Table of Contents
Intro
Jerjuan Howard exudes determination, clarity of purpose, and deep love for Detroit.
Jerjuan has recently emerged as one of the city’s most dynamic young community leaders: an organizer, veteran, educator, gardener, author, entrepreneur, and now, a bookstore owner.
He is opening Howard Family Bookstore on Detroit’s NW side. Their mission aligns with our own here at Detroit Bookfest: increasing literacy and book access in Detroit.
“We need to develop our neighborhoods, not just selective pockets of downtown,” he says. “Self-determination and community problem-solving are the driving forces behind everything we’re building.”
Growing Up on Puritan: Family, Roots, and Responsibility
Jerjuan’s great grandparents JB and Fannie Davis moved to Puritan Avenue in 1939, part of the Great Migration, from Macon, Georgia. Their journey planted the seeds of the family legacy that Jerjuan is carrying forward today.
Let’s hear from Jerjuan:
“I was born in 1997 and grew up on Cheyenne Street and Puritan. Attended John R. King for elementary and middle school before graduating Renaissance HS in 2016.”
“My family were not avid book readers. But they were incredibly kind people. They instilled me with discipline and a focus on giving back. My pops Charles knows everybody in our area, he embodies the spirit of our community.”
“My upbringing instilled two key values: community service and self-determination. As a kid, my $5.00 allowance went straight into the church tithes. Cultivating a community-first mindset has helped define my adult life.”
Education, The Army, and a Shift
After high school, Jerjuan joined the Army National Guard in order to pay for college.
“I trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, then Fort Gordon. I served as an IT specialist assigned to the 210military police battalion in Taylor, Michigan.”
“The Army taught me the importance of timing, teamwork, and never forgetting how human emotions can be in everything we do covertly.”
“I earned a Criminal Justice BA with a minor in Philosophy from Western Michigan University. Go Broncos! At WMU, I was president of the Black Student Union. My academic path shifted my perspective on community empowerment.”
“In December 2020, the day I graduated WMU, I published a book called A Message to Black College Students. It was an act of self-expression inspired by reading 100-year-old books and realizing how great wisdom and advice can be timeless. My hope is that my book inspires people not only now but years from now.”
Umoja: From Debate Team to Citywide Youth Movement
Jerjuan’s journey into youth development can be traced back to a single class. In 10th grade, Jerjuan’s debate teacher, Miss Norris, at Renaissance HS, opened a door he never knew existed.
“Debate was my origin. It taught me how to articulate myself. It pulled my curiosity out. It was a spark that ignited my passion.”
“Fast forward to 2021, I created the Umoja Debate League. The purpose was to teach Detroit students how vital critical thinking and public speaking are, regardless of career choice.”
“We started with 4-5 kids after school at John R. King. By Spring 2022, thanks to a grant from MDE (Michigan Department of Education) we had grown to 25 schools. We do monthly debate tournaments at Wayne State University’s Law School. We always debate both sides of an issue. This technique helps develop confidence, empathy, articulation, and leadership.”
“Confidence translates to any career path. Debate is a great vehicle to get kids motivated because its both playfully competitive and educational.”
“Growing up here, I’ve witnessed how interconnected community issues are. We’re in a ‘nutritional desert’. Instead of resources, we have abandoned lots. So I volunteered with D-Town Farm and became deeply involved in Detroit’s urban agriculture movement.”
“In September 2022, Umoja purchased two vacant lots on Stansbury. It was our launchpad for transformation.”
Jerjuan’s Umoja Garden: A Symbol of Self-Determination
The Umoja Gardens (15868 Stansbury Ave, Detroit) is one of Jerjuan’s proudest accomplishments. It was an academic debate team that also morphed into a community gardening collective.
“What was once a dumping ground is now a thriving community garden that feeds neighbors, teaches kids essential skills, and demonstrates the power of grassroots development.”
“I view problems holistically: minds and environment together. Youth development and community development go hand in hand. This garden right here represents self-determination for the whole neighborhood. Here we learn that we have the ability to solve our own problems.”
“Last year we took Umoja students on a cultural immersion trip to Accra, Ghana. It broadened their worldview and deepened their understanding of themselves.”
The Puritan Avenue Archive Project (PAAP)
In addition to building new institutions, Jerjuan is helping to preserve old ones.
“Housed inside our bookstore will be the Puritan Avenue Archive Project (PAAP). It’s a growing collection of photos, interviews, videos, and artifacts that document the history of our neighborhood.”
“We’re logging our own history. We’re not waiting for other people to recognize how special we all are. This is real grassroots archiving. I’ve personally interviewed many residents. If these stories are not recorded, they risk being forgotten forever. We would be depriving future generations of invaluable lessons and insights.”
Howard Family Bookstore: A Cultural Hub
In February 2024, Jerjuan walked into a dilapidated building at 13803 Puritan Avenue and all he saw were possibilities.
“The building had been vacant for over 30 years. No windows, no HVAC, nothing, decayed, gutted, it was just a shell.”
“By June 2024, I purchased it. By August, we began renovating. My vision for HFB is I want it to be a community hub. We are also a frontline intervention in creating generational literacy.”
“Howard Family Bookstore will feature: new and used books, a coffeeshop, reading space, events, author talks, workshops, youth programs, comic book creation, possibly a small publishing house, and more.”
“Detroit has experienced severe divestment. Bookstores are a catalyst for real change. Reading will fundamentally change you. I’m never the same person at the end of a book.”
“Self-reading, I mean reading books not mandated by school, is key. Reading a nearly 200-year-old book, The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass (1845), changed my life. It convicted me. Here was a man who was born into slavery but taught himself how to read. It’s like somebody suddenly turning a light on when you didn’t even know you couldn’t see. That book helped me dive deeper into the Black struggle and why I’m obligated to help.”
A Vision Rooted in Love for Detroit
Jerjuan also serves on Detroit City Council’s Special Projects Team. And he is a Detroit Public Schools Academic Interventionist.
“Some of the challenges for kids that I see as an Interventionist are exposure. Knowing the options. Knowing that better is possible, achievable. Social support, validation, and encouragement can be powerful in terms of accelerating learning and helping kids understand that desired outcomes don’t magically happen without real serious effort.”
“As for me personally, I love carpentry, I love group runs with WeRun313, and I love collecting sports memorabilia (especially Detroit Pistons).”
“And I believe ultimately that we can revitalize neighborhoods from the inside out. Literacy is a major tool for this transformation. Black people have a role in community improvement. There’s too much Black excellence for our communities to not reflect that.”
Final Thoughts
Jerjuan Howard is a great example of what’s possible when passion and purpose meld into an unstoppable force for betterment.
Detroit Bookfest is honored to support his mission and excited to collaborate as a community partner with Howard Family Bookstore.
Contact
Howard Family Bookstore
13803 Puritan Ave.
Detroit, MI 48235
Additional Photos
