4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS YPSILANTI People in the neighborhood: Casey This is Casey’s story. Casey was born in Ann Arbor in 1985. She grew up in the Village of Manchester and was raised by her Great Aunt Alta. Her fondest memory of childhood is her confirmation at the Emmanuel Church of Christ. She was asked to memorize a chapter from the Bible. She chose Ecclesiastes 3 from the Old Testament. Her church elders suggested she become a preacher because, they told her, she had what she called testimony before I had a “a testimony.” When I asked her about her childhood in Manchester she said she was bullied a lot in school. Jim: Why? Casey: Well, I guess I would say because I was the “ngr*” in town. Looking back, I was the only minority. What’s great is that it's illegal now, it’s a crime. That doesn’t change anything for me, but I’m glad that people are seeing that it’s bad for kids. [While racial bullying is not actually a hate crime, it is still traumatic and evidence of systemic racism. From an article by Cheryl Chapman, a licensed psychotherapist: “Bullying is a broad phenomenon and experience; however, racial bullying is very distinct and has unique outcomes for individuals of color — especially adolescents. What are the impacts of racial trauma? Racism, discrimination, microaggressions and other forms of hate (physical and non-physical) are linked to negative mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, these experiences may lead to feelings of isolation and invisibility for students of color.” The current administration is attempting to eradicate the discourse on systemic racism in the public school curriculum. See Executive Order 14190.] Jim: What was your family life like? Casey: My mom is alive but not well. She’s 60 and has cancer. She wants to make amends but won’t friend me on Facebook. I want to see her before she dies. Jim: What is keeping you from seeing her? Casey: Space (distance) and opportunity. Jim: Where does she live? Casey: She lives in West Virginia on the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Jim: Do you have any other family? Casey: I have one younger sister who is happily married. I also have a brother, Shane, who goes by Shorty, and an older brother, Brandon, who eyes and retinal detachment. I have holes in my retinas so they zapped them in both eyes, it hurt like hell. [In addition to retinal detachment and Type 2 diabetes, Casey has several mental illness diagnoses. I asked if she would share about her illnesses.] Casey: Yes, I’ve been diagnosed with JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 goes by Loki. My daddy was Raymond Bishop, aka “Cadillac Ray.” I never knew him but I knew of him. I’ve never seen his face. All anyone could tell me was he played cards. My Auntie raised me, she was actually my great aunt. RIP, she was 92 when she died. [Casey feels an incredible amount of guilt about her great aunt and believes that becoming homeless is a price she is paying. “Because I ran away,” she said, “and because of how I made her feel everyday for no reason and why I take so much pain from this world is because I let her die alone. I was stupid but the wages of sin is death. I’m so ashamed because of how I made her feel. And it wasn't even her I ran away from, it was the Village Manchester.” Casey moved to Ypsilanti at 13 to stay with her mother in a trailer park on Michigan Ave. which is now an abandoned lot.] Casey: I had to get out of Manchester, but then things didn’t map out. Jim: What was your plan? Casey: That my mom would love me. [She did not say much more about her life since then. We talked about her current situation.] Jim: Are you homeless now? Casey: Correct. [Casey lives on the streets and in the parks in Ypsilanti. Sometimes she stays on a friend's couch, but most of the time in a tent which is frequently disrupted by what she calls “domestic situations.”] Casey: It’s like no matter who I’m with, white, black, male, female, it doesn’t matter which direction I go, I find myself in these domestic situations. This has been happening my whole life. Jim: Do you have a plan for finding housing? Casey: I’m trying to get into rapid rehousing. Here’s my plan: I have an eye appointment today, so once I get my eyesight restored, I’m thinking about gainful employment. I could do a minimum wage job, you know, like the coffee shop up the street, something like that. Jim: What’s going on with your eyesight? Casey: I had astigmatism in both bipolar type 2, borderline personality disorder, substance abuse disorder, PTSD and basically issues of trust, mom issues, dad issues, God issues. [She laughs out loud at the last part. While the eye surgery is in progress, her mental health care is not. Community Mental Health of Washtenaw County dropped her case after she missed three medication reviews in a row. She is in the process of appealing that decision.] Casey: Some people need their of medication, I’m one of them, 100%. Like I've got no control over my emotions at this point. The medication I take at night is all out of my system (by the morning) so in my situation I don't have a stable place where I can get back on my medication. I'm seriously considering the possibility of a “9th floor” stay at U-M because at least then I would have a safe place to be back on my medicine. I don’t know, it's just in the back of my mind. [The 9th floor at the University of Michigan hospital is the psych ward.] Jim: If you could go to college, what would you want to study? Casey: Law. I want to know my rights. To know your rights is to be able to defend your rights. I’m treated like I don't have any, but I also don't know them. Knowledge is power. I could use that to my advantage. Jim: Tell me something you enjoy about life. Casey: I pray for sunshine. It just does something for my soul. The sun shining always gives everybody a reason to go on. I pray for it, God does it. It’s the power of prayer and manifestation. “Go outside and look skyward,” God tells me all the time. That's enough for me. Like today, it was a cloudy sky until I prayed about it. [Casey has a calling. According to her and her relationship with God, she is a “Chosen One” destined for greatness on the order of Moses leading the Israelites through the desert or Noah building the Ark. An awakening, she calls it.] Casey: Yeah, it’s happening. I’m getting bits and pieces here and there. Casey points to a cloud and says, “You watch, that cloud is going to disappear.” Indeed, within moments, it did. People in the Neighborhood is a column about the unhoused community in Ypsilanti. 6/30/2025 JUNE 13, 2025 For her confirmation, Casey chose to memorize Ecclesiastes 3. Verse seven states, "a time to tear, and a time to mend; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.” Casey’s time is approaching.
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