2024 began with an unforeseen shift on the sporting front; the Lions, a team generally disregarded as the meanest contender in the nation, pulled a surprising u-turn, finishing just a slither away from the Super Bowl finale. The Lions’ trajectory reflects the grit of Detroit, every triumph is hard-won, showing progress is often a tedious, measured journey. Just as Detroit never budged an inch under pressure, the Lions declared their persistence, their spirit remained undeterred by momentary wins or loses.
However, the otherwise hopeful start was overshadowed by significant political discontent in Michigan’s presidential primary held in February. The outcome of this primary reflected the citizens’ dissatisfaction with then President Joe Biden’s inadequate response to the conflict in Gaza. Over 100,000 Michigan Democrats expressed their dissent by remaining ‘uncommitted’.
In the face of tumultuous leadership, Charity Dean—President and CEO of the Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance—rose as a beacon of challenge to Detroit’s leaders in February. An intensifying urge to prioritize the city’s Black residents grew solid under her determination. Meanwhile, closures were provided for incidents related to the harrowing Oxford school shooting of 2021 through multiple court verdicts.
As the calendar rolled to March, the housing situation displayed no visible signs of respite; it was just as inaccessible. Amidst this, the repercussions of an unwieldy international conflict resonated in local Michigan communities; Muslim residents found themselves observing Ramadan amidst the disquieting Israeli incursion into Gaza.
Demonstrating solidarity with the Middle Eastern strife, and as a potent symbolic gesture, Hamtramck renamed its Holbrook Street as ‘Palestine Avenue’. As the months drifted on, Detroit locals bore witness to the tenth-year mark of the devastating Flint water crisis in a somber remembrance, the irksome reminder that fundamental regulations governing emergency management had not been overhauled a decade of the disaster.
A glimmer of optimism peeked through in July as Detroit, for the first time since 1957, observed a bolster in its population. Yet, as August arrived, the glimmer was quickly overshadowed. Vice President Kamala Harris, in a move celebrated by some Democrats, became the first woman of color to capture a significant political party’s presidential candidacy, an event that wasn’t warmly embraced by all quarters of the public opinion.
But as the year drew towards its close, November ushered in a pivotal turning point: Trump clinched the presidential race, marking a future starkly different for America. Biden’s faltering grip over the nation’s faith was swapped for an unpredictable Trump administration, spelling an uncertain frame of affairs for the nation.
Amidst these sweeping transformations, the dependable continuity of Detroit political life continued on its course. As December arrived, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan unveiled his ambitions, announcing a run for governor as an independent candidate. Yet, the challenges he faced mirrored those of the city itself.
Throughout December, Detroit wrestled with the unresolved predicament concerning the future of the city’s RenCen. Echoing this complexity, long-standing subscribers of the Lion’s season ticket found their loyalty tested as prices surged dramatically to an average of 24%. The shock wave of this hike strained the sentiments of these dedicated holdouts.
In these tremors of change throughout the city, some past stories still hung in the air. Detroit was reminded of a haunting suburban legend; the baffling disappearance of 4-year-old D’Wan Sims in 1994 resurface in collective memory, as local journalist Darren A. Nichols churned out a nostalgia-infused piece.