Zeek Williams is no ordinary executive director.
He brings no corporate polish, no well-manicured talking points.
Instead, there’s presence.
Command.
Purpose.
Zeek was born and raised in Detroit – a product of the streets he now patrols and a man who has seen a fair share of his childhood friends disappear into jails, prisons, and graves.
Deciding that he couldn’t just sit back and let it all happen without doing his part in trying to stop it, Zeek started New Era Detroit in 2014 on the heels of the Black Lives Matter movement, firmly believing that what at-risk black Americans needed most was structure, not saviors.
From a few men in black shirts with bullhorns to one of the city’s most respected and feared grassroots movements, Zeek built New Era into the powerhouse community violence intervention group it is today without any seed money, city grants, or political favor.
Instead, he knocked on doors, held mass meetings, recruited neighbors, cleaned streets, fed elders, and condemned hypocrisy by police, pastors, and politicians.
At its core, his leadership is rooted in action-first ideology.
He stands for economic empowerment, cultural education, and community defense above all else.
He has also criticized performative allyship, nonprofits that siphon money without impact, and systems that profit from Black suffering.
Zeek has street wisdom and strategic chops.
He has led conflict mediation efforts, launched national programs like Black to School, and developed the New Era Safe Zone App for residents to find CVI partners in crisis.
When New Era was invited into the ShotStoppers program, Zeek considered it validation of his mission, not just an opportunity.
Beyond Detroit, Zeek has started dozens of New Era chapters all across the U.S.
Here at home, though, you can still find him where it all began: On the East Side with his brothers in black, holding up the very same hoods that made him.
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