1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,120 It's definitely worth the investment in the investment in 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,720 thinking into how we build our middle class and raise the 3 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:09,240 incomes of Detroiters because as we grow Detroit, as I mentioned, 4 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:20,640 in the state of the city, it means nothing Welcome to Path 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,720 Breakers, a podcast from the Kresge Foundation. 6 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,800 This season, we're asking who has the power to change the 7 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:32,000 city. We're talking with people who 8 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,520 are reshaping the way things work and getting into how they 9 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:38,280 make that happen. And we're looking at 4 cities in 10 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,600 particular. Where Kreski does a lot of work. 11 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,760 Memphis, New Orleans, Fresno, and of course our home city, 12 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,640 Detroit, MI. In each of these places, we're 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,920 going to start at City Hall and talk with the mayor. 14 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,600 Then we'll head out into the community and talk with some of 15 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,960 the people Kresge calls pathbreakers, people making big 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:04,440 changes in unconventional ways. Hi everybody. 17 00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:07,480 I'm Tracy Pearson. I work on the communications 18 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,760 team here at the Kresge Foundation and I'm a proud West 19 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,080 Side native Detroiter. And I'm Jamie Bennett. 20 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:16,680 I work at the intersection of arts, culture, and equitable 21 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:21,200 community development. So, Jamie, in our exploration of 22 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,960 these cities and the different kinds of change work happening 23 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:26,680 there on the ground, we're starting with the person who is 24 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,800 traditionally seen as the one calling all the shots in the 25 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,920 city. That would be the mayor, and 26 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,640 also because the mayor holds such a unique position as the 27 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,880 most prominent storyteller of the city, we're going to spend 28 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,240 some time with them. In the 1st 4 episodes of our 29 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:45,440 season, we're of course going to focus on Detroit. 30 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,080 Not only is it Kresge's hometown, but it's also a city 31 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,560 that's had a lot of stories told about it. 32 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,400 A lot of those stories with the headline and Tracy. 33 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,080 I'm going to use air quotes here. 34 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,600 Detroit is having a comeback. Detroit has been telling that 35 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,520 same comeback story for almost a decade now, if not longer. 36 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,920 And I know because I live here. I've seen it with my own eyes. 37 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:12,200 And while there is real truth in that story, I mean billions in 38 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,480 investment of revitalized downtown, a city that has quite 39 00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:19,760 literally clawed its way back from the largest municipal 40 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:25,320 bankruptcy in American history. But if you drive 10 minutes in 41 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,600 any direction from the center of that story, you'll find 42 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,120 neighborhoods that have not had the same level of investment as 43 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,000 downtown. Residents have been working 44 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,880 hard, abdicating and looking for a new partner in City Hall. 45 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,240 Yep, and in November 2025, they got one. 46 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,000 Detroit voters made a decisive choice about what comes next, 47 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,160 and by the widest margin in the history of Detroit, they elected 48 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,160 Mary Sheffield mayor. Mayor Sheffield was born and 49 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,680 raised in Detroit. She's the daughter of a civil 50 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,560 rights leader and a nursing professor. 51 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,640 She was the youngest City Council member in Detroit's 52 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:04,320 history when she was 26 years old and then went on to become 53 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,320 its youngest City Council president at 33. 54 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:11,040 And now she is the first woman to serve as mayor of Detroit. 55 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,800 That's right, Madam Mayor Sheffield has been serving the 56 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,360 city for a long time. She didn't run on a downtown 57 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,600 comeback story either. She ran on the promise that 58 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,720 neighborhoods will come first, that investment will reach every 59 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,920 corner and every family. And so today we're going to find 60 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:31,240 out what that promise looks like. 61 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,560 And we're going to do that in person on the Marygrove 62 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,520 Conservancy campus. Kresge is moving its 63 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,840 headquarters to Marygrove. And so for this episode, we're 64 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,200 doing a very dangerous thing. And we're handing our 65 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,480 microphones over to Kresge President and CEO RIP Rapson. 