Mama Shu

Shamayim ‘Mama Shu’ Harris is a mother, a community activist, a former school administrator, and the founder and CEO of Avalon Village, a sustainable eco-village in Highland Park. Her dream of building this urban oasis arose after the tragic loss of her son, Jakobi RA, who was killed by a hit and run driver in 2007 at the age of two. Shu chose to heal and honor Jakobi’s memory by transforming blight to beauty and creating something wonderful for the people of Highland Park.

Learn more about Avalon Village and Mama Shu's work here!

Dr. Trina Shanks

Harold R. Johnson Collegiate Professor; Director, Community Engagement, School of Social Work, The University of Michigan

Dr. Shanks is currently Harold R. Johnson Collegiate Professor and Director of Community Engagement at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Her research interests include the impact of poverty and wealth on child well-being; asset-building policy and practice across the life cycle; and community and economic development. She co-leads the Grand Challenge “Reducing Extreme Economic Inequality”, is a non-resident fellow with Urban Institute and founding director of the Center for Equitable Family & Community Well-Being.

Kevin Warren

Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual

Kevin is a Financial Advisor and generational wealth advocate whose work over the last ten years is focused on helping individuals and families live a life of abundance. He believes that financial planning goes beyond numbers and charts. When people are well positioned financially, great ideas come to fruition, opportunities arise, and the world is at their footsteps. He is passionate about helping his clients build a life in which they never have to settle. In his spare time, he enjoys playing drums at church, spending time with his significant other and designing sportswear. Kevin strives to live everyday with humility, gratitude, and service unto others.

Website: kevinwarren.nm.com

Antoniese (Tony) Gant

Director of Policy and Program Operations for Nation Outside

Tony is the Director of Policy and Program Operations for Nation Outside. Nation Outside is a Michigan based organization run and founded by formerly incarcerated people dedicated to criminal justice reform. He believes that directly impacted people should have the power to impact the political process so that their communities are safe and vibrant, with real opportunities and support for people who have been incarcerated. As a young man Mr. Gant was incarcerated within the Michigan Department of Corrections for 20 years from 1995 to 2015. Mr. Gant has organized successful campaigns around housing and employment for directly impacted people, along with working with currently incarcerated people around their experiences of Covid in prison with a focus on people serving long sentences and life. He is also currently working to improve jail voting in the state of Michigan. Mr. Gant is a 2021 Fellow with JustLeadership USA, he also sits on the Region 7 Offender Success Advisory Council, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce DE&I Committee, along with the leadership committee for the Voting Access for All Coalition (VAAC). Tony is also a father, author, (Midnight Whispers Https://www.amazon.com/author/antoniesegant bey) and business owner (T&T Lawn Care@Gantlawncare).

Ashley Goldon

Statewide Director for Nation Outside

Ashley is Nation Outside's statewide Director. She is a Social Worker, survivor, and fierce reform advocate of underprivileged communities. Ashley has a unique perspective on marginalization and overcoming obstacles as an interracially adopted, formerly incarcerated, LGBT+, minority woman. Her mission is to leverage adverse experiences to catalyze positive change in the community.

Just three years from her release from Michigan Department of Corrections in 2010, Ashley graduated Magna Cum Laude with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from South University, built a service-based student organization, and secured employment working with adjudicated youth in residential placement at Metro-Detroit’s largest child-welfare agency, Vista Maria. Ashley’s expert experience, passion, engagement, and ability to inspire stakeholders, quickly earned her a leading role as Project Manager of Therapeutic Initiatives, where she designed and innovative therapeutic, educational and wellness programming for hundreds of youth and families. This included a human trafficking awareness program and an innovative expressive arts continuum that targeted trauma affected youth with juvenile justice adjudications.

In 2018, Ashley served as founding chair of University of Southern California’s Unchained Scholars, a student organization for graduate students of social work adversely affected by the criminal Justice System. In 2020, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with her master’s degree in Social Work, from USC. Ashley is a current Doctoral Candidate in Social Work at USC, and a 2021 JustLeadershipUSA Leading with Conviction Fellow.

Meeko Williams

Founder & Chief Director of Hydrate Detroit

Hydrate Detroit is a 501(c)3 water relief non-profit organization providing immediate emergency water deliveries and water restoration to families in the City of Detroit experiencing water shutoffs. Hydrate Detroit is comprised of a team of friends, allies, volunteers and fellow Detroiters helping Detroiters to maintain access to clean and affordable water. Hydrate Detroit is the most trusted grassroots organization in the City of Detroit providing immediate help without any major funding sources, grants, or sponsorships. We believe water is an essential human right and for those with running water, we advocate sharing one resource to survive.

