Essay: Protests carry forward spirits of two mothers and an old friend, still on the march
By Teddy Robertson I haven’t seen Judy for fifty years, but here she is on Facebook, standing next to a sign that reads: “I can’t believe I’m still protesting this shit.” Her face is not really familiar to me but it triggers the memory of another face—her mother. Of course, I might not recognize Judy herself after so many decades and never seeing her as a grown up. But when we were kids our mothers were in their prime. I...
Commentary: Goodbye, Barnum and Bailey, welcome circus politics
By Paul Rozycki It’s probably just a coincidence that in the same week that the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus announced they were folding up their tent after 146 years, Donald Trump was sworn in as our next president. But in light of last year’s events, it’s understandable that the distinction between the circus and real life has become entirely too blurred and the competition too intense for heirs of P.T. Barnum. In...
Lead-abating nutritious food for Flint families available free at mobile pantry: February schedule set
Nutritious food that can limit the effects of lead exposure will be available free for Flint families on 13 dates in February via mobile food pantry stops at locations throughout the city, according to an announcement from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and the MDHHS are coordinating the program, providing foods rich in calcium, vitamin C and iron, according to Bob Wheaton,...
MTA plan envisions expanded routes, accessibility, cleaner rides
By Nic Custer The Flint Mass Transportation Authority is working to increase routes, make bus stops more accessible, integrate scheduling apps and electronic payment and replace 160 of its 280 vehicles over the next decade. These are essential priorities offered in MTA’s recently released 2016-2026 Strategic Plan. The new plan was informed by community feedback from rider surveys and advisory councils made up of riders and...
Analysis: Packed Water Town Hall evokes spirit of ’76, ’36 as data pours in
by Harold C. Ford “…When you have a great violation of the people and there’s a great sense of injury…you have to give people an honorable means and context in which to express and eliminate that grief and speak decisively and succinctly back to the issue. Otherwise your movement will break down into chaos and violence.” James Bevel; Episode 6, “Bridge to Freedom (1965),” Eyes on the Prize, 1987. A simple two-sentence summary...