and the Chief). As of December 17, 2010, we had 67 patrol officers left. In 2008 Williamson laid off 48 officers. There have been a total of 114 lay offs since 2008, but we have lost a total of 141 positions. That's because they did not replace some positions after officers retired" “We’re trying to take care of it as much as we can.”
According to a study of FBI crime statistics by CQ Press, in 2010, Flint was named the "fourth most dangerous city in the United States."
According to a 2011 national poll by 24/7 Wall St. Flint was named the most dangerous city in the U.S. in 2011.
On September 28, 2011 it was announced the Flint Police Department has been awarded $1,225,638 from the Department of Justice
’s Community Oriented Policing Services
(COPS) program to re-hire 6 laid off patrol officers. The officers are scheduled to be on the job starting in October 2011.
(21).
The Michigan Warriors are a tier-A junior hockey team in the North American Hockey League. They are in their second season, and play their home games at Perani Arena, which has a seating capacity of 4,021, and 4,421 with standing room. In their inaugural season, they were defeated in the championship game.
There is semi-pro football at Atwood Stadium
with the Flint Fury. Atwood is an 11,000+ seat stadium in downtown Flint which has hosted many events, including baseball. When artificial turf
was installed, it was no longer able to host baseball games. The Flint Fury have been in action since 2003, and are currently a part of the Elite Mid-Continental Football League. The team was founded by two of its players: Charles Lawler and Prince Goodson, who both played for the defunct Flint Falcons semi-pro team. The team is now owned by just Lawler.
Although they no longer play their games in Flint, the Rampage semi-pro football team keeps Flint in their name, despite the fact that their new home field is located in Fenton, MI. They have been a part of the United States Football Alliance since 2010.
The Flint Fire ABA basketball team was proposed, but never materialized.
Flint is twinned with Hamilton, Ontario
, and its amateur athletes compete in the Canusa Games
, held alternatively there and here since 1957.
Although Flint does not have its own NBA team, it does boast that many of its local players have gone to the NBA or on to play Division 1 or European professional basketball. Glen Rice
and Eddie Robinson
both hail from Flint, as do Morris Peterson
, Mateen Cleaves
, Charlie Bell
, and Antonio Smith (four of the five starters from Michigan State University's "Flintstones
" 2000 National Championship team).
A local teacher, turned independent film maker, Marcus Davenport chronicles Flint's unique ties to Basketball and the basketball culture in Flint Star: The Motion Picture, a documentary film Will Ferrell
's 2008 movie Semi-Pro
is based on a fictional basketball team named the Flint Tropics.
The 2009 Heisman Trophy
winner Mark Ingram
is from Flint. He beat out Stanford Running Back, Toby Gerhart and Texas Quarterback, Colt McCoy. He won with 1304 total votes. Mark Ingram attends the University of Alabama
and is their first Heisman winner. He was a member of the National Champion 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
.
2011 Conn Smythe
winner and Stanley Cup
champion Tim Thomas
was born in Flint. In the 2010-11 National Hockey League season, Thomas boasted a .938 save percentage, setting a new NHL record among goaltenders.
, Jilin
, China
Hamilton
, Ontario
, Canada
Kielce
, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship
, Poland
Tolyatti
, Samara Oblast
, Russia
created the documentary film
Roger & Me
. The film deals with the impact that the closure of several of GM's Flint area manufacturing plants in the late 1980s had on the area's population. The city is also mentioned, and featured at various lengths, in Moore's later documentaries.
The following movies and TV shows have taken place or were filmed in Flint.
Television
Movies
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and is located along the Flint River
Flint River (Michigan)
The Flint River is a river in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan in the United States. It flows through the city of Flint and the counties of Genesee, Lapeer and Saginaw.- Course :...
, 66 miles (106.2 km) northwest of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Genesee County
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
which lies in the Flint/Tri-Cities
Flint/Tri-Cities
The Flint/Tri-Cities Region or Saginaw Valley is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region is composed of the area surrounding Flint, Michigan, the Tri Cities, the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River . Flint's population is 102,434; it is the seventh largest city in Michigan...
region of Michigan. Genesee County is also the entirety of Flint's metropolitan area
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
, the fourth largest metropolitan area in Michigan with a population of 425,790 in 2010.
Flint is most known for being the birthplace of General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
(GM), and the Flint Sit-Down Strike
Flint Sit-Down Strike
The 1936–1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike changed the United Automobile Workers from a collection of isolated locals on the fringes of the industry into a major labor union and led to the unionization of the domestic United States automobile industry....
of 1936–37 that played a vital role in the formation of the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
. Flint is also home to the headquarters of Citizens Republic Bancorp. Flint Charter Township
Flint Township, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 33,691 people, 13,972 households, and 9,025 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,425.5 per square mile . There were 14,864 housing units at an average density of 628.9 per square mile...
is adjacent to the city on the west but is politically independent. Bishop International Airport
Bishop International Airport
Bishop International Airport is an airport located in the city of Flint, Michigan. The third busiest airport in Michigan, it surpassed competitor MBS International Airport in terms of airline operations in 2002. In 2007, 1,072,420 passengers used Bishop Airport, followed by a slight drop to...
is also part of the city, even though it is surrounded by Flint Township.
History
Some scholars consider the Saginaw Valley, particularly the vicinity of Flint, to be the oldest continually inhabited area of Michigan. Regardless of the validity of this claim, the region was home to several OjibwaOjibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
tribes at the start of the 19th century, with a particularly significant community established near present-day Montrose. The Flint River
Flint River (Michigan)
The Flint River is a river in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan in the United States. It flows through the city of Flint and the counties of Genesee, Lapeer and Saginaw.- Course :...
had several convenient fords which became points of contention among rival tribes, as attested by the presence of arrowheads and burial mounds near Flushing.
Jacob Smith, a fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
trader on cordial terms with both the local Ojibwas and the territorial government founded a trading post in Flint itself in 1819. On several occasions, Smith negotiated land exchanged with the Ojibwas on behalf of the U.S. government, and he was highly regarded on both sides. Smith apportioned many of his holdings to his children. As the ideal stopover on the overland route
Saginaw trail
Saginaw Trail is the collective name for a set of connected roads in Southeastern Michigan that runs from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint. It was originally a tribal foot trail. On December 7, 1818 the Michigan Territorial government authorized the building of a road from Detroit to...
between Detroit and Saginaw, Flint grew into a small but prosperous village. The city was incorporated in 1855. The 1860 U.S. census indicated that Genesee County had a population of 22,498 of Michigan's 750,000.
In the latter half of the 19th century, Flint became a lumber center, and at the turn of the 20th century the revenue and infrastructure from lumbering funded the establishment of the local carriage making industry. As horse-drawn carriages gave way to the automobiles, Flint became a major player in the nascent auto industry. Buick Motor Company, after a rudimentary start in Detroit, soon moved to Flint. AC Spark Plug (now part of Delphi) originated in Flint, as did several defunct automobile marques such as the Dort
Dort (automobile)
The Dort was an automobile built by the Dort Motor Car Company of Flint, Michigan from 1915 - 1924. Dort used Lycoming built engines to power their vehicles....
, Little
Little (automobile)
The Little was an automobile built in Flint, Michigan by the Little Motor Car Company from 1912-15. The Little first was available as a two-seater with a four-cylinder 20 hp engine, and had a wheelbase of . In 1914 a 3.6 L six-cylinder L-head engine was available in a later model that had a...
, Flint
Flint (automobile)
The Flint was an automobile marque that was assembled by the Flint Motors Division, Flint, Michigan between 1923 and 1927. Flint Motors was a wholly owned subsidiary of Durant Motors Company .-Assembly:...
, and Mason
Mason Truck
Mason Truck, founded by A.C. Mason in cooperation with William C. Durant, was a U.S. truck manufacturer based in Flint, Michigan. As a subsidiary of Durant Motors, Mason Truck built Road King Speed Trucks in the early 1920s....
brands. Chevrolet's first (and for many years, main) manufacturing facility was also in Flint, although its headquarters were in Detroit. For a brief period, all Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
s and Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
s were built in Flint.
In 1904, local entrepreneur William C. Durant
William C. Durant
William Crapo "Billy" Durant was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry, the founder of General Motors and Chevrolet who created the system of multi-brand holding companies with different lines of cars....
was brought in to manage Buick, which became the largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1908. In 1908, Durant founded General Motors, filing incorporation papers in New Jersey, with headquarters in Flint. GM moved its headquarters to Detroit in the mid 1920s. Durant lost control of GM twice during his lifetime. On the first occasion, he befriended Louis Chevrolet
Louis Chevrolet
Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was a Swiss-born American race car driver of French descent, co-founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911 and later, the Frontenac Motor Corporation in 1916 which made racing parts for Ford's Model T.-Early life:Born in 1878 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a center of...
and founded Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
, which was a runaway success. He used the capital from this success to buy back share control. He later lost decisive control again, permanently. Durant experienced financial ruin in the stock market crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
and subsequently ran a bowling alley in Flint until the time of his death in 1947.
