This summer, I get to work with Nortown CDC’s Executive Director, Pat Bosch. Pat has been involved in community organizing for over 40 years and continues to be a strong advocate for the Northeast Detroit Community. She first became involved with nonprofit/social justice work around 1975-1980, when she became a chairman on the social justice committee of her local church. This committee was formed to analyze the needs of the community- things like food, clothing, financial aid, etc. Around this time, the area was predominantly white (98%), and there were deliberate attempts by real estate agents to blockbust neighborhoods- in which they’d pressure homeowners to sell their houses for low prices by instilling fear that the value will depreciate as African Americans move into the area. As the Northeast Detroit area experienced more racial injustice and slow economic decline, Pat and other community leaders formed the We Care about 7 Mile Community Organization, and eventually the Nortown Community Development Corporation. Since then, Pat has served as the Executive Director of Nortown CDC, and continues to prioritize community outreach, organizing, and collaboration. Today, Pat and Nortown CDC continue to fulfill the mission of fostering community-controlled economic development in Northeast Detroit. Right now, Pat and other community leaders are pushing for the City of Detroit to allocate funding for the “forgotten” neighborhoods in District 3.
Overall, I would say that I’ve been incredibly inspired by Pat’s commitment to community engagement and social justice since my first day, and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the summer!
Wow she is so inspiring! Thank you for sharing a little bit about her story! I especially admire how she advocates for those other people have forgotten and fights for social justice.
Hey, Pat seems like such a cool person and wanting to give back as much as she can! I love how she wants to make change and everything be equal. I’d really love to hear from her one day too!
40 years is a really long time to be involved in community organizing, that’s really inspiring! She must be really dedicated and passionate about what she does, and I’m sure it’s inspiring to be able to work with someone who cares so much about what they’re doing. Good luck with your second month!
Malak,
One of my sociology classes focused heavily on the concentrated (yet covert) action by real estate agents to maintain racial segregation, like what you mentioned had happened in District 3. Oftentimes, people just dismiss it as happenstance that a neighborhood is almost all white, but it’s amazing that your mentor was there to listen to and attend to the needs of the ‘forgotten’ neighbors.