John George: Going from Devils to Angels

By Bud on February 17, 2008 TrackBacks (0) Comments (9)

John George's nature is to gather a community around his activities, and he set about doing just that when he founded Blight Busters 20 years ago.

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Filed under: Blight Busters | Detroit, MI | Finding Gaps | Housing | John George | Non-profit

John George traces the founding of Blight Busters to one Saturday in 1988 when he cleaned and boarded up a crack house that had become a "nuisance" in his neighborhood (download an iPod compatible version of this 9 minute video, 46MB). At the time, there was a crack epidemic in the country and many abandoned houses in Detroit. The drug addicts just moved on.

John's nature is to gather a community around his activities, and he set about doing just that. Within five years, a part time weekend activity had turned into a full time job, and John was realizing more and more the power of communication. One night, he was sitting with his aunt, and she was dismayed by the prospect of the upcoming "Devil's Night", the night before halloween when hundreds of fires would be set in the city of Detroit. John's view was that if you labeled people devils, they would behave devilishly. So, he proposed changing the name to "Angel's Night". By 1995, the state legislature and City of Detroit had both officially proclaimed the name change.

In future segments, we will explore the vast extent of Blight Busters' and its sister organizations' activities.

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9 Comments

Phia Rabun on March 24, 2008 11:43 PM
Hello Mr. George, I think that Motor City Blight Busters is great! I grew up on the west side of Detroit and over the years have seen many, many changes in the city. We had similar experiences with crack dealers. I had an apartment in a west side neighborhood in which drug dealers moved in next door. I found myself confronting them but, was told by my wise parents that that was not prudent. I decided to leave Detroit at that time. I remember for years my parents participated in the Angel’s Night patrols. I am proud to say that because of your patrols that Detroit has experienced a steep decline in Angel’s Night fires. It has been a shame to see how news organizations publicized the fires, but now those same news organizations have to report on the positive impact of organizations like yours on the city. Although the income is usually not great for community activists such as yourself, I am sure the positive energy and self-satisfaction more than offset the lack of a high income. It is also nice to see that the community is behind you and actively shares your goals for northwest Detroit. Transitioning from a purely grant-based business model to a more community-based model I am sure has had its challenges. I agree with you that the fundraisers can serve multiple purposes. First, it allows you to continue to grow your business. Second, it does allow people from all lifestyles and from various neighborhoods to mix and mingle, I think that when different communities can work together it benefits everyone involved. Third, it allows people to have some fun. Therefore, fundraising can be beneficial on many fronts. I think that you are doing a great job and I wish you further success in your future endeavors. Phia Rabun Eastern Michigan University
Tracy Jens on March 25, 2008 1:50 PM
I just got done listening to the blog of John George and wow is he a motivator. With the bad reputation the city of Detroit has all across the country I am so glad to see that there are people who want to help take care of and improve the city. People like John and his company Blight Busters are really trying to do a lot of good in the community of Detroit, these are the kinds of people and companies that Detroit needs to help put the city back on the map. By John and his company trying to help rebuild houses and revitalize the community they are helping promote the city in a better light. It is refreshing to hear that John likes to do so much good for his community. I just think it is so refreshing to hear somebody say that there is something magical about watching an area that has been beat up turn around into an area that has been remodeled and rebuilt and look like a classy place to live. When people in the community see the areas being transformed from a run down area to a nicer place to live, I think the city will start will start to retain a population of people who want to live in the city. People in the community will see how nice of an area the northern part of Detroit has become they will want to move back to the city. By Detroit regaining a population to live in the city, more businesses will move back into the city because there will be people who will need certain services like grocery stores, banks etc. Right now is a good time for this transformation to happen because in the last few years Detroit has hosted many important events like the Super Bowl. Detroit has the potential to become hot travel spot like Chicago because they city offers a lot of diversity and attractions. It is just that our past image has kept people away because of fear. With the help of good people like John George and Blight Busters the city can turn around and become a hot spot for people to visit. I think it is great that Blight Busters puts in so much good work all year around. I think it is wonderful that Blight Busters coined the term Angels night! I was born and lived in Detroit until I graduated middle school I can remember when was younger asking my parents why was Devils night named so. They would tell me it was because people would go out the night before