66 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,480 Go ahead and take it away, RIP. Mayor Sheffield, thank you. 67 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,920 What a pleasure and honor it is to have you here at Marygrove. 68 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,200 I think one of the last times I saw you, you were transitioning 69 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:00,480 just down the hall. Yeah. 70 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,720 It's a special place, you know, to to Kresge, to the community 71 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,120 and to the city as a whole. But say a word about why would 72 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,240 you end up putting a transition team here or feeling this is 73 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,600 somehow a special place? Yeah, Well, thank you for having 74 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,920 me excited to be here. So, you know, the entire 75 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,880 campaign was rooted in how we can ensure that we're better 76 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,080 supporting, elevating, promoting and investing in our 77 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,760 neighborhoods. And so to be in alignment with 78 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,840 my values and vision as mayor, we just thought it was only 79 00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:32,320 right to root our transition in the heart of a neighborhood, in 80 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,320 a neighborhood that, quite frankly, has undergone massive 81 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:37,520 transformation. There's a lot of investment 82 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:39,000 happening here. So I think it's really 83 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,280 highlighting how a neighborhood can go from maybe disinvestment 84 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,320 to strategic investment and really showcase a really 85 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:47,680 thriving and growing neighborhood. 86 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:49,680 So we were honored to be here in the community. 87 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,920 So many people we brought throughout here, over 300 88 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,600 committee members were in and out and it just really brought 89 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,160 that energy, energy and vibrancy into the neighborhoods, which is 90 00:04:58,160 --> 00:04:59,280 what we always want to. Do well. 91 00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:01,360 It's such an anchoring presence in the neighborhood. 92 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,400 When the Marygrove College is going through tough times and we 93 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,240 were asked to step in, the thought of there not being this 94 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,920 anchoring presence in the community was just unthinkable. 95 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,040 And so I think one of the things that we've found over the last 96 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:19,360 decade of investing is that it's not just a set of buildings on a 97 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,280 campus, It's not just a beautiful grounds. 98 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,400 It's it's sort of a nested reality with the rest of this 99 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,600 extraordinary neighborhood. And we've kind of come to the 100 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,440 view that you almost have to hold the web hole. 101 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,480 You have to do housing, you have to do open space, you have to do 102 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,400 education, you have to do transit, you have to do all 103 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:37,480 things. And when I was thinking about 104 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,040 that, I was thinking about your state of the city address, which 105 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,840 is almost exactly what you said, which is you can't just sort of 106 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:46,720 do single interventions and hope that everything is going to 107 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:48,680 change. You have to kind of pull it all 108 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,320 together. But that's the toughest kind of 109 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:52,400 municipal change. How? 110 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:54,720 Where do you get started on something like that? 111 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,440 You know, I think right now we're really building on the 112 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,560 strength of some of the neighborhoods that have reached 113 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,600 a level of resiliency and building on those, but also in 114 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,640 areas where you need stabilization, right? 115 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,560 So there's areas, areas where they may not be ready for 116 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,000 economic development, but the social issues, the basic quality 117 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,760 of life issues will go a long way in those communities to 118 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,440 build them up to a level of resiliency. 119 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,960 And so simple things like clearing the backlog of sidewalk 120 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,480 requests, right, turning St. lights on the areas where 121 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:26,680 there's still a need for additional lighting, having 122 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,440 community violence intervention groups go into those areas, 123 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,240 really promoting workforce development. 124 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,560 I mean, those type of tools to me are critical to basic quality 125 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,760 of life issues in our neighborhoods. 126 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,040 And so we're finding areas where we can start somewhere so that 127 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:44,000 every neighborhood feels something and understood to your 128 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,720 point, you know, there is multi, you know, different layers and 129 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,120 levels of investment that are needed in several neighborhoods 130 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,720 for it to thrive. But I think if we can figure out 131 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,960 a way to provide some support in some of these neighborhoods, 132 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,520 whether it's just stabilization tools, investing in people, 133 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:01,840 everyone would feel as if they're receiving something. 