The Michigan Roundtable for Just Communities in Detroit, a social justice organization, has named Yusef Bunchy Shakur as its new executive director. Shakur is the first Black and formerly incarcerated person to lead the 84-year-old Detroit-based organization.
Longtime leader Steve Spreitzer, who joined the organization in 2008, is retiring from the role after serving as co-executive director with Shakur since 2024.
“Yusef has had a profound impact on the Roundtable over the past 10 years, especially in shaping our future course,” Spreitzer says. “The Roundtable is in very good hands with him at the helm, and he is surrounded by talented and dedicated staff who will help him lead the organization forward.”
Shakur was raised in Detroit’s Zone 8 neighborhood, which he describes as a community scarred by disinvestment but rooted in resilience. At 15, he co-founded a gang, and by 19, he was incarcerated — where he met his father for the first time. That encounter sparked a deep personal transformation, and after his release, Shakur returned to heal and rebuild. He has done so for more than two decades as a community leader, activist and educator.
He launched a community backpack giveaway program in 2001, which continues today in partnership with the Roundtable. He also co-directed “Redemption Road,” an internationally recognized documentary chronicling his journey from incarceration to healing and the power of Black maternal love. In addition, Shakur transformed a once-abandoned house on the very block where he once walked as a gang member into the Mama Akua Community House, named in honor of his late mother. Today, it serves as the grassroots base of the Roundtable’s neighborhood work in Detroit.
Shakur earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan in 2019 and completed his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Social Change at Union Institute and University in 2024.
“I bring my lived experience to this role – not as a barrier, but as a bridge between pain, hope, and possibility,” Shakur says.
The Roundtable envisions a just and beloved society by eradicating racism, discrimination, and systemic inequities with collaborative solutions that create equitable opportunity for all, especially those of the global majority. The organization aims to do this by building transformational relationships and capacity with individuals, communities, and organizations and businesses across Michigan. As national conversations around DEI evolve — particularly in response to recent federal rollbacks — the organization says it’s deepening its commitment to justice-centered leadership.
“What’s coming out of the White House is challenging us to look at ourselves,” Shakur says. “Our work is beyond DEI. This is about racial and social justice — about building beloved communities rooted in equity, dignity and humanity.”
Shakur also paid tribute to the leadership of Spreitzer.
“As Steve passes me the torch, the fire of my leadership is lit by his — born out of his commitment, sacrifice, and deep love for this organization,” Shakur says. “Leadership isn’t just about titles. It’s about accountability, listening and selflessness. That’s what Steve modeled for me — and what I intend to carry forward.”
The Mama Akua Community House is located at 2431 Ferry Park St. in Detroit.
