An annual initiative in Detroit, to encourage voter participation and get needed resources to residents, is now partnering with a number of social organizations in the city to enhance the endeavor and wants residents themselves to get directly involved.

Detroit City Council president pro tempore Mary Sheffield is asking Detroiters to record a video message for Occupy the Corner Detroit 2020: The Social Justice Edition. The videos will stream July 10 on Zoom, Facebook Live, Instagram and on a mobile truck at the historic site of the epicenter of the city’s 1967 social uprising.

“By recording a video message for Occupy the Corner Detroit to encourage people to vote and get involved in the communities we live in, your influence can create a lasting impact that will resonate throughout the community in immeasurable ways,” says a statement from Sheffield’s office. “The primary focus of Occupy 2020 will be social justice, increasing voter turnout, civic engagement, and staying safe during COVID-19, which has hit African American communities hardest.” 

Occupy the Corner Detroit was started by Sheffield in 2014 to address a shortage of resources in Detroit neighborhoods, particularly those struggling with gun violence. Throughout the initiative she has been joined by several partners from Detroit and other cities including Mayor Mike Duggan, Michigan Rep. Brenda Lawrence, rappers Big Sean and Royce Da 5’9, along with activists Michael Brown Sr., and the National Action Network’s Dominique Sharpton. 

Sheffield says the Occupy the Corner events will be held every other Friday evening throughout the summer.