Without a doubt, the single question I have been asked most often over the past few months (with the burning inquiry of what I planned to do post-graduation taking a close second) has been “Why Detroit?”. Whether accompanied by confusion, skepticism or curiosity, everyone I have spoken to regarding Challenge Detroit (e.g. just about every individual I have interacted with since March, sorry about that eh) has wondered what drove me to leave Montreal in pursuit of the Motor City.
My story hearkens back to the summer of 2012, when I completed an internship at the Canadian Consulate in Detroit. Prior to my arrival, my knowledge of Detroit could be pretty well summed up by talk of a little-known rap artist by the name of Eminem. Upon finding out about my summer plans, friends and family far and wide forewarned me about the perils of modern Detroit. And on the very first day of my internship, a well-intentioned individual drew me a diagram of “safe” areas in the city – effectively excluding most of metro Detroit as we know it. Needless to say, my initial impressions were shaped by some pretty negative influences. But what I soon came to experience in Detroit turned any preconceived notion I might have had on its head.
The iconic Michigan Central Station in summer 2012
From bustling Eastern Market to the incomparable Heidelberg Project, from the famed Detroit Institute of Arts to the long-abandoned Michigan Central Station, I fell in love with each and every Detroit landmark I had the privilege of experiencing. I was captivated by Detroit’s rich culture and its varied landscape. I (perhaps uncritically) admired the opportunities afforded to people like me, and the way in which communities came together. But most of all, I was drawn to the people.
While some locals may appreciate my desire to be here and others resent my very presence (as one woman explicitly told me this past weekend), one thing is for certain: Detroiters are proud to live here. In fact, the pride for and identity associated with Detroiters’ home was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
One woman whom I met had a particularly lasting impact on me. She was born and raised in Detroit’s east side, and had lived there for most of her life. On October 9th, 1992, her son was shot and killed in the neighborhood at the age of fourteen. Yet despite her attempts to move away, she kept coming back to Detroit. “I was in such a hurry to get back. I don’t think I’d be happy anywhere else… There are still a lot of negative things going on, but still nothing negative could turn me against Detroit”. The words that woman shared with me that day in June 2012 really stuck – I wrote them down on a piece of paper which I’ve kept for two years and through five moves.
Through my interactions with this kind woman and with other Detroiters that summer, I recognized that there was something truly special about this place. And now I could not be more excited for the opportunity to define what that means for me.