Welcome to your own city

Hey Tierra girl. I am really excited for you and all that you have accomplished and all that you will accomplish this summer. I’m really excited to see you grow in your ability to conduct research and work independently on a project that is so grand. The work that I thought that I would do in the future is not necessarily around the theme of water affordability. At the same time, I expect to learn just how this experience and the work that I do connects to the goals that I already have. I always said that no one thing is mutually exclusive; everything is interconnected somehow.

I really hope to be an effective catalyst for social change through this program. I will always give only the best and nothing less. I will pour in my heart and let my passion for social justice run free. I will dedicate myself. I really want to bring joy to the DCBRP and to the city of Detroit. I hope to be a friend, mentor, and true community member.

By the end of this, I expect to have better understanding of what it means to be a member of the Detroit community. As an intern with Food and Water Water, I have the opportunity to decide how I spend my time (in the office/in the community). For me, it’s really imperative for my work, identity, and understanding that I work within the community of Detroit. I really want to challenge all of the fear that people have of my city and even the fear that I have of my city. I want to challenge the way I interact with the poorer areas of Detroit where the city is filled with people of color versus the more affluent areas of Detroit where the city becomes more gentrified and white-washed.

Every Detroiter does not have the same experience and I want to get to know the people that I am serving.

Love,

ME