“DEAL really provided a network of incredible mentors and partners across the city that I’ve personally been able learn from and that, as an organization, we’ve been able to work with. I think that sustaining and growing the well-coordinated and networked group of folks who are working on long-term racial equity issues in the city is important for us as a movement, and I think DEAL has become a really vital movement resource for organizations in Detroit.”

“[DEAL’s Racial Equity Fellowship] has opened my eyes to the grassroots work that is being done to combat racism, and it renewed my commitment to ensure that I am a part of making good trouble.”

“I would recommend DEAL because it’s that supportive incubator, and it allows [fellows] the space to grow, make mistakes, develop, ask questions, question, and still bring the fullness of who they are without fear of any repercussions.”

“[DEAL] taught me to unlearn and relearn. It taught me that I have a purpose in liberation. It taught me to understand what white supremacy is (not as a buzzword, but as a tool and a system), and how it is spread across borders.”

“DEAL has built a level of trust that I feel confident saying I know it’s going to continue being responsive to the needs of folks in this movement —the racial justice/equity movement— in this city. I hope to be able to send more of our staff through DEAL in the future for the leadership development it provides, the level of political education that they receive, and sustaining those partnerships that it opens up.”

“[DEAL] has allowed me the space to have open dialogue with like-minded persons. It also has given me the permission to broaden my view as to what equity looks and feels like for others. It puts into perspective the work that is being done by grassroots organizers in the space, [which] can align and influence the work I am doing.”

“I see DEAL as a quintessential learning organization—an organization that, in my experience, is always exploring ‘how do we need to change or adapt the organization to make sure that we’re meeting the needs of today’s emerging leaders and folks working in this space?’ So, in that regard, I don’t think that DEAL ever really gets stale. It’s always what folks need at that moment, or at least it’s striving to be.”