For the last century, Flint's history has been dominated by both the auto industry and car culture. During the sit down strike
Flint Sit-Down Strike
The 1936–1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike changed the United Automobile Workers from a collection of isolated locals on the fringes of the industry into a major labor union and led to the unionization of the domestic United States automobile industry....
of 1936-1937, the fledgling United Automobile Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
triumphed over General Motors, inaugurating the era of labor unions. The successful mediation of the strike by Governor Frank Murphy
Frank Murphy
William Francis Murphy was a politician and jurist from Michigan. He served as First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District , Recorder's Court Judge, Detroit . Mayor of Detroit , the last Governor-General of the Philippines , U.S...
, culminating in a one page agreement recognizing the Union, began an era of successful organizing by the UAW.
The city was a major contributor of tanks and other war machines during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
due to its extensive manufacturing facilities.
A freighter named after the city, the City of Flint was the first US ship to be captured during the Second World War in October, 1939. The vessel was later sunk in 1943.
The eighth deadliest tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
on record in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
struck Beecher, just north of Flint, on June 8, 1953, killing 115 people, injuring 844. Known as the "Beecher Tornado," after the North Side community which the tornado devastated. On the next day the same weather system spawned the worst tornado in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, killing another 94 people.
For decades, Flint remained politically significant as a major population center as well as for its importance to the automotive industry. The city's population peaked in 1960 at almost 200,000, at which time it was the second largest city in the state. These decades are seen as the height of Flint's prosperity and influence, and culminated with the establishment of many local institutions, most notably including the Flint Cultural Center, which remains one of the city's chief commercial and artistic draws to this day.
Since the late 1960s, Flint has suffered from disinvestment
Disinvestment
Disinvestment, sometimes referred to as divestment, refers to the use of a concerted economic boycott, with specific emphasis on liquidating stock, to pressure a government, industry, or company towards a change in policy, or in the case of governments, even regime change...
, deindustrialization
Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
, depopulation and urban decay
Urban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
. Initially, this took the form of the "white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
" that afflicted many American towns and cities, but the decline was exacerbated by the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
and subsequent collapse of the U.S. auto industry. In the 1980s, the rate of deindustrialization accelerated with local GM employment falling from a 1978 high of 80,000 to under 8,000 by 2010. Only 10% of the manufacturing work force is still left in Flint. Many factors have been blamed, including outsourcing
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
and exporting jobs abroad and to non-union facilities, unionization, exorbitant overhead, globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, and most recently, a dramatic decline in General Motors sales. These rationales are often strictly applied along lines of political orientation, and labor remains the most divisive and polarizing local issue.
This decline was highlighted in the film Roger & Me
Roger & Me
Roger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by Michael Moore. Moore portrays the regional negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs at the time and economically...
by Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
(the title refers to Roger B. Smith, the CEO of General Motors during the 1980s). Also highlighted in Moore's documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
was the failure of city officials to reverse the trends with entertainment options (e.g. AutoWorld
AutoWorld
AutoWorld was an indoor theme park in Flint, Michigan, USA, built to make the town attractive to tourists. The theme park opened in July 1984 and closed during its first year...
) during the 1980s. Moore, a native of Davison
Davison, Michigan
Davison is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 5,536 at the 2000 census. Davison is located within Davison Township, but is administratively autonomous....
(a Flint suburb), revisited Flint in his later movies, including Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine is a 2002 documentary film written, directed, produced, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Michael Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns...
and Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker and political commentator Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and its coverage in the news media...
.
East Village, Flint
The East Village is a neighborhood located on the East Side of Flint, Michigan, bounded on the west by Downtown Flint, north by the Eastside , east by Thrift City and the south by Kent Park and Sugar Hill. It is the site of Flint Central High School, Mott Community College, the Flint Cultural...
through housing compacts. Despite such discrimination, the Flint City Council selected Floyd McCree as mayor, making him one of the first African American mayors of a large city. The city diversified as a whole, and by the 1990s African Americans formed a plurality of the population, and a majority by the 2000 census. Mexican Americans remain a small but demographically significant population within Flint. Recent politics have typically polarized along racial lines, with candidates appealing to a small swing contingent of African American voters.
2002 financial emergency
The last decade has opened on the final stages of large-scale General Motors deindustrializationDeindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
. By 2002 Flint had accrued a $35 million debt.
In 2002, the City's voters recalled
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
mayor Woodrow Stanley
Woodrow Stanley
Woodrow Stanley, a Democratic Party politician, is a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 34th District. He was a former mayor of Flint that was recalled from office in 2002.- Early life :...
. A few months later the State of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
appointed an emergency financial manager, Ed Kurtz. The emergency financial manager displaces Temporary Mayor Darnell Earley
Darnell Earley
Darnell Earley is the current city manager of Saginaw, Michigan. He served as interim mayor of Flint, Michigan after the recall of Woodrow Stanley. He is also an ordained Baptist deacon.-Early life:...
back into the city administrator position.
Of the nearly 80,000 people that worked for General Motors in Flint during its peak years in the late 1970s, only about 8,000 are left after the most recent 2006 buyouts. Details on specific plant openings and closings are found in the article Flint, Michigan Auto Industry
Flint, Michigan Auto Industry
Flint, Michigan is a city which has previously relied on its automotive industry.- Overview :In the past several decades, General Motors plants in Genesee County have endured complicated renamings, management shifts, closures, and spinoffs....
.
Redevelopment
Industrially, the vacated Buick City
Buick City
Buick City was a massive automobile manufacturing complex in the northwest of Flint, Michigan. Elements of the 235 acre complex dated from 1904, but it became known as Buick City in 1985. The Buick Site is still producing components for GM facilities and outside buyers. Operations ceased on the...
site is currently the United States' largest brownfield
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
. Its accessibility to the Flint River and major rail networks has made it potentially attractive to shipping interests. A local shipping company has considered turning Buick City into a large shipping center.This center could provide 600 jobs and spur many small businesses.
In the new GM-UAW deal, an agreement was reached to build a new engine plant on a portion of the Buick City site. This plant is expected to provide 800 new jobs.
Commercially, local organizations have attempted to pool their resources in the central business district and to expand and bolster higher education at four local institutions. Landmarks such as the First National Bank building have been extensively renovated, often to create lofts or office space, and filming for the Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
movie Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports screwball comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium , in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan...
resulted in renovations to the Capitol Theatre. In 2004 the first planned residential community in Flint in over 30 years, University Park, was built north of Fifth Avenue off Saginaw Street, Flint's main thoroughfare. Local foundations have also funded the renovation and redecoration of Saginaw Street, and have begun work turning University Avenue (formerly known as Third Avenue) into a mile-long "University Corridor" connecting University of Michigan–Flint with Kettering University
Kettering University
Kettering University is a university in Flint, Michigan, offering degrees in engineering, math, science, and business. The campus is located along the Flint River on property that used to be the main manufacturing location for General Motors...
. Atwood Stadium
Atwood Stadium
Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high...
, located on University Avenue, has already received extensive renovations and the Cultivating Our Community project is landscaping 16 different locations from in Flint as a part of a $415,600 beautification project. Wade Trim and Rowe Incorporated have done major renovations to transform empty downtown Flint blocks into business, entertainment, and housing centers. WNEM, a local television station, has signed a ten year lease on space in the Wade Trim building facing Saginaw Street.
Also, plans have been recently passed to turn the long-vacant Durant Hotel into a mixture of commercial space and apartments attractive to young professionals or college students, with 93 units. Work has already begun and the project is expected to be complete by fall 2009. In March 2008, the Crim Race Foundation put up an offer to buy the vacant Character Inn and turn it into a fitness center and do a multimillion dollar renovation.
Similar to a plan in Detroit, Flint is in the process of tearing down thousands of abandoned homes in order to curb crime and reduce city services to a level where the population can sustain it. As of June 2009, approximately 1100 homes have been demolished in Flint, with one official estimating another 3000 more will have to be torn down.