134 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:06,840 Well, I think your trilogy of support no strengthen support. 135 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:10,200 Stabilize, strengthen, grow. Which was exactly right. 136 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,880 It's kind of people, places and economic development. 137 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,920 And the idea that somehow you can sort of differentiate A 138 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,320 neighborhood based on what they need. 139 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:23,880 I think is, is really smart. One of the one of the themes 140 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,880 that just sort of is so apparent from everything you've said, 141 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,640 everything you've done, is that you want to make this city a 142 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,640 city for children, Children and families, to be sure, But but 143 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,400 children Talk a little bit about some of the thinking you've done 144 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,360 about how to strengthen our appeal to kids and families. 145 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:41,320 Yeah. I mean, I think ultimately, in 146 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,880 order for us to really grow our population and in order for us 147 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,640 to, you know, really thrive and go to the next level, Detroit 148 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:53,160 has to be a place that center youth voices youth our future. 149 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,480 And if we don't invest in them now, we do a disservice to all 150 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,080 of us. And so we've been really trying 151 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,600 to center youth and children all that we do, really supporting 152 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,800 families, ensuring that we have a program now called RX Kids 153 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,080 that provides cash prescriptions to pregnant moms. 154 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:09,880 And I believe when you take care of a family, you take care of 155 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,040 generations and you build neighborhoods, you build 156 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,880 community. And so for us, this 157 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:16,880 administration is just so important that we invest 158 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:18,760 directly in neighborhoods and families as well. 159 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:20,040 Oh, yeah. In your state of the city, you 160 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,520 talked a little bit about small things like giving every student 161 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:28,480 of the public school system a bus pass or structuring after 162 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:30,920 school times, or making sure during the summer when people, 163 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,640 when kids don't maybe have quite enough to do, giving them kind 164 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,880 of constructive outlets. It's a, again, it's a, it's a 165 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,600 complicated undertaking. I think what was so impressive 166 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,559 about what you laid out of the state of the city was the sort 167 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:47,320 of the range of the ambition, which I think a lot of us saw in 168 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,920 the campaign, to be sure. But it was the depth, the fact 169 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:53,440 that you've begun already sort of layering, you know, not just 170 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,640 one or two or three levels deep, often 4 levels deep to make sure 171 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,720 that these kinds of strategies take. 172 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:03,200 How do you, how do you think about sort of the basic 173 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,240 challenges of resourcing and working with the private sector 174 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:07,720 or working with the philanthropic sector? 175 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,760 I mean, just making sure that everybody is sort of behind you 176 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,360 and pushing in the same. So we've been approaching it 177 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,600 very delicately and we we really want to be strategic in our ask. 178 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:19,920 So it's not, we just want this, this, this and just throwing 179 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,440 random requests out, but really making sure we have an overall 180 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,320 goal, goal and vision and how every request is interconnected 181 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,040 to the overall goal and theme of this administration. 182 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:32,400 And so as we prepare to go before philanthropy, we really 183 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,280 want to ensure that we have a strategic request and acts about 184 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,320 the direct needs that would benefit Detroiters. 185 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,280 So we know that that is a real need. 186 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,680 Detroit can only do so much. We had 800, roughly over $800 187 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:45,320 million in federal funds that are now meeting at the end of 188 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,600 this year. And so as we're leaning on the 189 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,320 private sector and the philanthropic sector, we're also 190 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,840 eagerly looking at ways to generate new revenue streams for 191 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,800 the city of Detroit as well. But also getting back to 192 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,760 supporting Detroiters, because when we support Detroiters, 193 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,720 people stay here, they live here. 194 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,480 We got to get people working that generates revenue to the 195 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,280 city of Detroit as well. So we're trying to be innovative 196 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,960 in our approach, but really strategic in how we, you know, 197 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,680 approach the philanthropic sector for for funding. 