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Dear Life Remodel-ers,
Yesterday, I attended a press conference alongside our Youth & Community Director, Stepha’N Quicksey, and our Board of Directors member, Sandra Turner-Handy, to recognize and honor the two beautiful young lives that were taken last Friday at a community park. Four-year-old Samir Grubbs and Daviyon Shelmonson-Bey, 18, were fatally and senselessly shot at Skinner Park right behind Denby High School. As you can imagine, a wide range of emotions was displayed at the press conference, including anger, disappointment, and pain. For me, nothing was as soul-crushing as hearing the two parents speak of the bright future of two children who will no longer have an opportunity to blossom into their full potential as God’s creations. As I talked to and consoled the two parents, I couldn’t help but think of my wife and me and how we would respond if we lost our two children to senseless violence. But then a stark reality hit me as my inner conscience told me, “Diallo, these are OUR children!”
These two young people were outside playing at Skinner Park, a park that was designed and constructed by Life Remodeled and Denby High School students in 2016. The students designed a “safe place to hang out,” and with the support of official partnerships and hundreds of volunteers, Skinner Park was created with a performance pavilion, new basketball courts, a volleyball court, a putting green, and other amenities. I consider Samir and Daviyon to be our children because they were two of the thousands of children who have enjoyed this park over the years. Their smiles, excitement to be active, and socialize with their peers in a positive manner were exactly why this project was created. Our Detroit children have all the talent they need, and creating fun-filled, active spaces like Skinner Park removes social barriers and unlocks their potential for thriving. But this tragic situation was also a reminder that progress is often met with stumbling blocks that force us to decide if we will keep moving forward or acquiesce to the paralysis that is caused by pain and fear.
As I left the conference, I reflected on a brief exchange I had with Jasmine Grubbs, the mother of 4-year-old Samir Grubbs. I asked her to let us know if there was anything Life Remodeled could do to help. She was familiar with our Anchor Detroit project, two minutes away from the park. She said, “Keep making the community a better place.” Those words were both a confirmation and an opportunity. It was a confirmation that this community, along with others, has recognized the work that all the tens of thousands of Life Remodelers have performed over the years. The work that we collectively do is making a difference! It also presented an opportunity for more work to be done. Together, we can still make a lasting impact in Detroit neighborhoods by removing blight, improving academic outcomes, increasing access to health and wellness, and helping more Detroiters achieve economic self-sufficiency. As we’ve seen in the Durfee neighborhood, according to Detroit Police Department data, providing more access to opportunities helps lead to a significant reduction in crime rates.
Whether you are from the suburbs or city, Livonia or Durfee, Grosse Pointe or Denby, these are all our children. Let’s honor these two beautiful lives lost with an increased determination, as Ms. Grubbs asked, to keep making the community a better place. |
