Education Beat: 3 FCS board incumbents choose not to run; 12 line up to replace them
By Harold C. Ford At a critical moment in the history of Flint Community Schools (FCS), three incumbent members of the district’s board of education have decided not to run for reelection in the Nov. 3 election. Casey Lester, board president (with nearly two years on...
Review: Caste is “the bones,” race “the skin” in America’s body of discontents
By Robert Thomas Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson offers a deep, scholarly dive into the foundations of human hierarchical organization. “A caste system,” she defines “is an artificial construction, a fixed and embedded ranking of human...
Street sweeping is back, Mayor announces
The following press release came from the City of Flint today: " For the first time in at least seven years, the City of Flint is deploying its street sweepers into residential areas. Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced today that a caravan cleanup crew has worked its way...
“Examining Identity Construction” exhibit at Mott-Warsh Gallery open, extended to Jan. 23
By Harold C. Ford “Your perception of me doesn’t affect me on an abstract level. It poses a real danger.” Inscription imbedded in What You Lookin At, Pat Ward Williams, contemporary photographer In the cataclysmic global response to the murder of George Floyd by...
City of Flint customer service office to reopen Wednesday, Aug. 19
The following announcement was released by the city today:"Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced today that Flint City Hall will partially reopen to the public starting Wednesday [Aug. 19], as part of a planned, phased-in reopening. "The Customer Service department and...
Council votes down hiring elections monitor for November election
By Tom Travis Reeling from a primary election fraught with problems and lawsuits, the Flint City Council this week considered a motion to assist the City Clerk Inez Brown and the Clerk's office as they prepare for the critical November 2020 election. The stakes are...
Veteran Officer Terence Green appointed by Neeley as new Flint Police Chief
By Tom Travis Terence Green being introduced by Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley (Photo by Tom Travis) Veteran police officer Terence Green will be Flint's new Chief of Police, pending the consent of the Flint City Council. Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced the appointment...
East Village Magazine – August 2020
The latest issue of the East Village Magazine is available for download here:
Incumbents Swanson, Neeley and Gleason defeat challengers in competitive primary
By Paul Rozycki THIS STORY WAS UPDATED at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday Aug. 5 In an election where mail-in votes were dominant, Genesee County voters turned out in larger than expected numbers and set the stage for the November election. With all the votes counted more than 29...
City of Flint and Crime Stoppers Offer $1,000 for information leading to arrests of illegal dumpers
By Tom Travis A reward of up to a $1,000 is being offered to those who provide information that helps lead to the arrest of anyone illegally dumping in the City of Flint, Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced today, He made the announcement side by side with director of...
A comet, a COVID pandemic, and a summer of crisis. Is there any good news?
By Paul Rozycki This summer, astronomers have discovered a new presence among the stars, the Neowise comet, in the northern sky. It’s not a large comet, just visible under the Big Dipper. It has come closest to the earth in the middle of July, and has been...
Review: McCree Theatre vocal contest highlights local talent even in the pandemic
By Patsy Isenberg Through the magic of technology The New McCree Theatre continues, despite the chaos the world is experiencing, to inspire local talent and offer entertainment to the public. Not in shows--yet. But two talented singers won McCree’s recent singing...
Flint Poet Laureate Semaj Brown bringing “Word Power” online Aug. 13
How do words define and confine our reality? Flint’s first poet laureate, Semaj Brown, will explore that question in "Word Power: How words define and confine our reality" in a virtual performance and interactive discussion at 7 pm. Thursday, Aug. 13. The event,...
“We will no longer auction off guns,” Mayor Neeley announces. “It’s just not worth it.” Chief Hart says
By Tom Travis The City of Flint will no longer auction off confiscated guns, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced at a press conference at police headquarters Wednesday. Since 2017, when the City began that practice, 4,539 guns have been auctioned generating...
Review: “Begin Again” blends James Baldwin’s urgent lessons and a call to face “the American Lie”
By Robert R. Thomas BEGIN AGAIN by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is a clear example of a historical genre I call living history, i.e., history being written in real time by living historians. Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African...
FACES of Flint available now
Following Tuesday night's premiere of the two new videos "FACES OF FLINT: a message from the anvil of America's democracy," both are available here: Video One (six minute version) Video Two:
City Clerk announces 11,000 absentee ballots issued and 3,500 ballots have been returned; Clerk says her office is “sincere”, “honest” and “working hard 24/7”
By Tom Travis City Clerk Inez Brown attempted to assure the community that her office is "honest, sincere and working hard 24/7" to see that the voting process is carried out. In a press conference held in the lobby of Flint City Hall Tuesday morning Brown...
How to spend a million in Flint: Mott Foundation wants to know
By Jan Worth-Nelson Flint residents have until Aug. 11 to vote on how the city's largest and most dominant foundation should spend $1 million. Last November the C.S. Mott Foundation asked Flint residents to suggest how to spend $1 million on Flint neighborhoods....
Education Beat: Flint schools start new school year amid great uncertainty
By Harold C. Ford Amid great uncertainty, Flint Community Schools (FCS) begin a new year in August amidst great uncertainty. Sources of uncertainty emanate from international, national, state, and local levels of our pandemic-plagued world. Already weighted down by...
Judge rules in favor of voters’ rights and calls for accountability in City Clerk’s office
By Tom Travis Voters' rights and prospects for proper processing of absentee ballot applications and ballots received a shot in the arm Thursday from Judge Celeste Bell of the 7th Circuit Court. Bell ruled in favor of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union...
Flint Public Library opens in temporary quarters with COVID precautions in place
By Coner Segren After a months-long closure due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Flint Public Library reopens its doors to the public at its temporary location in Courtland Center Mall today, July 23. Conditions for the "phased re-opening" include face masks,...
“We’re at an intersection of crisis,” Mayor Neeley says and offers three point plan to combat crime in Flint
By Tom Travis In a press conference today Mayor Sheldon Neeley along with Police Chief Phil Hart presented a three-point plan to combat crime in the City of Flint: -- Formation of a Special Investigative Unit, -- A recruitment effort to hire new officers, and -- A "no...
He changed my life: A remembrance of John Lewis
By Harold C. Ford “When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something. To do something.” -- John Lewis, December 2019 It was Sunday, March 7, 1965. I was an 18-year-old freshman student at Flint Community...
Marchers rally in Flint Township to combat low wage and economic disparities
By Madeleine Graham Aiming to draw attention to low wages for essential workers and other economic disparities, about 30 people marched Monday from the Flint Genesee Mall former Sears auto shop to McDonald's on Linden Road and onto the Michigan State Police Post on...
“Rally 4 Action” at City Hall features line up of Black candidates, former Mayor Weaver, Little Miss Flint
By Tom Travis In what was billed as a "Rally 4 Action - It's time we do something different, in order to be the difference!" political candidates running for the August election, activists and community leaders spoke on the lawn of Flint City Hall Saturday. The...
