(photos of the area were taken off Google Earth. The neighborhood is EMPTY now, compared to the bustling life that once was there. All photos were taken within the NEC4 designated area of service.)
My mother was a divorced mom with 5 kids, living in the city of Detroit. After the riots of '67, people who lived in my neighborhood tended to do one of three things: 1) White Flight moved most of our extended family and neighbors across city lines into suburbs, 2) They got scared and felt victimized, or 3) They got busy and organized a structure for community-identified problems to be addressed. It started as a group called "The State Fair Eight," an informal title lovingly given to the 8 original people. It grew into several more and then many more people and became several organizations.
The first building we got was turned into the drop-in center, started to get teens off the streets and out of the way of trouble, danger, and destruction. North End Concerned Citizens Community Council (NEC4) became a place to go, as well as a place to learn. Civil Rights teachers from among our community often spoke, taught, or otherwise trained the rest of us HOW to come together and work for change. Before its dissolution, many years later, NEC4 had evolved into a communication center, producing its own monthly community newsletter, its own radio station, and had representatives involved in every community group within our designated boundaries.
The boundaries ran from E. John R and Nevada to Ryan and E. Outer Dr. All events welcomed people in our area and NEC4 helped neighborhoods to form many Block Clubs, and sponsored public events at Belle Isle OR in the neighborhood, where the street was blocked off and fire hydrants were opened, people bar-b-q'd, danced, planned races and put on amateur talent contests. We had food and drinks free to pass out, thanks to NEC4 and community donations.
Building to Left: OLD Housing O3/Motor City Housing Office
First and Second H.E.M.I.D. sites 
The next building became Help the Elderly Maintain Independence and Dignity (H.E.M.I.D.), a program started to help meet the needs of the area's elderly. We had a volunteer base that helped deliver Meals-on-Wheels to elderly shut-ins, helped with light housecleaning, yard work, and help giving rides to go shopping or make it to doctor appointments. This program was run on grant funding, community and local church support. (St. Rita's, Truth Lutheran, State Fair Avenue Church of God, to name a few. All of the churches involved also had either a food pantry, a thrift store for clothing/other household items, or both.
I-75/E. State Fair
Among other ventures, NEC4 spun out into Housing '03 (named for the zipcode 48203, including part in Detroit and part in Highland Park) and Motor City Housing. These programs were grant-funded and also accepted donations as a non-profit. The housing groups accepted applications for low income housing repair and priority was given to dangerous living conditions, and homes with the elderly or children.
E. State Fair/John R
My family was very involved in community work. For instance, as a teen, my brother served as a student representative on the New Detroit Board of Trustees (sitting with the Movers and Shakers of Detroit); I served as a student representative on the then new North East Detroit Health Center's Community Board of Directors and also served as a Detroit representative to an assembly in Washington, D.C. called Coalition for Peaceful Integration, and acted as an Ambassador for Peace to Israel while still in high school. I began my involvement in Civil Rights and community work first at age 8. My mother served on the Region 6 School Board and my youngest sister served on the Police Community Relations Community Board of Directors. (She is now a police lieutenant on the Detroit police force with 25+ years of service.)
Near the OLD site of one of NEC4 buildings
Drug Rehabilitation center shut down by neighborhood association
Civil Rights was not a philosophy to my family. It was/is a way of thinking. A way of living. A way of teaching. A way of becoming active in our communities, and in our country. We were/are able to make changes over many years. It is not surprising that at some point, we have each had to step out of the center arena and concentrate on recovering from the great investments we made that often taxed or challenged personal or family interests. There were obstacles as well as victories. Civil Rights entails sacrifice: time, energy, and the laying down of old beliefs. We WERE TAUGHT TO constantly challenge ourselves to approach a problem with the intention of forming a strategy towards its change. It's resolution. It's ongoing vigilance. We stay within the boundaries of passive-resistance when publicly speaking and do not break the law (except in the case of planned, peaceful Civil Disobedience, such as sit-ins. RARE)
E. Outer Dr. and Conant/Dequindre area
My family only became UNIQUE in the sense that we acted on behalf of worthy causes, things that we believed were necessary to help people to understand how to live Free, despite the many obstacles. We fight for Justice in myriad ways on a daily basis, through our support and conscious efforts to make a difference. We speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, especially children.
E. Outer Dr./Ryan (NEC4 boundary)
I share these ideas because people want to know HOW to be a part of the New Civil Rights Movement. By sharing my own experiences of accomplishment, I hope that the readers will set aside the FIRST reaction of "I don't have time...." We witness living in the Age of Catastrophic Distraction and our rights are being challenged across the entire spectrum of American Liberties. The only way we can FIX THIS, is to PAY ATTENTION AGAIN, and determine that the changes we seek MATTER.
OLD site of the original NEC4 (It was more colorful then)
What pulled me out of my semi-retirement as a Civil Rights Activist? Watching the news. The straw that broke the camel's back was the hateful murder of Trayvon Martin. And its defense. JUSTICE FOR TRAYVON cannot be a whispered memory in a detached archive of woes. It must be an cause that does not let its importance DIE simply because of the passage of time and a distracted American people.
More lessons to come.
Homework: The Hangman
Civil Rights Teaching: A Cartoon (used in the 1970's and played on a sheet against the house at some of our first community gatherings). These are the questions we asked ourselves when we decided if we were "too busy." This link is also provided in the Agitation in Motion Blog: Fight for Freedom (poem) Who is the hangman? INJUSTICE! TIME 10:55 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZSS3yxpnFU
Tribute to Wendall Burke, a sincere LOVER of Detroit. High school friend who made his mark in music, Civil Rights, and advocating positive Detroit sentiment. R.I.P. Check out his music. A leader gone too soon. A real friend who THOUGHT and ACTED to make a difference. Good music (group organizer, back-up singer: wearing the Detroit Tigers t-shirt). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKE2_fkQK3o
ADDED 9 21 13 Petitions: Justice for Trayvon. Please Read and Sign and Share. Thank you. OUR CHILDREN DO MATTER!
http://urgencyofnowaction.blogspot.com/2013/08/trayvon-martin_25.html
About the Author: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nancy-bell/30/231/855
