Nationwide tour convenes Black leaders and activists, aims to help people in Detroit stop
Dubbed the State of the People POWER Tour, the national campaign kicked off this April in Atlanta, Georgia and organizers are on a mission to "center Black voices, organize, strategize and build with Black communities across the country," according to a news release. The packed agenda for the two-day event in Detroit, which began May 21, features religious, business, nonprofit and political leaders — such as the Detroit Branch NAACP's Rev. Wendell Anthony and former NBA star Jalen Rose — alongside mental health, food and utility help for attendees.
"When you go into communities and violence is running rampant and people are being harmed by their own neighbors, that is a problem. When people can't put groceries on the table, afford to eat and feed their children, where working a job like a teacher in Atlanta who we met, who teaches our students every single day, but didn't have anywhere to lay her head at night, that is a problem," said Angela Rye, an attorney and part of the national committee for the State of the People POWER Tour. "So, our issues are wide and disparate. They cross economic boundaries and zip code, and we are here to stand together, to help to fill in the gap, to stand in the gap for those who are in greatest need."
The Detroit stop was expected to include food distribution at the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and a community resource fair offering housing assistance, health screenings and information about jobs and voting. Panelists were expected to discuss a range of topics from Black economic power in Detroit to community violence intervention. The event was also slated to feature workshops on health, renters' rights and small business support.
"We want to encourage and empower our families and our communities, and we want to bring and increase that village where we can lean on one another and be able to have those necessary resources, not when it's convenient for politicians or leaders when they need our vote, but on a regular basis," said Zsa Zsa C. Hubbard, a native Detroiter and one of the local volunteer organizers for the event. "Our city, we have very minimum resources, but we got a lot of great organizations, and the people need to know about the boots on the ground, the grassroot individuals that are actually doing the work, knocking on doors, feeding babies, helping seniors."
Rev. Cindy Rudolph of Oak Grove AME in Detroit kicked off the gathering in prayer before railing against President Donald Trump's policies from immigration to tariffs. 'Beloved, what we are witnessing is nothing short of ungodly,' she said.
'We are in a mess,' said Virgie Rollins, the Chair of the Democratic National Committee's Black Caucus.
She and other speakers told the crowd they are living through dangerous times and urged them to step up their political activism.
Detroit, organizers say, is a "beacon of hope and base for Black activism," with its history of iconic moments during the Civil Rights Movement, such as the Detroit Walk to Freedom. The city, according to a news release, embodies the spirit of the nationwide tour, "fostering connection, delivering relief and advancing a shared vision for Black liberation."
More: More than half of Black women surveyed in metro Detroit reported experiencing evictions
More: Detroit People's Food Co-op celebrates 1 year of bringing fresh food to the community
"Detroiters are resilient. We are hard workers, we are creatives, we're innovators and we're mover and shakers, and this next season in our lives, we are working together to continue to build stronger leaders," Hubbard said. "We are looking to build a stronger community. We are looking to continue to build strong Black families. We are looking to make sure that our voices are at the table, and if they're not at the table, we're going to create tables where our voices are heard and accepted."
The two-day convening also features a town hall-style conversation on the "State of the People Black Paper," a policy project involving more than 100 Black scholars and organizers, covering topics from transportation and infrastructure to veteran services and entrepreneurship.
"It's not about us putting ourselves on a stage and talking at people. It really is about getting involved with the community, letting folks know that we're here, especially highlighting the organizations that already do this work every single day, and letting them know that these folks have been here, and we're trying to ensure that they have an opportunity to be connected to them," Rye said.
The State of the People POWER Tour is taking place at Wayne County Community College's northwest campus in Detroit and wraps up at 6:30 p.m., May 22. For more information, go to stateoftheppl.com/detroit.
The national tour runs until June 15, and caps off with a national convening on Juneteenth, according to its website. The coalition has so far toured several cities, from Durham, North Carolina to Newark, New Jersey. Next up: Jackson, Mississippi.
Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @NushratR.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Nationwide tour convenes Black leaders and activists in Detroit
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