Our group event with Devita at Good Cakes and Bakes was one of my favorite meetings during the program. I was happy to get a chance to hear from Devita, because food justice is something I’m really interested in but is not the focus of my placement. Devita was really inspiring and I liked how she spoke about the importance of us coming back and working in Detroit in the future. So many of my friends talk about graduating and moving away to work in Chicago or New York but Devita reminded us that there are so many great job opportunities in Detroit and that we really consider coming back home to work in the city post grad. I also found Devita’s comments about food deserts and food swamps interesting. A lack of healthy grocery stores and markets has been an important component of the Chandler Park Healthy Neighborhood Initiative and it was enlightening to me to understand that Detroit really isn’t a food desert, and that the number of food businesses in Detroit is growing with the help of organizations like FoodLab. Overall, the Tuesday meetings were really helpful in helping to expand my understanding of Detroit and gave me the opportunity to discuss and better understand issues and topics that weren’t as relevant at my placement. The Tuesday/Thursday meetings made DCBRP a more well-rounded program compared to more traditional internships
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Hey Erin, I agree with you–I really liked the Tuesday event when we heard from Devita. I thought she was an amazing speaker and had a lot of really important perspectives and information to share with us. I also found her comment on food deserts vs. food swamps interesting, and it has shaped how I’m seeing my work currently in this internship. I’m glad to hear you liked the weekly meetings, because I also did. Maybe I’ll see you in the future working in Detroit!