In a city like New York, where everyone seems to be from somewhere else, a person’s city of origin from can become paramount. Where you come from might explain why you are here in the first place. It could explain why you have certain mannerisms or your frequent use of that one phrase.  It could explain everything or it could explain nothing, either way its going to be asked; every New Yorker, native or otherwise, knows that. I happen to be from the city of Detroit. Yes, the city of, not a suburb; that’s always the answer to the question that comes next.   Being born in Detroit, much like anywhere else, comes with its own set of tribulations. I’ve been forced to discuss the movie 8 Mile with strangers more times than any person should. I’ve endured the ridicule that comes from being a Lion’s fan during a winless season and the threat to my safety that comes with being a Tiger’s fan in a Yankee bar as the two face off in the playoffs. In recent years, its the headlines and the shortsighted comments about my hometown’s seeming demise that make me long for the days of discussing Eminem and losing seasons again. “Oooo, Detroit.. What do you think about the what’s going on there?”, people ask,  “How about that Kwame Kilpatrick?”, “What’s going on with that bankruptcy?”. I can understand their curiosity, I really can, but you can also understand my reluctance to engage in this type of conversation. It never goes well for me. I instantly feel like a tween defending her derelict boyfriend, “Yes, he has its issues but he has his good points too, you just aren’t trying to see them!!!!” On account of this less than flattering reaction to an attempt at simple small talk, I’ve adopted a policy of responding  in a generic manner… “Yea, its a bit of a mess but we are hopeful. “ End of discussion, at least outwardly. Internally then begins the anxiety about how naive, uninformed, and uncaring I must seem; all of which could not be further from the truth.

I landed this week in Detroit in the wake of a big court decision regarding the city’s bankruptcy filing; one more court decision in a string of many that have rattled this city and its residents.  The timing of my arrival made it rather impossible for me to stick to my prior policy on discussing Detroit. I was presented with a rare occasion to discuss here, on a blog about how our social work clients can be affected by the court , just how far the court’s power can reach into our clients lives. Detroit is now a city of people stripped of one of their most primary rights as a United States citizen, their elected officials hold little to no power. All the power has been given to an appointed emergency manager, a man charged by the governor with the task of keeping the city afloat financially.  This is a task that can not be accomplished without some changes. Changes like budget cuts that left the city’s police officers and firefighters underfunded and left  neighborhoods full of vacant houses without remedy. Bus services are nearly non-existent and the city employees’ pensions are in jeopardy. Art may be sold from the Detroit Institute of Arts and Belle Isle (a treasured island park in the Detroit River) was turned into a state park.   Changes that greatly affected all of the city’s residents and created an environment of conflict, of impending doom, of last ditch efforts and short lived victories for politicians and constituents alike.  Despite appearances though,  Detroit’s story is not a tragedy. It’ not just about the state seizing control of the city. Its an underdog story. A city of Davids fighting against Goliath. Its a city whose strengths get ignored while its pathology gets highlighted in the national media. Its a story I feel compelled to explore here through a series of posts. My goal is to demonstrate on a macro level that laws and court decisions greatly impact micro-systems and if that can’t be accomplished at least I’ll have an opportunity to demonstrate that I know more about my hometown than the fact that the movie 8 Mile was not actually shot on 8 Mile Road.

Let’s start back at the beginning(ish)…..