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Mellon Cracks in the Pavement Initiative

Affiliated with the Institute for Society and Technology and led by IST directors Jacob Lederman and Kimberly Saks, the Mellon Grant Cracks in the Pavement Initiative investigates the everyday forms of democratic civic and political life that characterize the Flint community and region. The initiative draws on the expertise of IST-affiliated faculty to explore the social consequences of technological change and grassroots democratic practices.

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About the Grant

The Cracks in the Pavement initiative is supported by a $495,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation, awarded to UM-Flint’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. This interdisciplinary project seeks to examine how Flint residents are actively reimagining democratic participation beyond traditional forms of governance and electoral politics.

Goals & Activities

  • Community Symposium Fall 2025: Launch event featuring local and national speakers discussing innovative forms of democratic engagement.
  • Curriculum Development: Beginning in 2026, new UM-Flint courses on “Cultures of Democracy” will provide immersive, community-based learning for students.
  • Faculty Workshops: Faculty will design learning modules that rethink public engagement, civic identity and democratic space.
  • Student Engagement: Undergraduate students will partner with UM-Flint’s Urban Institute to apply, to apply humanities-based research methods in local communities.
  • Community Arts Festival: The Dancing in the Streets festival, launched initially under UM-Flint’s previous Mellon grant, will return in fall 2026 and 2027. It will celebrate public art, dance and local activism.

Research Focus

This initiative aims to document:

  • Unconventional democratic practices in Flint’s neighborhoods.
  • Partnerships with local organizations and grassroots community groups.
  • The often-overlooked resilience and innovation within Flint’s civic culture.

Past Mellon Grant

UM-Flint’s first Mellon Foundation grant in 2020, Borders and Crossings, funded immersive student experiences like a road trip tracing the Great Migration’s impact on Flint. That groundwork expands through Cracks in the Pavement, advancing UM-Flint’s commitment to community-driven scholarship.