Personal Narrative: A New Place In Detroit

Living in communities that are run down, neglected and forgotten takes a toll on all members of the community. This is especially true when residents witness new properties being erected around the city as their own neighborhoods are deemed “ghettos” and not receiving the investment necessary for improvements. Many of the low income housing that is available to city residents aren’t the most desirable properties as they may have structural deficiencies, lead paint, rats and roaches running amuck. Many older properties also do not have adequately functioning heat or hot water availability. The housing projects also do not have air conditioning. On hot days, having no cool break in addition to all the other negative social factors, this can be a deadly combination that may perpetuate frustrations and ultimately lead to violence.

grew up in Chicago, Illinois, a beautiful city surrounded by violence and controversy by the media. I found things more simple when I was kid growing up here, there wasn't much to worry about but as I got older things became more complex here. The sounds of the " L "' or as you know it as, The Train, and the roaring sounds of cars passing by my house made me feel alive while growing up and as a matter of fact still does. You could wake up in the morning and see the vibrant blue skies being pierced by the skyscrapers and see other kids playing ball or riding their bikes. When it was summer time I would play ins sprinklers or go downtown and play in the fountains with my family. Of course, like most big cities I had to watch my back while growing up because you never knew what somebody was up to. It's weird really growing up here because you never know what's going to happen next , wether it's a good thing or a bad thing. All I can really say about growing up in Chicago is that if I had the chance to redo it, I'd do if a million times.

Moving around from town to town happened quite often when I was younger. I always mirage living in one house my whole life and never having to know the feeling of leaving good friends behind. The move from Michigan to Illinois was definitely the most arduous. Elise, one of my best friends, had been with me from the first day I walked into Rummer Elementary to when we were crying on my porch the day before I left Michigan three years later. I expected this to be the last time we saw each other. I had done this enough that I realized she would move on or the six hour drive would keep us separated till we eventually gave up. My mother promised me it would be different this time, I thought she was only trying to keep me from becoming an misanthropist,

Growing up in the Chicago area was a great experience for me, I was always a good kid but I had always struggled in school. The reason that I had a hard time in school was that I had A.D.D which was the cause of my distraction. Entering Pritzker College Prep was a different experience for me because I was overwhelmed, the reason as to why I felt overwhelmed was because of the amount of homework we got. I ended up spending nights where I would do my homework and wouldn’t get a sufficient amount of sleep and would also cause me to fall asleep in class. My grades started to drop which caused me to stop caring in school, so I also decided to just stop doing my homework and it caused a decrease in my grades.

Recently in Detroit, with the efforts to negate the current standings, they provided housing aid. According to the housing statistic, the housing aid drew crowds in Detroit. “One in four working-age adults in Detroit are without a job and the city’s home foreclosure rate continues to be among the nation’s highest.”

The anticipation of this day had been building up for some time over that last few months, and now it was upon me at last. I didn’t feel the same excitement I had leading up to this moment, I even kind of grumbled to myself about how I wished the bus was bigger so that I would be more comfortable. We all had our assigned seats, but no one seemed to be where they were supposed to be. The anxiousness of getting to Colorado was causing a great deal of confusion, chaos, and

Some Michigan Heroes can be people that helped you in life or helped you succeed in life. My Michigan Hero is someone that raised me, taught me everything I know in life today. This person is my idol, that gave me a hand when I needed one, or told me to keep my head up and never look down. I wouldn’t know what to do in life if this person wasn’t in it.

I witnessed my cousins boyfriend corpse lying on my neighbors lawn. It was a humid summer night around 3:30 when I peeked through my window and saw my devastated cousin sobbing uncontrollably on my decaying porch. Being from East chicago, Indiana has transformed me into the person I am today.

Some people believe that Detroit is comparable to a blank canvas. A place where an opportunity is lurking right around the corner. They imagine it as a deserted place, in which a businessman can create anything they dream of. However, the harsh reality is, Detroit is not a blank canvas. It has been splattered with an era of prominence, scribbled on with the invention of the automobile, and engraved with a history of racism and corruption. Although much of Detroit’s glory has been stripped away, there are still people who exist in the city’s remnants. Actual people, with actual families, actual homes, and actual lives. When outsiders talk about the city’s revival, they are often forgetting about these people, or the actual citizens of

My Michigan hero is not just a hero but is my grandma, she was always there for me through my ups and downs. Every day after school are used to go to her house, she would have Mack and cheese waiting for me on a little SpongeBob plate in front of the TV with SpongeBob on the TV. She was like my other half whenever I needed her the most she was there. She used to go shopping with me and my mom all the time and take us out for lunch. I alway imagined her being there with me all my life but that all changed. Just a couple years ago she had passed away and that was the hardest day of my life. I remember not wanting to go to her funeral because I couldn't stand seeing all the memories and pictures of us together. When I first walked into the room I just

There’s few similarities in everyone’s side of the story, incidentally, that is this taking place in the “ghetto” area of Cloverdale. It all began with Keisha, Jordyn, along with myself were walking. We were visiting our friends that happened to live in the area as well as those who lived close. Our friend, Kennedy, and we had just finished a conversation. Then we headed to another friend’s house when we realized it had gotten too dark, ultimately, that’s when perspectives changed.

Detroit, many call it the worst place in America, other detroiters like myself call it home. It takes a strong person to be able to withstand all the things going on around you. For those who know it, it’s a place that has many memories that can not be erased, things that most citizens have no recollection of, and secrets the government will never release to the public. Detroit’s truths are only comprehended by a few. The drugs, murder, rape, hospital abuse, and even corruption within the government. Many who are unfortunate enough to bear the weight of Detroit’s burdens have often told stories about their experiences. This, however, is not a review of all those stories but a personal terror.

Lotes en Cleveland Heights. Sucio, basura por todas partes. Pero imagine uno como un jardín. Eso era verdad. (Lots in Cleveland Heights. Dirty, trash everywhere. But imagine one as a garden. That was true.)

Michigan's capital and my current place of residence. DeWitt is wonderful place for children to spend their early years, and for many of my acquaintances, still a nice place to live. When I was young, Dewitt was a growing and friendly community. The atmosphere was brimming with positive attitudes and possibilities. It sounds corny, but honestly driving down the street, with every waving arm offering a warm welcome, you would think you entered a cheesy family sitcom neighborhood.

The trip to the hotel room was about an eight-mile journey, which took almost two hours to complete. As I sat on an unfamiliar bus in a strange new city I began to