Assalamu Alaikum (peace be unto you) everyone,
Something that I have learned about the community in Detroit is that they are resilient. Although they have faced and are still facing many challenges, the residents of Detroit are not giving up. Every time I come into work and speak with one of the residents who need help, I notice they are determined to reconstruct their life. They know what they must do but need someone to help them achieve it. This goes entirely against the false popular belief that Detroit residents don’t want a better life because they are not settling. My job as a community-engaged research fellow is to help the community attain what it desires. I am only here to offer my skills and fresh perspective. It is the community that is in charge of where we are heading, and fortunately, it seems like we are heading to a better future.
My organization, the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center (SWDCJC), suffered greatly from the COVID-19 pandemic. As an organization that relies on face-to-face conversations with people to accomplish its mission, it suffered a lot from the widespread fear of getting infected with COVID-19. Many employees resigned for fear of getting infected and never returned. As it stands now, the organization only has three employees. This change caused SWDCJC to struggle to keep the lights on. My mentor speaks to me about struggling to juggle applying for funding while also focusing on helping clients who walk in daily.
I’ve had the chance to speak with many community members, from assisting one resident with attending court and getting some of his tickets dismissed to completing a client intake for community service through our community court program. I’ve had numerous conversations with residents of Southwest Detroit. My main takeaway from these conversations is that SWDCJC provides vital services to Southwest Detroit residents that make their lives much easier to handle. SWDCJC’s mission is to restore trust in the justice system, and they have done that and more. People are finally starting to look at the justice system positively and understand that it is there to help them get their lives together. I plan to take what I learned about the community of Detroit and SWDCJC and apply it in all my future endeavors.
Walaikum Assalam (and upon you be peace),
Ahmed
Hi Ahmed! I loved reading about SWDCJC and how the center is recovering after the pandemic. Your work is really interesting and the criminal legal system is something that I have yet to learn much about, so getting familiar with your center and what the process is like in the city of Detroit are great next steps for me. I’m glad you have gotten to speak to community members directly; I think the biggest growth and learning opportunities can happen through that interaction and it can give you a different perspective than the organization or city can provide. I can’t wait to hear more about your site and project in the coming weeks!
Hi Ahmed, I think you are correct that faith needs to be restored back into the justice system, and it is so wonderful that your fellowship has allowed you to support this goal through smaller interactions and instances of good faith that help the community of Detroit rely on their justice system again.