What might work (but doesn't yet win): The politics we need for policy

Welcome everyone to Week 14!

The point of this week's class is to conclude our discussion of segregation in Detroit by going upstream to look at what it would take to change policy in ways that might actually succeed in reducing the severity of the problem.

The reading packet contains two readings (which look long in terms of page numbers) until you notice that the pages themselves are really small with big font):

A policy oriented conclusion from Professor Jessica Trounstine's book (the one that started with the graphic novel approach) that talks about the difficulty of finding common cause (a question of politics) at least a few things we could do (a question of policy)
A book chapter by scholar and journalist Andre M. Perry that combines personal narrative with strong policy analysis and prescriptions related to the city of Detroit.

You can also go back and revisit some of the videos from last week which might help shed light on the questions of the week:

As always, let me know at kdk@wayne.edu or 248-744-3535 or put it into the "Questions and Answer Board. If you have any questions or find any mistakes or broken links. I very much appreciate that help.

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
COURSE GUIDE
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iDetroit Masthead

Lauren Hood
Revolutionary

I feel like my values have changed over time. So I think it stems from an effort to find that acceptance I was looking for. So it was very much about achievement and acquiring things... until recently I didn’t find my way back to my own culture. So I had all this exposure to different cultures but I didn’t have a lot of exposure to my own culture. So at home, my parents were encouraging me to achieve and acquire, but they never said to me abandon your culture. So I found my way back to exploring my own culture, what it means to be fully liberated and expressive. A lot of it comes from an acknowledgement and celebration of our culture.

So there are all these people here that don’t know that Detroit used to have a really thriving Black middle class... like it was a source of pride. We just highlight the struggle and we don’t take time to celebrate our accomplishments and our resilience. I would love to see a Detroit renaissance... like a real one... a moment in time that we celebrate and view as a source of pride... we’re still a Black city, 8 out of every 10 people here is Black. So what would it look like to see more of our music, culture, and history celebrated and not just here... what does it look like to get the nation behind Detroit’s cultural Black renaissance?