About Us

Linda S. Campbell is a founding member of the Building Movement Project (BMP) a national social justice organization that focuses on building the capacity of the nonprofit organizations for social change work.

Over the past four decades Ms. Campbell has served in a variety of professional and leadership roles in public health and the nonprofit sector at both the local and national level.  Her early accomplishments include supporting the organizing and leadership of local Detroiters in the formation of one of the nation’s first Black led AIDS service organization (ASOs).

Her later work in Detroit informed the seminal publication, Social Service and Social Change, a capacity building model that fosters service constituent engagement in community change.  Ms. Campbell served as co-author along with her national colleagues and as national lead trainer. The  guidebook remains one of BMP’s most frequently requested publication.

Ms. Campbell currently leads on the Building Movement Project’s work in Detroit and the Detroit People’s Platform (DPP) where the work focuses on issue based advocacy, civic engagement and resident leadership development.  Recently, Ms. Campbell collaborated with local community-based organizations in the publication of Changing Conversations, a report offering both analysis and recommendations to address the funding gap between philanthropy and Black and people of color led organizations in Detroit.

Throughout her career, Linda’s work has been driven by a passionate belief in the collective voice and power of community members to shape and transform their communities for good.

Linda is a proud graduate of the Charles Sumner High School in St. Louis, Missouri, one of the nation’s oldest historically Black high schools founded in 1875.  She also holds a Masters Degree in Public Health.

Executive Director, We The People of Detroit

Monica Lewis-Patrick (aka The Water Warrior) is an educator, entrepreneur, and human rights activist/advocate. She has served as Director of Community Outreach & Engagement since 2009. She was unanimously elected by the Board to become the President & CEO.

Lewis-Patrick is actively engaged in almost every struggle on behalf of Detroit residents. She is an active member of the People’s Water Board Coalition, US Human Rights Network, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), and D-REM.org, and was named to the World Water Justice Council in October of 2015. As a former Lead Legislative Policy Analyst for Detroit City Council, Monica has authored legislation, conducted research and delivered constituency services to thousands of city residents.

Lewis-Patrick attended the historic Bennett College. She is a graduate of East Tennessee State University with a Bachelors degree in Social Work and Sociology and a Masters of Arts of Liberal Studies degree with a concentration in Criminal Justice/Sociology and Public Management. She is currently one of the leaders at the forefront of the water rights struggle in Detroit.

For the past ten years, Reverend Joan C. Ross has work in the North End Community of Detroit “serving the underserved” of her community by providing not only spiritual guidance, by establishing a strategy for regaining equity and building a local economy with the challenge of creating a sustainable community; sustainable- culturally, economically and environmentally.  She has developed community-scale renewable energy projects utilizing both on and off-grid models and has successfully trained community residents in the areas critical to the current and future needs of her community.

In 2013, Rev Joan, was granted a Federal Communications Commission license to construction a Low Power Radio Stations. The North End Woodward Community Coalition (NEWCC) was the only group licensed in Detroit.  Additionally, because of its signal, the license was also approved by the FCC’s Canadian counterpart. The station, WNUC 96.7 fm, launched in 2017 with a terrestrial reach of approximately 300,000 listeners. Its mission is “to be a voice for the deliberately silenced and the preferably unheard.”

Her work in community sustainability has been recognized by national as well as local organizations such as: US Green Building Council’s May/June 2014 Magazine, and Hour Magazine Detroit July 2016.  She is the recipient of the 2014 Sustainable Champion Award, the Spirit of Detroit Award, and the 2017 MLK Award from the Southfield MLK Taskforce.

Richard Clay is the President of the Detroit Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, an educational consultant, self-development master life coach, four-times published author, designer of the Advanced Model of Academic Achievement as well as the educational resource web site Blackboysincrisis.com, and a former Detroit Public Schools Secondary Social Studies Teacher. A Native Detroiter, Richard has engaged in 30+ years of community activism and grassroots leadership spanning a wide range of social and economic justice issues; centered around addressing the crisis amongst young Black males, and inspiring the blind and disadvantaged to overcome their most difficult challenges and strive for excellence. His nonprofit experience includes prior service on the Board of Directors of both the National Federation of the Blind’s Detroit Chapter and Michigan Affiliate, the Dexter Elmhurst Community Center, and the Greater Detroit Chapter of Concerned Black Men. Totally blind since the age of two, Richard embodies the, “Never give up,” spirit that often breeds success.

