Though this is not my first job, this is my first time working Monday-Friday from 9-5. That means this is my first time truly experiencing a work environment and the culture that comes with it. That said, I have seen my parents’ work environments and I know that my work is very, very different than theirs. Just today I went and visited my dad at Ford, where he works. We walked through what seemed like a million cubicles and I briefly met his coworkers. His job is pretty standard in terms of work setting, but comparing it to mine it couldn’t be more different. At the Green Garage where I work the building is organized and arranged to intentionally build a community atmosphere. There is plenty of open space and the cubicles and short so people can see over them. These differences seem small in writing, but they create a work culture that is open and community-oriented.
Yesterday there was a Green Garage Community Happy Hour where one of the 50+ businesses that works there hosted a meal with drinks for everyone, and they presented about the work they are doing in and around Detroit. The business that presented is an urban planning and landscape design firm and they told us all about projects they are currently working on around Detroit. The culture of the event was really interesting, because as a community we wanted to be supportive and celebrate their projects with them, however throughout my time here I’ve been learning a lot about gentrification and what it means to native Detroiters, and I felt conflicted. Sophia was there too and we talked about it a bit, and so though we were supposed to be supportive and excited about the new projects, it felt like there was a lack of cultural representation and only one of the “two Detroits” was being represented.
Sophia brought it up first, and after thinking about it a bit more I whole-heartedly agreed. It made me upset, sure, because it felt like people were patting themselves on the back for gentrifying the city, however it also made me feel good knowing that we noticed it and could criticize it. As sappy as this sounds, it made me think about the future and how we, as young people, who may not be entirely stuck in our old ways and habits yet, have potential to change what is and isn’t celebrated in the workplace. We can bring up hard topics and engage people in conversations that would shape their business practices.
Overall, the culture at work is very nice and comfortable, but I am trying to remember not to get too comfortable because my comfort is a privilege, and everyone deserves to feel comfortable in a work environment, not just wealthy, white, highly-educated people.