2011 financial emergency
On September 30, 2011, Michigan GovernorGovernor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
Rick Snyder appointed a state eight-member review team (Roger Fraser, deputy state treasurer; Doug Ringler, director of the Office of Internal Audit Services in the Department of Technology, Management and Budget; Laura Argyle, vice president of finance and chief financial officer for the Midland Center for the Arts; Gene Dennis, former president and CEO of Universal Systems; Darnell Earley
Darnell Earley
Darnell Earley is the current city manager of Saginaw, Michigan. He served as interim mayor of Flint, Michigan after the recall of Woodrow Stanley. He is also an ordained Baptist deacon.-Early life:...
, Saginaw city manager; Robert L. Emerson
Robert L. Emerson
Robert L. Emerson is a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was member of the Michigan Senate having served as the Democratic Minority Leader. He represented the 27th District in Genesee County, which encompasses the city of Flint.Emerson was born in Alpena on March 23, 1948....
, former state budget director; Brom Stibitz, senior policy adviser in the Michigan Department of Treasury; Fred Headen, director of the Michigan Department of Treasury’s Local Government Services Bureau) to review Flint's financial state with a request to report back in 30 days half the legal time for a review. On November 8, 2011, Mayor Dayne Walling defeated challenger Darryl Buchanan 8,819 votes (56%) to 6,868 votes (44%). That same day, the Michigan State review panel declared the City of Flint to be in the state of a "local government financial emergency" recommending the state appoint an emergency manager. Governor Snyder appointed Michael Brown
Michael Brown (Michigan politician)
Michael Brown is the current Emergency Manager for the City of Flint. He also served as former Temporary Mayor and City Administrator of the City of Flint, Michigan after the resignation of Don Williamson.-Public service:...
as the city's Emergency Financial Manager on November 29, effective December 1.
Transportation
The city of Flint is served by Bishop International AirportBishop International Airport
Bishop International Airport is an airport located in the city of Flint, Michigan. The third busiest airport in Michigan, it surpassed competitor MBS International Airport in terms of airline operations in 2002. In 2007, 1,072,420 passengers used Bishop Airport, followed by a slight drop to...
and various bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
lines. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
provides intercity passenger rail service on the Blue Water
Michigan Services
Michigan Services is an umbrella term used by Amtrak to describe passenger rail service by three routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with the Michigan cities of Grand Rapids, Port Huron, and Detroit, and other stations along the three lines...
line from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
at the border to Canada. For travel within and around the city, the Flint Mass Transportation Authority
Flint Mass Transportation Authority
The Flint Mass Transportation Authority is the operator of mass transportation in Genessee County, Michigan. Fourteen standard, all-day routes are provided within the city of Flint and its inner suburbs, as well as nine peak hour services...
(MTA) provides local bus services. Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
also runs inter-city bus services north to Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
and south to Detroit. Indian Trails
Indian Trails
Indian Trails is an inter-city bus company based in Owosso, Michigan.- History :Indian Trails was founded in 1910 in Owosso as the Phillips-Taylor Livery Service, whose main business was transporting cargo to and from Durand Union Station and the surrounding Shiawassee County...
runs inter-city bus services west to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Major highways
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Interstate 69 Interstate 69 Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas... has its eastern (northern) terminus at the Blue Water Bridge Blue Water Bridge The Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international bridge across the St. Clair River that links Port Huron, Michigan, USA and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada... in Port Huron Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,... , and runs west through Flint to Lansing Lansing, Michigan Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan... and then turns south and continues through Marshall Marshall, Michigan Marshall is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,459. It is the county seat of Calhoun County... and on to Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana... and to its end in Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... . |
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Interstate 75 Interstate 75 Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border... running concurrently with US 23 U.S. Route 23 in Michigan US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula... , cuts through the southwest corner of the city and passes the west side of the city through Flint Charter Township. I-75/US 23 continue north to Saginaw Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan... and Bay City Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North... . After separating near Standish Standish, Michigan Standish is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,581. It is the county seat of Arenac County.The town was platted by John D. Standish in 1871... , I-75 continues though the center of the state to Grayling Grayling, Michigan Grayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams.... , Mackinaw City Mackinaw City, Michigan Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village... , and Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River... . I-75/US 23 separate just south of Flint, with I-75 continuing through the Metro Detroit Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area... area to downtown Detroit Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River... , on to Toledo Toledo, Ohio Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan... . I-75 continues south through several major cities, including: Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's... , Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... , Tampa, Florida Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709.... to its ending in the suburbs of Miami, Florida Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... . |
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Interstate 475 Interstate 475 (Michigan) Interstate 475 is an Interstate Highway in the US state of Michigan. I-475 is a bypass route that serves the downtown area of Flint while its parent, I-75, passes through the west side of the city... begins south of Flint at Interstate 75 and runs north through downtown Flint then loops back to I-75 northwest of the city. |
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US-23 U.S. Route 23 in Michigan US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula... runs concurrently with I-75 and passes west of the city. After separating from I-75 near Standish, US 23 continues north on a scenic route along the Lake Huron Lake Huron Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States... shoreline. It ends at I-75 in Mackinaw City. This section of US 23 is designated the "Sunrise Side Coastal Highway". South of Flint, US 23 continues to Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010... , on to Toledo, and continues south into Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... . |
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M-21 M-21 (Michigan highway) M-21 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan connecting the cities of Grand Rapids and Flint. The highway passes through rural farming country and several small towns along its course through the Lower Peninsula... runs nearly due west to Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand... M-21 through Flint is also known as Corunna Road and Court Street. |
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M-54 M-54 (Michigan highway) M-54 is a state trunkline highway approximately long in the US state of Michigan that bypasses the city of Flint. It is named "Dort Highway" in much of its length, in honor of Flint carriage and automobile pioneer Josiah Dallas Dort, the business partner of General Motors founder William C. Durant... , also known as Dort Highway, runs mostly parallel to I-475 to the east from I-75 to I-69. |
Geography
Flint/Tri-Cities
The Flint/Tri-Cities Region or Saginaw Valley is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region is composed of the area surrounding Flint, Michigan, the Tri Cities, the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River . Flint's population is 102,434; it is the seventh largest city in Michigan...
region of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Flint and Genesee County
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
can be categorized as a subregion of Flint/Tri-Cities.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 34.1 square miles (88.3 km²), of which, 33.6 square miles (87 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (1.26%) is water. Flint lies just to the northeast of the Flint hills. The terrain is low and rolling along the south and east sides, and flatter to the northwest.
Neighborhoods
Flint has several neighborhoods grouped around the center of the city on the four cardinal "sides." The downtown business district is centered on Saginaw Street south of the Flint River. Just west, on opposite sides of the river, are Carriage Town (north) and the Grand Traverse Street District (south). Both neighborhoods boast strong neighborhood associations. The University Avenue corridor of Carriage Town is home to the largest concentration of "Greek" housing in the area, with fraternity houses from both Kettering University, and the University of Michigan Flint. Chapter houses include Sigma Alpha EpsilonSigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, Delta Chi
Delta Chi
Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
, Theta Chi
Theta Chi
Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...
, Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
, Theta Xi
Theta Xi
Theta Xi was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York on 29 April 1864. Theta Xi Fraternity was originally founded as an engineering fraternity, the first professional fraternity...
, and Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
Fraternities.
These neighborhoods were the center of manufacturing for and profits from the nation's carriage industry until the 1920s, and to this day are the site of many well-preserved Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
homes and the setting of Atwood Stadium
Atwood Stadium
Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high...
. Just north of downtown is River Village, a successful example of mixed-income public housing. To the east of I-475
Interstate 475 (Michigan)
Interstate 475 is an Interstate Highway in the US state of Michigan. I-475 is a bypass route that serves the downtown area of Flint while its parent, I-75, passes through the west side of the city...
is Central Park
Central Park, Flint
The Central Park neighborhood in the City of Flint, Michigan is as follows; east of Caeser Chavez avenue, south of Kearsley street, west of Crapo street, and north of East Court street. Many of the houses in this neighborhood date back to the late 19th century, when the city of Flint was...
, a small neighborhood defined by culs-de-sac.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, with such historic districts as Buick City and Civic Park on the north, and Sugar Hill, Floral Park, and Kent and Elm Parks on the south. Many of these neighborhoods were the original centers of early Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
. The South Side in particular was also a center for multi-racial migration from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, and the Deep South since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. These neighborhoods are most often lower income, but have maintained some level of economic stratification. The East Side is the site of the Applewood Mott Estate, and Mott Community College, the Cultural Center
Flint Cultural Center
The Flint Cultural Center is a campus of institutions located in Flint, Michigan. It is dedicated to promoting area residents with an array of cultural, scientific, and artistic experiences and promotes understanding of the diverse cultures reflected in the Greater Flint community. Dr...
, and East Village
East Village, Flint
The East Village is a neighborhood located on the East Side of Flint, Michigan, bounded on the west by Downtown Flint, north by the Eastside , east by Thrift City and the south by Kent Park and Sugar Hill. It is the site of Flint Central High School, Mott Community College, the Flint Cultural...
