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Mama Shu
Born
Shamayim Harris

1965 (age 60–61)
Other nameMama Shu
OccupationCEO
Known forFounder of Avalon Village
AwardsTop Ten CNN Heroes, USA Today Woman of the Year

Shamayim Harris (born 1965), better known by the nickname Mama Shu, is an American CEO and the founder of the Avalon Village, an eco-village in Highland Park, Michigan.[1]

Personal life

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In 2007, Harris' two-year-old son, Jakobi Ra, was struck by a car in a hit and run accident while crossing the street with his older brother, Chinyelu.[2] The following year Harris opened the Avalon Village in his honor, which included Jakobi Ra Park.[3]

In 2015, her step-son, Pili Humphrey, died at age 34.[4][2]

January 2021, Harris' 23-year-old son, Chinyelu Geb Kahero Humphrey, was shot and killed while sitting in his car in the Avalon Village, doing neighborhood watch .[5] Harris heard the gunshots and saw two individuals at the scene.[5] No arrests have been made for Chinyelu's murder, and Harris even went as far as purchasing a billboard in 2022 asking the community for help. The billboard featured an image of Chinyelu and read, “My son was killed. I saw who did it. I told the authorities. No arrests. Help me. Signed, Mama Shu."[6][7] Harris stated that she had to fill out a police report twice because it got lost and that the crime scene was not treated appropriately.[8]

Her nickname, "Mama Shu", is a reference to Shu, the Egyptian god of air.[2]

Life and work

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Harris has held many roles in community activism and leadership . She was a school administrator in the Detroit Public Schools for 27 years, a chaplain for the Highland Park Police Department, chairwoman of Highland Park Charter Commission, Vice President of the Highland Park Housing Commission, President of the Highland Park Board of Education, Wayne Metro Regional Advisory Council, and was appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a member of the Michigan Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity.[4][9]

Harris also founded The Moon Ministry 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization.[10] The Moon Ministry has no connection or affiliation with Hyung Jin Moon's Unification Church.

Avalon Village

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Harris was motivated to develop the Avalon Village by the death of her son, Jakobi Ra. The eco-village is named after the street it sits on, Avalon Street, located in Highland Park, Michigan.[4][11] Harris does not have a background in urban planning or development "except for sitting on this porch conjuring up what I want to do on this block, that's it".[12]

The Avalon Village started after Harris purchased a house on the corner of Avalon Street for $3,000, which would be the first of 45 lots that were eventually acquired by Harris in her neighborhood of Highland Park, MI.[13] Over the years, Harris acquired funding through many different avenues to help reach her goal of building the Avalon Village, including selling $5 fish sandwiches.[13] The Avalon Village Kickstarter earned a massive $243,690 in donations.[10] Harris was featured on The Ellen Show in 2016, where Ellen DeGeneres donated a $100,000 pre-fab house to the Avalon Village.[14] The American rock band, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, donated $100,00 through their Big Sun Foundation non-profit.[15] An anonymous donor and former Highland Park resident donated tens of thousands of dollars to help with the completion of the Homework House.[16] On July 30, 2024, rap and hip-hop artist KRS-One performed a benefit show in Avalon Village at Jakobi Ra Park.[17]

Harris commented while developing building of Avalon Village, “All I care about is how we, as our community, how we are going to uplift ourselves and empower ourselves. We’re just doing what we need to do, just to make things better for ourselves.”[18]

Notable elements of Avalon Village

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  • The Village Hall is located inside a pre-fabricated Cocoon 9 home donated by Ellen Degeneres.[19]
  • The Goddess Marketplace is a storefront for women entrepreneurs to sell their goods.[20]
  • The Homework House is a learning space for youth where they can study, get tutoring, or attend learning activities.[21] There is access to computers, 3D printers, a music studio, and a library. The space also contains a refrigerator and table for dining as well as a washer and dryer for youths to have access to food and clean clothing.[16]
  • The Imhotep STEAM Lab offers technology courses.[19]
  • Jakobi Ra Park features a mural of the Egyptian solar god, Ra, and the headstone for Harris' son, Jakobi.[22]
  • "My 3 Sunz" basketball court is dedicated to Harris' deceased sons, Jakobi, Pili, and Chinyelu.[4][19]
  • The Invincible Gardens are a memorial to Harris's son, Chinyelu, which contains a gazebo and flower garden.[19]
  • The community garden provides food for locals and teaches the youth how to garden.[23]

Harris' future goals for Avalon Village include building a school, café, greenhouse, and a healing center.[24][25]

