Children’s Agenda for kids taking root in neighborhoods
Election day is Nov. 5 — less than a month away. Neighborhood leaders in four Detroit neighborhoods are well aware of that. In fact, since August, they’ve been going door-to-door, letting their neighbors know that there is a movement growing that’s all about them.
It’s called the Children’s Agenda. For too long, Detroiters in Cody Rouge, Brightmoor, Southwest Detroit and Osborn have been overlooked in Detroit politics, as has the issue they care about the most – building a community that supports families. And so this fall,
City Council candidate Scott Benson signs the Children’s Agenda.
residents have come together to outline an agenda that is all about the future of their kids.
These leaders identified four areas that matter most to that future: ensuring children have great schools and educational access; building systems to support high-quality youth development opportunities in every neighborhood; bringing more jobs to neighborhoods, for youth and adults alike; and creating safer streets, places where children can play and travel with confidence that they’ll be safe from harm.
Already, more than 18,000 doors have been knocked on as neighborhood organizers spread the word about the Children’s Agenda. Some residents have decided to register to vote for the first time because of the knock on the door. And many candidates have pledged their support to the agenda, too. The Agenda’s goal is simple: to give residents a greater voice, to let their concerns be heard, and to connect citizens together, so they can be a powerful part of this election season.
If you want to take the Children’s Agenda pledge, to join the movement and stay informed about election happenings, such as candidate forums around Detroit, send an email to the leader in the neighborhood nearest you.
- Brightmoor: Joe Rashid, Brightmoor Alliance Outreach Director (jrashid@brightmooralliance.org).
- Cody Rouge: Kenyetta Campbell, Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance executive director (kcampbell@codyrouge.org)
- Osborn: Quincy Jones, Osborn Neighborhood Association executive director (qjones@matrixhs.org)
- Southwest Detroit: Maria Salinas, Congress of Community Southwest Detroit Neighborhoods executive director (marias@southwestdetroit.com)
The city might be under emergency management today. But Detroit has been here for more than 300 years, and this is just a blip on the radar for the history of this city. Elected officials will be back in charge soon. A temporary situation is not a reason to disengage from the community; quite the opposite. We need Detroiters to come together now and ensure that future leadership is devoted to the right things – restoring the city to be a great place to raise a child.
Will you take the Children’s Agenda pledge and join thousands of Detroiters who want to stand up for their kids? We hope you’ll consider it.
