2024 Grand Marshals | Ms. Mitzi Allen

Mitzi Allen is a beacon of positive change and community advocacy on Lansing’s West Side. Mitzi’s journey as an activist, entrepreneur, and devoted mother reflects her unwavering commitment to fostering safe, inclusive, and welcoming environments within her hometown.

A proud product of Lansing’s Westside, Mitzi attended Kalamazoo Street Elementary, West Junior High, and the very best high school in the city; J.W. Sexton High School. Her dedication to J-Dubb extends to organizing the annual homecoming and alumni parades, supporting the school’s coat closet, and raising funds to support the band and graduating seniors with essential needs. Each fall Mitzi, as a member of the Westside Neighborhood Association, welcomes students at Sexton and Riddle Elementary on the first day of school. Mitzi’s dedication to community engagement traces back to her childhood, where she accompanied her grandmother to Lansing Model Cities meetings during the 1960s, witnessing firsthand the power of citizen involvement in urban revitalization efforts.

Growing up in a neighborhood full of children, where neighbors became friends and were treated like extended family; it was a natural fit that Mitzi embrace initiatives like the Westside Neighborhood Association (WNA), where she became an active member under the leadership of the late Rudy Wilson. Mitzi took her grassroots activism seriously; bravely picketing outside a known drug house to force them to shut down or relocate. With equal gutsy conviction in WNA Mitzi welcomes new neighbors, organizes candidate forums, plans neighborhood block parties, leads clean-up efforts for neighborhood parks, plants flowers throughout the neighborhood, chairs the Crime and Safety Committee, and participates in the Neighborhood Watch Program.

Her passion for preserving the rich African American history of the Westside led her to organize informative walks highlighting achievements made by Blacks in our city. In 2019, she documented African Americans from the Westside of Lansing who broke the color barrier by becoming the first to achieve acclaim in diverse fields. In recent years she has become a neighborhood tour guide, conducting informational tours highlighting unique homes and landmarks, including the iconic Sears & Roebuck Homes of the Westside. Over the years she has befriended many and modeled the true meaning of neighbor.

Mitzi retired after 37 years of public service with the State of Michigan advocating for individuals with developmental disabilities. As owner of OC’s Cleaning Service, Mitzi’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through. With a long list of satisfied customers, she is most proud of providing the post-construction cleaning of the General Motors Delta Plant and Welcoming Center.

Mitzi’s green thumb and love for gardening led her to complete the MSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Volunteering countless horticultural hours, two of her favorite activities are planting the flower beds at the state capitol and the Governor’s residence. Additionally, she is also a dedicated mother to three daughters and grandmother to two grandsons. As a member of New Mount Calvary Baptist church, she serves on the culinary state and works on events that feed the homeless. Her hobbies include reading, gardening, repurposing eclectic finds and walking. Please join us in celebrating Mitzi Allen’s tireless dedication and unwavering commitment to making Lansing’s West Side a better place for all.