Proud and Detroit, in the same sentence
August 10th 2008 01:52
It just seems that the establishment doesn't want us to succeed. By establishment I mean, the Detroit City Council, The Office of the Mayor, those who re-elected Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick. Its time for a change, its time for a new Detroit. A step in the right direction was taken when Kwame was elected for his first term, however, I feel that the already in place structure may have dirtied his mind. There was too much power, he couldn't handle it, and he was properly equipped to disseminate order to the proper people. Instead of searching out business owners, land developers and large corporations he got stuck with the normal humdrum of the hand out seeking public.
Detroit was once a bountifully mobile metropolis for not only the automotive industry but for performers, artists, intellectuals, small business owners, collectives and associations. Now, our morale has been shot, there was no back up plan, everyone is looking for someone to blame. Its not the Big 3, its not failing sports teams, its not the crumbling and corrupt school system, its piss poor planning. Detroit is to blame for it own position, we lacked a back up plan, we misplaced leadership, we distorted the facts and let the media whisper sweet lies in our ears. We became uneducated portals of information, spreading gossip, hear-say and the such from one little ghetto household to the next. Now we can't take ownership for the mistakes that were made.
I want to be a proud Detroiter again, I want people to smile when I proclaim, "I'm from Detroit." instead of back off and say "Really? You? Wow." (honestly I have gotten this reaction so many times, it's like a script, and we keep having to do re-takes, completely annoying)
There are smart people in Detroit, there are opportunities for new leadership to take power, take control and not have to succumb to taking advantage. I am talking about Young Detroit, those graduates of high school and college that actually paid attention in class, they have the ability to put together a few productive sentences and explain that they are willing and able to help. We want to be after school programs looking for teachers, we are ready to be city employees, police, chair holders, council members. We are small business owners trying desperately to tap into the Detroit consumer. But there are obstacles.
Small businesses aren't given incentives for opening up shop in Detroit, we have to devote too much time to creating our consumer, educating them on the fact that there are a thousand other trends in fashion, education, career development, and entertainment, than those currently found in our shell of a city. I want so badly to become successful here, but so many of my former classmates have thrown in the towel, and I am not only disappointed but discouraged. I see that they've worked hard, they've hosted a few events, completed their degrees, kept in contact with friends, colleagues and other productive individuals, but without fail, they fail, move away to another city and seem to thrive.
I think of Detroit much like I think of the men I've dated, cute, a little interesting but all broke, living in their mothers' home, slightly uneducated, thuggish and ignorant...the everyday Detroit man. I feel like I need to help these men, I search out new job openings that may interest them, carry them to networking events, urge them to better verbalize there goals, I treat them like a great woman would treat a great man, except for the fact that these men aren't great. In the end they turn out to be losers, users and lames. They, like Old Detroit, want a handout and a hand up, motivation doesn't do anything for them unless it comes with about $50 and a bag of weed. Its sad. So I dump them and move on to the next. It's a vicious cycle of self deprivation.
I want to be Proud of being from Detroit, other than the fact that I made it out of the city, I want to say that my city is thriving, people are relocating here, students are competing nationally, businesses are overwhelmed. How can we get there? How can we put PROUD and DETROIT in the same sentence? Talk to me people.
Detroit was once a bountifully mobile metropolis for not only the automotive industry but for performers, artists, intellectuals, small business owners, collectives and associations. Now, our morale has been shot, there was no back up plan, everyone is looking for someone to blame. Its not the Big 3, its not failing sports teams, its not the crumbling and corrupt school system, its piss poor planning. Detroit is to blame for it own position, we lacked a back up plan, we misplaced leadership, we distorted the facts and let the media whisper sweet lies in our ears. We became uneducated portals of information, spreading gossip, hear-say and the such from one little ghetto household to the next. Now we can't take ownership for the mistakes that were made.
I want to be a proud Detroiter again, I want people to smile when I proclaim, "I'm from Detroit." instead of back off and say "Really? You? Wow." (honestly I have gotten this reaction so many times, it's like a script, and we keep having to do re-takes, completely annoying)
There are smart people in Detroit, there are opportunities for new leadership to take power, take control and not have to succumb to taking advantage. I am talking about Young Detroit, those graduates of high school and college that actually paid attention in class, they have the ability to put together a few productive sentences and explain that they are willing and able to help. We want to be after school programs looking for teachers, we are ready to be city employees, police, chair holders, council members. We are small business owners trying desperately to tap into the Detroit consumer. But there are obstacles.
Small businesses aren't given incentives for opening up shop in Detroit, we have to devote too much time to creating our consumer, educating them on the fact that there are a thousand other trends in fashion, education, career development, and entertainment, than those currently found in our shell of a city. I want so badly to become successful here, but so many of my former classmates have thrown in the towel, and I am not only disappointed but discouraged. I see that they've worked hard, they've hosted a few events, completed their degrees, kept in contact with friends, colleagues and other productive individuals, but without fail, they fail, move away to another city and seem to thrive.
I think of Detroit much like I think of the men I've dated, cute, a little interesting but all broke, living in their mothers' home, slightly uneducated, thuggish and ignorant...the everyday Detroit man. I feel like I need to help these men, I search out new job openings that may interest them, carry them to networking events, urge them to better verbalize there goals, I treat them like a great woman would treat a great man, except for the fact that these men aren't great. In the end they turn out to be losers, users and lames. They, like Old Detroit, want a handout and a hand up, motivation doesn't do anything for them unless it comes with about $50 and a bag of weed. Its sad. So I dump them and move on to the next. It's a vicious cycle of self deprivation.
I want to be Proud of being from Detroit, other than the fact that I made it out of the city, I want to say that my city is thriving, people are relocating here, students are competing nationally, businesses are overwhelmed. How can we get there? How can we put PROUD and DETROIT in the same sentence? Talk to me people.
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