, one of Flint's more prosperous areas. Just north is Eastside Proper, also known as the "State Streets," a low-income rental area that has rapidly diversified and is the center of Flint's Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
community. Eastside has had trouble with prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, particularly in districts centered on Dort Highway and Olive Avenue. The West Side includes the main site of the 1937 sitdown strike, the Mott Park neighborhood, Kettering University
Kettering University
Kettering University is a university in Flint, Michigan, offering degrees in engineering, math, science, and business. The campus is located along the Flint River on property that used to be the main manufacturing location for General Motors...
, and the historic Woodcroft Estates, owned in the past by legendary automotive executives and current home to prominent and historic Flint families such as the Motts, the Manleys, and the Smiths.
Facilities associated with General Motors in the past and present are scattered throughout the city, including GM Truck and Bus, Flint Metal Center and Powertrain South (clustered together on the city's southwestern corner); Powertrain North, Flint Tool and Die and Delphi East. The largest plant, Buick City
Buick City
Buick City was a massive automobile manufacturing complex in the northwest of Flint, Michigan. Elements of the 235 acre complex dated from 1904, but it became known as Buick City in 1985. The Buick Site is still producing components for GM facilities and outside buyers. Operations ceased on the...
and adjacent facilities, have been demolished.
Genesee Towers
The Genesee Towers is the tallest high-rise in Flint, Michigan, United States. It is currently vacant.-Description:Begun in 1966 and completed in 1968, the tower consists of 172,000 square feet of office space in 10 stories, which overhang an 8-story parking garage and lobby level for a total of...
, was completed in 1968. The building has become unused in recent years and has fallen into severe disrepair; a cautionary sign warning of falling debris was put on the sidewalk in front of it. City officials have considered having the building demolished.
Climate
Flint lies within the humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
zone (Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb), with four distinct seasons. Summer is very warm and humid, with a July daily mean temperature of 70.6 °F (21.4 °C), and highs reaching 90 °F (32 °C) on about 7 days per year. Though days of 100 °F (38 °C) are rare, the record high is 108 °F (42 °C), set in July 1936. Winters are cold and snowy, with a January average of 21.3 °F (-5.9 °C) and lows falling to 0 °F (-18 °C) or below on 10 to 11 nights a season. The lowest temperature on record is at most −25 °F, set in January 1976. Though snow averages 48 inches (122 cm) per season, snow cover is not necessarily reliable and may disappear for short periods of time. Precipitation is greatest toward the end of summer.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 124,943 people, 48,744 households, and 30,270 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,714.9 per square mile (1,434.5/km²). There were 55,464 housing units at an average density of 1,649.1 per square mile (636.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.27% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 41.39% White, 0.64% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.14% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 7.2% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and 5.6% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 2.5% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 48,744 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.0% were married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
couples living together, 27.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,015, and the median income for a family was $31,424. Males had a median income of $34,009 versus $24,237 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,733. About 22.9% of families and 26.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.4% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
Universities
- University of Michigan–Flint is one of three campuses in the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
system. - Kettering UniversityKettering UniversityKettering University is a university in Flint, Michigan, offering degrees in engineering, math, science, and business. The campus is located along the Flint River on property that used to be the main manufacturing location for General Motors...
(formerly known as GMI for General Motors Institute) is an engineering school. - Baker CollegeBaker CollegeBaker College is a private not-for-profit American college in Michigan, founded in 1911. Its campuses are located throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan....
is a private institution with thirteen different campuses in Michigan that offers career education in business, health and human services, and technical fields. - Davenport UniversityDavenport UniversityDavenport University is a private, non-profit, multi-location university located at 14 campuses throughout Michigan and online. It was founded in 1866 by Conrad Swensburg and currently offers Master's Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees, Associate's Degrees, diplomas, and post-grad certification programs...
is a private institution offering business degrees which has a satellite campus in Flint. - Mott Community CollegeMott Community CollegeCharles Stewart Mott Community College is a publicly supported post-secondary institution located in Flint, Michigan. Its district is the same as the Genesee Intermediate School District and is governed by an elected board of Trustees...
is a community college in Flint with satellite campuses in nearby FentonFenton, MichiganFenton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan that lies mostly in Genesee County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,756. The city was incorporated from Fenton Township in Genesee County, and the city and township are administratively autonomous.-History:In the 1970s, the city...
, LapeerLapeer, MichiganLapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
and ClioClio, MichiganClio is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan.As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 2,483. Clio is home to Michigan's second tallest construction, the WEYI Tower...
. - Central Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
has a Satellite location in Flint.
Primary and secondary schools
Public K-12 education is provided under the umbrella of the Flint Community SchoolsFlint Community Schools
Flint Community Schools is a school district headquartered in Flint, Michigan, United States, with the mission of developing a community of learners who are prepared to live, work, and contribute to an ever changing society. As of the 2009-2010 school year, the Flint Community School District...
. Students attend 25 elementary schools, a gender based 7-8 academy (Holmes), and three high schools (Flint Northern High School
Flint Northern High School
Flint Northern High School, is a public secondary school located in Flint, Michigan. The original building was built in 1928, and the current site was erected in the 1970's. It is one of three high schools in the Flint Community Schools district along with Flint Northwestern High School and Flint...
, Flint Northwestern High School, and Flint Southwestern Academy
Flint Southwestern Academy
Flint Southwestern Academy is located in Flint, Michigan, United States. This school is a part of The Flint Community Schools.The 2009 closing of Flint Central High School sent many ex-Flint Central High School students to Southwestern and led to the reopening of McKinley Middle School, which...
).
The state-run Michigan School for the Deaf is located in Flint.
The Valley School is a small private K-12 school.
Flint Libraries
- Genesee District Library main branch location: West Pasadena Avenue; 701,371 books; 8,501 audio materials; 6,379 video materials; 1,113 serial subscriptions
- Flint Public Library main branch location: 1026 East Kearsley Street; 454,645 books; 22,355 audio materials; 9,453 video materials; 2,496 serial subscriptions
Health
- Hurley Medical CenterHurley Medical CenterHurley Medical Center is a teaching hospital serving Genesee, Lapeer, and Shiawassee counties in eastern Michigan since December 19, 1908. Situated in Flint, Michigan, it is a 443-bed public non-profit hospital...
- McLaren Regional Medical CenterMcLaren Regional Medical CenterMcLaren Regional Medical Center is a nonprofit, 416-bed tertiary teaching hospital located in Flint, Michigan. MRMC is affiliated with the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine's medical residency programs, including family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery, orthopedic...
- Genesys Regional Medical Center (a.k.a. Genesys Health Park)
- Flint once had 2 other full service hospitals: St. Joseph's Hospital and Flint Osteopathic Hospital. They are now medical clinics which are part of the Genesys Health System, and currently referred to as Genesys East Flint Campus and Genesys West Flint Campus respectively.
Flint Journal
The Flint Journal is the largest newspaper published in Flint, Michigan. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, it serves Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee Counties...
, which dates back to 1876. Effective June 2009 the paper ceased to be a daily publication, opting to publish on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The move made Genesee County the largest county in the United States without a daily newspaper. The Flint Journal began publishing a Tuesday edition in March 2010.
The East Village Magazine is a non-profit news magazine providing information about neighborhood issues since 1976. The monthly magazine centers on the East Village neighborhood, outside downtown Flint, but is distributed throughout the city. The Uncommon Sense was a recent publication featuring critical journalism, satirical cartoons, and articles on music and nightlife, but it ceased publishing in 2007. In January 2009, Broadside became the current independent newspaper, exclusively available in print. In early 2009 Flint Comix & Entertainment began circulating around college campuses, and local businesses. This monthly publication features local and nationally recognized comic artists, as well as editorials, and other news.
Two quarterly magazines have appeared in recent years: Innovative Health Magazine and Downtown Flint Revival Magazine. Debuting in 2008, Innovative Health highlights the medical advancements, health services and lifestyles happening in and around Genesee County, while Downtown Flint Revival reports on new developments, building renovations and the many businesses in the Downtown area.
University publications include University of Michigan–Flint's student newspaper The Michigan Times
The Michigan Times
The Michigan Times, the student newspaper of the Flint campus of the University of Michigan, was founded in 1956. It is the only official campus newspaper issued on campus and run entirely by the university students. It is casually referred to on and around campus as "The M-Times."Starting in the...
, Kettering University
Kettering University
Kettering University is a university in Flint, Michigan, offering degrees in engineering, math, science, and business. The campus is located along the Flint River on property that used to be the main manufacturing location for General Motors...
