As the American economy claws its way back from the edge of a cliff, Michigan serves as a powerful example of just how bad things are in some places, and, indeed, how bad they could get for the rest of the country. The state continues to have the highest unemployment of any state, and, while the auto bailouts appear to have prevented the wholesale collapse of the industry, there is no question that American automakers will cease to exist if they do not thoroughly reform themselves, which would send the state’s unemployment rate still higher. And yet, in Flint, a city at the center of the storm, where more than a third of residents live in poverty, citizens refuse to give up on their community.
As the city prepares to elect a mayor, an inspiring dynamic has emerged. One candidate, Brenda Clack, is a 64 year old grandmother who has stood by Flint through thick and thin, serving in public office even in the worst of times. Her opponent, Dayne Walling, is a former Rhodes Scholar who grew up in Flint, moved away, but felt compelled to return by his community’s incredible need. What could be behind these two individuals’ motivations? If it’s power, wealth, or a political stepping stone, they picked the wrong city. No, trying to bring change to a city that so many others have written off can only be an act of true love, for one’s community and the individuals that it nurtures.
Regardless of who wins, this race serves as a testament to the power of community. In Flint, and depressed towns across the rust belt, the decimation of the manufacturing base is pulling the last threads from a strained social fabric. Now, it’s time for the federal government, through the dispersal of recovery dollars and other mechanisms, to support these communities by ensuring that our economy does not return to 2007 levels of inequality, but rather grows in ways where the benefits reach everyone.
