I’ve really enjoyed the group meetings we’ve had, especially the Tuesday events because they feel more intentional. My favorite was the first one, when we walked through Campus Martius and around downtown hearing about the untold history of Detroit. We learned about the history of slavery in the city and how leaders of both the city and state are not always known for all that they did, including own slaves. Many times, the story is assumed or neglected and because Michigan is a northern state, we act like slavery didn’t happen here and wasn’t our state’s problem, but that is not the case. Slavery is still showing its effects today, and it’s very important that we acknowledge that.
This tour was through Black Scroll Tours, and throughout it we even touched upon the current gentrification of the city and what it means for its history and spreading that knowledge. For example, there was a plaque-type piece in the ground, right in front of a restaurant. Apparently it used to be a little monument, but because the restaurant wanted to be right there it was reduced to a plaque in the ground–at the time when our guide explained this we chuckled. However, that little monument-turned-plaque is a perfect example of what’s happening in this city and why people are upset about it.
At another point in the tour, I think more towards the end, we passed a group of Quicken Loans employees on their tour of downtown. On one hand, it’s good to see new employees learning about the city and learning how to navigate through it, however it is clear that their tour is not going in depth about much of the untold history. It seemed that the intentions behind their tour and ours were very different, in that ours was meant to educate us about the city and the history that has made it what it is, whereas theirs was focused on helping them navigate through it and making it a convenient, functional place for them to work. Of course, I did not participate in their tour, and could be completely wrong, but that was how it seemed and from what I’ve heard I am considering that an educated guess.
Overall, I believe our weekly events have taught us all a lot and forced us to experience things we otherwise wouldn’t have. The tour is one example, but another occurred just last week in Dearborn at the kickoff event for the Concert of Colors. We heard from Thomas Sugrue, the author of the book we are reading, and many other artists, activists, and performers. I really liked the event because people were talking about current issues and race relations unapologetically. There were things that needed to be said and heard, and though it can be an uncomfortable conversation sometimes, it’s a necessary one. For that, I’m thankful there are people talking about it openly and honestly, especially in hopes to educate others.
