What happened to Flint Michigan?

The story of the rise and fall of what was once a powerhouse city in the auto industry.

References:

Image credits can be found above and in these links:

[forgottenplaces]

*When I said that the Flint water crisis ended in 2019, I am going by what is considered an official end to the crisis per the record, however as many have mentioned in the comments water issues still persist.

[reichan]

Born and raised in Flint, I still live here and I love my city. It’s sad that it has a horrible reputation, but there’s a bunch of us who are trying to rebuild and make it a better place.

[cletusmartin]

been here in Flint since 2012, you skipped over the rather large amount of corruption in the 00's and 90's, as well as the the whole emergency manager debacle.

[beechrgrad]

Born and raised in Flint. Raised my daughters there, then moved in 2007 for work. Thinking of moving back to Michigan. I hate the high heat and humidity here in SC. I’m always telling people I like the 4 seasons. Love the fishing and hunting in Michigan also.

[darincampbell]

Flint is my hometown, and I moved back here after living 7 years in Nashville, Tennessee. It is true that Flint was a GM town. When GM moved out, the decline of Flint started. It has been a devastating blow to the city. Plus, with the lead water crisis, Flint seemed doomed. However, Flint is making strides again. It may be slow, but progress is coming. Flint has put some new real estate on the north side and downtown area. Through it all, Flint will rebuild and become a better place. I haven’t lost ALL hope for the city. Time can make a lot of things change. Flint will prove that it is a survivor after all that it has been through. Flint residents are strong! We have to be! We are Flint strong! Peace.

[MadPoetLaw]

I am a Flint native. Born and raised. I love to restore houses and have been doing so here for years. and i will probably never do another one inside the city of Flint ever again if I can help it. The city government is beyond dysfunctional. It's a joke. Corruption is still rampant. Utilities like water are even worse. I pay more each month for "service fees" than my actual water usage

[codyallan]

Home of the tropics! Let’s get tropical! 🏝

[nuggetsonon]

I love Flint, born and raised. We are moving in the right direction now GM came back, lots of employment, and our population is coming up! I hate it how people think Flint is a bad place. People like me are trying to bring it back! Gm came back and has 15 plants in Michigan including the one in Flint. Love it here❤

[stormycat]

Another misfourtoune Flint has to suffer through was the 1953 Flint-Beecher tornado, which was later rated F5. It is the worst tornado in Michigan's history, and with its 116 fatalities, it still stands as the 10th deadliest tornado in US history today.

[rv]

I love my hometown!!! The city is on a comeback and I'm very excited!

[stokerboiler]

I went to GMI in the late 60s and early 70s. Flint was a very dangerous "war zone" even then. GM dumped GMI. It became Kettering University and bugged out of Flint. Kettering is still a top-flight engineering school.

[JefferyCarr-fkwb]

I live in Flint Michigan and I can tell you exactly what happened to this city, it is the cause of every thing you mentioned in this video and that is corrupt politicians period.

[ahorsenamedoaks]

I go to Flint a couple times a month. There's good and bad parts. Really sad seeing such gorgeous old homes falling apart.

[shaunajohnson]

Flint northside has been hit by violence, drug addiction, homeless and poverty. I hate that when you cross over to the northside of it all bad its like nobody cares not even the person who been in there home for years either have an abandon home next to them and or blight or empty land. Water crisis did help I pray for those who struggle with addiction get the help they need I pray that things turn around for Flint and someone whom loves this city makes it a better city for the next generation. Amen

[donwilson]

I can tell you from experience what happened to Flint Michigan in 1985 the year I graduated high school they started removing all the GM jobs they had a Fisher body one plant they had a Fisher body to plant they had a Fisher body 3 plant if they sent all of those jobs to different countries and shut them down in Flint and in 1985 they moved Buick City that was also a plant in Michigan they said the Mexican people needed the jobs more than the American people's did so they shut that place down as well we also had a plant called AC that was a plant where they made spark plugs and they also shut that down and took it overseas as well and Michigan has never recovered from this because they have never replaced those jobs with good paying ones

[mrsg.]

I was born & raised in Flint, Mi thank you for sharing. 🙏

[commandocasey]

You should make a video about Duluth. It would be a great example of a decaying steel and ore (mining) industry

[tacobellalugosi]

Flint Mi My birth place. lived there from 1978 till 2014 . its really sad what has happened to her . but when GM pulled out that was the arrow to the heart that slowly killed a once great city . but i will always remember as a kid in the 80, s it was a great place growing up.

[dwizzle]

I was born and raised in Flint but I moved out that city in the middle of the pandemic. Been living in Arlington, Texas for almost a year and a half now, it's gets really hot in the summer but there's good jobs and businesses everywhere.

[robindikos]

I live in a nearby suburb. As a teen in the 60's Flint was a good place to live. There were many amenities to enjoy. So sad to watch it decline. Loss of GM and frequent squabbles in city govt, took it's toll, not to mention crime filled Council members! So Sad!