From what I’d been hearing about Detroit all year, when my train rolled into the station I was expecting to walk out onto a scene from I Am Legend.

However, I quickly discovered that the grapevine had given me nothing but over-exaggerated rumors.

Of course there are parts of the city that have seen their fair share of neglect, but this city, in my opinion, is anything but abandoned. I think what you see in Detroit depends on the way you look at it. I’m not talking about a “make lemonade out of lemons” kind of perspective, I’m talking about really lifting up the skin of Detroit and seeing the flow of radical action and creative energy keeping it alive.

Inner conflict

On my second day in the city I got to tap into that energy firsthand. I was invited to attend a discussion on dismantling racism in the food system by a group some consider to be radical, but I consider to be a strong inspiration.