Download or read book Demolition Means Progress written by Andrew R. Highsmith and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2016-12-30 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Flint, Michigan, is widely seen as Detroit s Detroit: the perfect embodiment of a ruined industrial economy and a shattered American dream. In this deeply researched book, Andrew Highsmith gives us the first full-scale history of Flint, showing that the Vehicle City has always seen demolition as a tool of progress. During the 1930s, officials hoped to renew the city by remaking its public schools into racially segregated community centers. After the war, federal officials and developers sought to strengthen the region by building subdivisions in Flint s segregated suburbs, while GM executives and municipal officials demolished urban factories and rebuilt them outside the city. City leaders later launched a plan to replace black neighborhoods with a freeway and new factories. Each of these campaigns, Highsmith argues, yielded an ever more impoverished city and a more racially divided metropolis. By intertwining histories of racial segregation, mass suburbanization, and industrial decline, Highsmith gives us a deeply unsettling look at urban-industrial America."
Download or read book Poisoned Water written by Candy J Cooper and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2020-05-19 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on original reporting by a Pulitzer Prize finalist and an industry veteran, the first book for young adults about the Flint water crisis In 2014, Flint, Michigan, was a cash-strapped city that had been built up, then abandoned by General Motors. As part of a plan to save money, government officials decided that Flint would temporarily switch its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Within months, many residents broke out in rashes. Then it got worse: children stopped growing. Some people were hospitalized with mysterious illnesses; others died. Citizens of Flint protested that the water was dangerous. Despite what seemed so apparent from the murky, foul-smelling liquid pouring from the city's faucets, officials refused to listen. They treated the people of Flint as the problem, not the water, which was actually poisoning thousands. Through interviews with residents and intensive research into legal records and news accounts, journalist Candy J. Cooper, assisted by writer-editor Marc Aronson, reveals the true story of Flint. Poisoned Water shows not just how the crisis unfolded in 2014, but also the history of racism and segregation that led up to it, the beliefs and attitudes that fueled it, and how the people of Flint fought-and are still fighting-for clean water and healthy lives.
Download or read book Flint Fights Back written by Benjamin J. Pauli and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy. When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring “Here's to Flint!” and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back, Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed “emergency managers.” Pauli distinguishes the political narrative of the water crisis from the historical and technical narratives, showing that Flint activists' emphasis on democracy helped them to overcome some of the limitations of standard environmental justice frameworks. He discusses the pro-democracy (anti–emergency manager) movement and traces the rise of the “water warriors”; describes the uncompromising activist culture that developed out of the experience of being dismissed and disparaged by officials; and examines the interplay of activism and scientific expertise. Finally, he explores efforts by activists to expand the struggle for water justice and to organize newly mobilized residents into a movement for a radically democratic Flint.
Download or read book The Poisoned City written by Anna Clark and published by Metropolitan Books. This book was released on 2018-07-10 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the people of Flint, Michigan, turned on their faucets in April 2014, the water pouring out was poisoned with lead and other toxins. Through a series of disastrous decisions, the state government had switched the city’s water supply to a source that corroded Flint’s aging lead pipes. Complaints about the foul-smelling water were dismissed: the residents of Flint, mostly poor and African American, were not seen as credible, even in matters of their own lives. It took eighteen months of activism by city residents and a band of dogged outsiders to force the state to admit that the water was poisonous. By that time, twelve people had died and Flint’s children had suffered irreparable harm. The long battle for accountability and a humane response to this man-made disaster has only just begun. In the first full account of this American tragedy, Anna Clark's The Poisoned City recounts the gripping story of Flint’s poisoned water through the people who caused it, suffered from it, and exposed it. It is a chronicle of one town, but could also be about any American city, all made precarious by the neglect of infrastructure and the erosion of democratic decision making. Places like Flint are set up to fail—and for the people who live and work in them, the consequences can be fatal.
