Yesterday my best friend Julia and I decided to drive downtown and go for a walk at the Detroit Riverfront. When I go out of town and I tell people that I’m from the metro Detroit area or the suburbs of Detroit, I get a lot of crazy reactions (and they are never good ones). When people who didn’t grow up around the city think of Detroit they automatically think of rundown buildings, bankruptcy, unemployment, and violence. As citizens of Michigan, people of Detroit, people of Downriver, people of all of the surrounding areas, and the Great Lakes states, we need to embrace the city that we use to be proud of. The Big Three have suffered over the last few years due to people buying more and more foreign cars, but that doesn’t give us a reason to disown our home. Automotive jobs right out of high school may not be the way to go anymore, but that just means that the youth of the metro Detroit area need to be encouraged to follow their dreams and get a higher education so that we are able to bring more opportunity to Michigan other than just factory jobs. Detroit is full of many beautiful things and people and it is up to us and our government officials to restore it and take care of it. If you have never visited the Detroit Riverfront then I encourage you to. A day of overlooking the river and walking past the wonderful flowers and architecture may not be people’s idea of Detroit, but it was exactly the kind of day I had. Opportunity Detroit!
Much Love, Kayla
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