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Juneteenth Mobility Stroll and Roll in Dearborn, Michigan
Community celebrations at the Juneteenth Roll and Stroll event. Photo courtesy of H2BE.
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.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $20B in federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) awards distributed to eight national non-profit consortiums. Main Street America looks forward to partnership and engagement with awardees and local programs to identify projects and expand impact throughout our network.
Tasha Sams, Manager of Education Programs, shares highlights of phase one of the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (E3) in Rural Main Streets Program and the biggest takeaways from the workshop experiences.
In this video, learn more about the Williams’ family story, how the business is helping to revive downtown Helena, and the impact they’re having on a national level.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Derrick Braziel, owner of Pata Roja Taqueria and co-founder of MORTAR, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Do you want to support the next generation of Main Street leadership! Start a youth board! Learn how Historic Downtown Clinton set theirs up and how your organization can benefit from one.
The Main Street Movement is a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community. We spoke to Main Street leaders about how they support the LGBTQ+ community during Pride and beyond.
On May 9, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2023 which included a cultural district located within a designated Main Street America community.
The annual Cinco de Mayo Parade and Fiesta in the Mexicantown Main Street district offers a great example of collaborative partnerships that honor the community’s cultural heritage and support local businesses through events.
Meet Kavi, the first Indian American Girl of the Year doll and a (fictional) resident of 2023 Great American Main Street Award winner Metuchen, New Jersey!
Community Development Block Grants are powerful tools for Main Street programs. Learn more about how CDBG's can be applied to our work and how you can advocate for the program
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
We spoke to three women who were awarded Inclusive Backing grants to learn more about their passions, their businesses, and their advice for other women.
Anette Landeros, President and CEO of Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, shares the importance of supporting Hispanic business owners and communities.
#EquityRising, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation's new job training program, seeks to combat rising cost of living by helping residents train for careers that will allow them to stay in their neighborhood.
We spoke to three Black business owners who were awarded Backing Small Businesses grants from Main Street America and American Express to better understand their challenges, successes, and the kinds of support that have helped them the most.
Stockbridge Main Street has made significant strides in exploring and sharing the story of Martin Luther King, father of civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr.
Juneteenth is the anniversary of the final emancipation of enslaved people in the US. Here are five examples of examples of community celebrations from Main Streets across the network.
Oklahoma is home to the headquarters of nearly 40 federally recognized Native American tribes, and many of their offices, cultural sites, and museums are located close to or within Main Street districts.
Kendall Whittier is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in an ever-diversifying Tulsa. Learn how they are making efforts to engage their large Hispanic community.
We spoke with two Black entrepreneurs in UrbanMain commercial districts: L. May Creations in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago and The Four Way in south Memphis, Tennessee.
Main Street America is committed to helping build inclusive communities. Homelessness is an increasingly important issue facing Main Street communities big and small, urban and rural.
To understand the role that immigrant business owners play in Boston’s small business ecosystem, you need only to walk through any Boston Main Streets district.