From Avalon Street to City Hall: Mama Shu’s Bright Vision for Highland Park

Shamayim "Mama Shu" Harris, founder and CEO of Avalon Village in Highland Park, has spent years revitalizing what was once one of the city's most blighted blocks on Avalon Street. Starting with trash pickup after personal tragedy, she's built basketball courts, a homework house, shipping-container retail spaces, and brought back street lights to a neighborhood that lost them in 2011 when the city couldn't afford electric bills. The project sits between Woodward and Second Avenue in Highland Park.

In an interview with Daily Detroit, Harris explains her drive to stay and rebuild rather than leave, drawing on her faith as a 25-year minister and her refusal to accept neighborhood decline. She also discusses her vision for Highland Park's future as she runs for mayor, emphasizing the importance of committed leadership tackling blight and community development from the ground up.