Week 2: In the swing of things!

I am interning for the City of Detroit’s Office of Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity. The Office does so many things, it is hard to list them all. Basically, they are a catch-all for all things DEI regarding city government. They provide language access services, handle complaints of discrimination throughout the city and within the workplace, and provide guidance and accountability services to ensure that economic development in the City benefits all citizens of Detroit.

I am working on a mediation program that can be used as an alternative to the traditional discrimination complaint conciliation that the office currently offers to people who file complaints of discrimination in the City of Detroit. I am working with another intern to research other municipalities with programs similar to the one we hope to build, develop and conduct a survey of the community, and create a mediation program proposal.

It is interesting to reflect on how different my project is from others that I have talked to. In discussion with other fellows, everyone is having a unique and interesting experience. Interacting with fellow UM DCERP members has been a highlight of the experience of being in Detroit so far. It is really reassuring to be a part of a group of people going through the same process of interning at a local non-profit, while also being able to experience a variety of perspectives of the city through each internship’s unique lens. I look forward to our meetings to discuss new experiences and learn about Detroit together.