The Young Black Lawyers’ Organizing Coalition (YBLOC), brought its Black Ballots, Black Futures campaign to Detroit this weekend, launching a voter education effort aimed at helping Black residents prepare for Michigan’s 2026 primary in August and general election in November.
The nonpartisan organization, made up of young Black lawyers and law students, is sending members of the Black legal community into Detroit churches, barber shops, and beauty salons to talk with voters about how to participate in the election process with confidence and clear information.
The Detroit campaign launched with a cohort of law students who traveled to the city with YBLOC for the outreach effort.
Photo: Drea Somers, an NYU law student and YBLOC member shares a laugh with Dawn Sanford, owner of Shears and Shaves, and a customer during the groups visit to area barbershops and churches to educate the community ahead of the 2026 Michigan primary in August and the general election in November.
YBLOC founder and executive director Abdul Dosunmu is leading the campaign. Dosunmu was recently recognized by President Barack Obama and the Obama Foundation as one of several leaders carrying forward the legacy of Juneteenth through work focused on racial equality.
“Our Black Ballots, Black Futures campaign is designed to provide Black voters in Detroit area churches, hair salons and barber shops with the tools they need to reclaim and reimagine democracy as a vehicle for Black empowerment,” said Dosunmu. “Over the course of this critical election year, this community outreach effort will give young Black lawyers and law students the opportunity to visit trusted establishments throughout the city to speak about the importance of participating in our democracy. We will partner with local Black communities to provide voter education and voter protection programming.”
Photo: YBLOC Founder and Executive Director Abdul Dosunmu speaks at a Detroit church about the importance of voting in the 2026 midterm elections.
The campaign focuses on meeting voters in familiar neighborhood spaces where people already gather and exchange information. That approach is especially important in Detroit, where churches, barber shops, and salons have long played a central role in Black civic life.
Last month, YBLOC visited churches in the Dallas area for Democracy Sunday ahead of the Texas primary. Detroit now becomes part of that broader national organizing effort.
Last fall, the organization also convened its first Black Legal Brain Trust in Washington, D.C., bringing together young Black attorneys from across the country for a day of strategy focused on democracy and racial justice.
Since launching in 2019, YBLOC has grown into a national initiative focused on voter protection, building Black voting power, and redefining the role lawyers can play in strengthening participatory democracy.
Ahead of a major election year, the group’s Detroit outreach is centered on a clear goal: giving Black voters the information and support they need before they head to the ballot box.