Download or read book What the Eyes Don t See written by Mona Hanna-Attisha and published by One World. This book was released on 2018-06-19 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • The dramatic story of the Flint water crisis, by a relentless physician who stood up to power. “Stirring . . . [a] blueprint for all those who believe . . . that ‘the world . . . should be full of people raising their voices.’”—The New York Times “Revealing, with the gripping intrigue of a Grisham thriller.” —O: The Oprah Magazine Here is the inspiring story of how Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, alongside a team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leaders, discovered that the children of Flint, Michigan, were being exposed to lead in their tap water—and then battled her own government and a brutal backlash to expose that truth to the world. Paced like a scientific thriller, What the Eyes Don’t See reveals how misguided austerity policies, broken democracy, and callous bureaucratic indifference placed an entire city at risk. And at the center of the story is Dr. Mona herself—an immigrant, doctor, scientist, and mother whose family’s activist roots inspired her pursuit of justice. What the Eyes Don’t See is a riveting account of a shameful disaster that became a tale of hope, the story of a city on the ropes that came together to fight for justice, self-determination, and the right to build a better world for their—and all of our—children. Praise for What the Eyes Don’t See “It is one thing to point out a problem. It is another thing altogether to step up and work to fix it. Mona Hanna-Attisha is a true American hero.”—Erin Brockovich “A clarion call to live a life of purpose.”—The Washington Post “Gripping . . . entertaining . . . Her book has power precisely because she takes the events she recounts so personally. . . . Moral outrage present on every page.”—The New York Times Book Review “Personal and emotional. . . She vividly describes the effects of lead poisoning on her young patients. . . . She is at her best when recounting the detective work she undertook after a tip-off about lead levels from a friend. . . . ‛Flint will not be defined by this crisis,’ vows Ms. Hanna-Attisha.”—The Economist “Flint is a public health disaster. But it was Dr. Mona, this caring, tough pediatrican turned detective, who cracked the case.”—Rachel Maddow
Download or read book Black Detroit written by Herb Boyd and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2017-06-06 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NAACP 2017 Image Award Finalist 2018 Michigan Notable Books honoree The author of Baldwin’s Harlem looks at the evolving culture, politics, economics, and spiritual life of Detroit—a blend of memoir, love letter, history, and clear-eyed reportage that explores the city’s past, present, and future and its significance to the African American legacy and the nation’s fabric. Herb Boyd moved to Detroit in 1943, as race riots were engulfing the city. Though he did not grasp their full significance at the time, this critical moment would be one of many he witnessed that would mold his political activism and exposed a city restless for change. In Black Detroit, he reflects on his life and this landmark place, in search of understanding why Detroit is a special place for black people. Boyd reveals how Black Detroiters were prominent in the city’s historic, groundbreaking union movement and—when given an opportunity—were among the tireless workers who made the automobile industry the center of American industry. Well paying jobs on assembly lines allowed working class Black Detroiters to ascend to the middle class and achieve financial stability, an accomplishment not often attainable in other industries. Boyd makes clear that while many of these middle-class jobs have disappeared, decimating the population and hitting blacks hardest, Detroit survives thanks to the emergence of companies such as Shinola—which represent the strength of the Motor City and and its continued importance to the country. He also brings into focus the major figures who have defined and shaped Detroit, including William Lambert, the great abolitionist, Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, Coleman Young, the city’s first black mayor, diva songstress Aretha Franklin, Malcolm X, and Ralphe Bunche, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. With a stunning eye for detail and passion for Detroit, Boyd celebrates the music, manufacturing, politics, and culture that make it an American original.
Download or read book Proudly Made in Flint Michigan written by Michael Morrow and published by Morrow Books. This book was released on 2020-09-28 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael "Mike" Morrow survived his childhood, with all of its ups and downs, in a coming-of-age memoir set in 1950s and 60s Flint, Michigan. And,"Vehicle City" survived the rollicking thrills and spills of Mike and company. Take a lighthearted look back to a simpler time when black-and-white TV shows magically morphed into color, Mom's hot-buttered popcorn fresh from the kettle was always the best, and drive-in theatres were the mainstay of family entertainment-in more ways than one!During this bygone era of independence, free-range kids like Mike fearlessly explored their industrial hometown-with some exploits reaching local legend status! Visits to Grandpa's farm and the lake cabin up North saw Mike's posse chasing fun headlong into comical entanglements with numerous detours past parental discipline.Armed with a vivid imagination-and sometimes his trusty BB gun-Mike discovered that his flair for mischief was matched only by his creative problem-solving skills. Many unplanned heroic moments put his wit and wisdom to the test and highlight the importance of stepping up to help others.A strong work ethic and can-do attitude forged an entrepreneurial kid who cashed in on odd jobs and first employment opportunities. Having learned the value of a dollar through sweat equity, Mike cleverly parlayed his natural artistic talent into drafting and engineering as a career path.Through the unjaded eyes of one spirited young Michigander, we march along a timeline of memorable episodes, following him from mischief to leadership and, eventually, to his enlistment in the U. S. Army. "But that's another story."
Download or read book Hidden History of Flint written by Gary Flinn and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2017 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Beneath Flint's auto history lies a buried past. Local Civil War hero Franklin Thompson was actually Sarah Edmonds in disguise. Thread Lake's Lakeside Amusement Park offered seaplane rides and a giant roller coaster partly built over the water before closing in 1931. Smith-Bridgman's, the largest department store in town, reigned supreme for more than a century at the same location. And the city's most prolific inventor, Lloyd Copeman, created the electric stove, flexible ice cube tray and automatic toaster. Gary Flinn showcases the obscure and surprising elements of the Vehicle City's past, including how the 2014 water crisis was a half century in the making."-- Page [4] of cover.
