D1 2021 Year-End Review

Moore, continued Jacqueline said, gave her and SDM2 the opportunity to wrap their arms around the community.

“COVID really brought about opportunities to embrace people

acres of land on Burgess between Lyndon and Acacia, was simply blight. Now, the area is home to Etheldra Mae Williams Park and is in a much better condition following Williams’ purchase and clean-up of several parcels of

know, ‘you are valued. You aren’t forgotten.’”

nature in D1, but it has also hosted several community events such as health fairs, book club gatherings, Williams Park Alliance a classic car show, as well as a summer hile many may complain music series featuring local artists. about the issues that they In 2022, Williams will be adding observe in their community, the James W. Brogdon Park, named others rise to the occasion to

Michael Williams W

be the change they wish to see.

Brightmoor resident Michael Williams is a part of the latter group goes beyond speaking up and is taking action. Amid the overall citywide concern of illegal dumping in Detroit, Williams has made strides to eliminate unwanted eye sores in his neighborhood by literally confronting and chasing out those found dumping on his block. love for the city, and want to see it do great things,” said Williams. As a Mumford graduate and lifelong Detroiter, Wiliams says he fell in love with Brightmoor many years ago. “It lended itself to have a (community) park,” noticed the abundance of animals in the area: from deer and red foxes to groundhogs. “So, I thought I would create this park and pay homage to my dearly departed mother.”

Before 2018, the eleven

father.

With the Etheldra Mae Williams Park being forced to close at times during the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams, like others, had struggled development. Despite it all, Williams orchestrated a weekly music series that lasted nearly two months this past summer.

Most recently, Williams purchased

a 1951 tractor, which he says is in

“We need to get young people and teach them how to work with their hands. If crafts will be lost forever.” seeking youth ages 13-19 to teach skills they are unfamiliar with, starting with the tractor. “I’m going to get these young people to take this tractor apart, bolt by bolt; and we’re going to acid dip it, we’re going to sandblast it and reassemble it,” said Williams, with the hope to then travel with the talent that we have here in the city of Detroit.” He was inspired with one reality in mind: “older people are dying. And they’re dying with a skillset that’s unparalleled to what you can learn in today’s society,” he said. “We need to get young people and teach them how to work with their hands. If we don’t, all these Following the potential tour of the tractor, it will be housed at Etheldra Mae Williams Park.

Williams is excited for the development not only of the area that he’s directly impacted, but for Brightmoor as a whole, because the community, he says, “has a lot of growth potential and I’d love to be a part of the growth.”

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