Wednesday, January 2, 2013
11 comments:
Thanks for commenting. I moderate comments, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You might enjoy my book about Flint called "Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City," a Michigan Notable Book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd Annual Northern California Book Award for Creative NonFiction. Filmmaker Michael Moore described Teardown as "a brilliant chronicle of the Mad Maxization of a once-great American city." More information about Teardown is available at www.teardownbook.com.
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If some of those dudes are "Flint" I hereby am renouncing my citizenship. Meh, I'm pretty sure more than a few of those goofs are actually "Davison" or "Grand Blank". Imposters!
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the first video in this series, I am curious how this is a representative sample of Flint residents. In a town that is 56% African-American and only 35.7% Caucasian (according to http://www.michigan-demographics.com/flint-demographics) this video is mostly Caucasian people (about 59%).
ReplyDeleteI haven't been back home in about 10 years, but I'm fairly confident of the area of town in which this video was shot. I agree with the first commenter, this looks more like an "I am Hanging Out in Flint" video than a representative sample of Flint city residents.
I am one of the people near the end of the video. The video was shot in support of a collaboration between UofM and Flint Club (Which I am board member on). It was shot on Saginaw St downtown during Friday Night Art Walk, a popular and well attended event. It is typically attended by a diverse population of different races and ethnicities as witnessed in the video. The video was shot randomly based upon the peoples willingness to do so when asked by the project team. Most of the people in the video are student from U of M - Flint and Kettering University or residents of the Flint Area or downtown residents most of whom are caucasion. 10 years is along time. I invite you back to enjoy downtown especially during August when Back to the Bricks, Bikes on the Bricks or the Crim. Much has changed. Please come back and see.
DeleteI am Flint, hear me roar.
ReplyDeleteThat is typical of most cities. When you consider the whole area, it is about 80% Caucasian. Kids are fearless, and will hang out in Flint, Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, etc. because somebody told them it was cool. They do tend to stay close to the college areas usually. Colleges sometimes have high crime rates, even some Ivy League schools, so once again, don't feel so all alone.
Anonymous - Flint is alive and well. It has its challenges... but the young adults in the video are there because Downtown Flint is a vibrant area of the city with several Pubs and Grills that they like to hang out in. The Loft, The Torch, Blackstones, 501, Churchhills, and Soggy Bottoms to name a few. I assure you we are not all hudled in our homes in fear for our lives. Resist the negative images proejcted to you by media they only dwell on the negative.
DeleteThe young people are there because the young people have ALWAYS been there, including myself (when I was young enough not to look creepy). I have made the argument you are making 15 years ago. Downtown is a "safe" haven which is why I could've pegged this area with my eyes closed.
DeleteTo correct my misstatement from before, I have been home in 10 years, I just haven't been a resident in 10 years. I still have family living in Mott Park.
I certainly don't think that everyone is huddled in their homes waiting to die. I just don't think that hipsters hanging out downtown is representative sampling of Flint residents.
There are things going on that are not on the bricks but just as relevant. Show me change on the East Side, the North End, anywhere else but directly across from the college. I have heard great things are happening there, but rarely does anyone ever get to see or hear about them outside of the city. Downtown has never lacked a voice. These other areas definitely could use one.
Come on folks. This is a positive thing. Every time Flint does something good people try to turn it into a negative. That's not very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThank You Richard. My sentiments exactly.
DeleteSigned
Current and proud resident of Flint
Harumph. These fine fellows are not tourists. They are real deal Flintoids. Dude with the blonde hair, funny eyeglasses, and toque is actually from Selbyhood. Buddy with the handlebar moostache spends most of his time at Hammerdroppers. These guys ooze Flint out of every pore.
ReplyDeleteI just looked up lists of the most dangerous college campuses, and Harvard, Yale, and The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor are ALL on various lists of high crime campuses. Some college campuses are dangerous because the city they are in is dangerous, and some apparently seem to attract outside predatory criminals. But I couldn't find The University of Michigan-Flint on a list.
ReplyDeleteThe handle-bar moostache dude who denied he is a hipster looks EXACTLY like the mascot for "How Hipster Are You". Incredible!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.howhipsterareyou.com/
Cap? Check?
Jaunty eyeglasses? Check?
Handlebar moostache? Check
Suspenders? Check.
Pipe? Check.