I DETROIT F E B 2020
BECOMING MYSELF
Kynnie Rhodes opens up about his experience as a trans man ›››
OVER THE RAINBOW
Vibrant hues conquer the winter blues
COLIVING IT UP
Find friends and save money in shared living spaces
‘
We’ve got you covered.
HouseofPlatinum.com
DETROIT SENSI MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020
sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag
F E AT U R E S
22
Becoming Myself
28
In Living Color
Every transgender personʼs journey is unique, but each is rooted in self love and authenticity.
Seeing red, feeling blue, tickled pink. What you see is what you feel.
28 D E PA R T M E N T S
9 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits
to keep you in the loop LOVERS LOVE Four ways to spend your Valentine’s Day ’90S VIBE Get yours with hot new retro merch. BEYOND BOOKS Source Booksellers offers a vast library of events. NEW RELEASES The hottest films and shows this month
16 THE LIFE Contributing to your
36 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip
hangouts around town BLOOMING BUSINESS Local florists are reinventing the art of arrangements for a new era. CALENDAR Music, parties, and expos to keep you and your Valentine busy
50 THE END
Black History Month is anything but obsolete.
ON THE COVER Kynnie Rhodes is happy to finally live an authentic life. PHOTO COURTESY KYNNIE RHODES
health and happiness IN GOOD COMPANY
Coliving spaces offer a solution to skyrocketing housing prices and the loneliness epidemic.
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A DV I S O R Y B OA R D
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8 DE T RO I T
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I NSTAG RAM @sensimagazine is home to exclusive photos and content.
Magazine published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2020 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.
EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb Founder, CEO ron@sensimag.com Mike Mansbridge President mike@sensimag.com
T
Tae Darnell Co-Founder, VP of Business Development tae@sensimag.com Alex Martinez Chief Operating Officer alex@sensimag.com EDITORIAL
Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder, Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Darralynn Hutson Managing Editor darralynn.hutson@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor
Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director em@sensimag.com
Wendy Mak, Kiara Lopez, Josh Clark, Jason Jones Designers PUBLISHING Jamie Cooper Publisher jamie.cooper@sensimag.com Eric Bulls Associate Publisher eric.bulls@sensimag.com Kyle Miller Associate Publisher kyle.miller@sensimag.com Leah Stephens Associate Publisher leah.stephens@sensimag.com Constance Taylor Associate Publisher constance.taylor@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com
EDITOR’S NOTE
There was a social
media frenzy last month
when Detroit native Lizzo was captured on video at a Lakers basketball game dancing to her own song Juice. The outpouring came mostly because she was wearing a thong revealing her naked rear end, all while twerking in rhythm to the beat. Lizzo is known for her advocacy around body positivity through her lyrics and her social media posts. After the incident, this particular Facebook post came into my feed: “I hate when people don’t love themselves.” It came from someone who felt that anyone who criticized Lizzo didn’t love themselves and hated anyone who did love themselves. I thought, Wow, it must be great to really, really love yourself. I must admit, I’m not sure what that feels like. There’s always something I want to do to better myself; look better, be better, finish better. In this month’s issue, we explore self-love. Represented in its fullness, self-love is a crucial element in our cover story on two individuals who are transitioning, one at the beginning and the other immersed in their proud transgender lifestyle. Detroiters understand that loving yourself isn’t a final resolution; it’s a daily journey—one that Sensi magazine is humbled to take with you. This February 2020 issue of Sensi Detroit is gifted to the lover in all of us. Whether you love your mom, your job, your car, your significant other, or yourself—especially if you love yourself—this issue is for you. The Sensi team always amazes me with the vibrancy exhibited on the pages of this magazine, incorporating quotes and numbers that are easily remembered and eye-catching. We hope you agree that love for information is really all you need. We hope you love this issue as much as we do, but if there’s something or someone or some business that you believe we ought to cover, don’t be shy. Send us an email, introduce yourself, and tell us what you’d love to read about in the magazine.
Whether you love your mom, your job, your car, your significant other, or yourself— especially if you love yourself— this issue is for you.
Happy Black History Month.
Andre Velez Marketing Director andre.velez@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com Hector Irizarry Distribution distribution@sensimag.com M E D I A PA R T N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Darralynn Hutson darralynn.hutson@sensimag.com
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CONTRIBUTORS
Dawn Garcia, Darralynn Hutson
Lovers Love How will you celebrate Valentine’s with your honey? Maybe an indulgent dessert for two or scribing arcs on ice.
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The Katherine McGregor Dessert Parlor at The Whitney The Katherine McGregor Dessert Parlor offers a wide selection of sweet endings to perfect nights, situated in a pretty and intimate space inside The Whitney, an 1894 mansion-turned-restaurant. The Dessert Parlor gives you a night out, a luxurious dessert, and a beautiful setting
for less than half the cost of dinner at The Whitney. Ice Skating at Campus Martius Park The Frankenmuth Rink at Campus Martius Park is downtown’s favorite (temporary) outdoor skating rink. Scene to the city’s annual tree lighting, the rink is open to skaters from mid-November through the beginning of March, mak-
Bakerʼs Keyboard Lounge
ing it a perfect place for a romantic skate on February 14. Live Jazz at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge Billed as “the world’s oldest jazz club,” Baker’s offers live music and soul food on the northwest side of the city.
Couples Massage and a Hot Tub Southfield Family Sauna & Tub in Southfield offers a $150 couples massage experience that can be followed up with a dip in the hot rocks sauna or hot tub (rented by the hour).
