July 2017

I knew close to nothing about the “race riots” in Detroit before the start of this program. I’d hear “race riots” mentioned here and there and knew some people sited these “riots” as the beginning of Detroit’s downturn. Now, after living in Detroit, getting to know Detroiters, and hearing Thomas Sugrue talk and read his […]

During this free-form post, I’d like to write an ode to the lovely bird Penny Feng-Altayar, that Jean and I found and nurtured, until she could be taken to a new home. I found Penny an eventful Wednesday afternoon. I came back to UTowers on my break, because I forgot my laptop charger at home.

People engaging in simple philosophical debates or with too time on their hands have at one point pondered the ever stupid question: If a tree falls in the forest and no is around to hear it does it make a sound? I’ll save my response for later but lets dive into a little history first. ______________________________________________________________________

I’ve really enjoyed my time in the DCBRP program, and sad to see it come to an end. The best parts of the program have been the people, my placement, and the weekly events. Although at times the work at my job got overwhelming, I’ve appreciated the challenges and being able to overcome them. I’ve

First of all, I really like that we got to read Origins of the Urban Crisis. I thought the book was very informative and it was clear that Thomas Sugrue did his research and knew exactly what he was talking about. Additionally, I liked how he explained things by getting to the root of the

Reading The Origins of the Urban Crisis by Dr. Thomas Sugrue is in two words, frustrating and promising. While these two terms are antonyms, they both apply to the reading. In the past, I have learned about redlining and other discriminatory policies in housing and employment. But Origins lays out the large degree to which

It’s amazing how sometimes, seemingly out-of-the blue situations actually make a lot of sense when you look at all the details. Donald Trump getting elected wasn’t as insane as it seems when you look at the political system we have set up for ourselves, as well as the increasingly tense political climate, and people getting

The Origins of the Urban Crisis taught me largely about the housing market in Detroit because that’s what I was interested in. As I read, I thought about how my family has migrated from Arkansas and the tribulations that they went through as my great grandparents came back from the war, and the struggles that

We have all heard that this week has marked the 50th of anniversary of Detroit’s 1967 riots, a pivotal moment in the Detroit we see today. I have been working to learn about that influential week in various ways and my learning would not have been complete without hearing what Thomas Sugrue has had to

BASICALLY: The Origins of the Urban Crisis gave light to the epidemic of disenfranchisement in urban areas, where low income, people of color are often left to survive in barrenness. Despite what individuals say, the disinvestment of Detroit was a political and racialize decision due to progressed integration of black and white bodies. Thus, white