Detroit: Perception vs. Reality

It's easy to see that Detroit has its bad parts but it's just as easy to see that it has its good parts as well. No, it is not the industry great it once was, but it is a college town with a major hospital, large corporations, factories, and creative centers. By changing the stereotypes associated with Detroit, we can more people interested in it, and make them realize that there's something for everyone there, no matter your age, sex, ethnicity or creed. We all can belong to the city if we believe that the city belongs to us.

This is exactly the point I'm trying to make. Detroit is not a wholly bad place. No place is all bad. Now, efforts must be taken to fix some of the bad in order to shine light on the good.

This public, open space would contribute to the landscape as a place of social gathering and recreation, as well as the obvious aesthetic appeal. Though just a design for a competition, it would be wonderful to see this fully implemented.

What is so great about this video is that it shows multiple facets of Detroit. You see the ruins of Detroit. You see the demolition of the old Tiger stadium. You see the smiles on people's and kid's faces, as well as the worry lines. You see people of several races. Unlike the stereotypes, it's not just a Black thing. There's something for everyone, and even if you don't relate to the video, it is easy to resonate with the lyrics.

Draetown is an alum Cass Technical High School and a graduate student of Howard University. Both his video and his lyrics portray Detroit in a positive light.

So many people generally avoid these areas because they think that it has nothing to do with them. They put up these barriers like "dangerous" or "awful" or "ghetto" to protect themselves, which does happen, but it also makes people believe that they are immune to these problems. When the city suffers, everyone is affected. More Michiganders should realize that normal people live in Detroit too. These normal people live in nice houses like this one. This one is for sale. I think it's pretty cute. 

Originally built in 1892, the house was owned by Frank Joseph Hecker (1846-1927), a prominent Detroit industrialist and civic leader. In 1991, the mansion was restored. Now the mansion serves as an office for the law firm of Charfoos & Christensen, P.C.