PHOTO COURTESY OF BAKERʼS KEYBOARD LOUNGE
Valentine’s Day comes but once a year—so if you struggle to come up with romantic ideas for the big night, we have you covered for Valentine’s Day 2020. Check out our fun list of four exciting places to go on your lovers’ date.
LOCAL COMPANY
BOOKS AND MORE
This midtown bookseller offers stacks of nonfiction, sage sticks, author talks, and tai chi.
Source Booksellers is an independent bookstore in Detroit’s Midtown district on Cass Avenue. It offers a unique niche of nonfiction books as well as unusual sideline items like sage sticks and burners, world maps, shea butter soups, and raw snacks. Most of the shop’s books are on the subject matter of history and culture, health and well-being, metaphysics and spirituality—with many books either written by or celebrating women. The store also curates a series of author talks with local and national authors, providing in-depth conversations about the culture of book publishing and storytelling of subjects currently relevant to the Cass corridor and Detroit’s community at large. Events on the calendar include mind, body, and spirit classes: tai chi, yoga, qigong, and belly dancing.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOURCE BOOKSELLERS
sourcebooksellers.com
“GOT NOTHING TO PROVE, BUT I'MA SHOW YOU HOW I DO.” —Lizzo, Detroit native and recording artist
BY THE NUMBERS Nirvana Smiley Shirt $25 / hottopic.com
1866
Adidas Track Jacket $80 / macys.com Scrunchies / $12 per set urbanoutfitters.com
THE YEAR
Cruise Deluxe Turntable $74 / crosleyradio.com
Detroitʼs Vernors Ginger Ale, one of the nationʼs oldest soft drinks, was first served to the public
9
MILLION The number of registered subscribers on match.com
PARTY LIKE
228 IT’S 1999
HOTEL ROOMS
The number of rooms (plus 60 condos) at The Mid Hotel, which will span two towers on Woodward in midtown, slated to open in December 2020
10
The number of different major types of cloud formations
Old school becomes new again. With the nostalgia of the ʼ90s revival including the comeback of scrunchies, old school hip-hop parties, cartoon reboots, grunge fashion, army pants, vinyl records, and the Friends craze ever present, why not celebrate like itʼs Y2K? The ʼ90s were the era when grunge was born; punk rock got a resurgence; indie music fests took off; personal style was nonconformist; music was insanely good, angsty, dance-worthy, and impactful (Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Tupac, N.W.A., Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees, Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, and so many more); and the teens and twentysomethings finally felt like their voices were being heard. F EBRUARY 2020
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THE BUZZ
VOX POPULI
“BEFORE MARRIAGE, A GIRL HAS TO MAKE LOVE TO A MAN TO HOLD HIM. AFTER MARRIAGE, SHE HAS TO HOLD HIM TO MAKE LOVE TO HIM.” —Marilyn Monroe, actress
MAGGIE SMITH
ERIK LUCATERO
AYO OGUNSEINDE
LUCAS SANKEY
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Jewelry Maker at Shinola Detroit
Of course, I believe in love, even as old as I am. My husband and I have been together for over 30 years, and I always say, “If you don’t have love, you don’t have much.”
This holiday season, give her what she wants and needs…
A ticket to a good time! Sign up for
Curiositea
as a gift for yourself or
a friend and spend an evening enjoying cannabis and CBD infused teas and light bites with other women.
Q
ss Je
Q and Jess will kick off the new year showing how cannabis can help you reach your fitness and wellness goals all year long.
Reserve your seat for our January 16th gathering at Curiositea.us
12 DE T RO I T
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Question: Do you believe in love?
Photographer Royal Oak
I’ve been in love a few times, and it was nice—but love hurts. Do I believe in it? I guess it depends on when you ask me.
Electrician Lansing
I’m starting to really believe in love because I am in love. When I wasn’t with anyone, I don’t know if I could say I believed. But things are different now, and love kinda feels good.
Fragrance business owner Hamtramck
My business survives on love. I believe in love wholeheartedly, and I hope everyone can experience that special love in their lives. I believe in love, don’t you?
THE BUZZ
BILITIES
BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF
1 PRIMARY FOCUS A New Hampshire law requires the Granite State to be the first presidential primary in the nation. This election cycle, that goes down on February 11, after which my home state becomes irrelevant for another four years.
2 LEAP OF FAITH While the calendar year is 365 days, it takes the Earth 365.24 days to orbit the sun. Every four years, we add an extra day to the month of February because without it, the calendar would be misaligned with the seasons by 25 days after just 100 years.
3 BORN THIS WAY The odds of being a “leapling”—a person born on a leap day—is 1 in 1,461.
4 RIGHT ON On February 29, some places celebrate Bachelor’s Day or Sadie Hawkins Day—both a nod to the old Irish tradition that gave women the right to propose marriage to a man on leap day. If he declined, he was required by law to pay a penalty, often in the form of gloves so she could hide the shame of her bare ring finger. 5 MODERN LOVE Since we’re not all Irish, but we are all feminists (because we all believe in the equality of the sexes, of course), any of us can propose to whomever our heart desires whenever we want. Except Valentine’s Day. There’s no law prohibiting it but, sweetie, payas-you-go forced romance is anything but romantic.
6 PETA VIOLATION The origins of the canned-love holiday are as cruel as a red rose delivery in February is clichéd. According to NPR, V-day traces back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a brutal fete during which naked men sacrificed dogs and goats—and whipped women with the animal hides. Stop, in the name of love.