Recognition

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References

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  1. ↑ Johncox, Cassidy (2024-05-31). "Avalon Village continues to transform Highland Park for the better". clickondetroit.com. WDIV. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mama Shu: Turning Loss Into Love". All There Is with Anderson Cooper (Podcast). CNN Audio. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  3. ↑ Walker, Micah (2024-07-29). "Hip-hop legend KRS-One to perform at Highland Park's Avalon Village". Bridge Detroit. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Kisner, Kim (2024-07-08). "It Takes A Village – And Mama Shu Is Building One". detroitisit.com. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  5. 1 2 Drew, Karen; Clarke, Kayla (2022-12-16). "Highland Park's Mama Shu saw who killed her son. Why hasn't anyone been arrested?". www.clickondetroit.com. WDIV. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  6. ↑ Bowser, Martie (2022-12-21). "Michigan Mother Puts Up A Billboard Asking For Help In Her Son's Unsolved Murder Case". Blavity. Retrieved 2024-11-22 – via Yahoo News.
  7. ↑ "Michigan mother puts up billboard seeking son's murderer". NBC News. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  8. ↑ Drew, Karen; Clarke, Kayla (2022-03-10). "Highland Park's Mama Shu fights for justice after son murdered while protecting neighborhood". lickondetroit.com. WDIV. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  9. ↑ "Shamayim Harris". Michigan Health and Human Services. Government of Michigan. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  10. 1 2 Thibodeau, Ian. "Highland Park 'eco-village' brings basics back to block". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  11. ↑ Johnson, Myesha (2024-06-08) [2024-06-06]. "Shamayim Harris, Highland Park's 'Mama Shu,' brought a blighted block back to life". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  12. ↑ Hartman, Steve (2016-11-25). "Michigan woman makes great strides in revitalizing neighborhood". CBS News. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  13. 1 2 Dunn, Meg (2023-06-16). "Turning pain into power: How a grieving mother transformed a neglected block near Detroit into a village of beauty and opportunity". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  14. ↑ Steinberg, Stephanie. "Ellen Degeneres gives Avalon Village leader $100K home". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  15. ↑ Jeffries Warfield, Zenobia (2016-12-07). "It Was a Blighted City Block. But This Woman Is Turning It Into a Solar-Powered Ecovillage - YES! Magazine Solutions Journalism". YES! Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  16. 1 2 Drew, Karen; Clarke, Kayla (2022-10-20). "Mama Shu's Homework House in Highland Park gets help from anonymous donor who paid remaining bills". www.clickondetroit.com. WDIV. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  17. ↑ "KRS-One to perform at Avalon Village in Highland Park on Tuesday, July 30". WXYZ 7 News Detroit. 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  18. ↑ "In A Broke And Crumbling City, This Woman Is Building Urban Paradise". HuffPost. 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Swartz, Anna (2024-05-01). "Shamayim 'Mama Shu' Harris is Changing Blight to Beauty". SeenTheMagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  20. ↑ Rahman, Nushrat. "Highland Park's 'Mama Shu' is among USA Today's 2024 Women of the Year". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  21. ↑ She spent 15 years transforming a derelict Detroit block into something beautiful. Now she's ready to transform the world (Video). CNN. 2023-06-15. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  22. ↑ Thibodeau, Ian (2016-09-23). "Gravestone marks milestone for Avalon Village founder". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  23. ↑ Rahman, Nushrat. "Treasured community garden in Highland Park could be uprooted in land dispute". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  24. ↑ McMurtrie, Layla. "Last building demolished for 'Blight to Beauty' project in Highland Park's Avalon Village". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  25. ↑ Peters, Adele (25 May 2016). "These Vacant Lots In Detroit Are Turning Into An Eco-Village". Fast Company. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Women of the Year". USA Today. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  27. ↑ Dunn, Meg; Klairmont, Laura; Toner, Kathleen; Torgan, Allie (2023-11-01). "Meet the people who are making the world a better place". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  28. ↑ Hicks, Mark (2023-01-16). "The work is not done, say those celebrating King in Detroit". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  29. ↑ "Rev. Jesse Jackson Honors Kem, Blake Corum, Rabbi Syme, Bishop Charles Ellis, Rev. Watson and Mama Shu Harris on MLK Day". prnewswire.com (Press release). Rainbow Push Coalition. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  30. ↑ Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency (2019-10-28). 2019 Champion Award: Shamayim "Mama Shu" Harris. Retrieved 2024-12-06 – via YouTube.
  31. ↑ Avalon Village (2016-09-07). Mama Shu receives eWomen Network Humanitarian of Year Award. Retrieved 2024-12-06 – via YouTube.
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Media appearances

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