198 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,680 And when I go around the country, I almost always get 199 00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:19,040 questions about this sort of unusual ability that I think 200 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,240 over the last 10 or 15 years, the city has evolved to make 201 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,400 sure that the public sector sets the agenda, but then the private 202 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,000 sector comes behind that and the philanthropic sector behind 203 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,320 comes behind that. I think of the riverfront or the 204 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,400 Wilson Park or the Greenway. I mean, so many examples. 205 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,560 And my sense is that by being so thoughtful about how you've sort 206 00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:41,280 of laid out your priority set, it's going to make that easier. 207 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,960 It's almost like reverse engineering saying here's the 208 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,160 sort of the problem set we're kind of coming at. 209 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:49,120 And so private sector you can maybe do this piece and 210 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,160 philanthropic sector, you can do that piece. 211 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:53,560 It's it's exciting. I can't wait for the ask. 212 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,400 Good, I'll I'll remember this. I'll make sure I have this clip 213 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,840 here. Well, we, we are extraordinarily 214 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:04,560 fortunate in Detroit to have so many extraordinary foundations. 215 00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:07,080 And I think one of the nice things is if you want to do 216 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,240 solar installation, you might come to Kresge. 217 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,520 But if you want to do water reclamation, you might go to 218 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,720 Herb or you might do open space with Wilson. 219 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,280 I mean, it's, it's an extraordinarily diverse 220 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,680 community. One of the things that sort of 221 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,160 threads through both your neighborhood approach and your 222 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,520 approach to kids and families is the notion of just building 223 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:30,560 wealth, building economic stability, building economic 224 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:33,240 mobility. And not just something at the 225 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:39,000 very front end with our ex kids, but home ownership, home repair, 226 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:43,880 small business development, retail attraction, all of those 227 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:48,920 things mean those are often seen as sort of very long term goals. 228 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:50,680 Do you think there's a possibility of kind of pulling 229 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:52,880 it forward by being even more strategic? 230 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,040 Yeah. I mean, I think it's even if 231 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,240 it's long term, it's definitely worth the investment in the 232 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:01,360 investment in thinking into how we build our middle class and 233 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,880 raise the incomes of Detroiters. Because as we grow Detroit, as I 234 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:06,760 mentioned in the state of the city, it means nothing if 235 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:08,480 Detroiters don't have access to it. 236 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,280 And what we're seeing is as we're trying to attract 237 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:15,200 retailers in larger, you know retail brands in Detroit, they 238 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,840 often times look at demographics, income levels. 239 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,120 We were looking for bonding and credit rated rated agencies 240 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,520 coming to look at our finances. They also look at the the income 241 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,000 levels right of Detroiters. So it's a major thing that I 242 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,560 think we have to address in each rate. 243 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:32,520 And so we're trying our hardest to ensure that we're investing 244 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,880 in people, we're building our middle class, we're expanding 245 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,760 home ownership opportunities and we're really looking at 246 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,800 education in a different way that I don't think a previous 247 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,080 administrations have as well. Well, and and I the absolutely 248 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,880 sort of breathtaking announce announcement of creating a 249 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:48,520 living wage for all city employees. 250 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,920 That's almost 1000 people who are going to see their incomes 251 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:54,240 go up. And I thought your challenge to 252 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:55,880 the rest of the community was really appropriate. 