Managing the fight against homelessness, creating employment opportunities, and reforming law enforcement in Detroit are complex issues at any time. Add an economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the increased activism of the Black Lives Matter movement, and it has been a unique summer in the city.
Three first-year Ford School students worked in the Detroit mayor’s office over the summer to help tackle those issues, thanks to the David Bohnett Foundation Leadership and Public Service Fellowship, now in its 10th year. They come from different professional backgrounds before attending the Ford School: a journalism career in the Midwest, work for a national workforce development association in DC, and law enforcement in Ypsilanti. All are committed to improving local governance.