The making of a segregated city

January 15 - December 9, 2018

This exhibition has ended. Click here to view current exhibits.

In 1967, Flint Mayor Floyd McCree, stated that he would resign his appointed position, saying, “I‘m not going to sit up here any longer and live an equal opportunity lie.” He did so in protest of the city commission’s defeat of an open housing ordinance. For despite his status as the first African American mayor of a large American city, McCree inhabited what had become one of the most racially segregated cities in America. Understanding Flint’s history means understanding how its built environment and communities developed along highly racialized lines.

Using objects and images from Sloan Museum’s collection, this exhibition examines the housing segregation that characterized Flint’s residential development, as well as efforts to wrest the city free from discriminatory housing practices.