About Us
Detroiters For Tax Justice is an all-volunteer grassroots citizen organization who research where our money goes. We go to public meetings, use the Freedom of Information Act, and share the information we learn with the people. We have caused a great deal of concern among the local billionaires because we call for an end to the unfair "trickle-down" model of economic development currently practiced in Detroit, and a return to human-scale economics that prioritize families and small businesses over corporations.
After years of activism individually, we finally coalesced under a united banner in April 2023 after City Council approved unprecedented tax subsidies to the corporate "District Detroit" project. We are a diverse, and independent volunteer coalition of working class Detroiters, including block club and neighborhood association leaders, scholars, small businesses, elected officeholders, teachers, legal professionals, and regular concerned citizens. We stand together to protect our city's future and are currently seeking like-minded organizations and individuals to grow our coalition.
We are not a right-wing tea party group; in a majority-black city like Detroit, fighting for tax justice is to fight for economic justice, and to regain self determination of our city from the corporations. We are not a 501(c) and we do not get money from the philanthropic foundations! Being mostly self-funded, we are not constrained by the "velvet handcuffs" of the typical nonprofit. We are not paid professional activists—this is a fight, not a 9-to-5 job.