“I always felt that rap didn’t cause crime; it just reflected it.” —John Legend, composer and songwriter
Coming Soon Here’s a look at new releases.
With the awards season in full gear, itʼs also a time for some fun new releases in film and TV. On the big screen, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn gives new meaning to female prowess with Birds of Prey: The Emancipation of Harley Quinn opening February 7. This long-awaited female-led film will throw you into a seductive, violent tailspin that will feed your need for a strong badass movie, welcoming you back into the DC Comics universe. Releasing that same day is a dark and bloody indie horror flick starring Elijah Wood called Come to Daddy. In the vein of reviving the past, the film Fantasy Island (inspired by the 1970s TV show) will release on Valentineʼs Day, and itʼs anything but campy. Guests are invited to the most seemingly perfect island to live out their fantasies, but what theyʼve asked for is dark and twisted and will push them to their limits. Keep your eyes peeled for the long-awaited remake of The Invisible Man, written and directed by Leigh Whannell. Opening February 28, the film stars Elizabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. Netflix releases Locke and Key on February 7, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You on February 12, and Season 2 of Narcos: Mexico on February 13. Hulu releases the premiere of High Fidelity on February 14, Starz releases the long-awaited Season 5 of Outlander on February 16, and AMC releases Season 5 of Better Call Saul on February 23. F EBRUARY 2020
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Hatch a Plan
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14 D E T RO I T
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Room with a Few
Coliving is taking off because it addresses two of our most important social challenges: affordable housing and the loneliness epidemic. TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE
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After an artistic breakdown (complete with tequila), serial entrepreneur Mario Masitti cleared out of his townhouse in Venice Beach and hit the road. He spent a year and a half visiting clients, friends, and family, which was fun, but he eventually got pretty tired of Motel 6s. When a business opportunity came up in Denver, Masitti figured he could handle making a six-month commitment to a living space. A 350-square-foot micro-studio in Turntable Studios, a former hotel next to Mile High Stadium, felt comfortingly familiar and provided what he was looking for—affordability and a downtown view—as well as something he had no idea he needed. After he moved in, Masitti started noticing groups of people hanging out and drinking wine in front of the building every evening around 5 p.m. “I was like, oh, fuck yeah,” he says. “Being somebody who works from home, I’m like, this is amazing. I don’t have to leave or set up happy hour with friends. It’s almost like a Hotel California.” Masitti is now part of a 20-something-strong community at Turntable that not only meets
“I’ve lived in plenty of apartment complexes, and I’ve never seen an organically grown community like this.” —Mario Masitti
every evening for happy hour but also regularly sits down to share dinners and conversation, sometimes accompanied by a guitar or two, and casually keeps track of one another’s activities and well-being. An introvert at heart, Masitti loves this fluidity. Even when he’s not feeling hugely social, he can pop outside or upstairs to the community room for quick visits. “I’ve lived in plenty of apartment complexes, and I’ve never seen a place with an organically grown community like this,” Masitti says. “Usually, you just kind
of keep your eyes to the ground. The pool is always empty. No one uses the amenities. This place is the opposite.” The camaraderie has been the balm Masitti’s road-weary soul needed. “Even my mom’s like, ‘You’re so happy again!’” he says. “Friends Are Included” Loneliness is a killer, more dangerous than obesity and smoking. Studies have found it leads to heart disease, stroke, and immune system problems, and it could even impair cancer recovery. A researcher at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark
Serial entrepreneur Mario Masitti
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THE LIFE
found loneliness a strong predictor of premature death, declining mental health, and lower quality of life in cardiovascular patients, and a Brigham Young University professor’s meta-analysis of studies from around the world found that socially isolated adults have a 50 percent greater risk of dying from any cause than people who have community. That’s sobering, especially when you consider that 40 percent of American adults suffer from loneliness, according to an AARP study. And it’s one reason coliving—a new form of housing in which residents with similar interests, values, or intentions share living space, costs, and amenities—is exploding. Coliving situations run a spectrum, from the resident-driven Turntable model to small homes with a half-dozen or so people to massive corporate complexes like The Col-
“You just don’t hear the crazy stories about roommating with strangers in an unfamiliar city. When people write bad reviews, it’s usually about the Wi-Fi.” —Christine McDannell, Author of The Coliving Code: How to Find Your Tribe, Share Resources, and Design Your Life
lective tower with 550 beds in London. Residents, who stay anywhere from a few days to several years and usually don’t have to sign a lease or pay a security deposit, sleep in their own small private rooms (sometimes with bathrooms) and share common spaces such as large kitchens and dining areas, gardens, and work areas. They’re encouraged to interact with one another, often through organized happy hours and brunches. Ollie, which operates coliving spaces in New York and other cities, advertises that “friends are included.” “Coliving is different than just having roommates, who may be people you found on Craigslist and just happen to share [your] living space. It’s done with more intention,” says Christine McDannell, who lived in unincorporated coliving houses for years before she launched Kindred Quarters, a coliving operator with homes in San Diego and Los Angeles, in 2017. Author of The Coliving Code: How to Find Your Tribe, Share Resources, and Design Your Life, McDannell also runs Kndrd, a software company for coliving managers and residents, and she hosts the weekly Coliving Code
Show every Wednesday on YouTube, iTunes, Soundcloud, and coliving. tv. She has watched— and helped—the industry grow up, and she’s amazed at how few, if any, horror stories she hears. That’s largely because millennials—by far the largest demographic among colivers—are accustomed to sharing and being held accountable through online reviews, she adds. “You just don’t hear the crazy stories about roommating with strangers in an unfamiliar city,” she says. “When people write bad reviews, it’s usually about the Wi-Fi.”
ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Nearly a third of American adults live with roommates. SOURCE: Pew Research Center
From Hacker Houses to Golden Girls As companies fat with funding expand into cities across the globe, coliving is newly corporatized— but it’s hardly a novel concept. Boarding houses provided rooms and shared meals for single men and women in the 19th and early 20th centuries; one of the most famous, the Barbizon Hotel in New York, was a “club residence for professional women” from 1927 until the 1980s. People lived communally throughout most of history until industrialization facilitated privatization of family life and housing throughout the 20th century—with a few disrupF EBRUARY 2020
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THE LIFE
LEARN MORE
Find information, news, and guidance on all things coliving at thecolivingcode.com.
“Coliving is different than just having roommates, who may be people you found on Craigslist and just happen to share [your] living space. It’s done with more intention.” —Christine McDannell
FOURʼS COMPANY Almost half of Gen Zers think itʼs reasonable for four or more people to share a two-bedroom apartment, and 30 percent would move in with roommates they didnʼt know. SOURCE: Credit Karma
tions. In Israel, people have been living in communal villages called kibbutzim for more than 100 years. In the US, hippies attempted to create communes in the 1960s, but they were destroyed by free love, drugs, and egos (which did a lot to discourage coliving, even today). At the same time in Denmark, however, cohousing (an earlier iteration of coliving) was emerging as a way to share childcare. Today, more than 700 communities thrive in Denmark. In Sweden, the government provides cohousing facilities. A handful of cohousing communities following the Danish model have been established in the US, and hacker houses
are common in tech capitals like Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas, but the concept has been slow to catch on until recently. As it becomes increasingly impossible for mere mortals to afford skyrocketing rents in desirable cities, Americans are coming around to coliving and finding creative solutions to all sorts of social issues. Older women are shacking up together following the Golden Girls model. Coabode.org matches single moms who want to raise kids together. At Hope Meadows in Chicago, retirees live with foster kids. The opportunity to pay lower rent (in many but not all cases) and share expenses makes all the difference in places like
New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Los Angeles. When New York–based coliving operator Common opened a development with 24 furnished spaces in Los Angeles for between $1,300 and $1,800 a month, more than 9,000 people applied. McDannell says coliving is exploding because it solves important challenges that plague modern society. “People are signing away their paychecks on rent and feeling increasingly isolated,” she wrote in “Why We’re Building a CoLiving Community Ecosystem” on LinkedIn. “It is due time that HaaS (Housing as a Service) disrupts the antiquated industry of property management and real estate.” F EBRUARY 2020
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BECOMING
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Myself Every story of a transgender person’s journey is unique—but they are all rooted in a love and a desire to live an authentic life. TEXT DARRALYNN HUTSON
PHOTO COURTESY KYNNIE RHODES
T
wo years ago, at the tender age of 17, librarian assistant Kynnie Rhodes was living in her aunt’s Las Vegas basement. He decided then and there that he was going to become the man he knew he was all along. Rhodes had had enough of the depression, the hiding, the isolation that he felt in his own body and in his own home. He told family that he was to be referred to as male, and that he was planning to find a way to change outside what he saw inside. His mom took it the hardest. After all, she did give birth to and raise a child whom she always saw as a girl. Rhodes’s mother didn’t understand why her child never felt that he fit in with family or friends. She didn’t know why he quit going to school after the 9th grade. She didn’t know how to deal with her daughter, who knew inside that he was really her son. This isn’t a story about transitioning. It’s a story about love.
