One aspect of myself that I have grown into more since I’ve moved to Detroit is becoming uncompromised in some things in my life that I staunchly believe in. Just to cover all basis, being uncompromising is not always a good thing, in most situations I could argue it is a negative attribute. It can lead to the closed-mindedness and lack of flexibility that squashes innovation. But it is a balance, like most things, and I find being headstrong to be personally empowering, as it is not something I have historically pursued. I have a personality that has been labeled “nice,” “kind,” “agreeable,” “laid back,” and “amiable.” All good things, but when that is a major part of your personality, it can be difficult to defend your opinions for more than a minute or two. Being challenging to others is something I’ve had to learn to do over time and does not come naturally for me at all. Detroit has made me more comfortable in challenging others, and it’s been good for me.

In the course of the past ten months, I have become more uncompromising in my opinions on two subjects: feminism and Detroit. I have always been a feminist, which I define as believing in equal rights for all sexes, however, I have just now felt comfortable not only defending this concept but actively pointing out occurrences of sexism in my day-to-day life. I do the same thing for Detroit now. When I point out feminism or defend Detroit on a daily basis, opposing viewpoints really come out of the woodwork. I know which of my friends don’t believe there is a wage gap or that girls are actively discouraged from pursuing math and engineering. I know which of my friends don’t care what I say about Detroit, and will continue to “be afraid” of coming here. That’s okay though. I don’t expect everyone to be 100% open to new ideas or read up on the history of Detroit. But I do think that integrating feminism and Detroit into my personality makes the people around me think about these two things more often and more seriously. To me, integrating these into my day-to-day has not only given these concepts a voice in my social circles but it is also a non-threatening venue to educate others. I can provide actual, real-time examples of sexism and back it up with research or theory. I can combat certain stigmas of Detroit and back it up with actual and relevant Detroit success stories. It is powerful to have knowledge and the ability to communicate that knowledge; people will listen to you.