The Power of Impact, we all possess this trait. In a matter of seconds you easily have the power to change someone’s day for either better or the worst. As I look back on the month of October and being a Challenge Detroit fellow for two months now, I have come to realized that myself, along with the many other fellows have impacted many lives for the better. Both young and old, black and white, we significantly contributed to the lives of many individuals throughout this process. For our first Challenge with MACC Development and the number of people who were present to hear and witness the ideas we have to rejuvenate a once thriving sector of the city was amazing. I got the opportunity to speak to a number of individuals throughout this entire process who took the time to share their stories of what use to be and how it breaks their heart today to see what has transpired over the years in our community. That right there inspired me personally to really look at how we can impact this community and how we can get our people, whether you are black or white, rich or poor to truly value the aspect of being neighbors and truly connecting and having relationships with one another.

This past Saturday, my Challenge team hosted the inaugural Real Talk on Mack, which was a free community event for the residents of the 48214 zip code. The event was geared towards the community sharing stories of what Mack Avenue and the surrounding neighborhood used to be. Generally we expected maybe 30 to 45 people at the most to attend, which would have been just fine. But as the day progressed, over 70 people ended up attending the event. Over 70 people on a vacant space that has not been utilized in who knows how long was here bonding and having a good time with one another. When I was informed of that number, I then knew that all of the strategic planning me and my fellow Challenge Detroit peers have spent countless hours working on was truly worth it. There were people who shared amazing stories of what Mack Avenue once was. From the number of businesses that once lined the street to even stories of how Motown legends such as Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder would perform weekly at various venues along the corridor.

There were stories of how beautiful the houses were, there were stories of how everyone knew each other and how they would look out for one another. During the event, there was a gentleman who was walking as he was headed to work and he took the time to stop and commend the efforts of what we were doing. He mentioned during his time of living in the community (which was over 20 years) that there has never been any event of this nature that has taken place in this community. He shared with me that the only type of activity that usually occurs in this community was the complete opposite, crime, drugs, etc. He was amazed and truly thankful for the efforts we were doing. His story, along with the countless others that were shared and the connectivity of people who otherwise would not be communicating with one another was actually taking place and that right there was all that I could ask for. Once upon a time ago, this was the norm, people from various backgrounds actually bonding and being united as one was the norm. Unfortunately over time, we as a community has lost that once important aspect of connectivity and having relationships that is more than just “hi and bye.” With Saturday’s event, it showed me that we can have that unification once again. It also showed me that people truly do appreciate the efforts and the impact you can have on a community. That is something I will continue to strive for, Impacting lives for the better.