FINALLY FITTING IN “For most of the time I was in high school, I was at home, hidden from the world,” says Rhodes. “I was always online doing research, learning about how to fit in because I didn’t. I didn’t fit in with my friends at school; I didn’t fit in at home; I didn’t fit in my own body.” According to the Williams Institute, part of the UCLA School of Law, approximately 0.06 percent of Americans—roughly 1.4 million individuals—identify as transgender in the US. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health states that this condition, known in the medical community as gender dysphoria, can result in “discomfort or distress caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and that person’s sex assigned at birth.” “I came across these series of videos on YouTube that showed people going through transgender surgery, and it was really detailed, showing every step of the pro-
cess,” says Rhodes. “I saw that there were other people out there like me and that they found a way to become themselves. I knew that I could do the same thing.” The transitioning process is not only about changing the body’s physical appearance but also its societal and chemical makeup through medical treatments, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and choosing a new name and preferred pronoun. For Rhodes, this began with finding the right doctor to provide the right diagnosis. In August 2019, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration clarified that surgery and HRT for trans people would be covered under the state’s Medicaid program. Michigan made the change by adding three paragraphs to the state’s 2,060-page Medicaid Provider Manual, affirming that its Medicaid program could not discriminate when it came to “comprehensive health care, preF EBRUARY 2020
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www.trustrain.com
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LOVE ALWAYS FINDS A WAY
not as anxious as I was before I started my hormones. I’m no longer worried about whether I’m going to get misgendered anymore considering that I pass really well. I’m putting everything I got and have gathered about myself in the gym to achieve the body I’ve always wanted.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RUTH ELLIS CENTER
LIVING MY TRUTH Ahya Simone, 27, a songwritOver the last 20 years, The Ruth Ellis Center (ruthelliscenter.org) er, artist, and professional harphas established a national reputation for quality and innovation ist, doesn’t particularly like the in providing trauma-informed services to at-risk youth and young word “transition.” “It just doesn’t adults of color. What began as a 500-square-foot safe space in describe my narrative. It doesn’t Highland Park has evolved into a 10,000-square-foot, multifacetaccurately describe my story,” she ed center for LGBTQ+ youth throughout the Midwest. “The Censays. “I’ve always been who I am. I ter served just over 500 unduplicated young people in 2018, and just haven’t always been in a comof those, 20 percent identified as transgender or gender nonconfortable or safe environment to exforming,” says Mark Erwin-McCormick, director of development press it. I never describe myself or and advancement. my situation as transitional.” The center is named in honor of Ruth Ellis, who was respected In 2015, the largest national surand loved for her contribution to the community as one of Devey on the subject concluded that troitʼs oldest and proudest openly gay African Americans. Born in an estimated 0.2 percent of metro 1899, Ellis came out in 1915. Beginning in the 1930s, Ellis proDetroit’s population identifies as vided shelter, support, and spiritual affirmation to those whose transgender, and an increasing race or sexual orientation set them apart from the dominant culnumber are undergoing gender-reture. Ellis lived to be 101—long enough to see the center come lated medical and surgical proceto fruition prior to her passing in 2000. The facility continues her dures, even in their teenage years. legacy by providing trauma care, a drop-in center, a health and “Little research has been done wellness center, and family support and preservation. to accurately count the number of trans individuals living in and around the Detroit Metro Area,” says Mark Erwin-McCormick, scription drugs, and benefits inclu- promote more masculine characdirector of development and adsive of sex, gender identification, teristics such as a deeper voice, vancement at the Ruth Ellis Center. and sexual orientation.” Medical facial hair growth, muscle growth, Born and raised in Detroit, Simcare for patients transitioning from and redistribution of body fat. one was drawn to the performing one gender to another must be pro- Working at the Southfield Public arts at an early age, singing in her vided according to standards set by Library, Rhodes has informed his church choir and learning to play the World Professional Association superiors and coworkers of his new the harp at Cass Technical High School. But it wasn’t until college for Transgender Health. name and pronoun preferences. that Simone decided it was time Today, Rhodes self-injects daily “I feel excited. I’m really lookhormones and schedules regular ing forward to seeing what I make to examine her identity. “I started living my truth when doctor visits. During the initial out of my future,” says Rhodes. I was about 18,” she says. “It process of his surgery, he will con- “I’ve noticed how much more was in the second semester of tinue to receive testosterone to confident I am out in public. I’m
“WHAT I’M DOING IS SIMPLY
evolving,
EVOLVING INTO THE VERSION OF ME THAT I ALWAYS KNEW I’D BECOME.” —Kynnie Rhodes
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PHOTO COURTESY OF AHYA SIMONE
my freshman year. I found myself depressed at times because I was presenting my true gender. I dealt with so much harassment, neglect, and sometimes even violence. But in the end, it was more gratifying to me to live my authentic self. It was worth it.” While feelings about “transitioning” may vary, the idea of living an authentic life does not. “I don’t think the word ‘transition’ is a bad thing,” says Rhodes. “What I’m doing is simply evolving, evolving into the version of me that I always knew I’d become. In 10 years, I see myself successful enough to enjoy the things I’ve always enjoyed, like travel, skateboarding, hitting the gym, and writing more manga. I’m happily married with one kid. [I’m] living my simple, happy life.”
“EVERYONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR BODY AND GENDER IS DIFFERENT, AND THEY ALL SHOULD BE
celebrated
AND VALUED. THAT’S WHAT BEING
visible
IS ALL ABOUT.” —Ahya Simone
A 2018 Kresge Fellow and a celebrity in her own right, Simone was a featured artist in the film Showing Up, Showing Out, celebrating Motown’s legacy, produced in collaboration with Carhartt and Dazed magazine. Her music was also included in Travel Michigan’s first-of-its-kind album, Sounds of Michigan, and she performed for the Kindred Music and Cultural Festival in August 2019. “It is important for people to know that every transgender story is different,” she says. “Everyone’s relationship with their body and gender is different, and they all should be celebrated and valued. That’s what being visible is all about. It’s about humanizing trans people, but also it’s about celebrating them for living their truth at the same time.” F EBRUARY 2020
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IN LIVING C LOR Seeing red, feeling blue, tickled pink. What you see is what you feel is what you are. TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON
H
umans have used color to express ideas and emotion for thousands of years, according to color specialist and trend forecaster Leatrice Eisman. As executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, Eisman is the world’s leading authority on the topic of color, authoring many books on the subject. In The
Complete Color Harmony, Eisman describes how even the most subtle nuances in color can result in shades that excite or calm, pacify or energize, and even suggest strength or vulnerability. “They can nurture you with their warmth, soothe you with their quiet coolness, and heighten your awareness of the world around you.
