DETROIT – Detroit is about to become the third city to have a “Human Atlas," which features 100 people who are making an impact in the city and telling their stories.
“It’s full of nuance, it’s full of resilience, it’s full of remarkable people. As I often say, Detroit is the smallest large city you’re ever going to visit,” said Marcus Lyon, founder of the Human Atlas.
Lyon, a British artist, spent three years making “i.Detroit -- A Human Atlas of an American City” and has done something similar in Brazil and Germany.
“(We’re) bringing together 100 nominated individuals who’ve done remarkable things in their communities; people who are moving the needle and creating social change,” Lyon said.
It’s a book that comes to life when you scan each page with an app called i.Detroit. Each individual is telling their story of the city, including Forgotten Harvest CEO Kirk Mays.
There are 99 other people from Detroit in this book with stories that are, as Marcus would say, “the real Detroit.”
“I’m literally a portal, a vehicle in which we can tell that story more accurately to a world that often gets to hear the wrong story about Detroit,” Lyon said.
The book launches Thursday with a virtual meet and greet with Lyon and will be hosted by Local 4 News' Rhonda Walker. The free event starts at 11 a.m. and you can also purchase a copy of the book at the Charles H. Wright Museum.
Click here to learn more about the virtual book launch event.