Detroit Day 4

Today was less scattered, but as busy, as others. We began our day at Earthworks, an organization dedicated to educating the community on locally sourced produce and crops, and the value that they bring. This includes the money saved on grocery shopping, healthy eating, and cultivating self-esteem. Part of the group worked on sorting and moving sprouting plants, preparing them to be moved from one greenhouse to a different building. The other section of our team went to the "Hoop House," to weed bigger (yet still young) plants.

During lunch, we had the opportunity to eat at the soup kitchen, a mainstay of Earthworks's mission. Earthworks has community gardening, public showers, and a soup kitchen program. It was important to mix and mingle in the group with other volunteers, and not clump at one table with exclusively Catalyst participants. Many of our members reported that this helped start more interesting conversations, and expose both local people and Hamline students to different types of lifestyles.

After Earthworks we made our way to the Charles H. Wright African-American History Museum. This museum was already in the schedule, but had been recommended to us by the LGBT Detroit staff members with high regards. The museum had multiple captivating sections, with the main exhibit named “And Still We Rise.” This production started out with a short introductory video, and then went into a multi-room exhibition on the history of slavery from its beginnings to its current-day implication on African-American Rights. We thought an hour would be enough to view the writings and objects, but it wasn’t :( we were very disappointed when we checked the time and had to run through to make it to the van on time.

After the museum, we made our way back home. Detroit home, not St. Paul home, but I have noticed many of the participants calling our place of residence “home.” For dinner: tacos, chips, refried beans, all the fixings, with a late night delivery (sans expected-peach cobbler) from Happy’s Pizza.

Tonight’s reflection brought much insight on privilege and where we all fit on that spectrum, and how we fight it from that place. More updates to come.

Love and light,

Joe and Amin