Detroit: Diversity Exists Through Remembering Our Integrated Travels

There was once a tribe called the Ojibway that inhabited a land called “batwating”, which meant a gathering place. On July 24, 1701, Antoine Cadillac, a voyager contracted by King Louis the XIV, climbed to the top of a 50-foot cliff looked out at “bahwating” and proclaimed, Detroit. Cadillac gave Detroit its name, which means strait or narrow because it connects Lakes Huron and Erie. Older than America itself, the City of Detroit and its evolving renaissance continues to influence the world and has for centuries.

Once known as the “Paris of the West" affectionately known as “The Motor City,” Detroit's way of life has captured the imagination of people around the globe. What makes Detroit so beloved worldwide? The answer is, its communities and opportunities. As a collective, Detroit citizens have built military forts, traded fur internationally, produced timber, created signature music and most famously fueled the auto industry. Its economy stays contracting, expanding and innovating. Don't even get me started on the language, food, and style of dress, we would be here all day. Detroit stays evolving that is why people are drawn to its unique culture, rich history, and inspiring story of resilience.

Within 30 minutes of Detroit City limits, you can visit a wide variety of cultures. For instance, in Hamtramck, you have what has been referred to as “The World in Two Square Miles”. Its population is made up of Yemen, Bangladeshi, and Polish American citizens just to name a few. You can visit local eateries and feel like you are traveling the world. There's also Southwest Detroit which is made up of a large Mexican community and Greektown which says the population in the name.

At one-point Black Americans had their own enclave within the city called Black Bottom. Before World War I, Black Bottom was largely inhabited by Jewish and non-Jewish Eastern Europeans. After World War II, Black Bottom became mostly inhabited by Black Americans from the south. This was in part due to Henry Ford's 5 dollar a day wage offer and redlining. After World War II, despite having being instrumental in the victories of America during the war, institutional racism was still practiced against them.

Black Americans still turned Black Bottom and the neighboring area called Paradise Valley into cultural epicenters. It gave rise to legendary artists and fostered a sense of pride and belonging, where everything from the hospitals to the restaurants were black owned. They even had black police officers patrolling their neighborhoods. This was before the civil rights movement.  A government program called “Urban Renewal” eventually put a freeway through that community. Interestingly, Detroit’s population as of today is still made up of 75 percent Black Americans whose ancestors migrated from southern America over a hundred years ago.

Growing up, all forms of media from the nightly news to sitcoms to major films made negative statements about Detroit. I don’t hear that same level of disrespect anymore. Although the city has faced significant challenges, from economic downturns to population decline, it continues to reinvent itself. Detroit’s global appeal is undeniable. The world loves it not just for what it was, but for what it is—and what it is becoming. Happy 325th birthday Detroit!