View PHOTOS from MoveOn-hosted event in Detroit here | Clips of the event here & here 

DETROIT — Today, MoveOn Political Action, one of the leading progressive political organizations in the country, and Detroit Action hosted Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and journalist Jemele Hill in Detroit for a conversation focused on El-Sayed’s plans to expand opportunities for Black Michiganders under the current economy and El-Sayed’s experience with tackling those issues. 

“When it comes to taking on racism and the unique impact of racism in shaping a lot of these issues… I want to solve these issues, and I want to solve them in the ways that they show up in the community,” said El-Sayed.

“[I]f you’ve got providers who simply just won’t provide for you, or think of you as a second-class healthcare citizen, you’re not going to get the same quality of care. Medicare for All makes us all equal healthcare citizens immediately. It is the single most important thing we could do to intervene on Black maternal mortality,” El-Sayed continued.  

Hill said after the event that “it’s really important that Detroiters deserve an opportunity to assess candidates for themselves to see if this is somebody that will do right by the city and right by the state.” 

She also noted for Michiganders that “[w]e pay taxes and there’s a level of accountability that has to be there. Otherwise you’re just throwing your money away.”

“Tonight, we heard a clear and refreshing vision to help Black Michiganders thrive through affordable housing and healthcare, access to clean water, and making home ownership a reality,” said MoveOn Chief Communications Officer Joel Payne. “We’re grateful for Jemele Hill and Dr. El-Sayed’s time and willingness to hear Detroit leaders’ concerns and lay out real solutions to undo decades of broken promises.” 

“For too long, Black and brown political participation in Michigan has been measured by voter turnout, without enough attention to whether elected leaders are addressing our communities’ needs. True self-determination means having the power to shape the decisions that affect our lives and holding our leaders accountable for their promises and results,” said Detroit Action Executive Director Scott Holiday. “Today’s conversation was an important step toward ensuring Detroiters see themselves in our city’s future and feel confident that Dr. Abdul El-Sayed will champion their priorities and work to deliver meaningful change.”

A full gallery of photos from the event will be available here. A recording of the conversation in its entirety will air on Hill’s Spolitics podcast on Thursday, October 22. 

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