The most noticeable cultural cue that I’ve seen has simply been the workplace culture. There seems to be a widely accepted culture at Ecoworks that everyone adheres to and is quite consistent for the most part. That culture is primarily the understanding that this organization is here to do good in the Detroit area and abroad when possible. So while there are times to make jokes and interact with the other individuals in the building, it is also understood that without silent work time and focus, that we won’t be able to accomplish our goals.
While Ecoworks doesn’t appear to have a very distinct cultural background other than that example, I noticed significant cultural differences among the groups that Ecoworks works with. Most obvious is simply the demographic composition of the cities that Ecoworks assists. Some of the cities are predominantly white while others are predominantly black. Additionally, the wealth varies heavily among these communities. Just as these factors vary, so does the level of focus each city has on implementing sustainable and eco-friendly policies, which is something I have been looking into significantly. While I think that responding to climate change should be at the top of almost everyone’s priorities, I also believe that some of these cities may simply be more focused on making sure everyone is safe and able to afford basic commodities. These decisions are a reflection of the culture of those cities, and as a result it also seems to reflect the history of the city.
One thing you shy away from is combining that idea of different cities with different priorities and the bigger picture of race in Detroit. You come close but at the last moment you left me hanging.