Dearborn, Michigan has a difficult history with African Americans dating back to its inception by Henry Ford in 1926. Prior to Ford's $5 a day wage policy in 1914, most factories in Detroit discriminated against African Americans. Dearborn has a legacy of inherited trauma amongst Black African Americans due to practices employed to prevent them from living there, including the use of local law and safety enforcement. This American Diaspora legacy can be traced back to historic events such as the war on drugs, segregation, Jim Crow, Black Codes, Reconstruction Slave patrols and Emancipation. Safe spaces for forgiveness are needed to address this history.

Dearborn's Chiefs Ronald Hadadd and Issa Shahin made history with their decision to work with African American leadership in creating a series of community conversations. They went even further by supporting the Homage to Black Excellence research study led by FAMU and funded by Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s CPII Program, which provided a safe space for African Americans to share their experiences with the Dearborn police department, city council members, department heads and Mayor. These efforts towards truth and reconciliation have had a positive impact on community safety today, and the public forgiveness opportunities have been truly beautiful to witness. Both under Mayor O'Reily and Mayor Hamoud, consistent public support for H2BE's work continues. 

Homage to Black Excellence, also referred to as H2BE or Homage2be, is an organization with a mission to celebrate, promote and honor Black excellence in all its forms from literature to art to music. Their mission has opened up creative portals such as Silent East Disco, Music in the Park, First Fridays and Google My Business Entrepreneurs Series all hosted in Dearborn’s Downtown Business District.   

For the past six years, H2BE volunteers’ have been dedicating their efforts to promoting black excellence in Downtown Dearborn by designing signature community policing and public safety initiatives as well. These initiatives have brought together law enforcement and African American residents, workers, and travelers to create a safer, more inclusive community. One such initiative, the Juneteenth Mobility Stroll and Roll, has helped to decrease the negative public narrative surrounding Dearborn's black population, which makes up only 3% of the population but accounted for over 58% of arrests in 2009 and nearly 48% of all citations in 2019.   

The East Downtown Development Authority has supported the Juneteenth Mobility Stroll and Roll for three years by providing marketing assistance, art labels, print materials, and attendance. Additionally, they have sponsored African Americans in the city's history to attend Main Street Now Conferences during COVID. These are great ways to promote cultural events and provide opportunities for historically marginalized communities to participate in important industry events.

The Juneteenth Mobility Stroll and Roll takes place at the largest art campus in Michigan, which was once a site of segregation and bigotry. However, today it serves as a portal for change, supporting local artists and arts organizations to provide access for underserved and underrepresented communities. In the past three years, African American attendance has increased by 50%, highlighting the event's ability to create positive change from a dark and historical past.  

The Juneteenth Mobility Stroll and Roll is not only a celebration of Black culture, but also a commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. “We are proud to honor this important milestone by showcasing the incredible talent and creativity of Black artists,” said Sydni Gothard H2BE Event Curator and Community Outreach. “The event will take place at City Hall Artspace in Downtown Dearborn, providing ample space for visitors to explore and appreciate the incredible art on display. We invite everyone to come out and join us for this inspiring celebration of Black excellence,” said Dr. Julia Kapilango, Director of Operations and Communications of H2BE's Dearborn Annual Juneteenth Weekend of Celebrations.