Ok, comparing Challenge Detroit fellows to members of the Night’s Watch might a bit dramatic , but explore this idea with me-
Night gathers, and now my watch begins.
If you’ve made it to this blog, you most likely know that Detroit has been on the decline for decades. When the largest municipal bankruptcy in the […]
Giants slumber beneath the shadows they once cast.
Monoliths, they eagerly await the dawn.
The night has been long, hard and dreary.
In their wait, they have grown cold.
Resolute as they may be, many are void of the life that once filled them.
Lacking purpose, they have found none.
In neglect, they have found decay.
Through your eyes and words, they […]
“Detroit is a canvas that was wiped clean”
-Jenenne Whitfield, Executive Director of The Heidelberg Project
Right?! It’s a great place for artists and entrepreneurs and young professionals (re: Me) and everyone else except for the people that have actually lived here for the better part of their lives. Wait, what? Look, I get that there is a […]
A calm breeze swells and swirls around my exposed legs. Traveling north from Canada, it crashes against the weathered, concrete walls of Studio One and washes over me as I enjoy this cool spring night from my balcony. It is 9:21PM and, having just finished a home-cooked meal of sauteed banana peppers and roasted garlic marinara […]
Effective Corporate Social Responsibility is essential to the socially and economically just redevelopment of Detroit. At first glance, that is a given. Investment in your community is good business; impactful investment, even more so. For Detroit, in particular, the above circumstance could determine whether or not it ascends a cycle segregation, stratification and social inequality […]
The Banker tells me that I am a loan. I have borrowed money in order to pursue and obtain my degree. I need to pay it back.
The Economist tells me that my net worth is less than zero. My college debt is greater than my yearly income; my credit card debt is greater […]
In honor of the passing of native Detroiter and US Poet Laureate, Philip Levine-
We stand in the rain in a long line
waiting at Ford Highland Park. For work.
You know what work is—if you’re
old enough to read this you know what
work is, although you may not do it.
Forget you. This is about waiting,
shifting from one foot […]
We are all at least vaguely familiar with the story of Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, Batman. The entrepreneurial billionaire capitalist by day who transforms into a justice-seeking crime-fighter at night; he creates the boundaries of a spectrum that every one of us live on. This spectrum is the schism between conservative and liberal in our two […]
It’s that time of year again. That’s right, college application season! The time for graduating high school seniors to pan over the 7,000+ post-secondary institutions in this country, select the best options for them and make their 300-word case for why they should be allowed to continue their education.
On a Thursday morning in early November, I had the opportunity […]
Despite celebrating Thanksgiving, seeing loved ones and welcoming in the holiday season, my heart has been heavy and my conscience has been extremely burdened this past week.
Yes, this has everything to do with the Michael Brown decision.
Well, actually, this has nothing to do with the Michael Brown decision.
I feel the need to be explicitly […]