Speaking of culture (race/ethnicity relations in particular), my orientation with the students at Detroit Food Academy was a tad awkward. I gave a brief description of my personal background and provided pictures of my family, but then came the race discussion. I told the students that I was biracial, but identified as African American and their expressions were priceless! Unfortunately, this made me question my ability to connect with them on a personal level considering they are mostly African American and have labeled me as ‘other.’ I accept the challenge, though. Note to self: people have different criteria for describing race/ethnicity, or in my particular case ‘blackness,’ so be open-minded and forgiving.

On a positive note, I went to Eastern Market over the weekend and met Sweet Willie Tea. He is a blues musician and a great talent! My favorite line from his performance was “Got to keep my eyes wide open, where I can see my Lord, Jesus gonna be here, gonna be here soon.” Later that day, my wife and I rode bikes through the city and discovered “TEC-TROIT.” This was a techno dance event located near the heart of Detroit. There was a great mixture of ethnicities present at the event as they danced their lives away! It was very refreshing to witness everyone enjoying themselves. After these encounters, I realized that Detroit’s culture is saturated with talented artists and wonderful spots like Eastern Market everywhere!