2023-08-04 08:34:13
The Detroit City Repair Task Force is a 13-member body consisting of four executive members appointed by the Sheffield Council President and nine at-large members. The task force will develop recommendations for housing and economic development programs that address historical discrimination once morest the black community in Detroit.
Remedies Task Force Committee Members
keith williams
co-president of
the Executive Committee camila collins
General Member (D3) Lauren Hood
co-president of
The Executive Committee Bernardo Parker
General member (D4) Rev. Fr. Dra. JoAnn Watson
Executive Committee Gregorio Hicks
General Member (D5) Dorian Tyus
Executive Committee Maurice Weeks
General Member (D6) Allen Venerable
General member (D1) janis hazel
General Member (D7) jeffrey robinson
General member (D2) anita bella
general member (At-Large); Sidney Celloway
General Member (At-Large)
The next meeting of the working group
Saturday, August 5, 2023
2 – 4 pm
In person
Wayne County Community College District
801 West Fort Street
or Via Zoom
For more information
Contact Paris Blessman @ (313) 224-4505 or [email protected]
Executive Committee Co-Chairs
Keith Williams – Chairman of the Michigan Democratic Black Caucus. He led the campaign that got the Reparations Task Force on the ballot. At the same time, he is the Director of Recruitment for the Wayne County Sheriff. Previously, he was Vice President of the Wayne County Commission, an organization designed to pursue social justice goals.
Lauren Hood -Lauren A. Hood is the founder and chief visionary of the Institute of AfroUrbanism (IAU). The IAU is a think tank and laboratory for action in search of what it means to be black and prosper. In 2020, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) awarded her for her visionary approaches with the Charles Blessing Award for thought leadership in planning and civic affairs for her consulting work in community engagement and leadership of the community development corporation, Live6. . She currently serves as Chairperson of the Detroit City Planning Commission and as Trustee of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. In the fall, she joins the faculty of the Taubman College for Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Michigan as an Assistant Professor of Practice.
Members of the Executive Committee
Rev. Dra. JoAnn Watson : Pastor, media personality, and formerly a Detroit City Councilwoman for ten years. She is currently an on-air personality for 910 AM Superstation/WFDF and Comcast Channel 91 WHPR as the host of Wake Up Detroit. Watson also appears as an on-air television personality for The Word Network as the host of Wake-Up World. Watson is an associate professor at Wayne County Community College, where she teaches English. Watson also serves as the associate pastor of West Side Unity Church and is a faculty member of Unity Urban Ministerial School.
Dorian Tyus – City government attorney who was born and raised in Detroit. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, and sociology. He then went to Howard University School of Law in 2009. He is a member of the executive board and chair of the NAACP Detroit branch criminal justice committee, chair of political action for the NAACP Michigan State Conference and a board member of the Michigan Black Democratic Caucus. He also works as a senior communications adviser for the Michigan Democratic Party and helped run the party’s voter protection operations for the 2020 presidential election.
general members
Allen Venable – Detroit attorney, founded his own firm with litigation and transaction practice. He attended Michigan State for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in labor relations and received his JD from Howard University School of Law. Previously, he served on the board of the Urban League of Detroit, the Augustus Straker Lawyers Foundation, and the National Bar Association as Regional Director for Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Dr. Jeffery Robinson – principal of the Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy in the Detroit Community School District. Dr. Robinson is one of the leading experts on Africa-focused education in the Detroit public school system and is one of the original staff members of the Malcolm X Academy, the nation’s first Africa-focused public school. He has also held adjunct professorships in African American and African Studies programs at Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University, as well as Wayne State University College of Education.
Camille Collins-
Bernard Parker III – Non-profit consultant and former Wayne County Commissioner. Currently Vice President of External Affairs for the Suburban Mobility Authority for Detroit Regional Transportation (SMART). Former Director of Government Relations for the Detroit Regional Chamber.
Dr. Gregory Hicks – Former executive director of the 2012 Detroit charter review commission and secretary of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners. He received a Ph.D. in philosophy, a master’s in sociology, a master’s in urban planning, and a bachelor’s in public affairs, all from Wayne State. Hicks’ professional life has focused on public policy solutions to reduce social and economic inequities.
Maurice Weeks : corporate activist, organizer and leader for economic and racial justice. Maurice is the Co-Founder and former Co-CEO of The Action Center on Race and the Economy. Throughout his career, Maurice has worked with community organizations, unions, and racial justice activists on a variety of social justice issues. Maurice has a vested interest in the economic extraction of communities of color and the abolition of the prison state. Maurice has a BA in Sociology from Swarthmore College and an MA in Economics from the University of Detroit Mercy. Originally from Newark, NJ, Maurice now lives in Detroit with his wife and son.
Janis Hazel – Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC 7D05) for District 7 of Washington, DC. She is the Director of Communications for Councilmember District 7 Vincent C. Gray and has served as Director of Communications in the Executive Office of the Mayor. She was appointed by the Obama Administration to manage the Census Decade operations of the US Department of Commerce Census Bureau for the 2010 District of Columbia Census. She has served as Director of Development and Communications for Howard University Television (WHUT-TV). Originally from Detroit, MI with a degree in political science from the University of Michigan, she served as director of marketing for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, event marketing manager for the Detroit Convention Bureau, and was part of the team that won the bid. for Detroit to host Super Bowl XL. She served as executive director of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, producing Grammy Awards events with Aretha Franklin, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and other iconic artists.
General members (in general)
Anita Belle : Grassroots activist and president of the Reparations Labor Union and co-chair of the Detroit Chapter of N’COBRA, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America. She is the creator, the Queen of Heaven, and the Princess of Mars in “Exodus To Mars,” an afrofuturistic comic regarding black Martians seeking reparations. She is the lawyer for the narcotics trafficking cases of the Nicaraguan contras who sued the CIA for importing narcotics into segregated black neighborhoods in the United States, thus causing genocide. In 2022, a companion case was referred to the United Nations Anti-Genocide Enforcement Tribunal for action during the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent. She hosts Detroit’s annual Repair Awareness Day on February 25, during Black History Month.
Cidney Calloway – Cidney Calloway is a social justice advocate and community organizer known for her involvement with the Black Lives Matter movement. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, she developed a strong sense of responsibility to her community from an early age. Cidney’s passion for justice and liberation led her to become involved in activism and advocacy for the black community.
In 2020, Cidney became a vocal abolitionist during the nationwide protests that erupted following the public murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. Inspired by the need for systemic change, she actively participated in peaceful protests demanding an end to police brutality and racial injustice. Unfortunately, during one of these peaceful demonstrations, Cidney was arrested for her activism.
After her arrest, Cidney’s dedication to the cause did not waver. Instead, she led her to join forces with the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), a prominent and influential coalition of organizations that advocate for black liberation and social justice. As a two-time M4BL Fellow, she played a crucial role in organizing and amplifying the voices of those who fight for racial equality and advocate to dismantle systems and recreate what it means to be safe in the Black community.
As Cidney continued her journey as an activist and abolitionist, she recognized the importance of legal representation and community empowerment in the fight once morest systemic injustice. Subsequently, she found her way to the Detroit Justice Center, a nonprofit organization that provides legal support, advocacy, and resources to low-income communities in Detroit.
Cidney currently serves as the office manager for the Detroit Justice Center. In this role, she plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth running of the organization and continues to contribute to the fight for justice and equality in her community. Her dedication, resilience, and her commitment to elevating Black voices have made her a respected and influential figure in the ongoing fight for social change and creating a more just future for all.
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