253 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:59,360 All right, if the city can do it, certainly the rest of us can 254 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,120 do it. We will try to do our part at 255 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,400 Kresge, but you know, it's a big, complicated community and 256 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:11,200 we all need to step up. One of the challenges of any 257 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,240 mirror is trying to figure out what the relationship is with 258 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,880 the educational system. You know, even if you have a 259 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,600 good working if and if a mayor has a good working relationship 260 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,040 with the Superintendent, Superintendent has its own board 261 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:25,480 and it's really tough. And you talked a little bit 262 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:28,640 about bus passes and out of school time, but are there other 263 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,760 ways that you think you as mayor can help sort of shape the 264 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,200 educational environment of the city? 265 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,720 Yeah. And and it has been a learning 266 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:38,080 experience. Some of the dynamics of, you 267 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,440 know, even with the bus route to the free bus transportation, we 268 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,080 had to deal with the school board and understanding that 269 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,040 dynamics. But I do know ultimately is that 270 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:49,600 Detroiters want a mayor that is more involved in education. 271 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:53,360 And so we've been very strategic in our approach, after school 272 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:57,560 programming, absenteeism, reducing absenteeism and out of 273 00:13:57,560 --> 00:13:59,360 school time. Those are three areas that we 274 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:00,920 believe we could be a greater partner. 275 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,360 But also some of the social issues that parents face, you 276 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,120 know, as relates to why children are not going to school, whether 277 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:12,040 it's housing, whether it's access to child support, you 278 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,320 know, whatever it may be, the city could be a greater partner 279 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,280 and some of those social issues. And so we're figuring out more 280 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,920 ways to be a better partner in that regard because a lot of the 281 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,760 issues that, you know, families and children face go back to 282 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,640 housing, poverty, education, access to jobs, things of that 283 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:27,960 sort. So we're looking at ways to be a 284 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,400 greater partner in that regard. Well, you took the extraordinary 285 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,960 step of creating an entire new office for poverty elimination. 286 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,960 What kind of scope of authority will that office have? 287 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,080 What are the kinds of things we might expect to see out of it? 288 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,480 So they're going to really push Policies 1. 289 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:45,840 And so right now we're looking at, you know, our excuse was the 290 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:47,760 first major policy that came out of that. 291 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,520 The living wage policy came out of that office, the child tax 292 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:55,320 credit, which was a part of the tax return season that we 293 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:56,520 actually launched through Detroit. 294 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,400 But ensuring that people from homelessness to home ownership 295 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,680 have the wrap around services to become self-sufficient. 296 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,560 We want to implement a no wrong policy door policy approach. 297 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,120 So when you call the city of Detroit for a service, we can 298 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,280 connect you to the services that you need to be self-sufficient. 299 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,600 We're also really looking at more outflow strategies from our 300 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,480 homeless population to ensure that people are not in shelters 301 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,280 in in for too long. And so we're looking at ways to 302 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:24,360 better improve our outflow strategy as well. 303 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,120 But Doctor Luke Shaffer is the founder of the University of 304 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,000 Michigan's Poverty Solutions. And if you know anything about 305 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:35,840 that, there's tons of research data and policies around how to 306 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,040 address the issue of poverty. So he's going to bring a wealth 307 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:41,120 of experience to really help us address it from a programmatic 308 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:42,720 standpoint and also a policy stuff. 309 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,480 I'm smiling because I can't think in all of my career of a 310 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:50,680 mayor doing this of kind of reaching into academic. 311 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,320 Lots of mirrors, I think have tried to corral academic 312 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:58,560 expertise, but to actually take someone of his stature and push 313 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,800 them right into the middle of the city's structure is really 314 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:08,000 quite extraordinary. It speaks also to your emphasis 315 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,280 on talent. I mean, you have very quickly 316 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,480 assembled quite an extraordinary cast of characters. 317 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:14,560 Thank you. Thank you. 318 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,640 I mean, throughout the transition, we had thousands of 319 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,840 people apply for jobs in Detroit, which again shows 320 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,240 people desire and urgency to want to be a part of of such a 321 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,920 transformative time in Detroit. And one thing that I did learn 322 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:30,120 from the previous administration, and I think why 323 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,040 Duggan was so successful was that he always had the best and 324 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:35,320 the brightest around him. He knew that he couldn't do it 325 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,760 by himself. And so we were very intentional 326 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,000 about it, making sure that we explored. 