By Tanya Terry
Featured photo: Each week, MLK Momentum & Motivation Mondays (MMM) features local vendors, entrepreneurs, food trucks, community resources and opportunities for residents to connect, shop local and engage with the community. Photos courtesy of Susaye Brewer of King Avenue PLUS
MLK Momentum & Motivation Mondays (MMM) is a 12-week summer activation series held every Monday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. through August 24, 2026, along the Martin Luther King Business District Corridor, in Flint. Each week features local vendors, entrepreneurs, food trucks, community resources, and opportunities for residents to connect, shop local and engage with the community.
The Courier had the opportunity to discuss the series with Susaye Brewer of King Avenue PLUS. Here is what was learned!
- What specific events or circumstances inspired the MLK Momentum & Motivation Mondays series?
King Avenue PLUS is a resident-led neighborhood organization made up of Flint residents, stakeholders, business supporters, property owners and community members who care deeply about the future of Martin Luther King Avenue.
Our focus is on strengthening the Martin Luther King Business District Corridor through stewardship, community engagement, beautification, economic opportunity and neighborhood pride. We believe that residents and stakeholders play an important role in shaping the future of the communities where they live, work, worship and invest.
The Martin Luther King Avenue Corridor has historically been recognized as one of Flint’s primary business districts. For many years, King Avenue PLUS and community partners have worked to promote, celebrate and invest in the corridor through beautification efforts, stewardship projects, business engagement and community events.
Over the past three to four years, we have successfully hosted annual street fairs along the corridor to bring residents, businesses and community organizations together. Those events generated excitement and demonstrated the community’s desire for positive activity along Martin Luther King Avenue.
As we evaluated our long-term goals, we began asking ourselves how we could create a greater and more lasting impact. Rather than concentrating our efforts into a single annual event, we decided to build a model that would provide consistent opportunities for engagement throughout the summer.
That vision led to the development of MLK Momentum & Motivation Mondays (MMM), a 12-week summer activation series designed to bring residents, entrepreneurs, local businesses, community organizations and families together on a regular basis. The series allows us to support small businesses, connect residents with resources, encourage positive community interaction and showcase the many assets that already exist within the Martin Luther King Business District.
Momentum & Motivation Mondays is more than an event series. It is an opportunity to demonstrate what is possible when residents, businesses, organizations and community partners work together to invest in a shared vision for the future of Martin Luther King Avenue. By creating consistent activity and positive experiences along the corridor, we hope to build momentum that extends far beyond the summer months.
2. About how many local businesses and entrepreneurs have participated so far, and about how many are expected to be there next Monday?
Momentum & Motivation Mondays is still in its early weeks, but we have already welcomed a growing number of local entrepreneurs, small businesses, food vendors and community partners. Participation continues to increase as awareness of the series grows and more people learn about the opportunities available along the corridor.
Each week brings a unique mix of vendors, organizations and businesses. We anticipate approximately 10–20 participating vendors, entrepreneurs, food trucks and resource partners next Monday, with additional visitors and residents stopping by throughout the day.
One of our goals is to create a welcoming space where both established businesses and emerging entrepreneurs can gain visibility, build relationships and connect directly with the community
3. What resources can residents be connected with, from which organizations, and why is being able to connect residents with resources so important to King Avenue PLUS?
One of the most valuable aspects of Momentum & Motivation Mondays is the opportunity to connect residents with resources and opportunities that can strengthen families and neighborhoods.
Throughout the series, residents may learn about youth programs, financial literacy opportunities, neighborhood initiatives, workforce and employment resources, small business support, community development efforts, volunteer opportunities and community assets such as access to neighborhood tools and equipment through local partnerships.
Participating organizations and resource providers may vary from week to week, which gives residents multiple opportunities to discover programs and services that could benefit them or their families.
King Avenue PLUS believes that strong neighborhoods are built when residents have access to information, opportunities and connections. Sometimes the right resource, introduced at the right time, can open doors for a family, entrepreneur, homeowner or young person. Creating those connections is an important part of our work.
4. What type of family activities have been and will be available, and why are family activities so important to include when planning MLK Momentum & Motivation Mondays?
Momentum & Motivation Mondays is designed to be a welcoming environment for people of all ages. Activities have included outdoor games, community conversations, opportunities to meet local vendors and organizations, food trucks, youth engagement activities and interactive experiences that encourage people to spend time together.
Families can shop with local entrepreneurs, enjoy a meal, meet neighbors, explore the corridor and learn about opportunities available within the community.
Family-friendly activities are important because strong communities are built through relationships. When parents, grandparents, children, and neighbors gather together in positive spaces, it creates opportunities for connection, trust and community pride.
We want residents to feel that the corridor belongs to them and that it is a place where families can gather, engage and create positive memories together.
5. How have you already seen these events increase positive community engagement and instances of neighbors connecting with each other, as well as seen increased neighborhood pride?
Even in the first weeks of the series, we have already seen encouraging signs of positive community engagement.
Residents have stopped to ask questions about the corridor, local businesses have gained additional visibility, vendors have developed new relationships and community members have taken time to simply connect and converse with one another. We have seen people who may not normally cross paths stop, engage and learn more about what is happening along Martin Luther King Avenue.
We’ve also noticed increased curiosity about the corridor itself. People are asking questions about future opportunities, neighborhood projects, local businesses, volunteer opportunities and ways to become involved.
Perhaps most importantly, we are seeing excitement. Residents are expressing appreciation for seeing positive activity along the corridor and are beginning to view Martin Luther King Avenue as a place of possibility, growth and community connection.
6. Please discuss any additional goals and expectations of the MLK Momentum & Motivation Mondays series and give any closing comments.
Our goal is to continue building momentum throughout the summer while creating opportunities that benefit residents, businesses, entrepreneurs and community organizations alike.
We hope to increase foot traffic throughout the Martin Luther King Business District Corridor, support local businesses, provide visibility for entrepreneurs, connect residents with resources, strengthen neighborhood pride, and encourage greater community participation.
Momentum & Motivation Mondays is also an opportunity to demonstrate what consistent investment and activation can look like. Positive change does not happen overnight. It happens when people continue showing up, working together, building relationships and supporting one another over time.
We are grateful to the residents, volunteers, businesses, vendors, organizations, and community partners who have helped make this series possible. Their participation demonstrates the power of collaboration and a shared commitment to the future of Martin Luther King Avenue.
We welcome the community to join us as we continue building momentum, increasing foot traffic, supporting local businesses, transforming public space into vibrant community gathering places, and celebrating the future of the Martin Luther King Business District Corridor.
Businesses, entrepreneurs, community organizations, volunteers and residents interested in participating, partnering or learning more are encouraged to contact KingAvePLUS@gmail.com.