Color enriches our universe and our perception of it,” she writes. According to her research, we all respond to color at a very visceral level, associating specific hues with another time or place. “Color invariably conveys moods that attach themselves to human feelings or reactions,” she notes. “Part of our psychic develop-
ment, color is tied to our emotions as well as our intellect. Every color has meaning that we either inherently sense or have learned by association and/or conditioning, which enables us to recognize the messages and meanings delivered.” It’s with all this in mind that she and a team of experts choose the Pantone Color of the F EBRUARY 2020
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Year, which the institute has named annually for more than two decades, gaining more attention and having more impact with each passing declaration. So this year, expect to see a lot of blue. The 2020 Pantone Color of the Year is known as Classic Blue. Describing the shade as “evocative of the nighttime sky,” Eisman explains the choice: “We are living in a time that requires trust and faith It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on.” She contends that Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious, expand our thinking, open the flow of communication. Her comments are rooted in color theory, which says that a good part of the emotions that colors evoke is tied to natural phenomena. Classic Blue is the color of outer space (look beyond), of the celestial sky (look beyond), of the deep ocean (open the flow).
“Part of our psychic development, color is tied to our emotions as well as our intellect. Every color has meaning… which enables us to recognize the messages and meanings delivered.” —Leatrice Eisman in The Complete Color Harmony
One of the earliest formal explorations of color theory came from German poet and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His 1820 book Theory of Colours explored the psychological impact of colors on mood and emotion. Yellow, Goethe wrote, is the color nearest the light, yet when applied to dull, coarse surfaces, it is no longer filled with its signature energy. “By a slight and scarcely perceptible change, the beautiful impression of fire and gold is transformed into one not undeserving the epithet foul; and the colour of honour and joy reversed to that of ignominy and aversion.” Of red: “All that we have said of yellow is applicable here, in a higher degree.” Goethe’s theories continue to intrigue, possibly because of the
lyrical prose rather than its scientific facts. Today, it’s generally accepted that shades of blue are associated with steady dependability, calm, and serenity. Yellow evokes the color of the sun, associated with warmth and joy. Green connects with nature, health, and revival. White stands for simplicity; black for sophistication. A 1970s study on the body’s physiological responses to colors revealed that warm hues (red, orange, yellow— the colors of the sun) aroused people troubled with depression and increased muscle tone or blood pressure in hypertensive folks. Cool colors (green, blue, violet) elicited the reverse, but the important finding was
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that all colors produced clinically tangible results. It’s not woo-woo science; humans have been using color as medicine, a practice known as chromotherapy, since ancient Egypt. In fact, chromotherapy is as tested a practice as any other alternative medicine— Ayurveda, acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology. While it is widely accepted that color affects one’s health—physically, mentally, emotionally—more studies are needed to determine the full scope of impact as well as its potential to help heal. This isn’t a new theory, either. In the late 1800s, rays of color/light were shown to affect the blood stream. Later research found color to be “a complete therapeutic system for 123 major illnesses,” according to a
critical analysis of chromotherapy published in 2005 by Oxford University Press. Today, bright white, full-spectrum light is being used in the treatment of cancers, seasonal affective disorder, anorexia, bulimia, insomnia, jet lag, alcohol and drug addiction, and more. Blue light is used to help treat rheumatoid arthritis. Red light helps with cancer and constipation. And that’s just the beginning.
sions that include color wheels. Colored crystal lights. Breathing in colors through meditation. Infrared saunas with chromotherapy add-ons. There are actually many ways of adjusting the color in your life, and not all of them require a trip to see a specialist. Unlike trying to self-administer acupuncture (don’t do that), techniques can be as simple as putting on colorful attire or getting some bright throw pillows or plants. You can never On the Bright Side have too many plants. When your physical And you should eat more landscape is devoid of plants, too, filling your bright, vibrant hues, your plate with healthful emotional one is affectfruits, vegetables, and ed as well. That’s where spices from every part of color therapy comes in. the spectrum. It has a deep effect on If a lack of sunlight physical, psychological, has you feeling a lack of and emotional aspects of joy, paint your home or our lives, and it comes office—warm, vibrant in many forms: light ses- yellows and oranges showcase excitement and warmth; browns and neutrals decidedly do not. Choose wisely. Painting not an option? Consider temporary wallpaper or hanging large artworks. On a budget? Head to the thrift shop and repurpose an old canvas by painting it white and then adding whatever hues you are vibing with this winter. If it doesn’t turn out well, cover it up with more white paint and start
again. Have fun with it, consider it art therapy. There are also an array of therapeutic options popping up as add-ons, as wellness studios, spas, and alternative medicine practices incorporate chromotherapy treatments into their offerings. Many infrared saunas are starting to offer chromotherapy benefits, and the combination of the full-light spectrum and the heat effectively tricks the brain into thinking it spent a full day basking in the sun, causing it to release those sweet endorphins that flood your body when the warm rays of spring hit your face when you step outside. It feels good And really, that is everything. Color is everything. F EBRUARY 2020
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GO THERE
The Little Flower Guy 21208 Francis St., Saint Clair Shores
Flower Power
In the face of online competition, Bernie Allemon (a.k.a. The Little Flower Guy) and other Detroit florists reinvent their business approach. TEXT DARRALYNN HUSTON
Growing up in a house filled with the scent of flowers, surrounded by the most vibrant fragrances of yellow daisies, daffodils, marigolds, and lilies, must be heavenly. Those who
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experience this type of upbringing as kids surely grow to become florists. But what becomes of a florist when the floral industry and its transactions have moved online? They reinvent
themselves in creative ways to get blooms into people’s hands. In 1956, Bernie Allemon’s parents, Paul and Marion, opened Allemon Florist & Garden Center on East Warren in Detroit.
