Detroit nonprofit Umoja Debate Team to host neighborhood cleanup, 5k during 7-2 Day

Jerjuan Howard's great-grandparents purchased the family's homestead on Puritan Avenue near Schaefer Highway back in the 1930s when the area was growing, then thriving. But times changed, businesses moved out and so did much of the old neighborhood.

Still, some of the old-timers stayed, determined to hold things together and turn things around. And now, Howard, 25, is leading an organization that is providing a big boost to those improvement efforts.

Howard, who joined the Army National Guard in the summer of 2015, graduated from Renaissance High School and finished basic training in 2016, then graduated from Western Michigan University in 2020, said that when he returned to the neighborhood, he reflected on the debate skills he learned when he was young and wanted to provide those same skills to others in his community.

So, he founded a nonprofit organization in 2021 called the Umoja Debate Team in Detroit, which aims to teach debating skills to young Detroiters and improve the neighborhood. The nonprofit’s programming officially started in March 2022 with a staff of six, including Jaida Morgan, vice president; Brandon Harrison, program manager; Ashley Reed, communications director; Arieana Hemphill, creative content director, and Leah Webb, secretary.

“My goal was to create a platform for Detroit youth to be able to debate,” said Howard, who is the executive director of the nonprofit and an author. “And not just debate, but learn how to think critically; learn self-confidence and self-expression skills; how to resolve conflict in a healthier manner — those were my goals when I initially started this.”

Although "debate" is in the nonprofit’s name, it offers far more than just lessons on public speaking. The program also works on changing the neighborhood’s economic conditions, assisting with educating the children and making sure the neighborhood is clean. The Puritan Avenue area sits in both Bethune Community and Harmony Village.

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“We’ve got to change this whole entire ecosystem of what's affecting them, even outside the classroom,” Howard said.

One of the additional programming offerings is called 7-2 Day, which is approaching its second annual occurrence for a two-day event set to happen Saturday and Sunday.

The event, located at the Umoja Village at 15868 Stansbury Ave. in Detroit, involves a mural painting, a neighborhood cleanup, little library installations, Black-owned business highlights, face painting, live music, panel discussions and food. And this year, there also will be a 5K community walk and run that will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“No matter how violent, or whatever negative stigmas might come about an area, what I learned last year is that once you start to do good, people will come and help you do it,” Howard said. “So, that was a big eye-opener for me.”

Howard adds: “This, more so, is an event that I use to try to change narratives; to try to shift the mindsets of our people in our communities in general. We can do anything we really want to when it comes to our communities.”

Small businesses are joining this giveback event, as well. Detroiter Cobee Artist, 25, is the owner of Millionaire Bound. The company, which can be found on Instagram at @_millionairebound, sells streetwear clothing and merchandise. Artist said the company created about 250 shirts for 7-2 Day and will be giving them away for free.

"What made me want to join was me and Jerjuan — the founder of everything — we grew up in the neighborhood of Puritan, and just always wanted to do more for the community, and just see it be uplifted different from what we seen ourselves," Artist said.

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Since the start of the nonprofit, Artist said, he has started seeing more children and seniors spending more time outside in the neighborhood. He said he hopes to see more people wanting to become leaders in the community and more ownership.

And, he said, he also wants to continue seeing people come together.

Community impact on the ground

The nonprofit expanded its footprint last October by purchasing three plots of land, which is the Umoja Village. The land was purchased as an effort to prevent dumping in the neighborhood. On that land is now a community garden for people to grow their own food and a stage for the debate program. It is also where a free yoga event, called Peace on Puritan, takes place every Thursday at 6 p.m.

“My reason for focusing on this area is, of course, family ties and family history here, but also the first school that we were in for our debate program was John R. King middle school — where I went myself. It’s right there on Puritan and Strathmoor,” Howard said. “So, it all comes full circle.”

When it comes to its core focus of public speaking, there currently is a debate summer camp in session, done in partnership with the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. The nonprofit accepted 50 kids into a free eight-week debate skills program. The kids get to learn from public speakers and get critiqued by judges. The curriculum has a focus on analyzing an opponent's argument and persuading audiences, along with body language, eye contact, pronunciation and posture. There are five interns from Western Michigan University who are assisting with the program.

Howard hopes to continue to pour into the neighborhood that poured into him. As his neighbor told him, the community was once full of Black-owned businesses, and Howard hopes the community will rebuild into the place it once was.

“I feel this area will take pride in itself and begin to build things for the next generation to be proud of,” Howard said. “I think we are right there at it, and it’s just more so about applying ourselves and everybody coming together in an organized effort to make it happen. But that’s very soon.”

Details about 7-2 Day

On Saturday, a mural painting will take place at 9 a.m. at the Umoja Village, 15868 Stansbury Ave. There will be a 5K Community Run/Walk that will start at 10 a.m. at the Village. Registration is available online or on-site.

On Sunday, a neighborhood cleanup of the Puritan and Schaefer area will take place from 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will be able to start at the Umoja Village to clean up trash and cut grass. Starting at noon, there will be a small business pop-up shop. And from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., there will be two cookouts — one at Umoja Village and one at Pilgrim Park, located at 2553 Puritan Ave., with food trucks, a bounce house, businesses and music.

About 60 volunteers have signed up for the 7-2 Day weekend, but there’s still room for more. Register to volunteer or participate in the 5K at www.umojadebateteam.org/7-2day.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Umoja Debate Team's 7-2 Day includes neighborhood cleanup, 5k run