Sarida Scott is an assistant professor and director of the Community Development department in the School of Architecture + Community Development at the University of Detroit Mercy.

As a community development professional, Sarida’s unique background in engineering and law have influenced an approach that is collaborative, data-driven and centered on people development. Sarida’s work is focused on amplifying resident voice. As a native Detroiter, ensuring that Detroit has an equitable recovery and return to its once legendary vibrancy is a professional and personal passion. Sarida has extensive nonprofit management experience through her leadership roles at Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD), serving on multiple boards and management training through numerous fellowships. Her legal work in and on behalf of the community includes roles of city attorney, child advocate, and nonprofit legal director. Prior to joining the University of Detroit, School of Architecture + Community Development faculty, Sarida served as a Senior Program Officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. She continues to live with her family in Detroit.

Injured by a drunk driver in 1996, Lisa started Warriors on Wheels of Metropolitan Detroit (WOW) after her recovery in 2008. Her passion and mission became a
better life for individuals living with disabilities so that disability would no longer be a determining factor in one’s quality of life. Lisa is on the front line, accepting personal calls, accepting leadership roles, sitting on boards, making a difference on behalf of individuals with disabilities. Lisa tirelessly works to create solutions, systemic change and respect for all. Lisa holds regular
monthly meetings for the WOW membership which helps 100,s and reaches 1000’s.

One of WOW’s successes was the Office of Disability Affairs in Detroit. This year our focus is transportation, housing and criminal justice. Lisa and the WOW membership have advocated for better para-transit service in the Detroit metro area and recently gained the attention of the Detroit City Council, the Department of Justice and the Federal Transit Administration. Lisa has also worked closely with MSHDA on the Michigan housing plan to better serve this population for greater options that can be obtained. Lisa is unmoveable when her mind is made up to explore results to an issue faced by the disabled community or an individual that affects many. The WOW team is currently working on a curriculum that will assist in training law enforcement as to the best practices for interacting with a PWD when called to a scene.

Advocacy highlights: Curb Cuts throughout the city of Detroit
Criminal Justice reform for the rights of PWD, Disabled Voters Rights (Accessible
Polling Sites and Training of Poll Workers), Deserving Safe Reliable
Transportation, Accessible Affordable Housing (MSHDA), Detroit Office of
Disability Affairs, to name the most prevalent in Detroit.

Lisa has won numerous awards, commendations and featured in publications for her advocacy and service to the community of People with Disabilities. Lisa has
also been appointed to several boards and commissions and served on many panels where discussions regarding Disability rights and accommodations were
focused. Lisa with Warriors on Wheels (aka WOW), have worked in collaboration with many groups and organizations to enhance our community. Lisa is married with 2 adult children and 4 beautiful grandchildren. Born and raised in Detroit, she is a resident

Triniti Watson is a is a critical Black Femme learner, writer, and community facilitator based in Michigan. She currrently supports healing justice collective Healing by Choice! as a resource mobilizer, and loves helping people locate community resources, tell their own stories, and ground in their capacities to shape change. Her role as a resource mobilizer involves inviting individuals and groups to learn about HbC!, and expanding its support network of diverse communities and partners willing to sustain our growth.Working creatively at the intersections of healing and reclamation, Triniti seeks to dream of new worlds that tend to the needs of all beings, and utilizes writing as a tool to base build with people across differences. As a new member of the Community Table, she looks forward to rooting deeper in Detroit communities and sustaining the growth of movements throughout the city.

Raised by a single mother and born in a drug infested neighborhood, the cards were stacked against Shadora L. Ford. She has once been deemed a smart but at-risk youth; Shadora L. Ford knows firsthand what her mentees have gone through. She is an alumnus of Detroit Public Schools and was always active in school activities, clubs, and sports teams. Shadora L. Ford would go on to become one of youngest of her classmates in college and eventually work her way to the top of Michigan Works One Stop. In 2010, Shadora L. Ford started DFG Mentoring and has now served over 5,000 plus girls in Metro Detroit. In 2016, she founded Destined For Greatness Community Resource Center which serves men, women, children, and babies… she also runs College Ready/Entrepreneurship Camps through Wayne State & Oakland University and employs Detroit youth through the GDYT program. Ms. Ford is employed with the mayor’s office in the Department of Neighborhoods as a District 4 Liaison.

The same girl who was counted out is now being counted on. This goes to show it’s not how you start; it’s more about how you plan to finish.

-Shadora