Detroit Made Me: Saunteel Jenkins on Grief, Grit, and Growing Up on Joy Road

“You can’t fix what you don’t understand, and I understand Detroit because I’ve lived it.” This week on Detroit is Different, Saunteel Jenkins takes the mic and the city into her heart as she opens up about growing up on Joy Road with six kids, one bathroom, and more love than space. “I didn’t even know we were poor,” she laughs, describing a Detroit childhood full of dance routines, Kool-Aid houses, and lessons in resilience. From Focus: HOPE to fighting for public policy with City Council, Saunteel shares how a moment of grief after her brother’s murder pushed her to finish school — not just for him, but for the kids who took his life. “They needed the love he had,” she says. Now running for mayor, she reflects on lessons from working with Maryann Mahaffey, how her father’s 47 years as a letter carrier shaped her work ethic, and why every city employee should be a customer service rep for Detroiters. “This isn’t just politics — it’s personal.” You’ll hear why this isn’t just another campaign; it’s a calling.