Arlene Gardner recalls when
smoke caused by wildfires in Canada drifted into her Eastside Detroit neighborhood. The smoke lingered, forcing residents to breathe unhealthy air during the summer of 2023. Even if fires never burned in Canada over the summer, Gardner says her neighborhood still faces poor air quality due to pollution from uses like semi-trucks. Similar situations are seen across Black communities due to segregation, according to the
American Lung Association.
Detroit and cities across the United States were developed, and are continuing to be developed, in ways that prevent its residents from living healthy and fulfilling lives. Racist government actions, both present and past, mean many do not have access to clean air, nutritious food, clubs and medical services.
Ultimately, these become privileges only afforded to wealthier, usually whiter, communities.
Detroit consistently ranks among the United States’ most unhealthy cities. In 2023, WalletHub ranked the country’s healthiest and unhealthiest cities by
comparing 181 American cities — including 150 of the country’s most populated and at least two of the most populated from each state.
A city could earn up to 100 points based on four categories — health care, food, fitness and green space. Detroit earned 32.97 points, enough for the 172nd spot on the list. In other words, the Motor City is the country’s 11th most unhealthy city.
Redlining and its impacts
The 20th century saw the federal government’s use of
redlining — outlining areas on maps in red that contained a large number of residents of color. Redlined areas were deemed “hazardous” for investment and people living in them were denied access to credit, even if they were personally
qualified for loans.
The
result is poor health, less urban amenities and many more detrimental impacts. This happened in Detroit, redlined in
1939, but
Stoudamire Wellness Hub Director Nayomi Cawthorne says the redlining is only a small part of the story.
Stoudamire is a program of
Eastside Community Network, headquartered on Conner St.
“[It’s also] about corporations and corporate responsibility, and it’s also city policy,” Cawthorne says. “You can dump waste sewage [...] upriver, and what happens when you do this? It comes downriver. It goes down into some of the most polluted zip codes in the country.”
Cawthorne says redlining is just one way to visualize this, but policies outside of redlining also impact quality of life. Take policies allowing the construction of Stoudamire’s neighbor, Stellantis, for example.
Stoudamire staff, members and neighborhood residents smell and breathe the chemicals every time Stellantis releases gasses and paint fumes, according to Savana Brewer, a senior director at Eastside Community Network. The factory’s construction also eliminated trees, a source of
health benefits, caused an increase in traffic and speeding, and resulted in semi trucks going down residential streets – adding more pollution and danger.
Member Arlene Gardner says the trucks come and go “all day long,” and she tries to make sure her son stays away from the pollution the trucks emit.
“It’s not good for our health,” Gardner says. “It’s crazy.”
While Stoudamire cannot control Stellantis’ pollution or how last summer’s wildfires affected air quality, Gardner says at one point Stoudamire offered wearable air monitors so people would know if it was safe to go outside without a mask.
Other assistance offered to members is free health services through the Wayne Health mobile at the Stoudamire, including regular checkups and vaccines, according to Cawthorne.
Still, when it comes to pollution from Stellantis, Gardner says, while impossible for many, members and residents should make sure they do not have a health issue because the pollution will make it worse.
Brewer says Stoudamire primarily works with Black people, whose “chronic illnesses and conditions and health disparities are higher than our white counterparts,” especially type-two diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Other conditions Brewer mentions are breast cancer in Black women, asthma in Black children, and COVID-19.
Other than factory-induced problems, Cawthorne also says there is a lack of access to food, public transportation, income, education and opportunities to pursue passions -- all aspects of wellness that are often hard to quantify.
“It impacts your sense of possibility, all of these racist policies,” Cawthorne says. “That is one of the deepest harms of oppression, is that then you don’t get a chance to be who you are.”
Improving physical wellness at Stoudamire
In an effort to help people, Stoudamire
offers over thirty classes, clubs, and events to Eastside residents covering a range of interests. Currently, around 20 of those listed are related to health or nutrition, including
Zumba Vibes and
Beginner Step – said to improve muscle tone, posture, cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility.
“I have lost twelve pounds since I've been in the Zumba classes,” Gardner says. “It motivates me to keep trying, and that’s what made me say I want to be a part of the step [classes].”
Community Wellness Coach Adesine Wheeler says another member has lost about 25 pounds since joining an aerobic step class. Wheeler says the member cites the classes and instructors as encouraging members to lose weight.
Other classes cover more specific interests, from self-defense to spin classes. Beginner and intermediate ballroom, for example, teaches participants the fundamentals of Detroit-style ballroom dancing.
Stoudamire also supports using holistic approaches, like yoga or healthy eating, to support wellness.
A cooking class for teens spreads knowledge of the food-related side of physical health. While some teens in the class are responsible for cooking at home, Wheeler says others normally do not – using the class for new experiences.
For one of the meals, they made homemade spaghetti sauce, peeling, cutting and bowling down the tomatoes. “Some people either never had done that or just used spaghetti sauce,” Wheeler says.
Brewer says the class also impacts other dimensions of wellness, like social wellness, through socializing with other class members, eating, exploring new foods and learning new skills together.
The WSU Adult Nutrition Class also offers cooking demonstrations,
another helps members build a foundation to manage weight and boost energy and make better food choices, while a
third teaches the body’s response to eating healthy.
Residents have access to fresh food from Eastern Market which brings low-cost produce to Stoudamire every Saturday. Members with cars have driven 15 miles or more to access fruit and vegetables.
Eastern Market and Stoudamire negotiated to provide funding to members of Stoudamire’s current weight loss challenge if they attend nutrition classes. One member bought greens, grapes and other food for $5 through Eastern Market’s help; she estimated the produce would have cost double or triple at a grocery store, according to Wheeler.
Financial Accessibility
To ensure financial accessibility, annual memberships are on a pay-what-you-can basis — free to $20.
“They always offer incentives,” Gardner says. “I haven’t caught up with how many I introduced, but they have an incentive where [if] you invite so many people, you get a Fitbit.”
Plus, residents living in adjacent zip codes can access wellness coaches and Stoudamire’s transportation program.
Funding keeps Stoudamire operating, but Cawthorne says one metric she uses to measure success is neighborhood engagement.
Even with the pay-what-you-can approach, Stoudamire is sustainable because its members want to be there, according to Cawthorne. Also, the area needs a place for people to receive services ranging from free vaccines and checkups to youth programming, advocacy work, tech work, recreational activities and more.
The result is that 55% of Stoudamire members are from the neighborhood, which Cawthorne calls an indication of success.
Cawthorne says that the role of the wellness coaches is to help members determine where they are with their health, what their wellness goals are and how the coaches can help them to achieve those goals.
“What a place like this does is humanize those issues,” Cawthorne says. “These aren’t just abstract concepts here – these are people’s real lives."
Eastside Community Network’s Stoudamire Wellness Hub is located at 4401 Conner St. in Detroit. To learn more about Stoudamire’s memberships, events and classes,
click here.
Resilient Neighborhoods is a reporting and engagement series examining how Detroit residents and community development organizations work together to strengthen local neighborhoods. It's made possible with funding from The Kresge Foundation.