The Roundabout: Community leader Zeek Williams of New Era Detroit makes a difference

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Making the world a better place always starts with our own communities - and that is what New Era Detroit has done for nearly a decade.

Recently we spoke with the grassroots group's founder Zeek Williams about the national recognition it is getting by protecting women and Black-owned businesses. Instead of holding a conversation in a building or studio, we took our conversation on the road, in a segment we call Roundabout.

Brandon Hudson: "Congrats on all the work New Era Detroit has been doing lately. I see guys popping up on social media. But you guys have been at it for quite a while. How did New Era Detroit get its start?"

"Man, we started back in 2014," said Zeek. "(We) just wanted to do something in the community. Be a little more visible. It was really a call out for men to get more involved in the community."

"And here we are today in 2023, one of the fastest growing all-Black organizations in the country."

Brandon: "I know you guys got a lot of recognition for the work you’re doing just to make sure there’s not another Tracie Golden. This woman was a mom. Did it hit any different when you found out what happened to her?"

"Well man, I’ve been doing this work for a long time in our community," Zeek said. "We should be able to do more to protect innocent people. Public safety is a real thing. Seeing what

I’ve seen stories like this transpire time and time again, we should be able to do more about protecting innocent people. Public safety is a real thing. Seeing what happened to a good sista, Tracie, even sparked us a bit more because that was just completely unacceptable.

"Every time I see that footage, I think if somebody was there, could that have been a different outcome. Would she have been able to go home to her family. Once again, it’s a call out to Black men to get more involved, be more visible."

Brandon: "You’ve got almost nine years coming up. What does the next nine years look like and what does New Era look like beyond that?"

"Our goal is to be in every Black community worldwide - not just nationwide," Zeek said. "We really develop the Black-print for day-to-day organization.

"If you want to see our communities change, we've got to make sure that we put ourselves in a position to make it a lifestyle, man. That’s what New Era is. Thats what the Black-print is."

Brandon: "I think this is the spot here. Yeah man, I appreciate you."

"Yeah man. Thank you," Zeek said.

To see the full ride of the Roundabout, watch the entire interview below.

To learn more about New Era Detroit, go HERE for its Facebook page and HERE for its Instagram.