The crisis in Flint, Mich., goes far beyond the lead in its water, and a new Netflix docu-series sheds light on the city’s much deeper economic and social problems.
“Outside investment is needed to really rebuild this community,” Zackary Canepari, one of the directors of “Flint Town,” told Cheddar.
Flint, home to about 100,000 people, reportedly has fewer than 100 police officers, and violence has run rampant.
Part of the reason is the city’s high unemployment, according to co-director Drea Cooper. He points out that issue stems from General Motors’ leaving town in the 1980s.
“It’s a town that’s missing a core industry,” Cooper said. “It was a town that was built on a singular industry, and now it’s trying to make its way.
“There’s been influx of universities coming in through the University of Michigan, hospitals are coming in, so they’re starting to find a new sort of niche and a new industry. But I think so many of these things start with education and job opportunities.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/welcome-to-flint-town).
Cheddar News' Shannon LaNier spoke with Meredith Maskara, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, about what it takes to run of the largest Girl Scouts organizations in the country and the only one that is 100 percent urban. The group serves 25,000 girl with the support of 3,000 volunteers. Maskara gave viewers a sneak preview of the cookies soon to be available across the city.
Seattle has become the first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination, which has directly affected those whose ancestors come from some southeastern Asian countries. Cheddar News explains what that means.
Alfred Edmond Jr., Senior Vice President & Executive Editor-at-Large at Black Enterprise, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the media landscape has shifted for young and upcoming black talent in the industry.
Movie studio A24 is auctioning off props from the hit film Everything, Everywhere All At Once to raise money for laundry workers, asian mental health, and transgender rights.
