Panel Member Spotlight: Karrington Kelsey, Black Lives Matter Lansing

Karrington has been a resident of the Lansing area for 6 years and has become very active in the community that he now calls home. Through Black Lives Matter Lansing, Lansing Residents United, and his church home Lansing Area Church Of Christ he has maintained his commitment to being a positive force no matter where he is. As a Detroit native, the arts and community organizing have been a major part of his life that he will never turn away form. Sociology and anthropology are the passions that give him the strength to advocate for his community and other marginalized communities. As Langston Hughes said, " Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die life is like a broken-winged bird that can not fly. Hold fast to dreams for when dreams go life is a barren field frozen with snow."


Black Lives Matter Lansing is a small chapter—but what we lack in size, we make up for in influence. Over the past two years, we have successfully centered the issues of Black folks in Metro Lansing in the hearts and minds of neighbors, elected officials, and institutional leaders. BLM Lansing has oriented over 900 people to the BLM framework not just in Lansing, but also across the state through our workshops at the National Association of Social Work Michigan Legislative Education and Advocacy Day. BLM Lansing is in the midst of co-launching a political education campaign, Election 20XX, to inspire leadership in young Black people under age 30 “from the Block Club to the White House.”


To learn more about BLM Lansing, visit them on their website or on Facebook. To donate to this wonderful organization, click here!

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