[Music] how crazy is this I hate Detroit with
how crazy is this I hate Detroit with
how crazy is this I hate Detroit with the type of thing I used to say all the
the type of thing I used to say all the
the type of thing I used to say all the time until people who have only been
time until people who have only been
time until people who have only been here for two years and didn’t change
here for two years and didn’t change
here for two years and didn’t change their address over yet because they’re
their address over yet because they’re
their address over yet because they’re afraid of the car insurance started
afraid of the car insurance started
afraid of the car insurance started looking at me and giving me dirty looks
looking at me and giving me dirty looks
looking at me and giving me dirty looks and so I got tired of explaining myself
and so I got tired of explaining myself
and so I got tired of explaining myself and I decided I think it’s about time
and I decided I think it’s about time
and I decided I think it’s about time for me to distill this and so I did I
for me to distill this and so I did I
for me to distill this and so I did I wrote a little essay on LinkedIn called
wrote a little essay on LinkedIn called
wrote a little essay on LinkedIn called why I hate Detroit you see I’m a person
why I hate Detroit you see I’m a person
why I hate Detroit you see I’m a person that grew up in one of the most
that grew up in one of the most
that grew up in one of the most dangerous areas in the most dangerous
dangerous areas in the most dangerous
dangerous areas in the most dangerous cities and the most dangerous place in
cities and the most dangerous place in
cities and the most dangerous place in all of America
all of America
all of America and it took me a second to really
and it took me a second to really
and it took me a second to really explain and something weird happened
explain and something weird happened
explain and something weird happened after I posted and thought that I
after I posted and thought that I
after I posted and thought that I torched my entire career after hundreds
torched my entire career after hundreds
torched my entire career after hundreds of thousands of views thousands of
of thousands of views thousands of
of thousands of views thousands of shares I got a positive reaction for why
shares I got a positive reaction for why
shares I got a positive reaction for why I hate Detroit I think what I did was I
I hate Detroit I think what I did was I
I hate Detroit I think what I did was I captured the spirit of a series of
captured the spirit of a series of
captured the spirit of a series of people in Detroit who hadn’t had a voice
people in Detroit who hadn’t had a voice
people in Detroit who hadn’t had a voice that were trying to to voice their
that were trying to to voice their
that were trying to to voice their frustrations it also had a silver thin
frustrations it also had a silver thin
frustrations it also had a silver thin lining of the people that were new that
lining of the people that were new that
lining of the people that were new that said yes this is bad but it could be
said yes this is bad but it could be
said yes this is bad but it could be better you see growing up where I grew
better you see growing up where I grew
better you see growing up where I grew up I always viewed the world this way
up I always viewed the world this way
up I always viewed the world this way yes this might be bad but this can be
yes this might be bad but this can be
yes this might be bad but this can be better but somebody has to be how can
better but somebody has to be how can
better but somebody has to be how can you look at the world that way how can
you look at the world that way how can
you look at the world that way how can you look at everything that’s bad and
you look at everything that’s bad and
you look at everything that’s bad and still think that it could be better I
still think that it could be better I
still think that it could be better I said it was some form of naive optimism
said it was some form of naive optimism
said it was some form of naive optimism and so I named it bitter optimism the
and so I named it bitter optimism the
and so I named it bitter optimism the idea that you could look at challenge
idea that you could look at challenge
idea that you could look at challenge right dead in the eye you don’t need
right dead in the eye you don’t need
right dead in the eye you don’t need Rose tinted glasses to change the world
Rose tinted glasses to change the world
Rose tinted glasses to change the world the greatest minds have always been able
the greatest minds have always been able
the greatest minds have always been able to take these challenges and solve
to take these challenges and solve
to take these challenges and solve things that we once thought were
things that we once thought were
things that we once thought were insurmountable and that’s the thing
insurmountable and that’s the thing
insurmountable and that’s the thing that’s great about Detroit with so many
that’s great about Detroit with so many
that’s great about Detroit with so many challenges we have more opportunities to
challenges we have more opportunities to
challenges we have more opportunities to change the world than anywhere else but
change the world than anywhere else but
change the world than anywhere else but here’s the thing in order to do that you
here’s the thing in order to do that you
here’s the thing in order to do that you must deal with the community and if you
must deal with the community and if you
must deal with the community and if you want to deal with the community you must
want to deal with the community you must
want to deal with the community you must communicate you can’t work with the
communicate you can’t work with the
communicate you can’t work with the community without communication and
community without communication and
community without communication and that’s where we have our fundamental
that’s where we have our fundamental
that’s where we have our fundamental breakdown you see what we do is we
breakdown you see what we do is we
breakdown you see what we do is we forget that language literacy and
forget that language literacy and
