DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit non-profit is working on a program to remove blight from neighborhoods and give young adults a platform to succeed.
"Black Legacy Advancement Coalition is a movement that builds Black power by providing education and resources that uplift our communities," said Dexter Sullivan, President of Black Legacy Advancement Coalition (BLAC).
As a proud Detroiter, one of Dexter's goals is to revitalize properties in the Dexter-Linwood and LaSalle Gardens neighborhoods.
"Detroit is ground zero. This is the place where we want to prove that investing in communities works," said Sullivan.
Detroit is the first pilot project in a comprehensive 10-city plan. Dexter showed 7 Action News the formerly blight-filled Ali Legacy House, now a lavish home and the first real estate rehabilitation project aimed at helping young adults thrive.
"We do that in ways that are economic, so making sure if they are interested in the housing component of our program that those rates are affordable, subsidizing that rent, getting it down to some of the room 500 to 550 dollars, you really can't find value like that," said Sullivan.
Rudolph Marko has been living in this area since the 1950s. The 74-year-old believes projects like these will bring back the days when Detroit neighborhoods were filled with peace and harmony.
"For many years, I've seen my friend's kids, they go off to college and they tend not to come back, and so they leave," said Marko.
Rudolph used to be a bus driver, and he says over the years, blight has eaten away parts of the city.
"One of the things the bother me when driving, was the imagery it creates on young kid's minds," said Marko.
While the city is working to reduce blight, organizations like the BLAC are also doing their part to offer more.
"General development skills, leadership skills, we deal with coping skills, a lot of trauma has been endured by a lot of the young people. Making sure they have the tools to present themselves and then everything down to job skills," said Sullivan.
To learn more about the great cause and even contribute, visit: https://theblac.co/donate.
