The hardest thing for me to do on any given day is clear the cobwebs out of my head so I can start writing. This is what I’m trying to do now…get the juices flowing. As a result this is going to ramble a bit.
Yesterday, long after the cobwebs had cleared I was winding down going through Michigan links, starting with Black At Michigan, then moving to The Goodspeed Update, and from there to my man Mark Dilley.
Who turned me back on to Detroit Summer.
Detroit Summer is a summer program built on the old Freedom School model. Teaching kids about their heritage, but more importantly teaching them how to organize and how to re-imagine Detroit. I don’t think we have anything like that here in Baltimore. One of their projects this summer was to interview various older progressives in Detroit in the wake of the Superbowl, trying to get a grip on different types of development options. I can’t front, after almost 30 years of watching the Pontiac Lions play there’s nothing like having them back in the city. And I tried my damndest to get back to the city in time for the Superbowl, knowing it was my one chance to get into the A-list gigs for free.
But this type of development is really unsustainable. It shouldn’t take youth to point that out, but it’s going to take youth to bring home new solutions.
You know, its weird, I live in Kansas City, but I feel like Detroit is like a sister city because of the things they have both been through.
KC was never as industrialized as Detroit, no city was, but they both walked a parallel development in terms of the breakdown of industry.
After I saw Roger and Me, read Detroit: I Do Mind Dying, as well as read about CLR and Martin Glaberman’s experiences in the city, I know that it has historically manifested some of the most advanced politics America has to offer.
If I didn’t live in KC, I would live in Detroit. It would be the closest to home I could feel in the Midwest.
I’m planning on coming to the next Labor Notes conference next year. Do you ever attend?
I thought about attending the Super Bowl in Detroit. Not sure if I’d been able to get into the “A-List” gigs, but I must say this. Dr. Spence, you and I are the Youth. We can make a change or, at least stir up the younger minds to build. I’m sure there is something in the Baltimore area. Isn’t there a community there that’s considered the richest black community per capita in the country? Development has to be there.
As a native Chicagoan, I have some ideas that I believe I need to get brought about or at least put on the minds of some the Chicagoans. We currently have a state senator, Rev. Sen. Meeks, who wants to blame the Chicago Public School problem on the current mayor and the poor skilled teachers. I think he has serious flaws in his arguments. Particularly when he fails to mention the poor parenting.
the closest thing i’ve been able to find to detroit summer in baltimore is the algebra project. in fact, if they have a chicago chapter you should get your son involved. parents can play a pivotal role–my politics come largely from my dad. but poor parenting doesn’t have much to do with the problems today’s youth face. it’s a lot bigger than the parents…
krisna i haven’t been to the labor notes conference, but give me the dates, and if they coincide with my annual summer visit i’ll fall through. i’m pretty sure that one of my mentors (adolph reed) goes though.
if you’re in kc you should check out the web dubois learning center. they’re talking about building youth capacity by giving them the tools to be the media.