Brandon Twp.- What possesses a man to give up all the creature comforts in his life to bring justice to a community?
This is the question Lynne Kishell Huff seeks to answer in her new book, ‘Urban Warrior,? a biography of Motor City Blight Busters founder and Ceo John Joseph George.
Huff, a township resident whose pen name is simply ‘Kishell,? tells the story of a man who was frequently without funds, who gave his coat and shoes to the homeless, even as he was homeless himself for a time. She conducted hours of research on what it takes to be a person of change, conducting many hours of interviews with not only George, but also his many family members, friends, volunteers, the business community and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer.
It was more than 25 years ago when George founded Motor City Blight Busters, a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing Detroit by tearing down abandoned houses, creating relationships, and transforming people.
Huff, a youth pastor at St. Anne Church, has been volunteering with Blight Busters for the past 15 years.
‘It’s not just about tearing down houses, but meeting people in that area and creating friendships and a bond to create lasting change,? she said, noting youth group members have been transformed by the work and the people with whom they have developed relationships. Likewise, urban kids she brought to work in Blight Busters have been changed by their suburban counterparts.
‘They are different environments, but the same people inside,? she continued. ‘What is unfamiliar is sometimes scary. The makeup of the neighborhoods is different and the way of speaking is a little different, but when they talk about music and school, they discover they’re all the same.?
John George is the essence of Huff’s story, her second self-published book. The 59-year-old has had a passion for writing since the age of 10, when she wrote a manuscript on a bike ride through Michigan. Her first self-published non-fiction book, ‘Thanks for All You’ve Done for Me,? was released in 2008 with the goal of helping parents communicate with their teenagers.
In ‘Urban Warrior,? she has not only told the personal story of George, but Huff, who has a degree in social work, has done research on what it takes to be a person of change. She defines an urban warrior as a person ‘who is selfless and very focused, and their mission in life is to bring justice at all costs, even if that means sacrificing their own life, which they don’t see as a sacrifice… Someone that stands up for good, justice, peace.?
George is such a person, she said.
‘People think very highly of him and are amazed at what he can accomplish,? said Huff. ‘He has torn down hundreds of houses, with no contractors, no funding. Volunteers have literally been tearing houses down with our hands.?
George was motivated to make a change after contending with drug dealers behind his house. He also created Angels Night, with the mission to counteract Devils Night with a force of volunteers who would patrol Detroit on the nights immediately preceding Halloween. In doing so, they reduced the number of arsons dramatically. He also initiated a clean sweep, asking residents to get out and use brooms to sweep their streets clean of debris. He was instrumental in getting Meijer to agree to bring a store to a city that was hungry for a major grocery with affordable, nutritious food, a change from the gas stations and convenience stores they had available to them.
Huff hopes the book brings inspiration to readers, but she also hopes it creates more funding for George’s mission. All of the profits from ‘Urban Warrior? will be used to support Motor City Blight Busters.
A book signing will be from 1-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, at Great Harvest Bread Company, 1015 S. Baldwin Road, Lake Orion. ‘Urban Warrior? is also available on amazon.com.