's The Technician and the MCC Chronicle, formerly the MCC Post, which is a monthly magazine from Mott Community College
Mott Community College
Charles Stewart Mott Community College is a publicly supported post-secondary institution located in Flint, Michigan. Its district is the same as the Genesee Intermediate School District and is governed by an elected board of Trustees...
.
Television
WJRT-TVWJRT-TV
WJRT-TV, channel 12, is the ABC-affiliated station for the Flint/Tri-Cities television market, owned by SJL Broadcasting. Its studios are located in Flint, Michigan, with offices and a second newsroom for the Tri-Cities located in Saginaw...
(ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
), formerly one of ten ABC owned-and-operated stations, is currently the only area station to operate from Flint. WSMH
WSMH
WSMH is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market that is licensed to Flint. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 from a 245 kilowatt, high transmitter on Aman Rd near St. Charles, Michigan...
(Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
) and WCMZ-TV (PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
) are licensed to Flint, but their programming originates from outside of Flint proper, with WSMH originating from Flint suburb Mt. Morris Township and WCMZ rebroadcasting WCMU-TV
WCMU-TV
WCMU-TV, channel 14 is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for much of the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, with a coverage area spanning three television markets and small portions of several others. The network is based at Central Michigan...
of Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Isabella County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,946. The 2008 census estimate places the population at 26,675....
. WEYI (NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
), licensed to Saginaw, and WBSF
WBSF
WBSF is the CW-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market that is licensed to Bay City. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting, the station is sister to NBC affiliate WEYI-TV and the two share studios on West Willard Road in Vienna Township along the Genesee and Saginaw County line...
(The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
), licensed to Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
, has their studios in nearby Vienna Township
Vienna Township, Genesee County, Michigan
Vienna Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,108 at the 2000 census.- Communities :* The city of Clio is within the township, but is administratively autonomous...
, just north of Flint. Other stations outside the Flint area that serve the area include Saginaw-based WNEM-TV
WNEM-TV
WNEM-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Flint/Tri-Cities market in Michigan. It is licensed to Bay City, and broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 22 . Owned by the Meredith Corporation, the station has studios on North Franklin Street in downtown Saginaw, as...
(CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
) (which has a news bureau in Downtown Flint), Delta College
Delta College (Michigan)
Delta College is a two-year community college located southwest of Bay City, Michigan. Delta College's district had its beginning in 1955 with Saginaw, Midland, and Bay counties making up the district. In 1957, the voters of the tri-counties approved the construction of the college, and it opened...
's WDCQ-TV (PBS), and WAQP
WAQP
WAQP is a television station in Saginaw, Michigan, which broadcasts the programming of the Tri-State Christian Television religious network....
(TCT
Tri-State Christian Television
Tri-State Christian Television is a network of eight religious television stations and their repeaters, mainly in the Midwest. TCT Network provides Christian programming such as teaching, preaching, family-based movies, music, documentaries, youth and children, live broadcasts and original content...
).
Radio
The Flint radio market has a rich history. WAMM-AM 1420 (started in 1955, now gospel station WFLT) on the city's eastside was one of the first stations in the country to program to the black community and was also where legendary DJDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
had his first radio job.
WTAC-AM 600 (now religious station WSNL) was a highly-rated and influential Top 40
Top Forty
The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. When used without qualification, it typically refers to the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music songs of the previous week...
station in the 1960s and 1970s, showcasing Michigan artists and being the first in the U.S. to play acts like The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
. WTAC changed its format to country music in 1980 and then became a pioneering contemporary Christian music station a few years later; the calls are now on 89.7 FM, a member of the "Smile FM
Smile FM
Smile FM is a network of 19 non-commercial, contemporary Christian radio stations. Most programming originates from studios in Williamston, Michigan and is relayed by an expanding number of stations throughout the state...
" network. WTRX-AM 1330 also played Top 40 music for a time in the 1960s and '70s.
The city's very first radio station, AM 910 WFDF, first went on the air in 1922. It has since relocated south into the Detroit market, changing its city of license to Farmington Hills and increasing its power to 50,000 watts.
In 1985, WWCK-FM 105.5 became the highest-rated rock station in America. The station (whose calls were derived from those of Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
's legendary CKLW
CKLW
CKLW is a 50,000 watt AM radio station broadcasting on 800 kHz and located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and serving Windsor and Detroit. Additionally, its signal can be heard as far west as Belding, Michigan; as far east as Batavia, New York; as far south as Edgewood, Kentucky; and as far...
) continued as a market leader after changing its format to CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
, which it has remained since, in 1989.
Today, the following stations serve Flint with an array of programming choices:
AM
- 600 WSNLWSNLWSNL is a radio station broadcasting a religious format. Licensed to Flint, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1946.The original call letters were WFLM, but the station was purchased in December of 1946 by George W. Trendle and H. Allen Campbell, who changed the call letters to WTCB and made...
- Flint (Religious, Victory 600, Christian Broadcasting System) - 1160 WCXIWCXIWCXI is a radio station licensed to Fenton, Michigan. The station broadcasts to the Flint area and the northwestern suburbs of Detroit....
- Fenton (Classic Country, Birach Broadcasting) - 1330 WTRXWTRX (AM)WTRX is an American radio station broadcasting a sports radio format in Flint, Michigan. It is the Flint affiliate for the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Pistons, and the Michigan Wolverines, as well as ESPN Radio.The station first began broadcasting in 1947...
- Flint (Sports, Sports Xtra 1330, Citadel BroadcastingCitadel BroadcastingCitadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
) - 1420 WFLTWFLTWFLT is a radio station broadcasting an Urban Gospel format. Licensed to Flint, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1955.As WAMM, 1420 AM was the area's premier African-American-oriented R&B station for years and also provided an early on-air job for future American Top 40 host Casey Kasem...
- Flint (Urban Gospel, Flint Evangelical Broadcasting Association) - 1470 WFNTWFNTWFNT is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Flint, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1947 as WCLC, then WWOK. It became WKMF in 1953 which was a country music station during most of the years using that call sign...
- Flint (Adult Standards/Oldies, Unforgettable 1470, Regent Broadcasting) - 1570 WWCKWWCK (AM)WWCK is a radio station in Flint, Michigan broadcasting a talk radio format.The Cumulus Media-owned station features a roster of mainly syndicated talk show hosts including Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Neal Boortz, and Coast-to-Coast AM as well as local morning talk with Lou Lobsinger and news...
- Flint (Talk, SuperTalk 1570, Cumulus MediaCumulus MediaCumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
)
FM
- 88.9 WAKLWAKLWAKL is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary Christian format. Licensed to Flint, Michigan, it is a member of the K-LOVE radio network. Prior to joining the K-LOVE network, the station was WGRI with an Urban Gospel format....
- Flint (Contemporary Christian, Educational Media Foundation; K-LoveK-LOVEK-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
network affiliate) - 89.7 WTACWTACWTAC, owned by Superior Communications, began broadcasting in 2002 on 89.7 with 1kW. Officially licensed to Burton, Michigan, the station's transmitter was located in the Beecher area on the north side of Flint, Michigan until September 2011 when it moved south of Fenton, Michigan and increased its...
- Burton-Flint (Contemporary Christian, Superior Communications; "Smile FM" network affiliate) - 91.1 WFUM - Flint (Public Radio, Michigan Radio, University of Michigan; simulcast of WUOM Ann Arbor)
- 92.7 WDZZ - Flint (Urban Adult Contemporary, Z92.7, Cumulus Media)
- 93.7 WRCLWRCLWRCL is a commercial broadcast radio station serving the mid Michigan area . It plays Rhythmic Contemporary Hits on the FM dial at 93.7 MHz, naming itself Club 93-7...
- Frankenmuth (Rhythmic CHR, Club 93-7, Regent Broadcasting) - 94.3 WKUFWKUF-LPWKUF-LP is a student-run low-powered campus radio station located in Flint, Michigan. It broadcasts at 100 watts, and has a range of between 6 and 20 miles, depending on terrain, elevation, and building density between the university and the location of the listener. It is operated by Kettering...
- Flint (Kettering UniversityKettering UniversityKettering University is a university in Flint, Michigan, offering degrees in engineering, math, science, and business. The campus is located along the Flint River on property that used to be the main manufacturing location for General Motors...
studentCampus radioCampus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station) - 95.1 WFBEWFBEWFBE is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Flint, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1953....
- Flint (Country, B95, Citadel Broadcasting) - 98.9 WOWEWOWEWOWE is a radio station licensed to Vassar, Michigan. The station features an urban AC format targeting the Flint and Saginaw markets....
