Before we get started, a note. This series talks about drugs and drug use.

What you'll hear is for informational purposes only.

Always consult with a medical professional before starting any form of treatment.

Lister discretion is advised.

You've got the spirit

tell you're from Detroit.

I didn't know you could love a place like you love a person

until Detroit broke my heart.

I grew up there in the 80s and 90s during the crack era and living on what was

considered a good block as part of a good family didn't take away the very

practical reasons why I lived in a constant state of fight or flight.

Detroit once was called the city beautiful.

It is now called the murder capital of the United States.

Of the 10 biggest cities, Detroit has the highest per capita homicide rate.

Stand up and tell them you're from Detroit!

No one reps harder for Detroit than me, but I spent most of my childhood afraid.

My mom likes to tell the story of how from the time I could talk I'd tell her that one day I'd be moving away from the city and never coming back.

And journalism seemed like the ticket.

It felt noble, like a service, and also exciting, a way for me to put my obsessive curiosity to use, to explore the world in order to make sense of it.

Maybe becoming a journalist could even help me make sense of what happened to Detroit. But once I was

out in the world, I quickly learned a brutal lesson. As a black woman in America,

it takes more than drive talent and tenacity to make it in journalism.

...