FLINT, MI- Saturday, October 17, 2020 one hundred and one (101) university student leaders organized across the city of Flint for a “Flint First Day of Action” to get out the vote. “The Flint First Initiative” was created to increase the University’s presence in the community by engaging local residents on the importance of health and civic events, such as the 2020 Census, the 2020 General Election, and COVID-19 health-related information.

This city wide door to door literature drop campaign was initiated to address institutional racism and historic voter suppression in Flint, Michigan. Students from Universities across the state of Michigan organized with the aid and direction of the Latinx Technology & Community Center and The University of Michigan-Flint Student Government to launch this event. Canvassing approximately ≈ 9,850 households, our collective efforts were aligned to inform residents, with non-partisan literature provided by the ACLU, on their voting rights, planning their vote and volunteering to become an election poll worker this 2020 General Election.

Latinx Technology & Community Center held the get out the vote rally with guest speakers, Asa Zuccaro (Latinx Executive Director), Levi Todd (UM-Flint’s Director of Forigen Outreach ), Mayor Neeley, Congressman Kildee, Senator Peters, UM-Flint Chief of Police Ray Hall and Flint Fair Count Representative Egypt Otis.  Volunteers were spread throughout the City of Flint at four (4) different community centers including: Latinx Technology and Community Center, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint, Flint Development Center and Sylvester Broom Empowerment Village.