I\u2019ll probably never tire of the curiousness of the idea that as we shape our buildings, our buildings shape us. It\u2019s true as the scale increases too\u2026as we shape our cities, our cities shape us.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s interesting, then, to think about how we think about cities. I\u2019ve heard people oftentimes refer to cities with a feminine pronoun, \u201cher\u201d. It\u2019s purely a human condition, to want to make everything like us. What does it mean for Detroit to be talked about in the feminine? It must mean femininity is gritty. It\u2019s strong. Resilient. Graceful. Beautiful. Mystical.<\/p>\n
+++<\/p>\n
Even a cursory glimpse at the history of the city will reveal is feminine badassery. I went on a historic tour of Detroit <\/a>a few months back and learned that women have always been critically present in Detroit\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Different ways women are present in Detroit’s history (some quick takes):<\/strong>
\nMarie Therese Cadillac<\/a> (kayaking hundreds of miles from Quebec to Detroit!!!) saving her husband\u2019s drunk ass and putting the early Detroit settlement back on track.
\nThe women on our city\u2019s icon<\/a>.
\nSt. Anne! The patronness of the city.
\nThe cigar-rolling women (who made up 8x the employees of the auto industry at that time, by the way) who are largely credited for funding the women\u2019s suffrage movement.
\nAnna Scripps Whitcomb<\/a> (of the Belle Isle Conservatory) who saved hundreds of orchids from being destroyed during WWII.<\/p>\n