I’m from Detroit, the most beautiful, Blackest city in the country that has always birthed movements—from workers’ rights to racial and environmental justice.
Black History Month is every single month of the year for our community, which has been home to so many Black trailblazers and history-makers, including civil rights leaders such as Mother Rosa Parks, Rev. C.L. Franklin, James Boggs, Malcolm X, Nelson “Jack” Edwards, and John Conyers Jr.
It’s an honor to represent part of Detroit and other majority-Black cities like Inkster and Southfield, and every day I’m inspired by local Black residents who are leading the way in advancing justice, delivering mutual aid, building thriving communities, expanding our rights, making powerful art, and working toward Black liberation.
I’ve celebrated some of these leaders on the House floor, such as Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, Mother Gladys “Peggy” Noble, Fred Durhal Jr., Chef Maxcel “Max” Hardy, Mother Patricia “Patt” Braxton, Mama Lila Cabbil, and Principal Markisha Stovall of Madison Carver Academy.
And I work regularly with incredible change-makers like Pastor Velma Jean Overman (photo below) and her group Operation Refuge—and Cassy Jones-McBryde who founded the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice, which fights for Black birthing people and equitable access to essential healthcare.
Last night I went to resist fascism and hate at the State of the Union, with Dr. Fatou-Seydi Sarr as my guest. She founded and leads the African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs (ABISA), which runs essential programs such as the Black Immigrant Bail Fund and the Black Migrant Itinerant Law Clinic.
Directly impacted by increased ICE violence, Dr. Sarr and her team are empowering and supporting Black immigrant communities across the United States. We showed up yesterday to shine a light on how Black immigrants are uniquely targeted, and to make it clear that we’re not going anywhere.
Each year my team and I run a civic engagement fellowship for young people, with a focus on Black and brown residents of our district. We named this fellowship in honor of Mama Lila Cabbil, a tireless advocate for social justice and racial justice, especially water and food justice.
Mama Cabbil started the Detroit People’s Platform, co-founded the national anti-racist network Within Our Lifetime, and led the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. With Rosa Parks’ family, my team and I passed a law to recognize Mother Rosa Parks by renaming Detroit’s Grand River Post Office in her honor.
Each year, we also run a campaign school for people in our community who are interested in running for office. One of our Rooted in Community Campaign School graduates is Roslyn Ogburn, a longtime environmental and housing community organizer and leader in food redistribution. I’m proud to endorse her as she runs for State Representative.
And Detroit’s new leader won a historic victory last November: Mayor Mary Sheffield (photo above) is the first woman elected mayor in Detroit’s 324-year history—and the first Black woman to do so, as well!
I’ve been honored to work with Mary on many issues over the years as she led the Detroit City Council. We’ve held law enforcement accountable for violence against protesters. We’ve helped make housing more accessible, including joining the Coalition for Property Tax Justice to stop unjust and anti-Black home foreclosures.
And we’re taking on record companies who exploit artists. Mary passed a city council resolution to support our Living Wage for Musicians Act to give music artists the pay they deserve. She lifts up local musicians, including hip hop artists. We know that Detroit is one of the music capitals of the world—and the home of Motown and legendary musicians like Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.
Together, Mayor Sheffield and I will keep working to make transformative change for our constituents. And she has a brilliant member of her team: Larissa Richardson (photo below), who’s been a tremendous partner as I served in Michigan’s state legislature and then in Congress.
Larissa built an exceptional district team to operate our neighborhood service centers, which have returned more than $10.5 million to residents, and her work for the beautiful families of our district continues!
As our Chief of Staff, Larissa delivered over $70 million dollars for our district through the appropriations process—including securing $1 million for the Ruth Ellis Center, which supports and shelters unhoused queer youth. The center is named after Ruth Ellis, an iconic advocate for Detroit’s Black LGBTQ+ community who sheltered young people in need of refuge, and who came out as a lesbian in 1915.
I’m also proud to support one of the newest members of Detroit’s city council: Denzel McCampbell (photo below), who has led my team’s communications for years. A visionary progressive, Denzel helped found Detroit’s chapter of Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100), and served our city and state as a Charter Commissioner and leader of Progress Michigan before starting his new role.
I’ve also partnered with and endorsed Donavan McKinney, a people-powered State Representative who’s running to represent part of Detroit in Congress—and Garlin Gilchrist (photo below), who’s running for Secretary of State. He’s currently serving as Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor, which makes him the highest-ranking Black elected official in our state’s history.
Other candidates I’m proud to support include Tonya Myers Phillips, who’s running for re-election to the Michigan House of Representatives.
Tonya protects tenants’ rights, saves homes from foreclosure, champions changes to our criminal legal system such as jail diversion programs—and she just led the Michigan House in adopting a resolution honoring Black History Month.
Lathrup Village Mayor Kelly Garrett (photo below) just launched her race for State Representative as well:
Black movement leaders and elected leaders make our community great. I could only name some of these history-makers here, but there are so many more who have shaped and will shape our society for the better.
I promise to continue working in Congress every day for Black liberation and equity. Let’s keep celebrating Black History Month every month.
In love and solidarity,
Rashida