Detroit Activism

Happy Thursday, sort of! I’m posting this blog on-time-ish for the first time in a couple of weeks, and i’m pretty proud of myself. This week’s prompt is to write about an experience that has stood out to us outside of the program, and what immediately came to mind is the time I’ve spent with activists throughout the city over the past seven weeks.

I was already a part of Detroit activism before this program, but being here and living in the epicenter has breathed new life into me. I love being two blocks away from the Worker’s World Party Detroit HQ, seeing socialists I respect on a more regular basis, and getting the chance to be a part of more radical political actions.

As much as I love campus activism and being a student leader, there is something so empowering about witnessing the incredible work that is happening in this city. A few weeks ago, a friend at WWP called me over and said,”look, our picture is in the national newspaper!” It was a picture of us and other anti-capitalist folks at Motor City Pride, proudly holding a banner and marching together to bring a more revolutionary spirit to what is otherwise a very corporate event. I know that a picture in WWP’s newspaper isn’t a huge deal, but it was special to me. It reminded me that I love the work that I do, and that the community I’ve forged through activism is one that I cherish.

Even as I soak up all the energy I get from Detroit organizing, I am acutely aware of the fact that, at the end of this month, I get to go back to my life in Dearborn. I get to go back to clean running water, well-funded community programs, and a neighborhood that hasn’t changed since I was born. I get to go back to my comfortable, familiar life – one that doesn’t require activism to ensure my basic needs are met or that my community stays the way it is. I am thankful that folks have welcomed me into their spaces, and allowed for me to use my privilege in ways that they see fit.