No Kings was a Call to do the Work
From Brownsville, Tennessee to Romulus, Michigan, the pattern is familiar.
When communities organize for dignity, for participation, for the right to shape their own futures, systems respond. Elbert Williams was killed in 1940 for organizing Black voter registration through the NAACP. That violence was about power, about control, and about silencing collective action.
This past weekend, people gathered outside the proposed ICE detention center in Romulus for the No Kings 3 demonstration. Community members, organizers, and faith leaders showed up with a clear message: we are paying attention, and we are not standing down.
And the work continues tomorrow. (And the week after that.) (And the week afer that…).
Saturday, April 4
Public Meeting: 12 PM to 2 PM
Detroit Metro Airport Marriott Conference Center
Demonstration: 3 PM
7525 Cogswell, Romulus, MI
As Communications Director for Protectors of Equality in Government, I am always looking at the broader landscape. What is being built, who it serves, and what it pulls resources away from. Across Wayne and Washtenaw counties, we continue to see gaps in housing, healthcare, and essential services while investments in detention expand.
As founder of the Elbert Williams Voting Corner, I hold the historical throughline. These moments are not isolated. They are connected to a longer story about who gets to participate, who gets protected, and whose voices are met with force.
My grandmother, Bertha Louise (Taylor) Rowry, would say, “That’s not how you do people.” That clarity still guides me.
So we show up. We ask questions. We stay engaged beyond the moment.
Because protest is not the finish line. It is the doorway. And what we do next will shape what comes after.
Leslie McGraw
Leslie discovered the power of the pen in the third grade after her family moved to a new school district. Writing became a way to sort out her new surroundings and escape to fantasy landscapes. That child, and voice, has matured into a poet, writer, blogger, journalist, online content creator and editor. Leslie is a social entrepreneur with a demonstrated commitment to community. She is an active community member in Washtenaw County (Michigan) with expertise in social media marketing and content management systems, volunteer coordination and writing and 19 years of experience in the areas of online community management, training, leadership development, and social networking. She is interested in facilitating connection with both community residents and businesses. Through this work, the economy of the community is improved and the organizations are financially successful. Her main mode of advocacy and online community, however, is through writing.
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