Welcome to Vehicle City Stories!
Sloan's New Oral History Program
Vehicle City Stories is the Sloan Museum's digital oral history platform. We are dedicated to recording and preserving the voices of our community. An oral history is an interview that delves into a person's life and experiences, often focusing on a specific event or particular experience.
You can now explore, view, and share the oral history interviews currently in the collection. The collection is organized based on the community groups the museum has partnered to produce the interviews.
Vehicle City Stories oral history program is proudly brought to you by Sloan Museum Historical Collections. For inquiries, contact Curator of Collections Malcolm Cottle at Collections@SloanLongway.org.
St. John’s Street & Southside Stories
This series of oral histories from the residents of Flint's St. John Street Neighborhood and Southside Flint Neighborhoods chronicles resident's shared experiences, their love for their community, and the impact of the I-475 expressway had on the dissolution of a vibrant community.
St. John Street Oral History Project: Part I
St John Oral History Project Part II – The Impact of Urban Renewal & I-475
Across The Tracks: Unveiling the Vibrant African-American Community on Flint’s Southside
Arab-American Stories
The Sloan Museum partnered with Arab American Heritage Council (AAHC) in support of their Wujud Podcast series to document the experiences of Arab Americans. These stories center the voices and experiences of local Arab Americans in the City of Flint and across Michigan. This initiative is an attempt to reclaim their narratives, showcasing the diversity and highlighting the intersectionality that exists within the Arab American community, and between allies. “Documenting Our Existence Through Stories.”
What Curiosity Can Teach Us: A Conversation with Jeanette Mansour
Behind the Camera: A Conversation with Ammar Mohamed
The Fight for Immigrant Rights: Our Conversation with Muna Jondy
Harry Binder
Harry Binder and his brother Albert Binder ran Reliable Furniture, a family business in Flint. Harry’s son, David, and his nephew Daniel approached the museum to conduct an oral history with Harry in 2024. Harry was 100 years old at the time of the interview and shared his experiences in the business and how his business was a reflection of the community. It is because of the generous support of the Binder family that the Vehicle City Stories platform is now possible! We did a subsequent interview with David and Daniel to fully cover the story of their father’s and the family business.
Harry Binder | War, Family, and Reliable Furniture in Flint | Oral History
David and Daniel Binder | Lessons from their Fathers & Reliable Furniture | Oral History
Story Stones
New history exhibits were developed for the launch of the new Sloan Museum of Discovery in 2022. As you explore the History Gallery at the museum, you will find footprints on the floor that trigger video and audio stories when you step on them. Only short sections of these interviews are available in the exhibit, but you can now view the full interviews here on Vehicle City Stories!
Geri Clark | North Flint’s Fight for Revitalization
Kevin Kerbitz | Flint’s Automotive Legacy: A GM Director’s Perspective
Ren Ankton | Identity, Art, and Decolonizing Education
Steve Dawes | Fight for Dignity and the Birth of the UAW
Bryant Nolden | Flint Community Advocacy
Jim Thompson | The Michigan School for the Deaf: A Legacy of Empowerment
Joe Schipani | Transforming the City Through Art
Melissa Mays | Flint’s Fight: Activism and Resilience
Norm Bryant | From Barbershop to Hall of Fame
Adam Avery | Ojibwe Culture: Past, Present, and Future
Ron Paquin | Preserving Heritage, Promoting Understanding
Essence Wilson | Communities First: Holistic Revitalization in Flint
Glenn Wilson | Communities First: Transforming Flint
Faith Fox | A GM Worker’s Story
Rosie Switras | The Importance of ASL and the Deaf Community in Flint
Sandra Jones | Flint’s Enduring Spirit: A Community’s Journey
Asa Ascencio | Flint’s Latinx Roots and the Fight for Community
Derico Loyd | Flint’s Resilience and the UAW’s Legacy
Dr Ladel Lewis | Fighting Blight and Inspiring Hope
Nayyirah Shariff | From Flint Migration to Water Crisis Activism
William "Bill" Piper | A Lifetime of Giving Back | Oral History
Flint native William "Bill" Howard Piper, born in 1933, overcame early challenges after his father's death, raised by a scholarly mother. He studied economics at Yale, later becoming president of Genesee Bank. He has supported community growth, believing it is important to give back, while reflecting on a high school lesson to learn from failure.
Flint's Finest Rides: Stories from the Community Cars Exhibit | Community Cars 2025
Since 2025, the Sloan Museum's "Community Cars" exhibit has showcased vintage vehicles. Each year, community members are invited to apply for a chance to display their special cars in the Durant Gallery, alongside the Museum's historic collection. We interview the accepted applicants to learn more about them and their unique vehicles.
Indian American Stories
The Indian community has deep roots in Genesee County. In partnership with Jayashree Kommareddi, we began to document the experiences of first-generation Indian immigrants. The next phase of this series will be a focus on second-generation, and so on. This series allows community members to share their experiences in their own voices and offers a vital means of preserving cultural heritage and shared experiences.
