I recently had the pleasure of seeing “Good Night, and Good Luck” on Broadway.
Whatever your political persuasion, there are themes in the production that resonate as strongly today as they did when the movie aired in 2005 and when CBS aired its original programming in 1953.
Namely, it speaks to the importance of speaking truth to power and the value of individual action and civic engagement.
It helped bring focus to the importance of the public, private, and philanthropic sectors coming together, as each is challenged today in ways never imagined.
Healthcare services and research, food insecurity, education, housing, infrastructure, parks, and public spaces – all face uncertainty. Our foundation community – often working behind the scenes yet so crucial to our daily lives – is struggling to redefine its priorities and redirect funds to fill funding gaps.
Fortunately, this is an area with which Detroit has demonstrated leadership and success.
When the city went into bankruptcy, it took exceptional leadership, creativity, partnerships, and commitments from businesses, nonprofits, and government.
Remember the “Grand Bargain” to save the Detroit Institute of Arts? It involved a coalition of nonprofit foundations, state government, and the DIA pledging $816 million over 20 years to support municipal pensions. As Detroit Free Press Reporter Mark Stryker wrote in 2015, “The DIA, which committed to raising $100 million for pensioners, was an unwitting pawn in the bankruptcy, dragged into the drama because, as a city-owned institution, its art was at risk of liquidation.”
The cultural fabric of our past and present was far too important to the city – no matter what the future held – that it could not fall victim to the city’s mismanagement, which was no fault of its own. In an interview with HourDetroit, Judge Gerald Rosen, author of the recently published “Grand Bargain” and chief mediator of the bankruptcy, recalls that 2015 was a time ripe with “cynicism, partisan dysfunctionality, self-interest, and civic irresponsibility.”
Again, these themes are so familiar today.
I firmly believe that Detroiters inherently know we’re stronger together and have demonstrated such. Our success out of bankruptcy was due to a group effort. Our success today is a result of a collective effort. Our success tomorrow . . . you get the picture.
Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
The crisis at our border, resulting from trade and tariff policies, has led to a cross-border, binational partnership with leaders in Windsor/Essex County. The fact that we felt our relationship was under attack made us appreciate it even more. We’re taking the time to reflect on what’s important, identify areas where we have gaps, and recognize opportunities for improvement. Honestly, we’re now more aligned than ever before. This cooperation across borders will prove especially important when we open the Gordie Howe International Bridge this fall another demonstration of coming together.
We can’t deny the very personal feelings of instability, aggression and divide, but we can use it as an opportunity to focus more clearly and intentionally on the things that are most important, where we need to conserve, and what we need to preserve.
Never waste a good crisis.
We’ve faced significant challenges in our past – not just bankruptcy, but also crime, population loss, and image – when you boil it down, it’s the same strategy. As we like to say at the Downtown Detroit Partnership, our mission is to convene corporate, philanthropic, and government partners to foster collaboration, drive thought leadership, and advocate on behalf of Detroit residents and businesses.
This is the DDP’s wheelhouse and the city’s bailiwick. Public. Private. Nonprofit. The more we work together, the stronger we are. To truly succeed, you need all three legs without reliance on one or two.
As Edward R. Murrow said, “Our history will be what we make of it.”
Let’s make it great. Together.
