THE FLINT I KNOW

With tear filled eyes I write this blog, in hopes that it will penetrate someone’s soul with love. I am writing from a place of love and passion, so I entitle this: THE FLINT I KNOW.

Before the #FlintWaterCrisis, Flint was just a town full of hardworking, resilient and proud folk. And guess what? When the #FlintWaterCrisis hashtag is no longer a trending topic and the Kardashians do something like save a bumble bee, Flint will still be a town full of hardworking, resilient and proud folk.

The Flint I know is more than a statistic stating how General Motors screwed us. The Flint I know is filled with my friends and their parents who were “shop” workers or retired “shop” workers and proud of it. The Flint I know is more than a violent city. The Flint I know is filled with extremely, talented folks trying to make a difference in their community and the world-at-large. The Flint I know is not full of despair. The Flint I know is full of hope. The Flint I know is not all about slow singing and flower bringing. The Flint I know is full of energy from that party DJ’d by Hype. 

Photo Courtesy of Anthony "Hype" Carter via Facebook 

The Flint I know is not unhealthy and lazy. The Flint I know is full of CRIM trainers and CRIM runners.

Photo Credit: Flint Crim Foundation 

The Flint I know is not tacky. The Flint I know is styled by Fannie Lucille and Tiffany Cole, and is as fashionable as a New York runway. 

The Flint I know is not starved by the lack of adequate grocery stores. The Flint I know is fed by Woods, the Flint Farmer’s Market, Big Al, Beverly, The Red Wagon and Vehicle City Tacos.

The Flint I know is not filled with losers. The Flint I know breeds Champions like Mateen, Charlie and Mo, Claressa Shields, The Dirrell brothers, Mark Ingram and so many more. 

The Flint I know isn’t going to back down like some punk. The Flint I know changed history with sit-down strikes and birthed unions! 

Photo Credit: www.workers.org 

The Flint I know is not filled with teen pregnancies. The Flint I know was filled with teen parties hosted by Foxy productions, DonQuay, Stacey Williams, DJ Scribble, and the General; at venues like the Genesee Towers, Northwest Bowling Alley, The Genesis, Haskell, and Berston. 

The Flint I know was better than the NBA playoffs. The Flint I know had double headers at the I.M.A. that would put the NBA All-Star weekend to shame. 

I.M.A. Sports Arena 

The Flint I know was better than the Oscars Red Carpet Pre-Show. The Flint I know hosted proms at the University Center and that walk around the circle had you feeling like you were about to accept an award. 

Photo Credit: Bill Bamberger

The Flint I know doesn’t lack faith, churches, or church leaders. The Flint I know has some of the best preachers and community leaders this side of heaven including: The late Bishop Floyd, Pastor Kenneth Stewart, Urundi Knox, Rev. Alfred Harris, Rev. Kim D. Yarber, Rev. Lewis Randolph, Rev. Flowers and the list goes on...

Photo Credit: mlive.com 

The Flint I know will not accept your arsenic. The Flint I know will not go down without an all-out fight. The Flint I know is the toughest town around since 1855!

The Flint I know is “The Valley”

The Flint I know is The Courtland

The Flint I know is Atwood

The Flint I know is Angelos

The Flint I know is Beans & Leaves

The Flint I know is Meijer on Pierson Road

The Flint I know is Kessel’s on Pierson Road

The Flint I know is CLC

The Flint I know is the Beavers, JB’s and the Palm Tree

The Flint I know is Autoworld

The Flint I know is family

What's the Flint that you know?