Burning Bright

On Sept. 5, 1987, a historic monument was dedicated in downtown Flint to honor the men and women who took part in the sit-down strike.

The monument, located between Harrison and the Flint River in Riverbank Park, consists of hand-painted tiles inside a brick facade depicting the inside of a 1930’s industrial plant.

Since the monument was dedicated, it has decayed and blemished from Michigan weather and aging.

Bob Roth, Region 1C director, has formed a committee to help save the monument and create a new one. “If the monument decays, we will lose a lot of history,” Roth said. “Our goal for the new monument is to build it so it will not decay and be there for years to come.”

Roth said the committee’s vision is to have the old monument and the new monument standing side by side with a round cement pillar in the middle bearing an eternal flame.

“The flame signifies the spirit of the sit-downers that will never go away and the sacrifices they made for this great union.” Roth said. “We are very fortunate because of them. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here today.”