Being from Detroit, I get mad jokes about how tough everyone else in the world thinks it is there. For a long time I was mad over the stereotype. And when I moved to New York, I got mad at Detroiters for even believing the New York stereotype. But let’s move away from boxes of labels for a second, shall we?
Growing up in Detroit wasn’t hard because it was all I knew. It was quite normal to go to a party and have folks beef and then never get to the slow song dance at the end. That sucked because there was always a cutie you wanted to ask you to dance so he could get your number (with my strict mother, my number giving was a covert operation…but that’s another story). There was always a story of a tragedy. When I was eight, my Girl Scout friend Dawn died in a fire. When I was 10, I saw one of the young brothers from the neighborhood get hit by a car going down the wrong way on St. Antione. Turned out it was his sister. When I was 15, I went to Renaissance High School’s version of the prom, the Spirit Dance, and LUSTED after this fine FINE FINE boy from Cass Tech. Three months later he would go to jail for murder. We are not talking poor dumb ignorant people. We are talking about a society who has no concept of the bigger picture of violence. Why should they? They are the grandchildren of freedom fighters and hustlers. The natural thought would be that these grandchildren would value what was earned. But you cannot forget that they saw how it was earned. Dog attacks, water hosing, lynching, burning and shooting don’t go unnoticed. Those who were in power used violence to try and maintain their power. That is what some of these grandchildren saw and that is the legacy that they are passing down. Sometimes, and you can ask any military soldier this, you only know that you are fighting. You don’t always remember why.
Yale Miller is somebody I only knew through Jessica Care Moore but I realized his impact when I heard her do a poem. His impact on her was so great that even those of us who never met him or met him once, have benefited. This miracle doesn’t even take into account the community activism this father, husband, brother, friend and spirit spread in his short thirty plus years on earth. One day, while visiting a friend, this Angel was gunned down in his Jeep Cherokee. And nobody knows why. I wish I could say that surprised me but I am a child of Detroit and to me that means there are very few times I expect answers. It has benefited me because I know I would go crazy demanding answers from the unknown. I would spend all of my time wondering why my father is only with me in spirit while hatemongers and those who rationalize racism, bigotry and misogyny are still waking up with the sun and get to eat cheeseburgers, see rainbows, kiss their families and own property. America is an equal opportunity place. Good and bad can have rights here. That is something that we live with. But sometimes we are able to do something good. And so I ask that if you know anything about Yale Miller’s murder, that you do something. Here is the link to the Fox (Channel’s story. If you are still composed after seeing Joya then you are a wonder to me.
Many of us who lived in Detroit have graduated and moved on. Friend who died are a flicker in the back of our minds. An illegal drink or puff here. A drive through Belle Isle there. One of my plays, “Fam” , actually deals with how move on from the violence we grew up with in Detroit. Almost like it was a member of the crew that you wish you didn’t have to hang out with so much. But it was always there though. There is a rage that can grow if it only feeds on the bad things.
Yale tried to spread good things so that we may be able to reach back to those hustlers and freedom fighters to let them know that we are trying to improve on where they left off but it is hard. Just today on NPR I heard some nitwit talking about his organization’s promotion of European white immigrants only into the US, citing the inaccurate fact that Latinos bring leprosy (actually that would be coming from a very small portion of Asian immigrants) and malaria (contracted through mosquitoes only, not people). He also cited that there is a plot that Latinos are trying to take back the southern portion of the United States. One, I’m very glad they noticed that the US wasn’t always full of strip malls and McDonald’s. Nor did it belong to any white people. Two, it’s really impossible for Latinos from Mexico and other poorer Latin countries to take back anything since we’ve all but destroyed their economy. The wealthy Latinos in this country are mostly citizens descended from immigrant ancestors. Just like you racist white people who think that keeping people of color out of the country will restore your color balance. One day, color (or lack there of), will stop being the most important thing to you. One day maybe peace, abundance of food, healthy babies, a booming economy, a respect of religion and other cultures will reign supreme in your mind. I cannot imagine what the backlash of that would be.
You can still make people like Yale, who’s whole life was dedicated to justice and love, live forever by your actions. It is never too late to make yourself a better person. Please solve this.
This is what we will always see you as, Yale. Giving and open spirited.
