Introducing the DEAL 8 Racial Equity Fellows!

We officially kicked off our newest cohort: DEAL 8 (and during a snowstorm, no less)! 

The DEAL 8 Racial Equity Fellows are embarking on our year-long program focused on training and supporting those working to end structural racism in Detroit. 

We started the cohort year with a two-day orientation earlier in January. One of the highlights was collectively sharing the ancestors and artifacts we hold close in our work. 

"The level of authenticity, curiosity, and productive challenge DEAL 8 displayed during the Orientation will make for a very robust year of thinking and strategizing together. I am genuinely excited to see what comes up for them throughout the year and how they will implement the tools towards action in the future." — Rhiannon Chester - Bey, DEAL Fellowship Manager

One of DEAL’s priorities is focusing on racial equity from a personal to structural lens. Fellows connect to anti-racism movement ancestors, as a means of personal and movement transformation. DEAL emphasizes that co-liberation toward racial equity is as much about our personal journeys as it is about addressing oppressive systems.

DEAL’s ultimate impact is shifting fellows’ baseline understanding of racial equity and supporting their journey toward co-liberation. Fellows discover more about themselves, Detroit, and the deep history of structural racism — through building a shared understanding, developing skills and tools, and co-creating a space to deepen relationships.