327 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,800 And we have a new CEO in place, we have a new chief public 328 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,800 health officer, and we're still looking to fill key positions to 329 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:47,680 ensure we have the best and the brightest around us. 330 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,440 I remember talking to Mayor Duggan about this right after 331 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,800 the bankruptcy and I think at first it wasn't at all clear 332 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:56,400 people would come into a sort of a post bankruptcy era. 333 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,120 It's hard, right? And we, our press hadn't been 334 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,320 terrific. But I think you're right. 335 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,400 I mean, he got in cars and knocked on doors and it sure 336 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:05,640 seems like you're doing the same thing. 337 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:06,480 Same. Exactly. 338 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,599 We're bringing people from corporate America here. 339 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,839 We're trying our hardest to recruit and people want to be in 340 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:14,119 Detroit. There's so much excitement, so 341 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,160 much momentum, and to leave your mark and to be a part of the 342 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,880 revitalization and growth of Detroit, I think people are very 343 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,319 much so interested in. What you can probably tell this 344 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:25,119 story far better than I, but, you know, in the immediate 345 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:28,640 aftermath of the bankruptcy, we were starting to get calls from 346 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:30,720 all across the country saying, would you come talk to us about 347 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,480 the Detroit experience? And I thought that would last 348 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:36,440 maybe a year until, you know, it was sort of old news. 349 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:41,120 We still get those calls. People are, I think, just both 350 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:45,280 curious and deeply almost awed by the extent to which we've 351 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,960 been able to build across multiple platforms, again, sort 352 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:50,600 of the public, the private, the nonprofit, the civic. 353 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:55,360 And my sense is that your talent base is going to be so clear 354 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:57,840 about your agenda that you're going to get I mean, not 355 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,760 Duggan's folks were great, but you're going to get a kind of 356 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:04,400 person like Luke who really knows that neighborhoods are 357 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:08,400 first and foremost issues that family and kids are first and 358 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,320 foremost. Creating a wealth platform is 359 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:12,960 first and foremost. It's going to probably look a 360 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,800 little bit different. That's great. 361 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:23,600 You mentioned earlier that the federal environment, it's a it's 362 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,520 a tough one. And it's not just that our one 363 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:29,680 time funding is going away, but you know, they're kind of 364 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:31,600 leaving the building in terms of cities. 365 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,840 How how do you think the city is going to have to adapt? 366 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:37,320 I mean, I suppose in every way but. 367 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,320 Yeah, I mean, I think overall we've been doing we've been 368 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,120 doing good. You know, we ensure that we have 369 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:46,720 a new state Governmental affairs leader, Fredor Hall. 370 00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:50,400 I'm consistently in Lansing building relationships with both 371 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,160 sides of the aisle to ensure that our agenda touches 372 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,360 everyone. And so we are being very 373 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:58,200 strategic in that regard. You know, my thing is I don't 374 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,000 have to agree with everything, but we have to make sure that 375 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,040 we're able to walk work across the aisle to deliver for 376 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:04,760 Detroit. So we're strengthening our 377 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,560 relationships with state leaders and ensuring that Detroit is on 378 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:10,840 the agenda because, you know, we impact the entire region. 379 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:12,800 And so those conversations are forthcoming. 380 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:19,640 Yeah, I my sense too is that local government is at some 381 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,360 level just sort of not ideological. 382 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,000 You know, you're presented with 10,000 problems or challenges 383 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,920 and you just try to create solution sets for them. 384 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,960 It's not red or blue, it's it's something quite different. 385 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:34,040 And I can tell you, I mean, property tax reform is 1. 