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by Donna Givens Davidson
Voting is a tool of democracy — not democracy itself. That distinction is the heart of this handbook, a guide that meets political cynicism head-on and turns it into a plan for action.
Part history, part civic playbook, the Black Detroit Democracy Handbook traces Detroit's legacy as a gateway to freedom, a beacon for justice, and a laboratory of liberation — then hands readers the tools to keep that fight going. It shows how Detroit's fiscal crisis was manufactured, how disinformation suppresses the vote, and how organized citizens can reclaim real power between elections, not just on Election Day.
Inside you'll find:
A clear-eyed history of Black Detroit — from 19th-century abolition and the Great Migration to the rise of Black political power and the city's emergency management era
A plain-language guide to how Detroit's government actually works: the City Charter and Declaration of Rights, the mayor, City Council, and the boards, commissions, and authorities that shape daily life
A citizen's action toolkit: building a shared policy agenda, reshaping narratives through storytelling, evaluating candidates, mobilizing voters, sponsoring ballot initiatives, and seeking legal redress
District resources, references, and citations for going deeper
Written for Black Detroit and every citizen who refuses to sit on the sidelines, this is a handbook for people who want to do more than vote — and want to know how.
by Donna Givens Davidson
Voting is a tool of democracy — not democracy itself. That distinction is the heart of this handbook, a guide that meets political cynicism head-on and turns it into a plan for action.
Part history, part civic playbook, the Black Detroit Democracy Handbook traces Detroit's legacy as a gateway to freedom, a beacon for justice, and a laboratory of liberation — then hands readers the tools to keep that fight going. It shows how Detroit's fiscal crisis was manufactured, how disinformation suppresses the vote, and how organized citizens can reclaim real power between elections, not just on Election Day.
Inside you'll find:
A clear-eyed history of Black Detroit — from 19th-century abolition and the Great Migration to the rise of Black political power and the city's emergency management era
A plain-language guide to how Detroit's government actually works: the City Charter and Declaration of Rights, the mayor, City Council, and the boards, commissions, and authorities that shape daily life
A citizen's action toolkit: building a shared policy agenda, reshaping narratives through storytelling, evaluating candidates, mobilizing voters, sponsoring ballot initiatives, and seeking legal redress
District resources, references, and citations for going deeper
Written for Black Detroit and every citizen who refuses to sit on the sidelines, this is a handbook for people who want to do more than vote — and want to know how.