Download or read book Flint Michigan City Directory written by and published by . This book was released on 1918 with total page 1776 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Town Abandoned written by Steven P. Dandaneau and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1996-04-11 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hometown to both General Motors and the United Auto Workers, and the setting for the documentary film Roger and Me, Flint, Michigan, is a striking example of a declining city in America's Rust Belt. A Town Abandoned examines Flint's response to its own social and economic decline and at the same time pursues a broad analysis of class and culture in America's late capitalist society. It tells the story of how Flint's local institutions and citizens interpret and rationalize their city's massive auto-industry job loss and consequent decline, and it relates these interpretations to statewide, national, and international forces that led to the deindustrialization. Using a critical-theory approach, Dandaneau reveals the futility of Flint's efforts to confront essentially global problems and moreover depicts the disturbing conceptual and cultural distortions that result from its sustained powerlessness. Dandaneau shows that all policy solutions to Flint's problems were in essence public relations solutions, and he gives a moving portrayal of the consequences for local communities of the internationalization of American business.
Download or read book Charter and Ordinances of the City of Flint Michigan and Rules of the Common Council written by Flint (Mich.). and published by . This book was released on 1897 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Power Participation and Protest in Flint Michigan written by Ashley E. Nickels and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the 2011 municipal takeover in Flint, Michigan placed the city under state control, some supported the intervention while others saw it as an affront to democracy. Still others were ambivalent about what was supposed to be a temporary disruption. However, the city's fiscal emergency soon became a public health emergency--the Flint Water Crisis--that captured international attention. But how did Flint's municipal takeovers, which suspended local representational government, alter the local political system? In Power, Participation, and Protest in Flint, Michigan, Ashley Nickels addresses the ways residents, groups, and organizations were able to participate politically--or not--during the city's municipal takeovers in 2002 and 2011. She explains how new politics were created as organizations developed, new coalitions emerged and evolved, and people's understanding of municipal takeovers changed. Inwalking readers through the policy history of, implementation of, and reaction to Flint's two municipal takeovers, Nickels highlights how the ostensibly apolitical policy is, in fact, highly political.
Download or read book A Town Abandoned written by Steven P. Dandaneau and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 1996-01-01 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A cultural study of the Flint community's response to its own deindustrialization, within the framework of the state, national, and international forces that produced it.
Download or read book Remembering Flint Michigan written by Gary Flinn and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2010-10-04 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Remembering Flint, Michigan puts the pedal to the metal for a fast-paced journey through the Vehicle City's halcyon days. Few cities have as complex and fascinating a history as that of Flint, Michigan. Sit back and enjoy a drive through the good old days - the people, the places, and the cars that have been a part of the city's long road into modernity. Join local history columnist Gary Flinn as he examines the contributions of oft-overlooked David Buick, the inventive and invaluable Flint auto pioneer who lacked the business savvy to become an auto legend. Travel back to the original Kewpee Burger and wash it down with an old Vernor's Ginger Ale before catching a show at Capitol Theatre. Take a front-row seat as Keith Moon, drummer of rock icons The Who, celebrates his 21st birthday at the local Holiday Inn and creates the blueprint for rock roll excess with his legendary hotel stay. Fast-forward a few years and flip open a copy of the Flint Voice, the alternative newspaper published by controversial filmmaker and Flint native Michael Moore. Come along for the journey and time travel through Flint--the Vehicle City. This fast-paced and electrifying look at the rich history of Flint compiles and updates articles from the beloved Uncommon Sense alternative press as well as previously unpublished histories, archival photographs, advertisements, and images. A must read for fans of fast lives, faster cars, and huge dreams, fasten your seat belt because Remembering Flint, Michigan is a wild ride!
Download or read book Bronze Pillars written by Rhonda Sanders and published by Gadfly Productions. This book was released on 1995 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Flint City Directories written by and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 1096 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Haunted Flint written by Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2019 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Home to ancient burial grounds, unsolved murders, economic depression and a water crisis, Flint emits an unholy energy rife with ghostly encounters. Colonel Thomas Stockton's ever-vigilant ghost keeps a watchful eye over his family home at Spring Grove, where guests occasionally hear the thump of his heavy boots. Restless spirits long separated from their graves lurk among the ancient stones at Avondale Cemetery. Carriage maker W.A. Paterson's spirit continuously wanders the halls of the Dryden Building, and something sinister and unnamed resides in a Knob Hill mansion waiting to prey on impressionable young men. Join authors Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani on a chilling tour of Flint's most haunted locations.
