Social Justice Initiatives

THIRD-GENERATION Detroit resident Margaret Thorpe Williamson has directed social justice initiatives in the United States for decades. When she and other Rotarians in District 6400 decided to tackle the high levels of poverty and unemployment in their own region, LaunchDetroit was born. The program, which started in 2012, provides entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities with access to loans, business classes, and networking opportunities, as well as mentoring by Rotarians and other experts.

"Rotary involvement in this project makes all the difference in the world," says Williamson, who is an assistant district governor, a member of the Rotary Club of Detroit, and the executive director and CEO of the adult literacy program Pro-Literacy Detroit. "There’s no politics or hidden agenda at the table. And there’s no table I sit at like a Rotary table." — ANNE STEIN