Beulah Walker

Vice Chief Director of Hydrate Detroit

Hydrate Detroit is a 501(c)3 water relief non-profit organization providing immediate emergency water deliveries and water restoration to families in the City of Detroit experiencing water shutoffs. Hydrate Detroit is comprised of a team of friends, allies, volunteers and fellow Detroiters helping Detroiters to maintain access to clean and affordable water. Hydrate Detroit is the most trusted grassroots organization in the City of Detroit providing immediate help without any major funding sources, grants, or sponsorships. We believe water is an essential human right and for those with running water, we advocate sharing one resource to survive.

Rei Fielder

Movement Building & Education Organizer at Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition

Ryan, affectionately known as Rei, is a radical, Black queer organizer, facilitator, social worker and artist who hails from the Motor City. Rei has been organizing around issues that impact Black Detroiters since they were 15 years old. Their dedication to movement work is fueled by their desire to see Black liberation come to fruition. Rei currently serves as the Movement Building & Education Organizer at Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition where they develop popular and political education curriculum for communities and organizations across the state of Michigan. In addition to their full-time work at MEJC, Rei is a therapist at a local psychiatric hospital and has their own private consulting practice. Rei is a graduate of Marygrove College where they received a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance in 2016. In December 2020, Rei received their Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan.

Jamie Simmons

Engagement Director for Michigan Climate Action Network

Jamie is a mezzo-level social worker who graduated from the UM-SSW program in 2020. She is currently the Engagement Director for Michigan Climate Action Network, where she advocates for climate and environmental justice across the state. Jamie sits on the steering committee for the Michigan Alliance for Justice in climate and on the Michigan Environmental Justice Caucus. She has been a leader in advocating for a more inclusive narrative of the climate impacts and fought for the centering of low income and BIPOC frontline communities in state policy and in coalitions across the Great Lake Region.

Ikaje Amensua (Brother Truth)

Co-founder of Liberated Farms and Pyramid Builders Institute of S.T.E.A.M.

Ikaje, also known to the community as Bro Truth. Ikaje, is an urban farmer and educator born and raised in Detroit. Ikaje is a co-founder of Liberated Farms and Pyramid Builders Institute of S.T.E.A.M. where the mission is to combat food apartheid by empowering the youth with skills and education that will change the culture of their communities.

Derrienne Reese

Co-owner of Family First Solar & Natures Spill

Derrienne is Passionate about creating sovereignty and sustainability in BIPOC communities. Derrienne supports small businesses, nonprofit organizations and corporations with organizational tasks in order to assess and streamline business processes. With a dual degree in Culinary Arts and Hotel / Restaurant Management and over 20 years of hands-on office management experience, Derrienne specializes in hospitable service, organizational facilitation, presentation training & project management.

Derrienne is the co-owner of a Black owned & operated solar installation cooperative (Family First Solar), co-founder of the only Black & woman owned book subscription service that only promotes independent Black authors & comic artists (Fifth House Collective), a self taught hand embroidery artist (Adorned by Dee), co-owner of an herbal soap & tea company (Natures Spill) and serves on the board of a local nonprofit.

Yusef Bunchy Shakur

Deputy Director of Neighborhood Organizing with Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion

Yusef is the son Ava Jo and is a native of Black Detroit, who is well versed in the language and syntax of Black Detroit as an author, educator, and neighborhood organizer. Yusef epitomizes redemption and Black Transformation from what he identifies as a street-holic from the many lessons he learned from his father whom he met in prison for the first time. As a Black organic intellectual, unorthodox leader and father he has demonstrated his commitment to the revolutionary principles of racial and social justice as an activists and organizer to enhance the lives of Black people and other oppressed people through his works of Restoring The Neighbor Back To The ‘Hood by being the Director of the Mama Akua Community House and member of Community Movement Builders.

He has been featured in many newspaper articles, TV and radio interviews talking about his transformation, redemption, ideas, and organizing efforts. He also has received numerous awards such as the University of Michigan Dearborn 1st Place Creative Non-Fiction 2017 Writing Award, Damon J. Keith Center Fighter for Justice Award 2016, University of Michigan School of Social Work Carol Goss Leadership Award 2019, Michigan Chronicle Men of Excellence Award 2019, and Michigan Coalition for Human Rights Community Activist Award 2022. He currently serves as Deputy Director of Neighborhood Organizing with the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion and earned his MSW from the University of Michigan School of Social Work in 2019. In 2021 he started as a PhD candidate at the Union Institute & University with a focus in Public Policy & Social Change.