Detroit vs. Everybody (White)

Since the readings were TBA and we plan to watch Detropia in class the following week, I chose to write my blog entry on Thomas Sugrue’s lecture: “To Understand Race and Economics in America, Study Detroit.” As a historian himself, it did not surprise me that Sugrue started his presentation explaining the conventional wisdom of Detroit: how until the 1960s and 1970s, the city was booming due to the automobile industry; immigrants and refugees fled to Detroit; and it was a location where the “blue collar worker made it into the middle class.” Initially, I found this interpretation more romanticized than I had anticipated but I agreed how, in its “prime”, Detroit was unstoppable and very successful. In fact, I remember coming across a statistic that said Detroit, at one point, had over 1.6 million residents, but now there are less than 700,000 residents who live there.

What I found fascinating (and almost disturbing) about Detroit is what happened to the city after the auto industry collapsed. This, Sugrue points out, is a combination of federal public policies, union policies, corporate mismanagement, and racially divided politics; this is precisely where the intersection of race and economics come to play in Detroit’s history. Essentially, structural oppression from various institutions has exacerbated several forms of racial and economic inequalities. For example, Sugrue explains how the auto industry’s job loss fell disproportionately low on African-American workers because of the persistence of workplace discrimination. Black employees had the most physically demanding and low-paying jobs so they were given the boot much sooner than their white counterparts. But how much has that changed even today?

At the same time, however, minority workers faced oppression in several other areas like housing. I had no idea, for instance, that “powerful organizing of the home owner’s movement actively preserved the homogeneity of different racial neighborhoods”. As Sugrue explained, The Federal Housing Administration, the Home Owners Loan Corporation, and the Veterans Association intentionally excluded African-Americans from the conventional mortgage market due to overt racism. Perhaps this is why Detroit has consistently been one of the most racially segregated cities in the U.S. since the 1920s and remains there? Housing discrimination and injustices still occur in Detroit – the Delray article highlighting the Canadian bridge’s construction is a fitting example of this. Gentrification, like the “Untold Detroit” video highlights, also represents housing discrimination since development companies are displacing minority families who have lived in these now-gentrified locations their whole lives. Like I said earlier, it’s fascinating to see the connections from different readings, but it’s also disturbing.

In my opinion, what struck me the most was learning about the allocation (or lack) of resources through the real estate market and how that exacerbated racial inequality. Maybe Sugrue’s most profound figure was how “the average African-American household has $5000 in wealth, while the average white household has approximately $133,000 in wealth”. That is absolutely unjust and objectively unequal!! Sadly, this structural oppression is still relevant and alive today. On the other hand, I believe one way community-based social workers can promote social justice is by advocating for equal, fair, local housing policies. Systemic oppression is broad, but it’s possible to start small and make change within our communities. This, at the very least, is a great first step.

Love thy neighbors

This week, I appreciated the perspective of (minority) neighborhoods and their connection with community organizing. Some highlights from the “A Time of Fear; A Time of Hope” reading were how certain demographic groups have examples of organizing already, such as: Latino communities in Boston created a grassroots health program called “Mujeres Latina en Action”, Native Americans attacking problems of alcoholism through indigenous healing rituals, and how African American communities in West Oakland, California have attacked the drug problem head on by making themselves visible enemies of major dealers. Reading these brief anecdotes provides a compelling picture of different racial and ethnic groups collaborating with one another to promote social change within their communities. It’s refreshing to read about people forming together for the common good!

Watching the video, “Untold story of Detroit”, was helpful for me since it included actual residents and community members from Detroit neighborhoods – not a narrative explained by a television host or written by an article. I liked that it was real people discussing real issues in their communities. There were a few messages which stood out to me after watching the video. One in particular was how closely connected neighbors were with one another; how they all felt part of a larger community and looked out for one another. I especially remember Dr. Charles Simmons’ comment about how a resident was killed and neighbors organized a prayer commemoration with over 100 people showing up in one hour. Simmons said sex workers were present and how after the ceremony they worked the hardest to clean up the blood which was on the street from the murder. This story struck me since the community members organized together to honor the person’s life, talk about decreasing violence, and work towards unity-building. To me, this is what a health community looks like.

I appreciated how several interviewees described a time when someone in their community supported one another. Some residents mentioned people throwing a block party, churches offering programs, and other people finding jobs for their neighbors. In my opinion, I feel like that sense of community and trust is rare in most cities and medium-size towns across the United States. People normally keep to themselves and any extra effort towards a neighbor is seen as extraordinary. For other people, it’s a lot easier to “love thy neighbor” than others, which was said by Libra Hammond, one of the interviewees.

