‘Can One Person Change the World?’ are the words that made up the question on the back of a friends t-shirt. As we rode through the streets of Detroit, her biking in front, this question seemed to take on a voice of its own. The words seemed to dance around us as we weaved in-and-out of traffic. It bounced off the graffiti hidden under bridges, stone walls, and storefronts. It serenaded us as we rode through an underpass, as the words “We Are Detroit” were artistically sprayed on the foundation of a bridge pillar.
Can one person change the world? Individually, I have been struggling with this question for the past few weeks. With my current research, I find myself taking my work home with me in my mind. At home I find my thoughts wandering back to the articles I have read earlier at work or replaying a conversation I had in an interview with a community leader. The research I am doing only creates more questions like, “Why are we allowing the Detroit School system to fail our children?” and “Why is it so damn hard for a child to receive a quality education?” All I see is endless blame: The State is blaming the city of Detroit, the city is blaming the teachers, the teachers are blaming the parents – all while the students are saying, “I just want to learn.”
I like my placement and how it is working within the community of Osborn. I like how Osborn Neighborhood Alliance (ONA) partners with other non-profit organizations to aid in bettering the Detroit communities. As much as my heart is troubled with the haunting realities of DPS, I find solace within the beauty of souls that call Detroit their home/community. Because of them, their love, dedication and fight to keep Detroit from being forgotten, my heart at night becomes a little quieter as each day at ONA I find there are many individuals who are collectively moving to change the world around them for the better.
