The State Of Detroit Families: Dispatch from Mackinac, Part II
By Sharlonda Buckman, CEO, Detroit Parent Network
Last week at the Mackinac Policy Conference, I noticed that people were talking about the same thing in relation to a panel about Detroit. The panel, Two Detroits, was presented by two white men. Why are two white men discussing what should happen in this city, which is majority African American? This was the sentiment muttered throughout the crowd in Mackinac. It's easy to perpetuate an "us and them" mentality, especially when we've seen disproportionate representation in our power structures for so long. Many people crowded the room to be part of a discussion about the differing experiences of newcomers and those who never left, of asset-rich and asset-lacking, and of black, brown and white. And what began in a very controlled way ended lacking.
Here's the deal for families . . . There should be only one Detroit. One Detroit that acknowledges and engages the many families that held this city together when many did not. There were families here, some struggling and many by choice, despite conditions counterproductive to raising a family; one Detroit that embraces the old and welcomes the new with a multitude of opportunities in small business development, employment opportunities, and a collective commitment around quality of life.
The Detroit we live in now is on a comeback trajectory but many families here haven't yet experienced the upside. They are still having a hard time finding a restaurant that is family friendly, living wage employment opportunities, and high quality school options. If you couple that with affordability issues, you unveil the proverbial elephant in the room.
While at the conference we caught up with homegrown media superstar Stephen Henderson. We asked him about his experience growing up in Detroit.
"My mother was always dedicated to getting the best schooling opportunity for her children," he said. "She chose to move her family into public housing to have enough money to pay for a high quality education and believed that where we lived was less important than the options they would have with a quality education. She regularly made decisions on lots of little things through this same lens. She prioritized decision for her children based on the future of her children versus their current realities."
It's my hope that a productive conversation about raising a family in Detroit finds its way back to us from Mackinac and becomes infused in every conversation about Detroit's revival. We need to ensure there is equity in investment for the families here now and for incoming individuals and families. The resurgence of Detroit should benefit all residents and families, not just some. That's the Detroit that won over America decades ago as a melting pot rich with opportunities for all and we shouldn't settle for a lesser Detroit than that!
*Content provided by our sponsor Michigan Education Savings Plan.
