In 1937, a 23-year-old Flint woman stood between General Motors security, Flint police gunfire, and the workers fighting for their lives inside Fisher Body.Her name was Genora Johnson Dollinger — and she did more than rally the Women’s Emergency Brigade.She dodged bullets for the UAW and helped spark a labor uprising that reshaped the American middle class.This episode begins with a cinematic reenactment of the Flint Sit-Down Strike and Genora’s electrifying moment on the picket line. From her kitchen-table organizing to the chaos outside the plants, Genora’s bravery becomes the doorway into a deeper story about labor, power, and the long shadow cast over America’s auto industry.🔍 What This Episode Explores• The Real Genora Johnson DollingerA young mother who stepped into leadership during a crisis — and became one of the most important (and overlooked) women in American labor history.• The Strike That Built the Middle ClassThe 1937 Sit-Down wasn’t just a labor dispute.It changed wages, dignity, and economic mobility for millions of American families.• The Debate That Still Divides MichiganDid the UAW negotiate such generous contracts that GM was forced to flee Michigan for low-wage states, Mexico, and China?—or—Did GM’s executives practice financial engineering, enriching themselves while starving plants of investment and innovation?• How Genora’s Legacy Still Haunts the Auto IndustryThe decisions made in Flint in 1937 — by workers and by corporate leaders — still shape:labor costsglobal outsourcingthe collapse of industrial citiesthe rise of the non-union Southtoday’s EV-era labor battlesGenora’s courage is a lens for understanding how the middle class was built — and how it unraveled.🎶 Ending with a Flint Ballad: “1937 When Fires Burn”The episode concludes with the hauntingly beautiful song “1937 When Fires Burn,” written by Flint musicians Dan Hall and David Norris for the Flint Labor Museum.Told from the perspective of a striking worker, the song vividly captures:cold nights inside the occupied plantstension with policethe grit of Flint’s working classthe fire of a movement risingIt is the perfect emotional arc to close this story.🇺🇸 Why Genora Johnson Still MattersHer voice remains a reminder that the fight for economic justice — and the decisions that shape American industry — always begin with ordinary people willing to stand in extraordinary moments.📺 Subscribe to The Mitten ChannelFor cinematic Michigan stories, deep dives into labor history, and original reporting from America’s industrial heartland.We would like to hear from you! Send us a Text.👉 Subscribe to Radio Free Flint Podcasts at The Mitten Channel: Don't miss our full investigative Podcasts: Radio Free Flint: The community perspective on industrial resilience. The Mitten Works: Labor history and economic policy analysis. Flint Justice: Legal and institutional analysis of the state's challenges. Visit Our Website for both Podcasts, Videos & Articles.