- Vassar (Urban Adult Contemporary, Praestantia Broadcasting) - 101.5 WWBNWWBNWWBN , is a radio station broadcasting rock music to Central Michigan and The Thumb areas of Michigan. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and is a member of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters...
- Tuscola-Flint (Active Rock, Banana 101.5, Regent Broadcasting) - 102.5 WIOGWIOGWIOG is a radio station airing a Top 40 format, licensed to Bay City, Michigan and serving the Greater Tri-Cities areas from a transmitter located northeast of Saginaw...
- Bay CityBay City, MichiganBay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
(CHRContemporary hit radioContemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
) - 103.1 WQUSWQUS-External links:...
- Flint (Classic Rock, US 103.1), Regent Broadcasting) - 103.9 WRSRWRSRWRSR is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Owosso, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1965 under the WOAP-FM call sign.-Coverage area:...
- Owosso-Flint (Classic Rock, 103.9 The Fox, Cumulus Media) - 105.5 WWCKWWCK-FMWWCK-FM is a radio station in Flint, Michigan, broadcasting an adult-oriented Top 40 format. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and has programmed its current format since 1989.-Early History: WMRP:...
- Flint (Mainstream CHR, CK105.5, Cumulus Media) - 107.9 WCRZWCRZWCRZ is a radio station in Flint, Michigan, broadcasting an adult contemporary format. WCRZ is the top-rated heritage station in the market.-History:...
- Flint (Adult Contemporary, Cars 108, Regent Broadcasting)
Regent Broadcasting's WCRZ is consistently the top-rated station in Flint and has been near the top of the ratings consistently since changing format from beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
WGMZ in 1984. Sister stations WRCL and WWBN also regularly chalk up top 10 ratings in Flint. Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
's top stations are WDZZ (usually the #2 rated station 12+ in Flint, second only to WCRZ) and WWCK. Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
owns popular country station WFBE (which for many years was a classical-music public radio station owned by the Flint school system), as well as sports-talker WTRX and Saginaw/Bay City's WHNN (96.1 FM, Oldies) and WIOG (102.5 FM, Top 40), which both have good signals and significant listenership in Flint.
Radio stations from Detroit, Lansing, Lapeer and Saginaw may also be heard in the Flint area; Detroit's WJR
WJR
WJR is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts a news/talk format. It is a class A clear channel station whose broadcasts can be heard throughout most of the Midwest, eastern United States and Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the...
(760 AM) is regularly rated among the top 10 stations in Flint and often higher-rated than any local Flint-based AM station.
Web
The Flint Underground Music Archive is a comprehensive free online collection of streaming and downloadable media files of Flint's underground music scene from the 1970s to the present.Government
The city has operated under at least four charters (1855, 1888,1929, 1974).
The City is currently run under its 1974 charter that gives the city a Strong Mayor form of government
Mayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
. Its also instituted the appointed independent office of Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
, while the city clerk is solely appointed by the City Council. The City Council is composed of members elected from the city's nine wards.
Public safety
Residents are served by the Flint Police Department and the Flint Fire Department, and several private ambulance companies. Flint has its own 9-1-19-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
call center, located in the police department headquarters, which operates independently of Genesee County's call center in Flint Township. The Public Safety Director is Alvern Lock.
Crime
During the 1980s and 1990s, Flint gained a reputation as a city with a high crime rate. According to FBI statistics, Flint's violent crime rate has been in the top five among U.S. cities with a population of at least 50,000 people for the years 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. In 2007 the FBI ranked Flint as the second most violent city in the U.S, while in both 2008 and 2009 Flint had the fifth highest violent crime rate. FBI data shows in 2009 Flint had 2,244 violent crimes, including 36 homicides, 91 rapes and 1,527 felonious assaults. While homicides and assaults increased in 2009, rapes and robberies decreased, contributing to an overall 3 percent drop in crime.“It’s been a very difficult year,” Walling said on December 16, hours after the city’s 64th homicide. In dealing with the city’s multimillion-dollar deficit, Walling laid off 66 police officers in 2010, including the 20 layoffs that took effect December 17, 2010.
"Families of Murder Children Support Group" Robert Johnson noted the growing numbers of unsolved Homicides in the City of Flint: 2008 32 homicides, 19 convictions; 2009 36 homicides and 12 unsolved; and 2010 to date 64 homicides with 33 unsolved. As a result of the record number of homicides in 2010, a research report was published by the Center for Homicide Research describing the problem and proposing public policy changes. The Layoff numbers, according to Keith Spears (Police officers Union President) "In February '09 Walling laid off 46. December 17, 2010 Mayor Walling laid off another 20. In 2008 we had 208 patrol officers (this is not counting Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, and the Chief). As of December 17, 2010, we had 67 patrol officers left. In 2008 Williamson laid off 48 officers. There have been a total of 114 lay offs since 2008, but we have lost a total of 141 positions. That's because they did not replace some positions after officers retired" “We’re trying to take care of it as much as we can.”
According to a study of FBI crime statistics by CQ Press, in 2010, Flint was named the "fourth most dangerous city in the United States."
According to a 2011 national poll by 24/7 Wall St. Flint was named the most dangerous city in the U.S. in 2011.
On September 28, 2011 it was announced the Flint Police Department has been awarded $1,225,638 from the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
’s Community Oriented Policing Services
Community Oriented Policing Services
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is an agency within the United States Department of Justice. COPS was established through a provision in the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Since 1994, COPS has provided $11.3 billion in assistance to state and local law...
(COPS) program to re-hire 6 laid off patrol officers. The officers are scheduled to be on the job starting in October 2011.
Politics
Most politicians are affiliated with the Democratic party despite the city's elections being nonpartisan. In 2006, Flint was the 10th most liberal city in the United States, according to a nationwide study by the non-partisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research which examined the voting patterns of 237 cities with a population over 100,000. Flint placed just after San Francisco (9) and before Seattle (16) and New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(21).
Sports
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Logo |
| Michigan Warriors Michigan Warriors The Michigan Warriors are a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. The Warriors play in the North American Hockey League's North Division. Previously known as the Marquette Rangers, the Warriors will play their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center.Even as a junior club,... |
Hockey Hockey Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:... |
North American Hockey League North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League... |
Perani Arena and Event Center | |
| Flint Rogues Rugby Club Flint Rogues Rugby Club The Flint Rogues Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from Flint, Michigan and member of USA Rugby, Division III Midwest Rugby Eastern Conference, Northern League and Division III of the Michigan Rugby Football Union.-History:... |
Rugby Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
Michigan Rugby Football Union Michigan Rugby Football Union The Michigan Rugby Football Union is the Local Area Union for Rugby Union teams in the state of Michigan. The MRFU is part of the Midwest Rugby Football Union , one of the seven Territorial Area Unions that comprise USA Rugby.... |
Longway Park | |
| Flint Fury | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
Elite Mid-Continental Football League | Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... |
|
| Flint Rampage | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
United States Football Alliance | Fenton High School Fenton High School (Michigan) Fenton High School is a public high school located in Fenton, Michigan. It has recently received International Baccalaureate Authorization. The high school is home to over 1,500 students. It is a very nice environment... |
|
The Michigan Warriors are a tier-A junior hockey team in the North American Hockey League. They are in their second season, and play their home games at Perani Arena, which has a seating capacity of 4,021, and 4,421 with standing room. In their inaugural season, they were defeated in the championship game.
There is semi-pro football at Atwood Stadium
Atwood Stadium
Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high...
with the Flint Fury. Atwood is an 11,000+ seat stadium in downtown Flint which has hosted many events, including baseball. When artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
was installed, it was no longer able to host baseball games. The Flint Fury have been in action since 2003, and are currently a part of the Elite Mid-Continental Football League. The team was founded by two of its players: Charles Lawler and Prince Goodson, who both played for the defunct Flint Falcons semi-pro team. The team is now owned by just Lawler.
Although they no longer play their games in Flint, the Rampage semi-pro football team keeps Flint in their name, despite the fact that their new home field is located in Fenton, MI. They have been a part of the United States Football Alliance since 2010.
The Flint Fire ABA basketball team was proposed, but never materialized.
Flint is twinned with Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, and its amateur athletes compete in the Canusa Games
CANUSA Games
The CANUSA Games are an annual contest, primarily for athletes age 18 and under, between the sister cities of Flint, Michigan, USA, and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Games are the longest-running amateur sports competition in North America...
, held alternatively there and here since 1957.