Halloween and play pranks on other people. I never saw it as a bad thing until I was older. When I got a bit older I finally understood people did mean and destructive things to other people night before Halloween. I never understood why people did those things, I do remember in our neighborhood on Devils night people would always watch out for each other and everyone in our neighborhood tried to keep the peace. When Dennis Archer changed the name from Devils Night to Angels Night, I always thought that was a positive way to portray the city of Detroit. Then when I read about Blight Busters coining the phrase Angels Night I thought that fits in well with that company. It really makes sense that Devils Night be called Angels Night. I mean the company does so much good work throughout the city; they act as angels to city. I think Blight Busters is doing a wonderful job trying to create a positive image for the city of Detroit I wish the company good luck for the business in the years to come. Tracy Jens Eastern Michigan University Student
Dylan Matovski on March 27, 2008 12:29 PM
John, I loved to hear about how Blight Busters was started back in 1988. I myself lived in Detroit for about a year when I was born because my family moved out since I was their second child and the city was getting worse. However, we still owned the duplex and rented it out and as a young boy I would go help my dad cut the grass and keep the house looking nice. It taught me that within the run down parts of the city there was still hope for our house. Unfortunitly their had been some drive by shootings at the house and my dad decided it was to unsafe for us to go there and keep it clean. My uncle still lives in the city and used to own a bar that he turned into a cafe for people in AA which my family would visit on the weekends and people from all over Detroit would come and the people were so welcoming and happy that it was hard to understand how the city could be in such disarray. As a business major I know that a non-profit organization is not really the goal for most graduates but to see your excited and drive to work twice as long as you would if you were still in the insurance industry makes me want to join in the cause. Dylan Matovski
M. Hogan on March 30, 2008 11:23 PM
Dear John George, Drugs are powerful and it is so amazing to hear that someone is working selflessly to help the city of Detroit. Fixing up houses to keep out those who do drugs can definitely help change the city of Detroit for the better. I have lived in the Detroit metro area all my life until July 2007; I had to move south to Georgia. Georgia has its own stories but it will never take the place of Michigan. The city of Detroit will always be in my heart; all my family lives in Detroit MI and surrounding areas. Hearing the stories from my family members about what they had experienced living in Detroit was heart breaking. My family and I are who we are today because of what we experienced. Unfortunately many of my family members walked the path of drugs and ended up hurting themselves. The closest story that hit home in my heart was my younger sister, she struggled through high school and met the wrong people who influenced her to walk that path of crack and drugs. Reading your story brought tears to my eyes because your organization could have nailed and fixed up a house she used to go to. Thank you for all you do and the accomplishments you have made. You really followed your calling and are doing a career that really changes people’s families and lives. I would love to come back to Detroit and be apart of Angel’s Night. Sincerely, M. Hogan
M. Hogan on March 30, 2008 11:24 PM
Dear John George, Drugs are powerful and it is so amazing to hear that someone is working selflessly to help the city of Detroit. Fixing up houses to keep out those who do drugs can definitely help change the city of Detroit for the better. I have lived in the Detroit metro area all my life until July 2007; I had to move south to Georgia. Georgia has its own stories but it will never take the place of Michigan. The city of Detroit will always be in my heart; all my family lives in Detroit MI and surrounding areas. Hearing the stories from my family members about what they had experienced living in Detroit was heart breaking. My family and I are who we are today because of what we experienced. Unfortunately many of my family members walked the path of drugs and ended up hurting themselves. The closest story that hit home in my heart was my younger sister, she struggled through high school and met the wrong people who influenced her to walk that path of crack and drugs. Reading your story brought tears to my eyes because your organization could have nailed and fixed up a house she used to go to. Thank you for all you do and the accomplishments you have made. You really followed your calling and are doing a career that really changes people’s families and lives. I would love to come back to Detroit and be apart of Angel’s Night. Sincerely, M. Hogan
M. Hogan on March 30, 2008 11:26 PM
