Since 1839, when John Carter – a barber – walked down Saginaw Street, Black citizens have been an important and influential piece of Flint’s great history. They have changed the city for the better in the realms of education, commerce, health and Civil Rights, and continue to do so. They fought for much-deserved recognition and fair treatment, changing the entire country in the process. In honor of Black History Month, My City Magazine has compiled a list to recognize the African-Americans who have led the way to become the first of their own in the city.
We all know the lyrics. We all know the melody. We know the man who sang it, way back when. Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is perhaps the most iconic Christmas song of all time. It is also the greatest selling single recording of all time according to the Guinness Book of World Records (over 50,000,000 copies). It wasn’t the first Christmas song, but it did help to launch a whole array of notable yuletide tunes. The only Christmas single that has even come close to the impact of “White Christmas” is Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song.” Strangely enough, the song wasn’t exactly written to be a hit single. It was written for a movie and initially conceived as a joke, at that.
One of Genesee County’s most notable roads is Hammerberg, which runs from the iconic block on 12th to Miller (and from Neithercut Elementary to Lincoln Park). The road was named in the early 1950s in honor of Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg of Flint.
“Alas! Neither by day nor by night knew I the blessing of Rest any more! During the former, the creature left me no moment alone; and, in the latter, I started, hourly, from dreams of unutterable fear, to find the hot breath of the thing upon my face, and its vast weight – an incarnate Night-Mare that I had no power to shake off – incumbent eternally upon my heart!” – from “The Black Cat” by Edgar Alan Poe
On August 3, Greater Flint soccer enthusiasts turned out to support the Flint City Bucks as they squared off against Reading United (PA) for the USL2 National Championship. A record-breaking 7,200 fans cheered, sang, danced and celebrated as forward, Ayuke Tambe, scored the game’s only goal on a penalty kick in the second overtime. After a nervy ten minutes, the final whistle blew and Flint City had become champions. Fans stormed the pitch and crowded around the stage near midfield as the team and city were presented with the championship trophy.
You will seldom find a purer feeling of anticipation than when a vinyl record is placed on a turntable, the needle touches the groove and you hear that first little taste of surface before it really gets going. That sound is unique, instantly recognizable and associated with worth, warmth and great music.
Since the first observance in the State of Washington on June 19, 1910 (it wasn’t made official in the U.S. until 1972), Father’s Day has honored dads in various ways. Here in the U.S., we spend the day with Dad fishing, enjoying barbecues and ball games, and giving him special gifts. America is not the only country to honor the family patriarch, however. Father’s Day is celebrated around the world with many unique traditions. Here is a sample:
