Building power

For Black and Brown Working Class Detroiters.

Civic Engagement

Elections aren’t the beginning nor the end of our work; we use primary and general elections to shape the electorate while building long-term infrastructure in key districts and pushing candidates to champion progressive policies that can help support strong communities of color in Michigan.

Political changes are likely too big to be undertaken by ourselves alone– however, Detroit Action can help move forward a message of multicultural populism and ensure that low-income families and communities of color are at the table. 

Our Priorities

Our civic engagement will carry out seven main strategic priorities:

  • 1. Bring together a cross-generational community of Michiganders to shape the local and statewide electorate through voter registration, political education, and mobilization of Black and Brown voters.
  • 2. Maximize the voter representation of people of color – particularly Black and Latinx residents of Metro-Detroit -  by fully integrating civic engagement into issue campaigns.
  • 3. Prepare people of color - especially women - not just run for and win elected office, but to manage and lead progressive, values-based campaigns as operatives and organizers at all levels of government.
  • 4. Move our state to the left through policy, primaries and precinct delegates.
  • 5. Creating and teaching a powerful narrative of how we got here and where we can go together.  
  • 6. Build the necessary long-term power that our movement desperately needs through volunteer recruitment and leadership development that translates into sustained membership.
  • 7. Engage in key legislative issue fights and corporate accountability campaigns for structural reform and economic justice