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Saturday, August 1, 2009
From riots to rebirth: ARISE! events seek to boost community spirit
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Santiago Esparza / The Detroit News
Detroit -- Cortez Cooper pushed dirt, leaves and glass into a pile as his
1-year-old daughter Alisha Cooper helped out at Gordon Park.
The park was near the epicenter of the riots that tore the city apart in 1967, and
like some parts of the city, it needs a fresh start.
So Cooper and other volunteers from Youthville, the Peace Project and Project Art
Workz remade the park Saturday at Rosa Parks Boulevard and Clairmount Street as
part of the third annual ARISE Detroit! Neighborhoods Day.
"It will help keep kids out of trouble," Cooper said of the efforts.
The thrust of the day is to get residents to feel more of a connection with their
neighbors, community and city, said ARISE executive director Luther Keith.
"There is a spirit of purity that is inspiring," Keith said as he watched about
40 volunteers sweep, rake, clear debris and paint walls at the park. "If we can
capture the energy for this event and push it throughout the year ... there is real
power."
More than 140 such projects were scheduled throughout Saturday involving more than
400 community groups, organizations or block clubs.
Mayor Dave Bing said the day is an important one for the city. He attended a July
24 press conference with former Mayor Dennis Archer and City Council President Kenneth
Cockrel Jr. to announce the day and praise its efforts.
Bing's spokesman said he would attend ARISE Detroit! community fairs throughout
Saturday .
"All of us are on the same page in understanding how important our neighborhoods
are," Bing said last week. "We are not going to forget the neighborhoods. We love
this city."
Detroit native and celebrity judge Greg Mathis said the initiative is a good one
because it promotes unity and fosters a greater sense of community spirit.
"This type of initiative will boost morale and contribute to the betterment of the
community," he said last week while visiting Detroit.
Chris Patterson lives near Gordon Park and said he has been waiting for an opportunity
to help clean it. He brought a lawn mower and weed whacker and attacked the overgrown
lawn that surrounded the park.
"This is great, there needs to be something done," he said as his daughter and four
granddaughters cleaned. "We need to take this park back from the wine heads."
Cooper said just cleaning the park and butterfly mural that was being installed
Saturday afternoon is not enough. He said chess tournaments and children's activities
will help to make sure the park does not fall in disarray again.
"We have to keep things moving," he said.
"You can't do it all at once," Cooper added. "Any little bit helps though."
The thrust of the day is to get residents to feel more of a connection with their
neighbors, community and city, said ARISE executive director Luther Keith. (Ricardo
Thomas / The Detroit News)
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