Why Flint Needs a Comedy Home—and Why JeCorey Hawkins Is Building It

FLINT, Michigan — In a city known for its resilience and unmistakable culture, Flint’s comedy scene has often wandered from open mic to open mic, still longing for a place to truly call home. While national stages and streaming specials often dominate conversations around stand-up comedy, local comedian JeCorey Hawkins has his eyes set on something closer to home: building a dedicated comedy space in downtown Flint, something he believes is long overdue.

Before finding himself under the stage lights, Hawkins says he was always the funny friend. “I was always interested in standup and loved making people laugh,” Hawkins says. “But for a long time, I was like, ‘I’m situationally funny. I could make friends laugh, and I was cool with that.’” The idea of taking his humor to a public stage felt like an entirely different ballgame—one reserved for the comedic all-stars of Netflix or HBO fame.

“I was always interested in standup and loved making people laugh.”

The turning point, he explains, didn’t come from watching a legendary comedian crush a sold-out crowd. It came from the opposite experience. Hawkins says everything changed after getting his first taste of the stage at his own 25th birthday roast.

“That was my first moment on stage and really making people laugh,” he said. Soon after, he attended a local comedy show that stripped away the illusion of who “belongs” in stand-up. “I went to a local show, and one of the comedians just wasn’t funny to me,” Hawkins recalls. “I was like, ‘Oh wow, everybody isn’t Dave Chappelle?’ If they can do it, then why can’t I?”

That realization shifted Hawkins’ perspective entirely. He began to see stand-up as a craft like any other—the more time and effort you put into it, the better you become. That mindset ultimately pushed him to pursue the stage seriously.

Hawkins made his official stand-up debut on October 26, 2019, just one day before his birthday, performing in front of mostly unfamiliar faces at 810 Comedy Improv.

“Kay Clemons was the first person to get me on stage. That was my first time ever having a stand-up set,” he said. “I remember being so nervous and excited. I drove home early from a work conference in Kentucky and got back probably an hour before the show.”

Since then, Hawkins’ journey has been about more than refining punchlines. It has been about creating something lasting for his hometown. Not many artists dream of staying in their hometown—let alone staying with the intention of building infrastructure for the next generation. For Hawkins, that purpose has been central from the beginning.

That foundation, however, requires more than talent; it requires space. While Hawkins acknowledges the broader development happening downtown, he emphasizes the need for a dedicated comedy club—something akin to The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. Right now, Flint’s comedy scene relies on a patchwork of open mics in bars and cafés, where performers often compete with dinner crowds and background noise.

“We haven’t had a very prevalent one,” Hawkins says of a centralized comedy hub. “The show I do is only monthly. I think it’s really about finding the right group of people and being consistent.”

“I would love to be a world-famous comedian who still lives in Flint. I visualize it every once in a while—a show where I’m at The Capitol.”

For Hawkins, consistency isn’t just about scheduling—it’s about geography. To truly thrive, Flint’s comedy scene needs a permanent home. His vision is a downtown venue that could eventually rival comedy spaces in major markets like New York or Chicago, where “big names come in, and people know that this is a comedy spot. It has potential. It just takes somebody to do it.” In his view, comedy should be the main event, not background entertainment.

Performing for diverse audiences has also shaped Hawkins’ growth as a comedian. He describes traveling throughout Michigan and the Midwest as a training ground that has sharpened his material. “They definitely made me get funnier because I had to work a different base,” he explains.

That experience has also highlighted the demographic contrasts across the state. “Outside of pockets like Flint, Detroit, and Benton Harbor, doing comedy in Michigan has made me realize how white Michigan really is,” Hawkins says.

Still, being the outlier—or the “unicorn,” as he puts it—has become an advantage rather than a barrier. Hawkins describes being the only Black comedian on an all-white lineup as a kind of “cheat code,” allowing him to explore perspectives that others on the bill cannot.

“I’m the only Black person in the space,” he says. “It’s free game.” At the same time, he is intentional about authenticity. “I’m not trying to write from a Black perspective,” he explains. “I simply am Black, and this is my perspective. Anything I say is going to come from that lived life.”

That commitment to authenticity—and to Flint—is now fueling a larger vision. Hawkins is currently working out plans for a Flint comedy festival, ideally in collaboration with local musicians and small businesses. The goal is not just celebration, but proof: proof that Flint can support a permanent comedy venue.

While he still dreams of touring, sold-out shows, and streaming specials, his biggest ambition always circles back home. “I would love to be a world-famous comedian who still lives in Flint,” he says. “I visualize it every once in a while—a show where I’m at The Capitol.”

For Hawkins, the journey is about patience, growth, and building something that lasts. Above all, it’s about making sure the next generation of Flint talent has a dedicated stage to call their own.

You can connect with Jecorey Hawkins on Instagram or subscribe to his artist profile to follow his career and learn more.