Live Lecture
Say Nice Things: Autoworld, Positive Thinking, and the Long History of Rust Belt Revitalization
Thursday, August 13, 2026 | 6 p.m. at Sloan Museum of Discovery
What happens when a city tries to reinvent itself by changing the way people think? Using rare photographs, promotional materials, and stories from Flint's AutoWorld, Dr. Stephen Wisniewski explores the surprising history of one of America's most ambitious downtown revival projects. Along the way, he reveals how optimism, civic boosterism, and the promise of "positive thinking" shaped efforts to revive Flint and other Rust Belt cities during the 1980s and why those ideas continue to influence debates about economic renewal today. Presented by Dr. Stephen Wisniewski, Historian.
This is a FREE event to the public; seating will be on a first come, first serve basis.
