The Crim Fitness Foundation has opened registration for a mindfulness program designed to build connections between Black Flint residents and Genesee County law enforcement officers.
Courageous Connections will begin with an orientation on April 8, 2026, followed by weekly virtual sessions through May. The program is rooted in mindfulness-based stress reduction and aims to develop communication skills between the two groups.
The Crim Fitness Foundation is partnering with Brown University and Mindful Badge to design and facilitate the program. Participants will initially train in separate affinity groups before coming together for a dialogue session led by facilitators Trymaine Gaither and Richard Goerling.
According to the foundation, the course is the first of its kind in the United States, and Flint is being studied as a model for other cities nationwide.
The program focuses on four main goals: strengthening relationships between Black community members and police officers serving in Flint, understanding stress and learning management strategies, building mindful leadership skills, and enhancing the ability to have difficult conversations that promote positive change.
Flint program connects Black residents, police through mindfulness