Although Flint does not have its own NBA team, it does boast that many of its local players have gone to the NBA or on to play Division 1 or European professional basketball. Glen Rice
Glen Rice
Glen Anthony Rice is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. The 6'8" tall Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star guard/forward, ranking 11th in NBA history with 1,559 three-point field goals made during his 15-year career. As a player, Rice won an NCAA Men's Division...
and Eddie Robinson
Eddie Robinson (basketball)
Eddie B. Robinson Jr. is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Halifax Rainmen of the National Basketball League of Canada. A guard/forward, he spent five seasons in the National Basketball Association...
both hail from Flint, as do Morris Peterson
Morris Peterson
Morris Peterson, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.- College career :...
, Mateen Cleaves
Mateen Cleaves
Mateen Ahmad Cleaves is an American former professional basketball player who played in six NBA seasons. He is currently a music talent manager....
, Charlie Bell
Charlie Bell
Charles Hamilton Bell AO was an Australian business executive. He served as president of the American-based fast-food chain McDonald's from December 2002, and additionally as chief executive officer from April to November 2004...
, and Antonio Smith (four of the five starters from Michigan State University's "Flintstones
Flintstones (basketball)
The Flintstones were a group of three basketball players from Flint, Michigan who helped lead the Michigan State Spartans to the 2000 Mens National Championship....
" 2000 National Championship team).
A local teacher, turned independent film maker, Marcus Davenport chronicles Flint's unique ties to Basketball and the basketball culture in Flint Star: The Motion Picture, a documentary film Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
's 2008 movie Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro
Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports screwball comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium , in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan...
is based on a fictional basketball team named the Flint Tropics.
The 2009 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Mark Ingram
Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr. is a running back for the New Orleans Saints. Ingram is the son of former NFL wide receiver Mark Ingram, Sr....
is from Flint. He beat out Stanford Running Back, Toby Gerhart and Texas Quarterback, Colt McCoy. He won with 1304 total votes. Mark Ingram attends the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
and is their first Heisman winner. He was a member of the National Champion 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 77th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 18th within the SEC Western Division...
.
2011 Conn Smythe
Conn Smythe
Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC was a Canadian businessman, soldier and sportsman in ice hockey and horse racing. He is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1927 to 1961 and as the builder of Maple Leaf Gardens...
winner and Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas (ice hockey)
Timothy James Thomas, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . Raised in Davison, MI, Thomas played college hockey for the University of Vermont for four years, from 1993–1997, during which he was drafted 217th overall by the...
was born in Flint. In the 2010-11 National Hockey League season, Thomas boasted a .938 save percentage, setting a new NHL record among goaltenders.
Former sports teams
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Logo | |
| Flint Phantoms Flint Phantoms The Flint Phantoms were a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, playing in the 2008 season. They played their home games at the Perani Arena and Event Center, which was previously home to the Indoor Football League's Flint Flames in 2000, and the playoff home for the defunct Michigan... (2008) |
Arena Football Arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.... |
Continental Indoor Football League | Perani Arena | ||
| Flint Generals Flint Generals The Flint Generals were a professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan.They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center in Flint, Michigan.... (1969-1985, 1993-2010) |
Hockey Hockey Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:... |
International Hockey League International Hockey League The International Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1945 to 2001. The IHL served as the National Hockey League's alternate farm system to the American Hockey League . After 56 years of operation, financial instability led to... 1969-1985, Colonial/United/International Hockey League (1993-2010) |
Perani Arena | ||
| Flint Flyers Flint Flyers The Flint Flyers were a professional baseball team in Flint, Michigan from 1889-1890. They played in the Michigan State League.... (1889-1891) |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Michigan State League Michigan State League Michigan State League was the name of six American professional baseball leagues. Five of them operated only one or two baseball seasons and the other four seasons... |
Venue Unknown | ||
| Flint Halligans (1919-1920) | Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Michigan-Ontario League Michigan-Ontario League Michigan State League was the name of an American professional baseball league. It operated seven full seasons and part of an eighth from 1919 to 1926.... |
Athletic Park | ||
| Flint Vehicles Flint Vehicles The Flint Vehicles were a professional baseball team in Flint, Michigan from 1921-1926. They were a part of the Michigan-Ontario League.... (1906-1915, 1921-1925) |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Michigan-Ontario League Michigan-Ontario League Michigan State League was the name of an American professional baseball league. It operated seven full seasons and part of an eighth from 1919 to 1926.... |
Athletic Park | ||
| Flint Gems Flint Gems The Flint Gems were a professional baseball team in Flint, Michigan in 1940. The Gems were part of the Michigan State League, and played their home games at Atwood Stadium. Their overall record was 67-41, and they won the 1940 MSL Championship. The team was renamed Flint Indians for the 1941 MSL... (1940) |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Michigan State League Michigan State League Michigan State League was the name of six American professional baseball leagues. Five of them operated only one or two baseball seasons and the other four seasons... |
Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... |
||
| Flint Indians Flint Indians The Flint Indians were a professional baseball team in Flint, Michigan in 1941. The Indians were a part of the Michigan State League and played their home games at Atwood Stadium. Their overall record was 70-38 and they won the 1941 MSL Championship... (1941) |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Michigan State League Michigan State League Michigan State League was the name of six American professional baseball leagues. Five of them operated only one or two baseball seasons and the other four seasons... |
Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... |
||
| Flint Arrows Flint Arrows The Flint Arrows were a professional baseball team in Flint, Michigan from 1948-1951. They were a part of the Central League and played their home games at Atwood Stadium. Their overall record was 169-102, and they won the Central League Championship in 1948, and 1950.... (1948-1951) |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Central League Central League (baseball) The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903-1917, 1920-1922, 1926, 1928-1930, 1934, and 1948-1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and played under that name for the remainder of the season... |
Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... |
||
| Flint Pros (1972-1974) | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
Continental Basketball Association Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :... |
Hamady High School, IMA Auditorium | ||
| Flint Fuze Flint Fuze The Flint Fuze were a professional basketball team located in Flint, Michigan, United States, in 2001. They were a part of the Continental Basketball Association and played their home games at the IMA Sports Arena. Former National Basketball Association journeyman Jeff Grayer helped create the... (2001) |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
Continental Basketball Association Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :... |
IMA Sports Arena | ||
| Michigan Stones Michigan Stones The Michigan Stones, owned by businessman Bill McCrary; GM, Carl Hamilton, formerly Flint's Director of Park's and Rec., Head Coach Johnny Golston , Detroit Pershing's High coach of several High School state championship teams, and Assistant Coach, Justice Thigman, the first Flint player in the... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
International Basketball League International Basketball League The International Basketball League was a short lived professional basketball league in the United States. The IBL was headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The league started in 1999 and ended in 2001.-History:... |
Proposed team, never played | ||
| Flint Seminoles | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
Great Lakes Basketball Association | Proposed team, never played | ||
| Flint Fire Flint Fire The Flint Fire is an expansion franchise of the American Basketball Association which will begin play in the 2011 season. The Fire is based in Flint, Michigan.-External Links:*... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
American Basketball Association American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:... |
Proposed team, never played | ||
| Flint Spirits Flint Spirits The Flint Spirits were a professional hockey team in Flint, Michigan from 1985–1990, and played their home games at the IMA Sports Arena. They were a part of the International Hockey League, and replaced the recently departed Flint Generals team. They compiled an overall record of 162–220–28... (1985-1990) |
Hockey Hockey Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:... |
International Hockey League | IMA Sports Arena | ||
| Flint Bulldogs Flint Bulldogs The Flint Bulldogs were a professional hockey team in Flint, Michigan from 1991–1993. They were a part of the Colonial Hockey League and played their home games at the IMA Sports Arena. They compiled an overall record of 47–66–7 . After the 1993 season, the Bulldogs were relocated to Utica, New... (1991-1993) |
Hockey Hockey Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:... |
Colonial Hockey League United Hockey League The United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States... |
IMA Sports Arena | ||
| Flint Blue Devils | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
League Unknown | Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... |
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| Flint Wildcats (1974-1977) | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
Midwest Football League | Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... |
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| Flint Sabres (1974-1988) | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
Midwest Football League | Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... |
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| Flint Falcons (1992-2001) | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
Michigan Football League, Ohio Valley Football League | Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... , Holy Redeemer Field |
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| Flint Flames (2000) | Arena Football Arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.... |
Indoor Football League Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an... |
IMA Sports Arena | ||
| Michigan Pirates (2007) | Arena Football Arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.... |
Continental Indoor Football League | Perani Arena and Event Center | ||
| Michigan Phoenix Michigan Phoenix Michigan Phoenix was an American women's soccer team, founded in 2005. The team was a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League, the third tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.-Year-by-year:Michigan... |
Women's Soccer | Women's Premier Soccer League Women's Premier Soccer League The Women's Premier Soccer League is a national women's soccer league in the United States and Puerto Rico, and is on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the W-League and below Women's Professional Soccer.... |
Guy V. Houston Stadium | ||
| Michigan Admirals (2002-2009) | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
North American Football League, United States Football Alliance | Hamady Field, Russ Reynolds Field Russ Reynolds Field Russ Reynolds Field, located in Flint, Michigan, has been home to the Beecher High School Buccaneers for many years. In 2002, it also became the home of the Michigan Admirals of the North American Football League. In 2005, the Admirals became the NAFL 2 Northern Conference Champions. The stadium... , Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... |
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| Genesee County Patriots (2003-2009) | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
Ohio Valley Football League, North American Football League | Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high... , Guy V. Houston Stadium |
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| Flint Sabercats | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
League Unknown | Proposed team, never played |
Sister cities
ChangchunChangchun
Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and...
