Engines of Change

When you hear about Detroit, what do you think of? Most people would talk about how dangerous it is, or possibly how run down it is. But when I hear about Detroit I think about all of the cars that were once the symbol of the American Dream. Cars such as Ford, Chevrolet, and Chrysler. These cars represented the pride and joy of America. Detroit was once a bustling city filled with laughter and the sounds of engines. These companies shaped Detroit for decades to come, in a good and bad way. 

Engines don't last indefinitely they are bound to wear out eventually. Detroit started going on the decline. Automation, outsourcing and global competition hit the rust belt like a brick. The same companies and factories that powered the heart of Detroit was now just another building waiting for its time to come. The same factories that made Detroit a major city now left behind dust, scraps, and unemployment. The shine of chrome had turned into rust.

Cars had become the one thing that Detroit had feared most. Cars had represented Detroit for decades showing the freedom that the city offered, but ironically cars had eventually led to the cities fall off. As automation took over the factories in Detroit people lost their jobs, families moved out to the suburbs with their new cars, and with that Detroit was losing its spark. The same industry that brought the city together was now tearing it apart.

But even the oldest of cars can be restored back to its original beauty. Artists, entrepreneurs, and city workers are working together to restore Detroit back to its original glory. The same creativity that built the infamous corvette was now working to fuel new parks, murals and music. The Rust Belt may have brought Detroit down but even the oldest rustiest cars can be restored.