My City May 2022

MYCOMMUNITY

emerged in the heads of anyone from Flint including the suburbs.”During conversations with his guests, he has found that being a “Flintstone”can mean something a little di’erent for everyone.Commonly, the term refers to the resilience and toughness attribut ed to the city and its citizens.Nearly everyone who has come fromGreater Flint has taken pride in being able to wear the Flintstone label, especially those who have left – such as Joe Ryan III,Terry Crews, Kyle Kuzma, Glen Rice and many others from all walks of life and professions. It’s also about giving back and staying true to your roots. For the older or “golden”generation, aka “boomers” it means even more. “It’s about the memories,” Busch explains. “It’s about remembering all of the best of Flint and sharing in that memory. Safetyville and the old IMA come to mind.” Busch only visits Flint now from time to time but the love for his old stomping grounds shines through during each and ev ery podcast episode, whether he is uncovering a secret, reminiscing with a friend, or looking for a solution to the many problems Flint fac es.His conversations and research have given him a unique viewpoint on the city’s future. “I think the best way forward for Flint is for the people to come together and work collectively on making their corners and neighborhoods better,”he advises. “Put a light in their corner. Še city needs to also forget about what Flint isn’t and realize what Flint IS.Change the philosophy and truly determine the size the city needs to be.” Arthur Busch has always put his heart and soul into the City of Flint and now, from afar, he continues to do so through heartwarming and informative stories and interviews on Radio Free Flint. “It’s my gift to the city,”he states with a smile. To enjoy more than 80 (and counting) interesting podcasts about Flint and its in habitants, visit radiofree‡int.media or visit the Radio Free Flint Facebook page. ®

BUSCH GREW UP IN FLINT AND HAD A LONG, SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS GENESEE COUNTY PROSECUTOR. HE HAS ALSO SERVED ON THE BOARD OF MANY COMMISSIONS, AGENCIES AND NON PROFITS IN GREATER FLINT.

D uring his time in Flint, he served as Flint Township Commissioner,Chairman of the Board of Jobs Central, Inc., and Chair man of the PublicWorks Committee.He was also a board member of the Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission, Genesee County Planning Commission, VAAA, and Urban League of Greater Flint. “One of the things I ammost proud of is that I put together the Bishop Airport Authority that helped make today’s airport a reality. I can’t help but smile every time I ‡y back to Flint,”he adds.With all of his experience in Flint, he has amassed a large rolodex of people he invites to be on his podcast including musicians, athletes, writers, lawyers and government professionals who speak on a wide array of topics. “On one of my most listened to casts,”he shares, “I had a young musician from Flint named Joe Ryan III who wrote a song about the water crisis with his grandmother who still lives in Flint.Šat one went viral.”Other Radio Free Flint podcasts focus on Flint’s history, culture, current events and institu tions. Past guests include Flint’s Poet Lau reate Semaj Brown, hockey’s Rico Phillips,

Judge Duncan Beagle, Rev. Robert McCath ern, author Connor Coyne and many others. “My goal is to go in-depth into the subject matter to get people to think or to present issues that have a’ected and continue to a’ect the city,”he explains. “I also found out that listeners are tired of con‡ict.Most of them want something to make them feel better and I include some of that as well, by focusing on history.”Not all podcasts are bright and sunny, however. Busch is not afraid to bare the truth about the circumstanc es concerning Flint. “I spoke to an expert on deindustrialization fromNuremberg, Germany and some of what he had to say was alarming,”he says. “It really made me question whether Flint can make it in its current form.”Sometimes others don’t like to learn what he has found. “I did an episode on Buick City and it got the attention of GM,” Busch laughs. “I couldn’t believe they took the time for the podcast.” Busch is always surprised, encouraged and sometimes shocked by what his guests have to say and by what he uncovers during his research. “I’ve really learned a lot,”he states. “My biggest surprise has been the whole ‘Flintstones’ thing – this collective identity has

Atomazul / stock.adobe.com Zoran Milic / stock.adobe.com

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