, Jilin
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Kielce
Kielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship
Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship
Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, or Świętokrzyskie Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is presently divided. It is situated in central Poland, in the historical province of Lesser Poland, and takes its name from the Świętokrzyskie mountain range...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Tolyatti
Tolyatti
Tolyatti , also known as Togliatti, is a city in Samara Oblast, Russia. It serves as the administrative center of Stavropolsky District, although it is administratively separate from it...
, Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Samara. Population: In 1936–1990, it was known as Kuybyshev Oblast , after the Soviet name of Samara .-Demographics:Population:...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Movies and TV
Flint's 1980s economic depression gained national attention in 1989 when native Michael MooreMichael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
created the documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Roger & Me
Roger & Me
Roger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by Michael Moore. Moore portrays the regional negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs at the time and economically...
. The film deals with the impact that the closure of several of GM's Flint area manufacturing plants in the late 1980s had on the area's population. The city is also mentioned, and featured at various lengths, in Moore's later documentaries.
The following movies and TV shows have taken place or were filmed in Flint.
Television
- The FitzpatricksThe FitzpatricksThe Fitzpatricks was a short lived drama series which ran on CBS during the 1977–78 season.The focus was on the Fitzpatricks, an Irish Catholic family of six who lived in Flint, Michigan...
(1977–78) was a short-lived CBS TV drama about an Irish CatholicIrish CatholicIrish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
working classWorking classWorking class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
family living in Flint. The show was filmed in Hollywood, but set in Flint. Also the family were portrayed as steelworkers, not autoworkers. - TV NationTV NationProduction on the pilot episode of TV Nation began in January 1993. Moore initially turned to friends and colleagues in many production areas, while also making a point to ensure the show's employees were unionized. For the show's title sequence, graphic designer Chris Harvey put together the...
(1994–1995) was the debut TV series by Michael Moore. Numerous segments were filmed in and around Flint, including one where Moore uses declassified information to find the exact impact point from the nuclear ICBM that targeted the city (ground zeroGround zeroThe term ground zero describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation...
was Chevrolet Assembly, one of the General MotorsGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
plants at Bluff & Cadillac Streets). Moore then went to KazakhstanKazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
to try to redirect the ICBM away from Flint. - The Awful TruthThe Awful Truth (TV series)The Awful Truth was a satirical television show that was directed, written, and hosted by filmmaker Michael Moore, and funded by the British broadcaster Channel 4.-Format:...
(1999–2000) was Michael Moore's second TV show. It featured segments from Flint.
Movies
- To Touch a Child (1962) A look into Community Schools.
- With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency BrigadeWith Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency BrigadeWith Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade is a 1979 documentary film directed by Lorraine Gray. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature....
(1979) Documentary about the women of the Flint Sit-Down StrikeFlint Sit-Down StrikeThe 1936–1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike changed the United Automobile Workers from a collection of isolated locals on the fringes of the industry into a major labor union and led to the unionization of the domestic United States automobile industry....
. - Roger & MeRoger & MeRoger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by Michael Moore. Moore portrays the regional negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs at the time and economically...
(1989) Documentary about the downturn in Flint because of GM closing various plants. The premise of the movie was Moore's attempt to find GM Chairman Roger Smith and bring him to Flint to see how GM plant closings affected the townspeople. - Pets or Meat: The Return to FlintPets or Meat: The Return to FlintPets or Meat: The Return to Flint is a 1992 American short PBS documentary film, directed by Michael Moore, featuring the director returning to his hometown of Flint, Michigan to catch-up with some of the characters featured in his previous film Roger & Me...
(1992) Follow-up of Roger & Me. - The Big OneThe Big One (film)The Big One is a movie filmed in 1996—and released in 1998 by Miramax Films—by Michael Moore during his promotion tour around the United States for his book Downsize This!...
(1998) Documentary filmDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Moore urges NikeNike, Inc.Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
to consider building a shoe factory in FlintFlintFlint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
. Moore succeeds in convincing Nike CEO Philip Knight to match his offer to donate money to Buell Elementary SchoolBuell Elementary SchoolThe shooting of Kayla Rolland occurred at Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township, Michigan, United States on February 29, 2000. Six-year-old Dedrick Owens fatally shot classmate Kayla Renee Rolland in a classroom before being taken into police custody. Buell Elementary School closed in...
, which would eventually become the locale of the infamous Kayla Rolland shooting. - Bowling for ColumbineBowling for ColumbineBowling for Columbine is a 2002 documentary film written, directed, produced, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Michael Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns...
(2002) Moore's take on the gun industry also profiles the shooting of Kayla Rolland. - Chameleon StreetChameleon StreetChameleon Street is a 1989 independent film written, directed by and starring Wendell B. Harris, Jr.. It tells the story of a social chameleon who impersonates reporters, doctors and lawyers in order to make money....
(1990) Wendell B. Harris Jr.'s story of famed con man Douglas Street. Winner of Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. - The Real Blair Witch (2003) Documentary about group of Flint teenagers kidnapping and terrorizing a fellow student.
- The Michigan Independent (2004) Documentary filmDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about the Michigan independent music community. Many segments were shot in Flint, particularly at the Flint Local 432Flint Local 432The Flint Local 432 is an all ages music venue in Flint, Michigan. The Local's name is a reference to the autoworker unions located in the area. It was founded in the mid-1980s by Joel Rash, for the purpose of providing the Flint area with a venue for local bands to play...
. - Fahrenheit 9/11Fahrenheit 9/11Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker and political commentator Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and its coverage in the news media...
(2004) Moore takes on the George W. Bush administrationGeorge W. Bush administrationThe presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
. Moore filmed students from Flint Southwestern Academy. Filmed Marine recruiters at Courtland Center and references Genesee Valley CenterGenesee Valley CenterGenesee Valley Center is an enclosed shopping mall located in Flint Township, Michigan, outside the city of Flint, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1970, the mall is of leasable area. The mall has four anchor stores: Burlington Coat Factory, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears...
as a mall for more wealthy citizens, "The rich mall in the suburbs." - Michael Moore Hates AmericaMichael Moore Hates AmericaMichael Moore Hates America is a documentary film directed by Mike Wilson that criticizes director Michael Moore. It premiered September 12, 2004, in Dallas, Texas, at the American Film Renaissance film festival.-Details:...
(2004) Filmmaker Mike WilsonMike Wilson (filmmaker)Mike Wilson Mike Wilson Mike Wilson (born February 18, 1976, in Moberly, Missouri is an American documentary filmmaker, known for the 2004 documentary Michael Moore Hates America.Wilson is a libertarian and an atheist and a writer for Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood...
travels to Flint to document small businesses and other development efforts in the city, and compares it to the depictions of the city in Moore's documentaries. - Flintown Kids (2005) Documentary filmDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about violence in Flint. - Semi-ProSemi-ProSemi-Pro is a 2008 American sports screwball comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium , in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan...
(2008) Will FerrellWill FerrellJohn William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
movie which centers around a fictitious 1970s ABA basketball team, the Flint Tropics. It was partially filmed in Flint. - Capitalism: A Love StoryCapitalism: A Love StoryCapitalism: A Love Story is a 2009 American documentary film directed, written by and starring Michael Moore. The film centers on the late-2000s financial crisis and the recovery stimulus, while putting forward an indictment of the current economic order in the United States and capitalism in general...
(2009) A Michael Moore documentary about the negative impacts capitalism can have on people and communities.
See also
- Notable natives and residents of Flint, Michigan
- Saginaw TrailSaginaw trailSaginaw Trail is the collective name for a set of connected roads in Southeastern Michigan that runs from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint. It was originally a tribal foot trail. On December 7, 1818 the Michigan Territorial government authorized the building of a road from Detroit to...
- urban decayUrban decayUrban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
- urban renewalUrban renewalUrban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...