By La'Shante “Shaunie” Grigsby
The crackling of fire hydrants on hot summer days
And free ice cream from Mr. Softee on your birthday
This is where I play
This is where I live
This is where I love
This is where I lust
This is where I found me
I met them and we become us
Laughter and bumpin music became the soundtracks of our lives
Evicted homes and abandoned playgrounds become our stage
"Y'all get in this house" became the opening lines of this script
The innocence of being a kid
Posted outside the home of your neighbors crib
Pops on the grill q'n some ribs
The smell of love is in the air With no care in the world
This is the life we live in my community
There's no hate or discrimination
Just love and adoration
Appreciation to be a part of something so beautiful
Thank you, fore meeting you is how I became me
I will never forget all that you have taught me
Those life lessons are here to stay
I'll take the good, bad & the ugly
The cold nights under the fire
No lights but that didn't matter
It was the calm and the storm
The love from your child un-torn
It will forever remain the same
It is embedded into my soul that itches to learn of every story untold
Forever and always, I remain Detroit
About La'Shaunte
La'Shante (Shaunie) Grigsby is originally from Detroit - born and raised. After high school, she attended Clark Atlanta University and obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology & Criminal Justice. Later, she moved to Minnesota to pursue a Master's of Education, graduating in May 2017. She wants to focus her energy on improving, supporting and uplifting the lives of young people and continues her journey gain more knowledge, experience and perspectives through travel. She currently works as a Youth Development Specialist, where the basis of her work is grounded in the arts, and she uses this as a tool for inquiry and self-empowerment for and with the young people she works with. She is looking forward to returning to her hometown next year to give back all that has been invested in her by the city of Detroit.
