The Detroit Justice Center is committed to creating equitable and just cities, meaning cities where everyone’s needs are met, and the entire population is cared for and provided for in equal measure. During our bi-weekly staff meeting this week, we were taking stock of our feelings going into election day. We were all encouraged by the reality that no matter the outcome of the election, our fight and our purpose remain the same–to meet the demands of movements and communities. Our strength lies in solidarity, in utilizing our expertise to respond to present needs, and in dreaming of new paths to community safety and well-being.
Regardless of election outcomes, we know that rent is 20% higher than in 2020, housing insecurity and food prices are on the rise, and police killings of civilians have increased since 2020. People’s desire for stability and safety are not being met across the board by our two-party system, and we know that it is a fallacy to look to our elected officials to do what mutual aid and communities of care can and have been accomplishing.
Still, in this present moment, we must make space for grief. As a Black woman-led organization, we are sitting with the reality that those who traffic in racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, transphobia, xenophobia, imperialism, and all that divides us have been and will continue to be emboldened. We are an organization of people whose lives will be directly affected by the implementation of Project 2025. We, like so many of you, have just cause to be worried, anxious, scared, enraged, and disappointed. However, this is not the first time that we, as a community, have had to fight against oppression in bleak circumstances.
We remain committed to supporting protesters and working with movements to assess the needs of those fighting injustice in the streets. We will also continue to fight for our clients in family court, housing court, and traffic court, as our communities need continual defense from a system that criminalizes and punishes poverty. Our attorneys will continue to build affordable housing and cooperative businesses. Our Community Legal Advocates will keep on finding new ways to democratize access to the law. Our team will keep seeking avenues for restorative justice in Michigan, expanding the ecosystem for mental health, substance abuse recovery, and harm reduction. We will continue to support artists dreaming of a world without policing and incarceration. In other words, we will carry on as we have been, dedicated as ever to the communities we have always supported.
We hope that you will join us in this moment of reflection and take stock of all that we have already survived. Like the generations that came before us, we welcome joy, rest, and struggle in equal measure as we are determined to leave this world better for the generations that come after. In moments like these, we are reminded that hope is a revolutionary practice. Our ability to build the world we wish to live in is dependent upon our solidarity. As we move into the upcoming days and months, know that we are with you, working towards creating that just world together.