Everything We Need is Already Here Najah Woods on Grassroots Leadership

“Accessibility is key. We need access to the funders. We need access.” Najah Woods understands that opportunity means little when the people doing the work cannot reach the resources. Her story stretches from family roots in Alabama and Black Bottom to Inkster and Detroit, carrying the legacy of her grandmother Grace Rita Hampton, whose UAW advocacy opened doors for Black workers and neighbors. “That’s just what you do for your neighbors,” Najah recalls of the community service she grew up witnessing. Her journey through the Charles H Wright Museum, Teen HYPE, and Public Allies reveals how mentorship, relationships, and lived experience shape leadership. Through family experiences with sickle cell disease and breast cancer, she also understands how inequity affects everyday life. Today, her work with Civic Slam challenges traditional funding barriers by connecting grassroots Detroit organizers with financial support and opportunity. “Everything is already here,” she explains, affirming that Detroit communities possess the wisdom and leadership to shape their own futures.