Last week I briefly attended an event held at the N'Namdi gallery by artist ____ fleur, who discussed how the future of Detroit's aesthetic will likely move from a grungy/gritty presentation to something brilliant and colorful--she pointed to traditional African aesthetics, and even the diversity of existing architecture in Detroit.  I used to think about parallels between abuse and the Detroit aesthetic--its music, a lot of its art, the stories in the news.  There's something about some people who experienced deep and sustained harms where we find an attitude that's a mix of resilience and a weary-worn frankness.  Sometimes, an element of guarded shame stands as a likely possibility.  It's often comfortable to recognize it.  You know you're at peace in their company but there's a certain darkness to how they live--unanswered or seldom explored questions remain like mysterious gashes:  no one can tell whether they're still wounds to be healed or closed scars, and we've either developed habits for moving in ways that don't aggravate them, or are too afraid to move any further.  Knowing that a lot of media and negative imagery already exists for both, I never expressed it to anyone before.

However, I happen to know several people who endured sustained abuse, sometimes terrifying in its truest sense, who can embody the most vibrant aspects of life.  They often define what's possible for living in a better world, or demonstrate how to carry on by living amid its realities.  In spite of misfortune, they continue, we live well.  I also had the privilege to know so many brilliant people who know Detroit as their home do brilliant things.  Their actions and the communities they create exist as the tinder and fuel aflame--the growing feathers of a phoenix--through which the city finds itself amid its ashes.  While I've been through gunshots on the East side, I've also been to the Alkebu-Lan Village which soon celebrates a 35 years of exceptional karate in Detroit and sustained community enrichment that's drawn the attention and admiration of companies known for their mid-town investment presence like Quicken Loans.

Stigma in mental health and Detroit in the media

Spurred by comments on this: https://www.facebook.com/LiteraryDetroit/posts/446844592058214

Going back to the idea of parallels in mental illness and community: In a lot of ways, the negative media and identity stigma that many Detroiters loath mirrors the same imposition of identity a person undergoing mental health challenges meets when labeled with a certain disorder/illness.  Identity becomes objectified by another, opportunity for change is denied in the reality constructed by those who impose/accept it as such.