FEATURE
By Nadira Jamerson
PRESIDENT MARY SHEFFIELD:
AMPLIFYING BLACK FEMALE VOICES IN CITY COUNCIL
As the youngest City Council President elected in Detroit’s history, Mary Sheffield, 34, took oath January 7th alongside Mayor Mike Duggan, the Board of Police Commissioners, the City Clerk, and eight other council members, with plans to make an impactful change while amplifying the Black female voice. She became a councilor for Detroit’s 5th District at the tender age of 26 and successfully represented her district for eight solid years, before being elected City Council President. With the focused goal of improving the quality of life for some 800,000+ Detroit residents, Sheffield has a long and bumpy road ahead. How does she plan to leave a positive legacy on a city that has historically been underrepresented and canceled out as a watered down remnant of itself? BLAC spoke with Sheffield to learn about her goals as Detroit’s City Council President, and how she plans to go about bringing such due respect back.
28 BLAC • MARCH 2022 • BLACdetroit.com