Another overlapping theme from last week’s materials and this week’s materials is the tension between large development companies and local residents. Dr. Charles Simmons stated how big developers in Detroit are continuing to leave a mark – for better or for worse – in certain neighborhoods. He said how these agencies like Wayne State University and Henry Ford Hospital “don’t consider the needs of the residents”. Unfortunately, these local communities are susceptible to further abuse since “the communities would lose battles with developers because they have the local and state government, city council, judges, and police on their side.” Since all of these stakeholders are united this, in my opinion, highlights how systematic injustices gain and exercise power. While gentrification is difficult to reverse, one small step we can take is acknowledging the unique bond communities have built before making development plans. Ultimately, in order to practice good social work, I believe developers need to start including local residents in the planning process.

Revitalization and Ruin

This week, as part of my assignments, I first watched the two YouTube videos about Detroit’s reputation. One video highlighted a more satirical and critical commentary of the city. The host invited the guest speaker, John F. O’Donnell, who, in retrospect, I couldn’t tell if he was a legitimate professional or if he was supposed to represent the “oblivious, colorblind, young urban professional” – hence the title “Senior Urban Explorer”. O’Donnell’s commentary brought attention to the dichotomy Detroit holds as a city: 1) there are negative stereotypes which are primarily associated with low-income people of color and 2) there are new developments occurring but mostly catering and serving to middle and upper-middle class, white residents.

At first, O’Donnell states in an ironic way why Detroit is the coolest place in America since, “at any given week there are 7-murders, 207 high-violent crimes, 12 rapes, and 877 pubs”. The host also reiterates his statement by saying “Detroit has been named the most dangerous city in the United States five out of the last seven years” and that the city has “over 70,000 abandoned structures.” The host, however, brings up the interesting dichotomy of revitalization and ruin. The privilege of getting billions of dollars in investment – like for coffee shops, restaurants, and Whole Foods in the Midtown neighborhood – is being received by mostly white people whereas the 83% African-American majority are having their neighborhoods destroyed. In fact, the Delray article last week is yet another example of marginalized communities being displaced, ignored, and disrespected. I believe this ethical issue connects to the “Ethical Issues in Community Organizing and Community Building” article which I’ll explain further on.

The second video, filmed by Yahoo! News, also starts off highlighting Detroit’s negative reputation with different media outlets targeting, for instance, the city’s $18.5 billion in debt (the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history), and how “only 35% of high school students from Detroit Public Schools graduate”. Eventually, the host discusses the city’s advancements and how successful development efforts are continually re-shaping Detroit’s cultural infrastructure and its reputation. I was hesitant, however, when Dan Gilbert, the CEO of Quicken Loans, was interviewed since he is a primary stakeholder who contributes to the underlying ethical issue of the two videos: gentrification.

Although it’s great that “over 95% of downtown office buildings are being occupied” and “high rise buildings are being constructed left and right”, the video didn’t provide the more exploitative, problematic side of Detroit’s gentrification. For example, Yusef Shakur, a community organizer with the group Restoring the Neighborhood back to the Hood, stated “you are creating lopsided communities… you are putting all your wealth in Midtown, downtown, Woodbridge…” (Detroit Free Press, 2015). Neither Dan Gilbert nor Detroit’s unofficial ambassador, Mitch Album, stated these ethical issues in the video. Additionally, I can’t help but notice their two positionalities: both white men who are, demographically, not part of the underprivileged, marginalized group that’s being displaced, ignored, and disrespected.

After watching these two videos, I read Alinksy’s article as well as the “Ethical Issues” I mentioned prior. One of the six areas in which health educators and social work practitioners face with ethical dilemmas in relation to community organization and community building is: dilemmas posed by funding sources and regulatory organizations. I saw these two specific dilemmas in the previous videos. Fortunately or unfortunately, finances is a crucial component of development and potential for social change. At the same time, funding can create disproportionate advantages for certain demographic groups while widening the socioeconomic gap for other groups. In this instance, Dan Gilbert’s development in Midtown has provided lots of new coffee shops, restaurants, and start-ups which might be appealing for some communities (e.g. white, middle-class young people) – but in this process, the construction of these establishments might have displaced disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income people of color). Ultimately, I agree with Minkler, Pies, Hyde’s conclusion which is to engage in ethical reflection and dialogue when practicing community organizing and community building.

