A new non-profit organization is on the scene to help ensure Black leaders in this space are nurtured and developed so that the next group coming in can get a fair shake in the nonprofit ecosystem in the city, Model D Media reported.
Nine nonprofit leaders came together to create the Black Executive Director Alliance of Detroit, which Kim Johnson and Anise Hayes co-founded. The two Black women and big names in the Detroit-based nonprofit organizations discussed the nonprofit ecosystem in the city and wanted to grow from there, according to the article.
They are the founders of Developing K.I.D.S. and Atlantic Impact and said in addition to a “higher level of leadership development” being needed, what is also desired is represented behind the leadership of Detroit-based nonprofits.
“It’s important for kids to see leaders of color,” Johnson says in the article. “As a child, most of the leaders I saw were not people of color. These were great people but representation matters.”
The Black Executive Director Alliance of Detroit was created last fall with peer mentoring being at the forefront of the conversation.
The Black Executive Director Alliance of Detroit includes:
- Tiffany Brown, founder and executive director of Developing Despite Distance
- Reneé Fluker, founder and president of the Midnight Golf Program
- Richard Grundy, co-founder and CEO of JOURNi
- Anise Hayes, founder and executive director of Atlantic Impact
- Kiesha Jackson, founder and executive director of Caleb’s Kids
- Kim Johnson, founder, president, and CEO of Developing K.I.D.S.
- Eric Miller, founder and president of The Lawn Academy
- Courtney Smith, founder and CEO of Detroit Phoenix Center
- Nicole Wilson, executive director of The Yunion
The nine nonprofits represent youth-serving organizations, according to the article, and they are still running independently, but help support the other groups for optimal success.
“This is about supporting each other so we can achieve success. It’s not a competition. It’s about breaking down working in silos,” Johnson said in the article.
Read the full story here.
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