COMMUNITY

SCOTT COMM

JEWFRO

Detroit Discussion
Do's and Don'ts

ast month, I helped convene a
conscientious crowd to explore
the question "What is Jewish
Detroit?"The Ann Arbor sympo-
sium — hosted at a neutral (read:
equitably inconvenient) location
by Michigan's Jewish Communal
Leadership Program — was rich in
life lessons and lox, cultural con-
text and capers.
As we've come
to expect in any
Jewish conversa-
tion, the opinions
outnumbered the
participants. To
my knowledge,
neither the onions
nor opinions led to
Ben Falk
tears.
Like any ques-
tion worth asking,
"What is Jewish Detroit?" begat not
tidy answers, but more questions.
My task was to reflect on the
question, "What language do you
use to talk about Detroit and Jew-
ish involvement in Detroit?" I talk
about each a lot, a result both of
talking too much generally and of
the depth and dynamism of our
communities.
In my experience, what we say
can be amplified or undermined
based on how we say it. Words and
phrases we think directly denote
what we are trying to articulate
can have complex connotations
for different audiences. Without
getting tongue tied by political
correctness, we can work toward
conversations that will lead to
positive actions, unhampered by
negative reactions.
With the caveat that this guide is
mine and mine alone – and with-
out annotation – here are some
do's and don'ts, humbly submitted
for your consideration.

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119 14) Oft

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Do say:

LiverNOISE.
Lasher.
6 Mile.
The Boulevard.
Meijer's.
Ford's.
Kresge's or Kmart's.
Party Store.
And, of course, pop.

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30 May 2012 I

RED TIMID

JOE CORNELL

Do say: Opportunity. Don't say:
Blank canvas.
Do say: Dynamic. Don't say:
Renaissance.
Do say: Urban planning. Don't
say: Urban renewal.

Do say: Detroit. Don't say:
Downtown, if you mean the whole
city.
Or, if applicable, do say: Down-
town, Midtown, Corktown, Greek-
town, Mexicantown, Poletown.
Or, instead of Midtown, say:
Cass Corridor, New Center, Brush
Park, Cultural Center, Wayne State,
Woodbridge.
Do say: Neighborhood: Don't
say: Inner city.
Don't say: Ghetto.
Do say: RenCen. Don't say: CoPa.
Do say: Lafayette. Don't say:
American.
Do say: The city limits. Don't say:
8 Mile.
Do say: Nonprofit. Don't say:
Charity.
Do say: Underserved. Don't say:
Underprivileged.
Do say: Initiative. Don't say:
Project.
Do say: Partner. Don't say:
Adopt.
Do say:This is the Motor City.
Don't say: This is the Motor City —
why would anyone want to take a
bus?
Do say: Public transit. Don't say:
Mass transportation.
Do say: City kids. Don't say:
Urban youth.
Do say: Graduation rate. Don't
say: Dropout rate.
Do say: Cycle of poverty. Don't
say: Culture of poverty.
Do say: I'm from Detroit. Or I'm
from Metro Detroit. Don't say: I'm
from outside Detroit.
Do say: We can empathize
with oppression. Don't say: Well,
we were discriminated against,
too, and we worked hard and got
ahead.
Do say: Riots or civil unrest or
rebellion or revolution or whatever
you think characterizes Detroit in
the summer of 1967. But if some-
one has a different name or take,
don't call him out — buy him a
beer.
Do say: Black. Or African Ameri-
can. Don't say — even in unmixed
company or facetiously or to your-
self - shvartze.
Don't say: Kwame.
Don't say: Coleman.
Do say: Invest in and engage
with. Don't say: Revive, reinvent or
revitalize.
Do say: With Detroit. Don't say:
For Detroit.
Do say: Love. Don't say: Save.
Do: Talk about Detroit.
Don't: Talk at Detroit.

www.redthreadmagazine.com

