On January 30th, 2021, a life-size replica of “Rosie the Riveter,” took her place in the baggage claim area at Flint Bishop International Airport. During World War II, thousands of women joined the workforce to replace the men who were deployed overseas. Rosie’s iconic image was inspired by their dedication and sacrifice. Rosie is the 10th statue in the Automobile Heritage Collection, but the first female. The fundraising and education of this statue was placed in the very capable hands of our Flint Women’s Forum.
After two years of fundraising efforts she was unveiled and is forever standing proud on baggage belt return 3.
This would not have been possible without the following sponsors and amazing people who donated. We can’t thank the community enough for helping to bring Rosie to life.
Proud Major Sponsors:
- Back to the Bricks
- Bentley Florist
- Bloom City Club
- Char Yettaw Photography
- Commercial Graphics
- Detroit Muscle
- Dort Financial Credit Union
- Dr. Bobby Mukkamala
- Genesee Packaging, Inc
- Genesee Prosecutor David Leyton
- Hurley Medical Center
- Insta Lube
- June’s Floral & Baking Company
- Ketzler’s Florist
- Lisa Metropoulos
- McNally Industries
- Michelle Pruett
- Sailor’s Mouth Yoga
- Shea Chevrolet
- Skaff Carpet & Furniture Co.
- Sorensen Gross Construction Services
- Teresa McClelland-Sargent
How it all began
FLINT WOMEN’S FORUM AND BACK TO THE BRICKS ANNOUNCED PARTNERSHIP TO DISPLAY A
ROSIE THE RIVETER STATUE
Statue slated for display at Flint Bishop Airport Baggage Claim
May 30, 2018 (Flint, MI) –The Flint Women’s Forum (FWF) has announced its partnership with the Automotive Heritage Committee of Back to the Bricks to produce a statue in Flint which will be of Rosie the Riveter. The Rosie the Riveter statue will be the 3rd statue to be on display in the baggage claim area of the Flint Bishop Airport when it is completed sometime in early 2019.
“We are honored to have been chosen to help lead this project and bring a Rosie the Riveter statue to Flint” said Meagan Cooke, President of the Flint Women’s Forum. “Rosie represents the spirit of the American working woman. Her continued message coincides with our mission to help bring female leaders of the community together for purpose.”
In 2012, Back to the Bricks unveiled the first of several commemorative statues in downtown Flint of important automotive pioneers, including life size bronze replicas of David Buick, William C. (Billy) Durant, Louis Chevrolet, and Albert Champion. Other statues include Walter P. Chrysler and Charles Nash, who welcome visitors at the baggage claim area of Flint’s Bishop Airport, where Rosie will reside. A bronze replica of Charles Stewart Mott will soon grace the campus of the college that bears his name. These statues, created by local artist Joe Rundell, celebrate key leaders in business, industry, and labor, whose vision, ingenuity, and determination became an integral part of the heritage and culture of the “Vehicle City.”
The Heritage Committee chose the Flint Women’s Forum to help lead the way of this particular statue for their commitment to honoring, gathering, and celebrating women in the community. Both parties felt that Rosie the Riveter embodied the perseverance and commemoration of the hard-working women in the Flint area and Michigan overall.
“We on the Back to the Bricks Automotive Heritage Committee are delighted that the Flint Women’s Forum is taking on the responsibility to raise the funds for the only female statue in our overall Statue Project” stated Al Hatch, Chairman of the Board for Back to the Bricks. “Their partnership with us on this project has been invaluable.”
Those wishing to donate to the Rosie the Riveter Statue project can do so by sending a check made out to “Back to the Bricks – Rosie Fund” in memo line. P.O. Box 500 Flint MI 48501. All donations are tax deductible.
ABOUT ROSIE THE RIVETER
Rosie the Riveter was the star of a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers for defense industries during World War II, and she became perhaps the most iconic image of working women. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who joined the military. Rosie the Riveter is used as a symbol of American feminism and women’s economic power. Rosie is based on a real person, Rose Will Monroe, who worked on the line as a riveter at the Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Ypsilanti Michigan.
ABOUT FLINT WOMEN’S FORUM
The purpose of the Flint Women’s Forum is the advancement of women as a non-sectarian, non-partisan organization. FWF brings together women of achievement and influence in the professions of the arts, science, education, industry, commerce and public service. Through educational programs and the exchange of ideas, experiences and resources, the members contribute to one another’s professional advancement, increase the visibility of women leaders and facilitate the effectiveness of women in the community. They hold monthly lunch meetings the third Tuesday of each month. For more information, visit the website at flintwomensforum.org.
ABOUT BACK TO THE BRICKS HERITAGE COMMITTEE
The annual Back to the Bricks event has grown from a one-day car show to one of the nation’s premiere week-long events. To celebrate its success and heritage, The Back to the Bricks organization created the Automotive Pioneers Statue Fund which is a 501 (c)(3) to honor those individuals who shaped an industry, a community and a nation. This group’s goal is to organize events that inspire the next generation of leadership while educating the public on the legacy of the automotive industry, especially in Flint and Genesee County. For more information, contact them via their website at backtothebricks.org.