Bernie, along with his four brothers and sisters ran the flower shop until it closed in 2004. “Growing up, I was really into anything that came from the ground. I just dug flowers and
plants. When I graduated from high school, I went to floral design school and studied how to style weddings and funerals,” Bernie says. “A lot of the floral shops have gone by the wayside because people can get their flowers online. I’ve had to adjust and change the ways I do things.” Taking individual floral accounts that are as diverse as the variety of flowers is just one way to stay afloat as a Detroit florist. “I have clients [ranging from] restaurants like the Woodbridge Pub to grocery stores like Albertsons to luxury hair salons like Alta Moda Salon
in downtown Detroit,” Bernie says. “I design all of their floral arrangements every week, and I make their establishments beautiful and smelling good.” Creating corporate arrangements by day isn’t all that Bernie does to continue growing and nurturing Detroit with flowers. He also sells single roses in night clubs in the wee hours. Standing four foot two, Bernie uses his pint-size stature to his advantage while searching for potential buyers. “I’m a little person, a dwarf,” he says. “I’m known as the little flower guy in the night scene down-
town and in St. Clair Shores. I’ve even been in a few movies. I use every advantage that I have to continue selling flowers. It’s all I know. The sweetest smell is the pink rose, a rose I call the attaché rose because it has the best fragrance. Who wouldn’t want to be around that every day?” Bernie’s not the only inventive Detroit florist. Before permanently closing in March 2019, Pot + Box, a floral shop formerly housed in the Fisher Building, created a mobile flower truck that traveled throughout Detroit neighborhoods bringing florals right to the doors of residents in Corktown and West Village. Pot + Box owner Lisa Waud also created the flower house tour art installation in an effort to shine a light on Detroit’s broken down buildings and family homes. One Wyandotte florist involved his high school students in the flower business, operating his company, Teddy’s Flower Shop, out of Roosevelt High School on Eureka Road where more than 20 students hold part-time jobs while learning the art of floral design. With the spring months ahead, success in the Detroit flower business depends largely on reinvention.
“I’m known as the little flower guy in the night scene downtown and in St. Clair Shores. I’ve even been in a few movies. I use every advantage that I have to continue selling flowers. It’s all I know.” —Bernie Allemon, “The Little Flower Guy”
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On the Calendar There’s a lot to love about winter activities in Detroit. TEXT DARRALYNN HUTSON
People don’t hide from winter in Detroit. The comedy shows, music concerts, and festivals don’t stop coming. And conferences and tours play on. Detroiters celebrate snowy season— because, let’s face it, we can’t stop the snow from falling or ice from forming. Each year, February is filled with events and activities for the entire family. Whether you’re looking for date ideas or a fun day with the kids this month, Detroit has a lot to offer.
Sesame Street Live Feb. 1–2 Fox Theatre, Detroit sesamestreetlive.com
54th Annual Detroit RV & Camping Show Feb. 5–9 Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi marvac.org
More than 350 RVs, including folding campers,
motorhomes, travel trailers, toy haulers, fifth wheel travel trailers, and a park model, ranging from $6,995 to $400,000, all come together for this annual event. The show has more than 75 booth exhibitors featuring parts and accessories, campground information, on-site RV financing, and RV rentals, making this the complete RV show experience. Admission includes educational seminars. F EBRUARY 2020
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Quicken Loans Winter Blast Weekend Feb. 7–9 Campus Martius Park, Detroit winterblast.com
Enjoy ice skating, professional skating demonstrations, ice sculptures, eats, zip-lining, giant slides, kids’ activities, and more than 50 live music acts.
Dirty Show Feb. 7–15 Russell Industrial Center, Detroit dirtydetroit.com
Sweets & Treats Bus Tour Feb. 15, 12–3 p.m. Tech Town, Detroit detroitexperiencefactory.org
Participants will have time to
sample and buy, as well as hear from some of the shop owners. Stops include Good Cakes and Bakes, For the Love of Sugar, and BonBonBon.
The Fabulously Funny Comedy Festival Feb. 15 The Fox Theatre, Detroit foxtheatredetroit.net
Viverette, and three-time All-Region softball outfielder Logan White.
Nation of Islam, Saviours’ Day
Wayne State University Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Feb. 21–23 TCF Center, Detroit noi.org/sd2020
Feb. 15, 11:30 a.m. Saint Andrews Hall, Detroit wsuathletics.com
The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour
The class of 2020 includes 10-time national champion swimmer Carol Azambuja, national champion diver Paige Kortman, seven-time national champion swimmer Kayla Scott, men’s basketball standout Bryan Smothers, three-time All-GLIAC linebacker Ed
Feb. 22, 7 p.m. Ford Field, Detroit fordfield.com
Motor City Tattoo Expo Feb. 28–March 1 The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center themotorcitytattooexpo.com
For more than two decades, the Motor City Tattoo Expo has attracted enthusiasts from around the world. All under one roof, you’ll find 170 booths and more than 300 artists tattooing in various styles.
Hamtramck Music Festival Feb. 27–29 Downtown Hamtramck 2020.hamtramckmusicfest.com
The festival will fill 21 venues with more than 160 bands. There will be free shuttles running throughout the night. F EBRUARY 2020
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A DV I S O R Y B OA R D O H , H E L LO G R OW
Category: Promotional marketing Author: Alex Benda, founder and CEO
Going Public In places where marijuana’s legal, it’s time to get out of the closet with your pot smoking. Here’s how.
of flower and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrate on them at any time. These numbers are also equal to the amount of marijuana that can be purchased from a licensed retail store at a time. In your home, you can have much more, up to 10 ounces.
