Detroit is facing a pivotal moment in its history, with the convergence of long-term counter-revolutionary projects threatening to undermine the city's values and vision for the future. The Tea Party, white Christian nationalism, and the merging of state and corporate power are just a few examples of the divisive forces at play, all based on clearly articulated values about who belongs and who does not.
However, amidst this turmoil, there is also a growing sense of urgency among community leaders and activists to reclaim Detroit's values and vision. Organizations like the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights are working tirelessly to build a new world anew, guided by a set of clear values that prioritize dignity, worth, and the right to flourish for all people.
The key to building this new world lies in having a shared understanding of what we value and what kind of world is possible. It requires us to slow down, name our beliefs, and treat them as the foundations of imagination and blueprint for radical world-building.
But vision is never neutral. Our values are the brick and mortar of radical imagination and of the political projects that accompany it. When we move forward without naming our values, we weaken the durability and efficacy of our project.
Being clear-eyed about our values acts as a signal flare for those seeking values-aligned community and an indispensable recruitment tool to bring others with us. It also becomes an instrument of accountability for those within the movement and for those whom the movement claims to represent.
The future is not something happening to us; it is something we are building together, every day. If we commit to life-affirming principles, organize around them with discipline and love, and stay accountable to the communities we serve, we can turn vision into infrastructure, policy, and practice.
Detroit's greatest resource is the clarity of our values and the breadth of our imagination. It's time for us to come together, build a new world anew, and create a future that is worthy of our highest aspirations.
However, amidst this turmoil, there is also a growing sense of urgency among community leaders and activists to reclaim Detroit's values and vision. Organizations like the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights are working tirelessly to build a new world anew, guided by a set of clear values that prioritize dignity, worth, and the right to flourish for all people.
The key to building this new world lies in having a shared understanding of what we value and what kind of world is possible. It requires us to slow down, name our beliefs, and treat them as the foundations of imagination and blueprint for radical world-building.
But vision is never neutral. Our values are the brick and mortar of radical imagination and of the political projects that accompany it. When we move forward without naming our values, we weaken the durability and efficacy of our project.
Being clear-eyed about our values acts as a signal flare for those seeking values-aligned community and an indispensable recruitment tool to bring others with us. It also becomes an instrument of accountability for those within the movement and for those whom the movement claims to represent.
The future is not something happening to us; it is something we are building together, every day. If we commit to life-affirming principles, organize around them with discipline and love, and stay accountable to the communities we serve, we can turn vision into infrastructure, policy, and practice.
Detroit's greatest resource is the clarity of our values and the breadth of our imagination. It's time for us to come together, build a new world anew, and create a future that is worthy of our highest aspirations.