forget that language literacy and communication are a little different I
communication are a little different I
communication are a little different I heard an anecdote one time that said if
heard an anecdote one time that said if
heard an anecdote one time that said if you meet someone speaking broken English
you meet someone speaking broken English
you meet someone speaking broken English that means they’re on their second or
that means they’re on their second or
that means they’re on their second or third language your inability to
third language your inability to
third language your inability to understand them is actually a product of
understand them is actually a product of
understand them is actually a product of your own ineptitude and not theirs
Jackie Chan is the second
Jackie Chan is the second highest-grossing actor in the world why
highest-grossing actor in the world why
highest-grossing actor in the world why because he’s able to communicate and
because he’s able to communicate and
because he’s able to communicate and though he makes fun of his English he
though he makes fun of his English he
though he makes fun of his English he communicates with a broader larger
communicates with a broader larger
communicates with a broader larger audience the end of any of us and so why
audience the end of any of us and so why
audience the end of any of us and so why is it that when you hear Detroit stories
is it that when you hear Detroit stories
is it that when you hear Detroit stories from native Detroiters you think your
from native Detroiters you think your
from native Detroiters you think your degrees are broader than their lived
degrees are broader than their lived
degrees are broader than their lived experiences why is it that when you go
experiences why is it that when you go
experiences why is it that when you go and you look at things you’re trying to
and you look at things you’re trying to
and you look at things you’re trying to figure out where you bring your bias to
figure out where you bring your bias to
figure out where you bring your bias to how people communicate and why do you
how people communicate and why do you
how people communicate and why do you plod or are you applauded for people
plod or are you applauded for people
plod or are you applauded for people when they’re able to share their ideas
when they’re able to share their ideas
when they’re able to share their ideas as if someone who was 60 years old who
as if someone who was 60 years old who
as if someone who was 60 years old who ran a business ran a family would not be
ran a business ran a family would not be
ran a business ran a family would not be able to effectively communicate you are
able to effectively communicate you are
able to effectively communicate you are well spoken is not a compliment but this
well spoken is not a compliment but this
well spoken is not a compliment but this is the power of storytelling it allows
is the power of storytelling it allows
is the power of storytelling it allows us to be transported it allows us to be
us to be transported it allows us to be
us to be transported it allows us to be in the body of a billionaire playboy
in the body of a billionaire playboy
in the body of a billionaire playboy flying around finding intergalactic
flying around finding intergalactic
flying around finding intergalactic threats and it allows you to be
threats and it allows you to be
threats and it allows you to be transformed into a lion join a pride and
transformed into a lion join a pride and
transformed into a lion join a pride and cry profusely when Mufasa died and if
cry profusely when Mufasa died and if
cry profusely when Mufasa died and if you didn’t you’re a monster but what has
you didn’t you’re a monster but what has
you didn’t you’re a monster but what has it done for Humanity it allowed us to
it done for Humanity it allowed us to
it done for Humanity it allowed us to look back into the eyes of a war that we
look back into the eyes of a war that we
look back into the eyes of a war that we tried to avoid I hurt our eyes from and
tried to avoid I hurt our eyes from and
tried to avoid I hurt our eyes from and it allowed us to see what it’s like for
it allowed us to see what it’s like for
it allowed us to see what it’s like for somebody who would give everything to
somebody who would give everything to
somebody who would give everything to make a greater stand in what is their
make a greater stand in what is their
make a greater stand in what is their body it gave us the broadest display of
body it gave us the broadest display of
body it gave us the broadest display of sexual harassment and assault in the
sexual harassment and assault in the
sexual harassment and assault in the history of America but we prescribed
history of America but we prescribed
history of America but we prescribed some idea of a victory to this and it
some idea of a victory to this and it
some idea of a victory to this and it allowed us to deal with the unbridled
allowed us to deal with the unbridled
allowed us to deal with the unbridled joy of Chewbacca mam and share it with
joy of Chewbacca mam and share it with
joy of Chewbacca mam and share it with thousands of our friends it’s given us
thousands of our friends it’s given us
thousands of our friends it’s given us music that transverses all genres
music that transverses all genres
music that transverses all genres attitudes and it’s given us stories that
attitudes and it’s given us stories that
attitudes and it’s given us stories that have shaped culture and transcended time
have shaped culture and transcended time
have shaped culture and transcended time but whenever I see this picture I always
but whenever I see this picture I always
but whenever I see this picture I always wonder if they’re whispering how did all
wonder if they’re whispering how did all
wonder if they’re whispering how did all these Italian guys get in the middle of
these Italian guys get in the middle of
these Italian guys get in the middle of Jerusalem and how come no one brought
Jerusalem and how come no one brought
Jerusalem and how come no one brought any sunblock that’s because the people
any sunblock that’s because the people
any sunblock that’s because the people that captured this story well they did