Are recreational marijuana shops open in Michigan yet? They are, but it’s currently super ith more than 30 states bis-loving flag fly, take some time to learn limited. More retail locations are set in the US broadly the legality around marijuana use in your to open in early 2020. legalizing marijuana, the state. Knowing your facts will help others tides are turning around respect your take on the subject, even Where can I legally consume? cultural attitudes regarding the use if they aren’t users themselves. Here’s Cannabis can be consumed in a of cannabis. With federal legalization a quick rundown of the current laws private space, such as your own home crawling closer to fruition, has the surrounding cannabis use in Michigan: or a friend’s place. You cannot legally time come for marijuana users to be use cannabis in your vehicle, even if more open and honest about their use? How much can I carry at a time? you are in the passenger seat. Places Before you start letting your cannaIndividuals can have up to 2.5 ounces that are federally funded, such as
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Show It Off There’s a time and a place to discuss marijuana, but when you do, do it in style. Show off your Can I grow marijuana? true colors through your clothing, If you’ve got a green thumb, you by slapping a fun bumper sticker can grow up to 12 marijuana on your car, and by purchasing plants in your own home; they just swag that reflects your feelings have to be in a secure, out-ofon the subject. view area. If grown outside, they If you’re in the cannabis must be locked up behind a fence. industry and are looking to grow Boom, now you’re basically an your visibility, Oh, Hello Grow is expert on marijuana law. If people here to help. Visit our website at in your life don’t know that you’re ohhellogrow.com to learn more. a cannabis user, give them the scoop! Now that you have all the details on the subject, you can The Sensi Advisory Board comprises select industry leaders in a variety of fields, have intelligent conversations with others about why you choose from education to cultivation. They are invited to share specialized insight in this to use marijuana, whether it be dedicated section. For a full list of board members, see page 8. medicinal or recreational. college campuses, prohibit the possession and use of marijuana on their properties.
We provide full-service accounting, advisory and income tax services to the Cannabis Industry and those ancillary to the industry. We are here to navigate you through the complex tax and accounting issues related to Cannabis.
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E
IN H S TO
T Y GE CE L N N O A CH ITION. MAY E N T YOU O MPE O C OUR Y E V ABO AND R B R YOU ND E A R U T S S E MAK IS A E OUT. FAD A T NO AND
OUT
TE, REA IGN U? TO C DES R YO LIVE E FO IDEO WE V EAT E CR WEB NW ING T CA KET WHA
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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E CURIOSITEA
Curiositea
Once everyone is relaxed, she gives a presentation to further folks understanding and then opens up the gathering to discussion. All while making sure that everyone has access to whatever form of ingestion they want. Often, she will bring her favorite strains and mixes to offer to partic“It’s like a ipants. “After becoming a patient, I decided to register as a caregiver with book club he continuingly evolving When it helped her completely wean the state, which gave me the chance to without world of the marijuana off all pharmaceuticals, she became go to people’s homes and teach them the books industry can be overdedicated to teaching others about the about cannabis. This is sort of an exand with whelming to even some healing aspects of the plant. tension of that, where people can learn of the most dedicated of users. That’s By creating an intimate gathering, in a safe and structured environment.” weed something that Anqunette Sarfoh is Sarfoh is able to answer people’s Curiositea meets on the third instead working to remedy with her monthly questions about all aspects of using Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at of wine.” Curiositea meetups. Part educational cannabis for health and wellness. The a private home in Detroit. February is —Anqunette Sarfoh seminar, part social gathering, part themes vary from month to month with all about love so Curiositea’s theme for session, Curiositea is designed to each one beginning with attendees February is “Enhancing your Sensuality introduce the healing powers of mingling while sipping CBD infused with Cannabis.” Seats can be reserved cannabis and all its derivatives to any teas that Sarfoh custom blends herself. at curiositea.us. What better time to and all. “It’s like a book club without Guests also have the option of snackexpand your knowledge than now? the books and with weed instead of ing on light bites infused with THC. wine,” Sarfoh says. From there, she introduces the various Well-known in the Detroit area from forms of ingestion that are offered for her time on Fox 2, the former news cannabis. Covering the spectrum, from anchor turned to cannabis to help treat tinctures and salves to vaporizing and Curiositea her symptoms from multiple sclerosmoke, she guides people through the Educational cannabis seminar series sis following her diagnosis in 2013. best way for them to partake in pot. curiositea.us
Learn about Cannabis use in a calm and comfortable environment.
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THE END
Martin Luther King Jr. (second from left) in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963.
Why We Still Celebrate Black History month endures as a tradition.
Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Black History month in the second month of the year? Carter G. Woodson, a historian, scholar, and educator known as the “father of black history” spent his life advocating for research, study, and the publication of books and scholarly reports about the Black 50 D E T RO I T
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experience. Back in 1926, in celebration of the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in February, Woodson labeled the second week of February as Negro History Week. “If a race has no history,” Woodson once wrote, “if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a
negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” This week of public celebration initially led many city mayors and college campuses to recognize it. Through the years, an abundance of worldwide support allowed the occasion to stretch throughout the
entire month. However, it was the late President Gerald Ford who, in 1976, officially proclaimed February as Black History Month, urging everyone to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
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TEXT DARRALYNN HUTSON