Social change takes time

I enjoyed the reading and two videos from this week’s assignments. Personally, I liked the TED Talk video, “Want to help people? Shut up and listen,” the most. The speaker, Ernesto Sirolli, was an engaging presenter for several reasons. He was animated, passionate, and incorporated humor to keep people listening. As someone interested in pursuing global social work, Sirolli’s development work in Africa caught my attention. I thought there were many connections to community organization and social systems during his talk. From the beginning of his presentation, I appreciated his humility when describing how several projects he facilitated had failed during his early career. For example, one anecdote I remember was his experience leading agricultural workshops for local Zambian residents. He explained how once his Italian NGO had helped grow over 200 tomatoes, but suddenly the food was eaten by hippos and Sirolli states, “There are hippos here! ‘That is why we [local Zambian residents] don’t practice agriculture here’. You never told us that! ‘You never asked.’”

Sirolli addresses several concerns particularly when engaging in international development or social work abroad: the power dynamic between Western people and disadvantaged populations in non-Western settings. Many critiques would also pose international aid or work as being neo-colonial. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served 26 months in rural Ecuador, I am aware of the implications behind my role as a white-passing, Western (from the United States of all places) male conducting work in a marginalized, impoverished community overseas. But Peace Corps Ecuador and Ernesto Sirolli share common work values. For example, The TED Talk presenter’s message of “shut up and listen to local people” is attention-grabbing.. but, at the same time, there is great meaning behind it.

This statement relates to another similarity Sirolli and Peace Corps Ecuador share: they both stress the importance of one-on-one relationship-building. Since PC is a two year service, the organization requires every volunteer to conduct a community assessment during their initial three months in site. This ongoing assessment is crucial because it reminds volunteers that development work takes a long time, and that the first step is to be quiet and listen. During these three months, I conversed with youth, neighbors, women, and local community leaders through information interviews; I learned to listen and gather valuable information about potential projects I could facilitate in my small village, San Pablito de Agualongo. I believe this passive approach to social work favors the strengths perspective from the “Just Practice” reading. In PC/Ecuador’s case, they encourage the volunteer to recognize people’s capacities and their potential to collaborate with local community members during their two-year service. If PCVs really carry out their work as service, this helps shift the power roles and allows for a more balanced, equal dynamic between all stakeholders (i.e. PCV, local leaders, youth, family, etc.)

Lastly, after watching the “Delray – No place like home” video, I saw several connections to the Just Practice Framework (JPF). Unfortunately, the new bridge toward Canada will be built directly through the Delray community, wiping out most of the residents. Community members are being offered to move elsewhere for free, although if they don’t, they run the risk of even more air and noise pollution due to construction. The JPF “guides us to look at the context of social problems and question the relation of power, domination, and inequality.” In this case, the city of Detroit is exerting structural power to displace city residents due to development endeavors. To tie this back to my previous paragraphs, although the video didn’t specify, it looks like the city did not necessarily include the Delray residents in the planning process nor conduct any community assessment. On the other hand, it appears executive decisions were made at the expense of a disadvantaged population. This video has the potential to be a wake-up call for people engaging in community development work and remind them: relationship-building is essential, recognize people’s capacities and their feelings, and don’t forget that social change takes time.

MLK Social Position Reflective Paper

This past Monday, January 15, I celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by attending one of the university-sponsored MLK Day events. From 12-1pm, I went to “Innovative Programs for Youth & Young Adults” at the Ford School of Public Policy. This event contributed to my understanding of community participation and well-being in several ways. For one, it helped me learn about youth development programs spearheaded by leaders on a local and national scale. I did not know, for example, that the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance was founded under the Obama administration aiming to ensure young men of color have equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity. I learned that this organization supports two main initiatives: mentor programs and violence reduction strategies. One line that Broderick Johnson, Obama’s former Cabinet Secretary who led the MBK presentation, said which struck me was: “make exceptional no longer the exception.” This meant realizing there are millions of exceptional young men of color and to stop sensationalizing successes for this demographic since they are bright, talented, and gifted.

The event was strength-based since every speaker communicated how their work focuses on positive abilities and strengths that youth possess. When Luke Shaefer presented on the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), his work facilitated employment opportunities for youth in fields including: research, building and grounds, childcare, and hospital services. As a result, the overall feedback was quite positive. Many participants said they gained great job preparation (e.g. like learning how to successfully interview) as well as college preparation (e.g. like learning how to write a well-rounded college paper). Shaefer’s work is inclusive towards the youth’s strengths and, in their cases, used 8-week paid placements as an outlet for empowerment. Brian Jacobs, who helped direct the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) program in early 2017, also facilitated meaningful work. His model of empowerment included participants gaining training in financial literacy and workplace readiness for 20 hours/week for six consecutive weeks over the summer.

