So you say you love Detroit. Lovely! It's really nice to hear people say that. Especially on days when the headlines are especially grim.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Detroit isn't always an easy place to love. Like today, when a beautiful landmark building is being demolished not far from where I sit. It's killing my appetite. (And I have a very healthy appetite.)
But back to you. You're a big Tigers fan. And you love Slow's BarBQ. And you're really excited to see the city "coming back." You even write about it on your blog. You've got spirit, yes you do. You believe in Detroit, and you want to help. Thank you!
But can we talk about this "believing" thing for a second? Like honestly, without getting all divisive or defensive? Can we talk about Detroit Love?
When the "I'm a Believer" campaign launched last year, a lot of my city-resident friends rolled their eyes. Yes, including moi. The end goal was great -- mobilizing volunteers to mentor children and clean-up parks and pitch-in to help the city. But the message and the delivery of the campaign was poor, and it got a lot of us talking about why.
The organizers of the campaign didn't say it outright, but it was really designed for metro-Detroiters who don't live in the city -- maybe people who left for the suburbs and never looked back. They were hoping to re-engage them, which, to my mind, is a very worthwhile pursuit. We need all hands on deck around here.
That said, one of the criticisms was that "believing" in Detroit just isn't enough. Detroit needs more than faith or spirit or pride -- it needs true ownership and investment. Residents and businesses, neighbors and stakeholders. Volunteering once a month at a school or a soup kitchen is a very nice way to demonstrate your Detroit Love, but it's only one dish on a much longer menu of civic engagement.
It got me thinking about what a healthy Detroit Love looks like. I don't mean a litmus stick -- like you have to pass some sort of test to prove just how much you care. That's lame. It's not a competition of tenure or tenacity. I'm not a fan when people play that game.
What I'm interested in is not how you feel deep in your heart, but how you show that. Do your actions match your emotions? Do you practice what you preach?
I am not one to hold every Detroiter to some strict standard of authenticity or identity. After all, I'm not from this city or state myself -- so naturally, I'm sensitive about the "real Detroiter" bullshit. I don't care if you were born in Troy or Timbuktu, if you're here now and you identify as a Detroiter, then you're a Detroiter. You can wear a Detroit Love t-shirt with no shame.
The other day I was confronted by two very different but equally meritorious types of Detroit Love. I was reading a column by Jeff Wattrick, one of my favorite local bloggers, who was probably railing against some sort of hypocrisy at City Hall, as he is want to do. In walked Jeanette Pierce, one of my favorite local boosters, who was leading visitors around town to show them all the good stuff happening here, as she is also want to do.
Here were two people, both truth-tellers of different varieties, showing their love for their city in decidedly different ways. One was questioning and agitating, the other celebrating and promoting. If I had to assign points for Detroit Love, it would be a very close tie.
After Jeanette left, I started doodling a pie chart. When it comes to Detroit, what's the right balance of optimism and criticism? Cheering and jeering?
And to take this one step further: What's a healthy distribution of one's personal time and energy? Is there an ideal ratio of heavy-lifting (advocacy, volunteerism, etc.) to just, well, living?
I have my own insecurities about this. There's so much I don't do. There are after-school programs that need tutors, community parks that need gardeners. A friend once questioned my priorities when I was spending more time on spreading the "Open a new business!" message than working to make sure the city was actually business-friendly.
So I think about this a lot just for myself -- the civic responsibilities of being a Detroiter, and the wide array of activity that may or may not qualify as activism and engagement. In my humble opinion, opening a small business or curating an art exhibit can be forms of activism. So are basic everyday acts, like shopping locally, or maintaining a home in the city. I wonder how others weigh these against more traditional forms of social service or political action.
Anyway....the USDA's new "healthier eating" plate icon was top of mind, so I thought I'd turn my scribbled pie chart into a little infographic to illustrate a healthy meal of Detroit boosterism (see above). Or at least my own interpretation, anyway...
It's imperfect, but here are some of the main ideas I wanted to convey:
- Volunteerism is great, but ownership and investment is greater. Some would call for flat-out residency (either renting or owning, but definitely voting). I would agree that's the ultimate form of commitment -- but for this purpose, I'll just ask for some skin in the game. That could be a stake in a business, or an organization, or a property or neighborhood. Even if you lay your head outside of city limits, some sort of meaningful involvement and regular presence within the C.O.D. is important.
- Activism and criticism is not the opposite of promotion. To the contrary, advocating for reform is a necessary part of true Detroit Love. You're not dissing Detroit if you're questioning the status quo in an intelligent and solution-oriented way. We need more people with higher standards for municipal function and land-use and public education (the list goes on). Of course, to do this most effectively, it's best if you're a stakeholder. (See #1.)
- Consumerism is a very noble and needed demonstration of your Detroit Love -- just as much as volunteerism. Sometimes people ask, "I don't live in the city, but I really want to help. What can I do?" They might think they need to start some big new cause or campaign, but that's not necessary. If you have some extra money in your pocket, just start by spending it in the city. A meal, a gift, a piece of art, a night out on the town. Small businesses are the building blocks of strong neighborhoods, and Detroit's small businesses need all the help they can get. Buy local, and then go back home and tell your friends about it.
So those are my thoughts on my Detroit Love happy meal. I'll try to align my energies with this and see how it feels. Who knows, maybe I'll come back and adjust portion sizes. We shall see...
