The United States of an African

This post was originally written in September 2016.

I don’t even know where or how to start when it comes to describing this city. I just moved here about a couple months ago and I’m really trying to familiarize myself with the area. It’s definitely been through a lot. There’s so much history. There’s the great migration (the migration of black Americans from the south to the north for more racial freedom and opportunity). She gave us Motown, and the music industry was forever changed (and Eminem!!!). And of course, Motor City. Detroit is home to global car makers including the BIG THREE (GM, Ford and Chrysler). There was a time in history when Detroit flourished.

Unfortunately, Detroit has basically been knocked out and stripped naked. I say this because nearly a decade after the recession, the city still looks down and worn out. Abandoned houses and buildings, boarded up windows and doors, weeds climbing up the walls, homeless people hanging out on the streets, old graffiti everywhere. It all just looks grimy and gritty. My dad says it’s like being a war stricken area.

But there’s something in the air. It smells like hope. You can feel it through the spirits of the people. There’s a new energy and rejuvenation. Jobs are coming back into the city. People are investing in the housing market. There’s an influx of the young gen Xers and older millennials moving in due to the opportunities. The city is scarred and bruised, but you can feel the new breath and vibrations. And the graffiti that I mentioned, adds to the energy, bursting colors on what used to be grey, moldy, and worn out. It says, I’m gritty and hardcore, but I’m young, urban and strong. Detroit is on the rise and I’m glad I get to be a part of it. And for the moment, I am going to concentrate on the beauty of this city. God knows there are big issues, both apparent and subtle, but I’ll leave that for another post.