A powerful mix of Detroit’s most respected voices gathered at the historic Harmonie Club on Wednesday night for the Michigan Chronicle’s Power 50 dinner, creating a rare moment where influence, strategy, and community responsibility met at one table. It brought together a constellation of Black leadership rarely seen in a single space, convened by Michigan Chronicle Publisher and Real Times Media CEO Hiram E. Jackson with a specific charge: to reckon with the forces shaping Detroit’s future and to commit to the work that real change demands.
“This is a really special opportunity for us, bringing together 50 of Southeastern Michigan’s most powerful Black leaders,” said Jackson. “It’s not often that this many influential leaders are in the same room, but Michigan Chronicle and Real Times Media are all about highlighting African American excellence. Our celebration of the Power 50 group is one of the many ways we continue building on that legacy.”
The dinner drew leaders whose work shapes the political, economic, and social landscape of Southeast Michigan. Dennis Archer Jr. represented the city’s business leadership and civic engagement. Latrice McLendon of the Knight Foundation brought a philanthropic lens focused on informed communities and equitable investment. Chief Todd Bettison joined the conversation from Detroit’s public safety leadership. Michigan Supreme Court Justices Kyra Bolden and Noah Hood added judicial perspectives shaped by Detroit’s legal and civil rights legacy…