that captured this story well they did
that captured this story well they did it with the ten of their own bias of the
it with the ten of their own bias of the
it with the ten of their own bias of the world that they thought should exist
world that they thought should exist
world that they thought should exist they brought their identity and changed
they brought their identity and changed
they brought their identity and changed the story of a culture that came before
the story of a culture that came before
the story of a culture that came before them to make themselves feel comfortable
them to make themselves feel comfortable
them to make themselves feel comfortable with what that world actually was we do
with what that world actually was we do
with what that world actually was we do that we bring our biases to these
that we bring our biases to these
that we bring our biases to these stories when we try to lift up
stories when we try to lift up
stories when we try to lift up communities but we shouldn’t be bringing
communities but we shouldn’t be bringing
communities but we shouldn’t be bringing solutions to problems that we don’t
solutions to problems that we don’t
solutions to problems that we don’t understand it’s not our job to bring
understand it’s not our job to bring
understand it’s not our job to bring savages fire it’s our job to find out
savages fire it’s our job to find out
savages fire it’s our job to find out how locals create magic it’s our job to
how locals create magic it’s our job to
how locals create magic it’s our job to find out how you do so much with so
find out how you do so much with so
find out how you do so much with so little how did you change the sound of
little how did you change the sound of
little how did you change the sound of American music without a distribution
American music without a distribution
American music without a distribution pipeline that we thought you needed how
pipeline that we thought you needed how
pipeline that we thought you needed how could you solve problems that we didn’t
could you solve problems that we didn’t
could you solve problems that we didn’t even know existed
even know existed
even know existed tribes families Native communities
tribes families Native communities
tribes families Native communities Detroiters create magic
and that’s why we must fight to preserve
and that’s why we must fight to preserve and fight for our stories for everyone
and fight for our stories for everyone
and fight for our stories for everyone young that’s watching us that’s why
young that’s watching us that’s why
young that’s watching us that’s why there is power in the culture that you
there is power in the culture that you
there is power in the culture that you bring it’s not time for you to speak and
bring it’s not time for you to speak and
bring it’s not time for you to speak and act like anyone else it’s time for you
act like anyone else it’s time for you
act like anyone else it’s time for you to be you how is it possible for a small
to be you how is it possible for a small
to be you how is it possible for a small dance that happened outside of Atlanta
dance that happened outside of Atlanta
dance that happened outside of Atlanta to become a dad that Hillary Clinton was
to become a dad that Hillary Clinton was
to become a dad that Hillary Clinton was learning with Ellen DeGeneres because
learning with Ellen DeGeneres because
learning with Ellen DeGeneres because your culture has value what we have to
your culture has value what we have to
your culture has value what we have to begin to understand is that we need to
begin to understand is that we need to
begin to understand is that we need to look at the world and it’s our job to
look at the world and it’s our job to
look at the world and it’s our job to lift up stories that have changed us for
lift up stories that have changed us for
lift up stories that have changed us for the better you would never go to China
the better you would never go to China
the better you would never go to China to start a business or do community
to start a business or do community
to start a business or do community development without a translator or
development without a translator or
development without a translator or understanding the language so why would
understanding the language so why would
understanding the language so why would you do that in the community and why
you do that in the community and why
you do that in the community and why would you do that in Detroit truly we
would you do that in Detroit truly we
would you do that in Detroit truly we must understand that when we allow
must understand that when we allow
must understand that when we allow people to speak for their communities
people to speak for their communities
people to speak for their communities and they stand up we are not giving them
and they stand up we are not giving them
and they stand up we are not giving them a platform they are giving us a gift
a platform they are giving us a gift
a platform they are giving us a gift they’re allowing us to peer into a world
they’re allowing us to peer into a world
they’re allowing us to peer into a world that we could not possibly understand
that we could not possibly understand
that we could not possibly understand and when we allow ourselves to be lifted
and when we allow ourselves to be lifted
and when we allow ourselves to be lifted out of our body and placed into the
out of our body and placed into the
out of our body and placed into the shoes of those that are not quite like
shoes of those that are not quite like
shoes of those that are not quite like us hopefully we can see a world that we
us hopefully we can see a world that we
us hopefully we can see a world that we thought we knew we could find answers to
thought we knew we could find answers to
thought we knew we could find answers to problems that we didn’t know existed
problems that we didn’t know existed
problems that we didn’t know existed and solutions the challenges that we
and solutions the challenges that we
and solutions the challenges that we didn’t know we can find and hopefully we
didn’t know we can find and hopefully we
didn’t know we can find and hopefully we can be better for it thank you
”
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