Dear John George, Drugs are powerful and it is so amazing to hear that someone is working selflessly to help the city of Detroit. Fixing up houses to keep out those who do drugs can definitely help change the city of Detroit for the better. I have lived in the Detroit metro area all my life until July 2007; I had to move south to Georgia. Georgia has its own stories but it will never take the place of Michigan. The city of Detroit will always be in my heart; all my family lives in Detroit MI and surrounding areas. Hearing the stories from my family members about what they had experienced living in Detroit was heart breaking. My family and I are who we are today because of what we experienced. Unfortunately many of my family members walked the path of drugs and ended up hurting themselves. The closest story that hit home in my heart was my younger sister, she struggled through high school and met the wrong people who influenced her to walk that path of crack and drugs. Reading your story brought tears to my eyes because your organization could have nailed and fixed up a house she used to go to. Thank you for all you do and the accomplishments you have made. You really followed your calling and are doing a career that really changes people’s families and lives. I would love to come back to Detroit and be apart of Angel’s Night. Sincerely, M. Hogan
Kathy Powell on March 31, 2008 6:22 PM
Hello Mr. George, I think the idea for Blight Busters great. Growing up on the East side of Detroit, I have had many experiences with crack houses being close to me and my neighborhood looking really dirty. There were many abandon houses and buildings near me that people use to sell and do drugs out of. I heard of Blight Busters when I was younger, but I wasnt quite sure what it was. My mom and aunts used to participate in Angels night, which I think really helped reduce the devilish acts of ignorant people. Blight Busters is really helpful to the community. With the recent activities that has happened in the city of Detroit, I think Blight Busters will be needed more. I think more people should join the company to help out the city of Detroit. Thank You, Kathy Powell
Sean Hoffman on April 1, 2008 11:59 AM
Hello John, My name is Sean Hoffman. I am an Eastern Michigan student athlete and plan on graduating in April of 2009. I think that Blight Busters was and still is a great idea. I come from Midland, MI which is kind of the exact opposite of Detroit. We are a smaller city than Detroit, but we still have mischief on Devil's Night. If we have this to a certain amount then I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through. I think the entire business idea is excellent. Finally someone is taking action instead of just talking and it sounds like its spreading very rapidly throughout the community. I will never forget a field trip I took when I was in 8th grade. We came down to Detroit to go to the Arts Museum and to help out in a soup kitchen. This was the first time that I saw how run down parts of Detroit were. I couldn't believe it. It seemed like people were more interested in things like drugs than their own well being or the community's well being. I think what you have started is great for the Detroit Community but I think it can go past Detroit. I think that this business concept can be a national thing. Think about what our country would be like if we had Blight Busters in every major city. I think it would make a huge difference. Being in Ypsilanti I see some of the things going on that you talk about in your interviews. Crack houses, drug houses, etc. I think if people did something about it then it would be less common. I thought that your analogy about cockroaches was dead on, once the light comes on they begin to scatter. I think that the light needs to start coming on in cities across the country. I hope you the best in the future and I truely believe you have started something great that will continue for years to come. Sean Hoffman
Tyresse Ferguson on June 11, 2008 4:12 PM
Hello John George: I have just finished listening to your post about the establishment of your company Blight Busters and how you and others’ help change Devil’s night into Angel’s night. I really found this post interesting because I am a Detroit native myself. During the time I was going up all my mother and aunties would talk about during Halloween was what had happened during “Devil’s Night”. I am appreciative that someone has finally done something to change the view of that night. Furthermore, the responsibility that you took on in order to make sure your family and neighbors were safe is a wonderful thing. The actions that you took remind me of two chapters from my entrepreneurship book. The first chapter that came to my mind was chapter two, inside the entrepreneurial mind: from ideas to reality, because you took the idea of boarding up one house in your neighborhood and made it into a successful non-profit business. I believe that is what makes a good entrepreneur to begin with; you saw a problem that was becoming an epidemic and you fixed it. This shows how creative thinking is major for entrepreneurs because they are able to think “outside the box” and come up with some of the best ideas. The second chapter that came to mind while I was listening to your post was chapter five, forms of business ownership, because during the first few years of Blight Busters you had funded the organization with your own money. I believe that this type of business is just right for a sole proprietor because there are not many risk involved as with any other business. There are a lot of disadvantages to owning a sole proprietorship such as unlimited personal liability, limited access to capital, and the lack of continuity of the business. I feel that most of those disadvantages are not pertaining to the type of organization that you operate. For instance, the organization will still be able to continue if you die since many individuals love to help out on Angel’s night to keep people safe. Furthermore, who would sue this organization for keeping children, animals, and adults safe on such a terrible night? Although Blight Busters is a non-profit organization it has the potential to expand into the most recognize and popular organization. Sincerely, Tyresse Ferguson

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