Thank you to all those that supported and joined us for our Annual Event – Beyond the Numbers, Centering People – celebrating 10 years of Brilliant Detroit. Our event this year was a tribute to all the incredible people who have made our organization what it is today. What started as an idea quickly became a citywide and now national movement. When we zoom out and look at the numbers, it is clear that our model is successful and valued, but it is the stories and experiences of individuals that motivate us to do what is best for children and families every day.
At the event, we heard from co-founder Carolyn Bellinson about the importance of doing this work together and how strength comes from unity and collaboration, with community, with partners, and with our supporters. Ms. Delores shared how she met Karlita at her grandkids school, and with her encouragement, overcame the apprehension of walking into what she perceived as a stranger’s home. The changes she saw in her grandbabies as a result of attending Brilliant Detroit’s one-on-one tutoring was astounding. She is proud to share that they have not only made the Honor Roll, but the Principal’s List as well, and grown more confident all around to boot. Miss Q, now the Community Engagement Manager of Martin Park, first came to Brilliant Detroit as a parent, excited to get her family active with the promise of family Zumba at the hub in the neighborhood that she was born and raised in. Ironically, despite going through the journey of joining as a parent, becoming more deeply involved as an Advisory Team member, and now serving as a staff person and leader in her community, Miss Q has still never attended a family Zumba class. These stories are but a glimpse into the love, safety, and growth that is cultivated at each of the 19 hubs in Detroit and Pontiac.
Part of putting people at the center of our work is ensuring that our commitments to neighborhoods last. Our hubs are not intended to make transformational change for 10 years, say job well down and then close down. Each location is an enduring promise to that community, a bold statement that we will walk with you and evolve over time. That is why we could not be happier to have been selected by the Children’s Foundation of Michigan as a recipient of the Michigan Central Station Children’s Endowment Initiative. The endowment model is all about longevity and sustainability. The selection committee saw in us a partner that believes in long term impact. At our event, Sean White, Vice President of Development at the Children’s Foundation of Michigan spoke about how he watched Brilliant Detroit grow since moving to Detroit just after our founding. With the support of donors like you, we secured matching funds, proving to the Children’s Foundation that they made a wise choice in selecting us as an endowment recipient.
In our 10th Anniversary video, participants from hubs across the city shared the impact of Brilliant Detroit on their lives and why they continue to stay involved and guide the future of our organization. Dawn highlighted the importance of connection and inspiration for young children, that they are exposed to new possibilities that fuel their dreams. The Butts family found a place for their son Elijah to flourish as a reader, inspiring his mother to join our Community Engagement Team. Sheri and her family have been involved with our Osborn hub for over 6 years. Her son, now 10 years old, is an avid reader which Sheri believes is thanks to the programs they’ve attended at their local hub. Ron and his two sons are a fixture at the Morningside hub and are always willing to lend a hand, especially if it relates to car repairs. The Morningside and Brilliant Detroit communities likewise were there for Ron and his family after a devastating fire destroyed their home. The friends made at our hubs become family, there to support and encourage each other, to come together during hard times and celebrate the achievements and growth that are spurred on by our movement of Kid Success
Spoken word artist Lauren Sowell delivered a performance that was not only inspiring in and of itself, it also served as a metaphor for how our model works. Just as we take the input from the community, she took suggestions of words from the crowd – flower, street, blessed – and created something beautiful, powerful, and transformative. “So if you ask me who I am I’ll tell you, not only am I brilliant, not only am I a native Detroiter, not only am I a single mom, not only am I a mother, today, today I am a flower growing from the garden that bloomed me first. From a seed in the ground called destiny, and here I stand as we stand together in the garden of this great organization.”
Thank you again for joining us in celebrating 10 years of Brilliant Detroit. As we looked out on the crowd from the stage our hearts were aflutter. It is clear that with the support of so many, both in the room and beyond, our future is brighter than all the collective smiles we saw as the program came to a close.