15. Detroit Influence

20 + 1 Questions V.2.
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higherlimits
Little People
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Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:14 am

15. Detroit Influence

Post by higherlimits »

What event or series of events in Detroit's history has influenced you the most?
subpopfan1
Pinball Wizard
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Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:40 am

Re: 15. Detroit Influence

Post by subpopfan1 »

The easy answer here would be to say the riots of 1967. People place a lot of prominence on that single week in July. But for me, born in 1982, it's hard to really know…I can't compare before and after. Personally, the fact that employees of the city of Detroit had to live within the city limits seems to have had the most influence on me. Because my father taught in Detroit public schools during the school year and the department of Parks and Recreation in the summer (still does, in fact). Because of that we lived on the East side, Mack and Cadieux area, where lots of firefighters and police officers lived. For Detroit, it was a decidedly white neighborhood while still privileged to all of the sub-par city services and petty crimes. Living there, the kids I went to school with, guys that were on the same soccer teams as me, the families that we went on vacation with…they were all white families where the fathers were employed by the city of Detroit. It was all very homogenous. Had this residency restriction not be in place I doubt my parents would have ever lived in Detroit. If I grew up in the suburbs my experiences and life would've been drastically different. Probably wouldn't be so vehement about my civic pride and could very well not even be in the music business.
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