Damon J. Keith Center initiative welcomes seventh program cohort


DEAL 7 Cohort on their first day of orientation. DEAL 7 Cohort on their first day of orientation.

Photo courtesy of Wayne Law


Challenging racism is hard, painful work. Detroit, however, has a new cohort of racial equity leaders taking that challenge head-on.

The Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL), recently announced its seventh cohort of Racial Equity Fellows to join its multiracial and multigenerational?network of leaders dedicated to ending structural racism in Detroit.

Founded in 2014, DEAL is an initiative of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School. DEAL develops leaders who work to end structural racism, equipping leaders with tools to disrupt racism and create equitable alternatives in policies, institutions, and culture in Detroit.  

The 2022 cohort of 28 diverse fellows represent more than 10 sectors including public policy/advocacy, human services, art, and education. New sponsoring organizations like Detroit Future City, COTS Detroit, Detroit People’s Food Co-Op, and others joined this year’s cohort.

“DEAL 7 is our first hybrid cohort and we are thrilled to be back in person to deliver programming and curate a physical space for connection, collaboration, and learning,” said Asandi Conner, DEAL’s director.

DEAL strengthens the capacity for racial equity leaders to make change together. Fellows learn and experiment with new techniques to address structural racism, working together to define a vision for moving Detroit toward racial equity.