(Photo: Members of the African American Coalition celebrate Juneteenth in Sterling Heights)
The Black political footprints and fingerprints are expanding exponentially for African Americans elected to public offices in Macomb County. A major reason for the escalation of Black representation is directly attributed to the growing population of African Americans moving to Macomb over the last six decades.
In 1970, Macomb County’s population was approximately 625,309, with one percent identifying as African American (roughly 6,253). In 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that Michigan’s third-largest county had a population of 875,101 people, with 14.1 percent identifying as African American (approximately 123,389).
With such a substantial population increase, African Americans have won a growing number of elected offices across the broad sectors of Macomb’s political landscape. Today, of the 13-member Macomb County Board of Commissions, the legislative body has two Black commissioners: Antoinette Wallace (District 8) and Michelle Nard (District 12). In the Michigan House of Representatives, Rep. Donavan McKinney (14th House District) and Kimberly Edwards (12th House District), in 2022, became the first African Americans ever to represent Macomb County in Lansing.
In Warren, Macomb County’s largest municipality, Melody Magee in 2023, was elected as the first Black City Council member. In 2022, Teri Lynn Dennings was elected to become the first Black circuit judge in Macomb. On a national level, Congressman John James (10th Congressional District) is the first African American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to serve Macomb County.
In addition, more African Americans are serving in various elected capacities across Macomb’s 27 cities, townships, and villages.
“It’s incredible to see the growing number of African Americans being elected in Macomb County,” Jackie Kelly-Smith, chair of the Democratic Black Caucus of Macomb County (DBCMC) and former UAW officer, told the Michigan Chronicle. “Living and working in Macomb County for so many years, I always noticed that only a very few African Americans were getting elected. Black people would often ask me who to vote for because White candidates didn’t always go to Black voters to solicit Black votes.”
In 2011, DBCMC was founded with the mission, according to Kelly-Smith, to support African Americans’ pursuits of political offices in Macomb, promote pro-African American policies, and address the political concerns of the Black community while promoting the platforms of the Democratic Party.
“A part of what we do is to make sure that Black candidates understand that they can’t run in Macomb County like White candidates,” Kelly-Smith said. “For example, we urge them to dress differently, among other things, when campaigning in the county.”
Kelly-Smith points to DBCMC’s work in helping prepare State Rep. Donavan McKinney for his historic and successful campaign in the 14th House District race in 2022.
“As a young Black man going into parts of Macomb County to campaign, there were White residents who felt intimidated by him,” Smith said. “He actually had guns pulled on him while campaigning. He is a great young man, and I am blessed to have had a part in helping him make history in Macomb County.”
“Coming from Detroit, it was hard to break through into Macomb County. However, the Democratic Black Caucus of Macomb County gave me confidence and its full support,” McKinney said, confirming that he was often called the N-word. “But I kept going because I wanted to show who I was and what I wanted to accomplish to meet the needs of the entire district.”
While McKinney’s district included neighborhoods on the northeast side of Detroit, he had to carry a large bloc of White voters in Warren and Centerline to win – and he did.
“I pretty much won every single precinct in the primary and general elections,” McKinney said. “I am now running unopposed for re-election, which shows the great work I’ve done in the community for all people.”
Another group with its hands on the pulse of the political scene in the county is the Macomb County NAACP’s Political Action Committee (PAC).
“PAC’s mission is to increase registration and voting,” London Bell, Macomb County NAACP’s president and acting Political Action Committee chair, told the Michigan Chronicle. “Our PAC works to enact broad legislation aimed at improving the political, educational, and economic statuses of minority groups. We also seek to repeal racially discriminatory legislation.”
Bell said that the PAC, which is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates for public office, is excited to partner with the Democratic Black Caucus of Macomb County on Thursday, July 25, to present a Virtual Candidate Forum for Macomb County Prosecutor.
Bell said, “African Americans in Macomb County are very interested in the issues that impact them.”
As the Aug. 6 primary election approaches, many in Macomb County will be watching to see who will win the Democratic race in the 10th Congressional District and move on to face the incumbent Republican, John James, on Nov. 5. James is currently the only African American in the U.S. House of Representatives serving a Michigan Congressional District.
The Democratic candidates in the primary are Oxford High School parent Emily Busch, former Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga, write-in candidate and Macomb County community leader and advocate Rhonda Powell, financial planner and entrepreneur Diane Young, and West Bloomfield Township’s co-vice president of the State Board of Education Tiffany Tilley.
While Powell is a write-in candidate, she has been lauded for her vast experience as a community leader and grassroots advocate who has lived in Macomb County for more than 50 years. Last month, she held a press conference at the Macomb County Clerk’s Office in downtown Mount Clemens demanding action over the signature validation process, which Powell said kept her name off of the primary ballot.
“The integrity of our electoral process is paramount,” said Powell. “The recent challenges in the signature validation process highlight the need for reforms to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to run for office. As a write-in candidate, I am committed to advocating for these changes and to presenting a platform that addresses the needs and aspirations of the people in our district.”
Other African Americans addressing the needs and aspirations of the people in various areas of Macomb County include, but are not limited to, Spencer Calhoun and Theresa Scruggs-McGarity (Mount Clemens City Commissioners), Tammy T. Patton, the first African American elected to the Clinton Township Board of Trustees, who is now running for the township’s treasurer position. In Eastpointe, Rob Baker is the lone African American on the City Council. In the Village of New Haven, Chris Dilbert Sr. holds the elected office of trustee.
Historically speaking, some of the Black political pioneers in Macomb County have included the late Bobby Hill, the first Black member of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners (1990 through 2006), Lee Williams, the first Black person to serve on the Mount Clemens City Council (early 1970s), and Monique Owens of Eastpointe, the first Black mayor of a Macomb County city. However, some county historians believe William Columbus Kincaid Sr. was the first African American ever elected to any political office in Macomb when, in the 1960s, he was elected treasurer and then mayor of the Village of New Haven.
“I have witnessed Black political growth in Macomb County for more than 50 years,” said Powell, the first African American to serve as a director in Macomb County government. “However, there’s room for even more growth because Black Macomb County residents are still underrepresented. Therefore, we must have a seat at the table to ensure that our growing voices are heard and our needs across Macomb are met.”
