New Detroit Inc.
July 30, 2024
New Detroit Inc., the nation’s first racial justice coalition that works toward racial equity and dismantling systemic racism, today announced the winners of its inaugural “Just Lead: Advancing Racial Equity 2024 Leadership Awards.” Just Lead is New Detroit’s annual leadership forum that celebrates and informs leaders in racial equity. The awards are open to leaders in Michigan with an emphasis on impact in Southeast Michigan.
The awardees were chosen through a nomination process open to the public, and a panel election comprised of New Detroit, Inc. partners and constituents. One winner was chosen for each category.
The Advancing Racial Equity 2024 Leadership Award winners for 2024 are:
Lifetime Achievement
Alice G. Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Black Family Development, Inc. (BFDI) Educational Services, Inc., has spent her life advancing racial equity while living her principle “to service to others before self” Alice was the first Black woman manager of Boysville, an organization serving at risk boys, and was subsequently recruited by Diversified Family Services as its deputy director, concurrently serving as an adjunct professor in the Wayne State University School of Social Work. She has been Chief Executive Officer of BFDI for 26 years, successfully bolstering its budget and adding services and subsidiaries. She was appointed last year to Governor Whitmer’s Growing Michigan Together Council 2023 PreK-12 Workgroup and has served on numerous boards that focus on education, policy and funding equity, workforce development, health, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Young Leader (up to age 30)
Kaila Page, Community Partnerships Manager of City Year. Page advocates for education equity and the advancement of Detroit youth through her role working with Detroit Public School students through City Year Detroit. Her deep-seated belief in the potential of every Detroit young person has made a significant impact in the community, helping create a new generation of young leaders of color.
Just Lead Racial Equity in Leadership
La June Montgomery Tabron, President and Chief Executive Officer of W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This award is given to an individual in a leadership role in business, municipal or nonprofit organization who has made an impact towards racial equity. As the first woman and first Black Chief Executive Officer of the one of nation’s largest private foundations, Tabron has embedded equity across the foundation, advancing racial equity and racial healing to develop youth as leaders and engage communities in solving their own problems. Tabron chairs the Foundation’s Trust and is on numerous boards including the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Bronson Health Care Group.
Just Care® Racial Equity in Health Care
Authority Health in Detroit. This award recognizes an individual or organization that has demonstrated commitment to correcting health disparities within minority populations. Authority Health’s three-year training program is unique in the country in teaching medical residents how to better serve different racial and cultural communities.
Just Place® Racial Equity in Public Spaces and Hospitality
Detroit People’s Food Co-Op (DPFC). With this award, we celebrate an individual or organization that has demonstrated significant leadership and impact for ensuring our public spaces are vibrant, welcoming and accessible for all. DPFC demonstrates and advances racial equity as a Black-led, community-owned grocery store, created through years of careful community engagement and planning to provide improved access to healthy food, food education, and food related jobs to Detroit residents.
New Detroit will recognize the leaders from the above categories at its annual Just Lead Forum on October 17, at a luncheon at the Icon, Detroit. The awardees will also participate in a fireside chat with New Detroit’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Rafferty, at the Forum. “We celebrate and honor these outstanding individuals and organizations that take action towards racial equity,” says Rafferty. “Our 2024 leaders represent the best of the best in terms of inspiration and hope for change. To the one, they have shown courage and commitment to make the world a better and just place for all.”