In my opinion, the event furthered social justice but not in a significantly impactful way. The panel discussion with Broderick, Brian, and Luke helped promote social justice values and contributed to raising awareness around disproportionate access to college, jobs, and financial security for marginalized youth. At the same time, the event was held on Dr. Martin Luther King Day which is one of our country’s most well known and recognized holidays. The turnout was impressive; nearly 200 people attended the event and, from my point of view, this furthered social justice by encouraging attendees to continue advocating for innovative programs for youth and young adults.

In regard to the reading, I believe the MLK Day event connects with community assessments since examining a population’s needs is crucial to youth development work. This type of preparation is important since one’s “coalition naturally will want to deploy its limited resources to the areas of greatest concern and will want as much community input as possible” (Cultural Competency Primer). Brian Jacob and Luke Shaefer discussed prior community assessment and research before organizing their distinct youth employment initiatives. In addition, the “Innovative Programs for Youth & Young Adults” event also relates to current events such as police shootings of unarmed black men. Broderick Johnson specifically discussed the nation’s wave of unfortunate and hateful injustices toward young men of color. For this reason, the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance was formed to provide mentorship, guidance and facilitate successful programming for disadvantaged youth. Overall, the event was well received and a moving way to respect Dr. MLK’s dream.

(A brief glimpse of) My Story

My name is Jonathan Amaru VanTreeck and I am 27 years old. I was born in Evanston, Illinois and have lived there my whole life. My upbringing and my family background are crucial factors that have defined my lived experience and multiple identities.  To provide some context, my sister has Down syndrome, my mother is a Peruvian immigrant, and my father is gay. In retrospect, growing up with people from different marginalized communities helped shape my passion for social justice and community development work. I plan to expand on these reflections in future blog posts. In terms of groups I identify with, I am a white-passing, half-Peruvian, middle-class, Agnostic, heterosexual, able-bodied, privileged male.

In regards to my personal learning goals for this class, my main objective is to gain new tools and strategies for being an effective future global social worker. Specifically, I plan to practice social work by (hopefully) working at an international non-governmental organization or foundation – the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would be a dream, for example. I know many SSW students have prior leadership experience working with domestic human service agencies and non-profits. Ideally, I would like to gain new resources and materials for future employment options overseas.

My previous service-related experiences will influence what I contribute to the class this semester. After graduating from Beloit College in 2013, I worked as a 9^th grade English tutor and mentor with the AmeriCorps program called City Year Chicago. A year later, I served for 26 months with the Peace Corps in Ecuador. These experiences both domestic and abroad were my introduction and my outlet to social work. I feel confident discussing youth and family programming, leading workshops and trainings, as well as developing community assessment surveys. In addition, I would like to contribute my personal beliefs on building relationships as a tool for community integration.

My understanding of social work practice with communities and social systems (CSS) is somewhat knowledgeable. I am not confident I view social work with CSS the same way that is reflected in the course readings and syllabus, but I imagine there is some overlap. My understanding is primarily grounded in relationship-building, language abilities, effective programming, and time management skills. I believe the foundation of good social work practice with communities is building trust and investing time in individual and group relationships. For example, in Ecuador, I spent the first 4-5 months in my small community talking with family members, youth, and local leaders to build rapport – which would eventually help me later in my service when offering program opportunities for children and youth. All this work I completed speaking Spanish, a language I grew up speaking with my mom but was not native in. Lastly, I believe social work practice requires exceptional time management skills since most organizing means balancing several responsibilities at the same time, like starting one project when another one is occurring.

As social work practitioners, I believe diversity and social justice should play a significant role in working with CSS. In my opinion, social workers have a responsibility to be mindful of diversity, power, privilege, and oppression when engaging in communities. By incorporating these lenses, this allows social workers to address their internal biases and meet the community at their needs. Social justice is an idealistic vision that all social workers should be striving for; it looks different for each individual but has the potential to, ultimately, unite us.

Lastly, I will continue to work on developing a critical consciousness toward issues of diversity and social justice by stepping out of my comfort zone, engaging in dialogue with different SSW students, and welcoming all worldviews.