Week 8 – Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program

Week 8

Events/group meeting reflection. Use

They group  events we attended were informative, some taught me new information about the city and how certain policies affected different populations, while others presented me with a new perspective on a range of issues i was aware of. Being able to develop additional understanding of these events was one of my best experiences during the program. The Detroit divided events was the most informative; going through the different centers and reimagining the history of those spaces through retelling reminded me of home. Growing up, the time I spent with my grandparents mostly consisted on story telling. Going on this event brought up those memories, as it was a way of experiencing the past  in an engaging way. As I learned of the city’s history, I was surprised to learn about the migration of multiple groups to and out of the city. Due to the current demographic breakdown in Detroit, it was difficult to imagine this previous time. Hearing about the cooperation between these groups and African Americans was uplifting, but the segregationist component to these relationships were also evident of the time.
I was annoyed about the change from inclusion towards separation. The destruction on Black bottom and Paradise Valley was one this instances.  In this scenario African Americans were trying to develop downtown but the government was against them. Comparing the event to the current gentrification, where the government supports white billionaires’ development in multiple ways. There was also a fight to integrate schools in Detroit and it was deemed unconstitutional for segregation in schools. Schools became integrated after the verdict, communities also started integrating due to this. The change towards separation started just 20 years after with the bills put into place for suburban development. By creating unjust housing practices, generational wealth inequality became greater.

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