386 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,680 I think everyone, no matter the background, right, has an 387 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,280 understanding or a constituency that is impacted by the high 388 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,880 cost of property taxes. So that is an area we've been 389 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,480 able to find common ground on both sides of the aisle. 390 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,000 And so we're trying to figure out where the common interests 391 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,800 are, where we can align and actually get things done. 392 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,360 It's a tough one, but I think there could be some movement in 393 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:54,760 that regard. So, and you know, for folks who 394 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,040 aren't from Detroit, who are, who are watching is Detroit's 395 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,000 property tax system sort of unlike what you would find in 396 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,040 Columbus, OH or Austin, TX? It seems like it might be. 397 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:05,880 It is. And I think the mileage rate, 398 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,440 right, we have so many mileages, I think over 80 meals compared 399 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:11,640 to other cities. We have the highest in the state 400 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:13,160 and almost the highest in the country. 401 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,480 And so that is a huge barrier to development in Detroit, which is 402 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,280 why we often have to see so many tax abatements and incentives 403 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:21,800 for development projects to work. 404 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,480 But it also is a barrier to everyday detroitors who are just 405 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:26,960 trying to buy homes and stay in their homes in our city. 406 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:31,040 So it has been a huge deterrent overall, I think to overall 407 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,000 economic growth and it is a issue that we have to continue 408 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,640 to fight and address in our city. 409 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,920 The only other thought I was had when you were saying that is 410 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:43,800 that both the sort of the local environment being non 411 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,880 ideological and also having a really robust corporate sector. 412 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,800 I mean you, you came and spoke with the CEO's group. 413 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:53,680 You know, we have Mary Bar on one side and Rodger Penske on 414 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,520 another. I wonder if that in some ways 415 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:58,040 isn't a little bit of insulation. 416 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:02,440 This is a very robust, hard working corporate community and 417 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:06,080 they they're not going to get ideological on you either. 418 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,440 No, I, I completely agree. And that that has been something 419 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,160 that has been very encouraging to see first hand. 420 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,160 I, I witnessed it on the council for 12 years. 421 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,120 But now in this position to see the dedication of the 422 00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:19,320 philanthropic sector, the private sector, who all are 423 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:23,120 committed and invested in Detroit's growth, gives me the 424 00:21:23,120 --> 00:21:26,160 reassurance to know that, you know, even in difficult moments, 425 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,920 even with some of the federal difficulties that we're 426 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,600 experiencing, we have a group in a community of people who are 427 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,400 committed to Detroit's resurgence. 428 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:38,200 So very, very thankful for the corporate, private sector and 429 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,240 philanthropic community as well. Never forget in the sort of the 430 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:46,680 pre bankruptcy couple of years from 2008 to 12, when Mayor Bing 431 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,480 just needed more police cars and more EMS vehicles. 432 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,360 And, you know, Roger Penske put that together like in two days. 433 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:57,120 Yeah, it was, Yeah. And whether it's on rail or the 434 00:21:57,120 --> 00:22:00,200 waterfront or anything, if there's a this is not fair to 435 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,240 ask. But if there's a single thing or 436 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:06,720 two things that you might ask of a regional CEO's group did, 437 00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:09,960 where would you prioritize, do you think, or is that too hard? 438 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:11,960 No, it's not. I mean, I think, you know, 439 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,560 infrastructure is is really big in general. 440 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,680 I'm going to always go back to just overall neighborhoods 441 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:19,720 investment in our our neighborhoods. 442 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,720 But I think connecting us from a regional standpoint has been a 443 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,160 huge conversation for quite some time and trying to figure out 444 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,080 what that looks like from a regional perspective is 445 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,480 important. But overall, I would say more 446 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,160 investment in general into neighborhoods and neighborhood 447 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:35,520 infrastructure. Well, maybe the the last 448 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:39,720 question, if I might. You're clearly enormously upbeat 449 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,680 and optimistic and inspiring about the city's future. 450 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,480 But as as we read newspaper headlines about all sorts of 451 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,880 mischief, what do you say to Detroiters to help them 452 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:51,560 understand that they're going to get through this? 453 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,520 You know, Detroit has always gotten through, and that is the 454 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,280 spirit of resiliency, of perseverance, of determination 455 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:01,000 of Detroit. You know, we fight. 456 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,560 We never give up. And so I would just encourage 457 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:09,120 Detroiters 1 to not sit back and allow some of the things that 458 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:11,600 we're seeing to happen, especially if we feel as if it's 459 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,240 unjust or not right, because voting matters. 460 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,680 Speaking up and speaking truth to power matters. 461 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,920 As we see voting has consequences and we can see it 462 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,160 in some of the programs that are being cut, some of the things 463 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,760 that are happening nationally. So definitely continue the grit 464 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:28,160 the fight. Things are going to get better. 465 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,880 But we need all Detroiters to step up, to use their voice and 466 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,760 to advocate for themselves and their communities and be a part 467 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:36,480 ensuring that Detroit continues to rise higher. 468 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,800 Oh, that's inspiring and maybe a wonderful place to leave it. 469 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,240 Mayor Mary Sheffield, thank you very much for your time. 470 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:44,040 It's an honor to have you here. Glad to be here. 471 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:45,160 Thank you. Thank you. 472 00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:49,680 Tamara Sheffield and Kresge President RIP Rapson, thank you 473 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,200 for that insightful conversation. 474 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:56,000 Next week, Jamie and I will be back in the host chairs with the 475 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,120 first of our three feature Detroit Path Breakers. 476 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:04,120 You'll meet the one and only Orlando Bailey, Executive 477 00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:08,280 Director of Outlier Media, a newsroom dedicated to 478 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,480 investigating and publishing the stories and information that 479 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:15,200 Detroiters literally ask for. And you'll also get to meet 480 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,320 Caitlin Murphy, who's the executive director of the Live 6 481 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:20,600 Alliance. She's helping to transform the 482 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,480 Livernois Mcnichols neighborhood in northwest Detroit. 483 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:26,760 That's right. And then we'll shoot across town 484 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,920 and talk to Simone Segovac, project director at the 485 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,480 Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition. 486 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,960 Simone helped secure the $48 million benefit package coming 487 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:41,040 to the neighborhood that will soon be host to not one, but two 488 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,000 international Freight Crossing bridges. 489 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,720 Like and subscribe to Path Breakers on YouTube and your 490 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,960 favorite podcast platform to hear how these path Breakers are 491 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:59,320 getting it done. Path Breakers is produced by the 492 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,560 Kresge Foundation. Founded in 1924 with a mission 493 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,800 to promote human progress, Kresge today works to expand 494 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:08,160 equity and opportunity in America's cities. 495 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,120 Learn about our grant making and social investing work in 496 00:25:12,120 --> 00:25:16,160 Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, Fresno, and cities across the US 497 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,600 at kresge.org. To hear more stories from the 498 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:22,440 Path Breakers, be sure to subscribe to the show wherever 499 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,640 you listen to podcasts. Our host for this episode was 500 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,760 RIP Rapson, president and CEO of the Kresge Foundation. 501 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,680 Our producer, as always, is Juliet Hindley. 502 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:35,880 Managing editor is Krista Yankee, with huge help from her 503 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:39,120 Kresge colleagues Maria Dilorenzo, Kate McLaughlin, 504 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,640 Jordan Duncans and of course the one and only Tracy Pearson. 505 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,840 The video interview with Mayor Sheffield was shot and produced 506 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,560 by Mark Marks on location at the Mary Grove Conservancy. 507 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,280 Our director of photography was Rodney Johnson. 508 00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:56,800 Audio technician was Keith Skembre, associate producer Bria 509 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,560 Brown and video editor Carmel Flanagan. 510 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:02,320 The show art is by Alejandro Herrera. 511 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:06,440 Logo animation by Colin Likes. Our social media mastermind is 512 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:13,000 David Carrig. And a special thank you on this 513 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,760 episode to Kresge's Detroit program, including Wendy Lewis 514 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,880 Jackson and Jonathan Wei. Thank you for listening and 515 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:20,880 we'll see you next week.