Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kim & Rhonda Theus. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kim & Rhonda , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Finding our purpose began with legacy — not just what we leave behind, but what we choose to carry forward. This truth was underscored by the powerful example of our parents, who journeyed from the Jim Crow South to Detroit, driven by the dream of purchasing a home and raising their family with dignity. When they passed, their house became more than just property; it was a testament to their struggle and success. Refusing to sell or abandon it—a fate tragically common in Detroit—we chose to honor their memory by focusing our efforts on the surrounding community. Our initial steps involved deep listening: engaging with neighbors and residents to understand their pressing concerns and their aspirations for the neighborhood’s development. Canfield Consortium was born from this deep love for Detroit and a responsibility to preserve the culture, creativity, and resilience of our community. We found our purpose by truly hearing the stories of our neighbors — especially those who had been overlooked or displaced — and asking ourselves, “What does it mean to build something that lasts, and who gets to belong in the future we’re shaping?”
Our work started with small acts: cleaning lots, hosting block meetings. But each effort revealed a bigger need — for restoration, not just redevelopment. Purpose showed up in the gaps: where children needed safe spaces to play, where elders needed acknowledgment, where artists needed visibility, and where land needed love.
We realized that our purpose wasn’t to impose a vision, but to hold space for one that’s already here — rooted in East Canfield Village’s rich history and its untapped potential. That understanding continues to guide our work: to cultivate pride, protect Black space, and co-create a future where people can live with dignity, express themselves freely, and thrive in place.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Canfield Consortium is a community-rooted nonprofit based in East Canfield Village on Detroit’s East Side. Our mission is to restore, reclaim, and reimagine historically disinvested Black neighborhoods through arts, culture, land stewardship, and creative place keeping.
What makes our work special is that it’s hyperlocal and generational — we’re not outsiders trying to “fix” a neighborhood. We’re from here. We listen, build with, and center the people who’ve sustained this community for decades. Whether it’s transforming vacant lots into public green spaces, creating murals with local youth, or preserving cultural landmarks, every project is about investing in people first and creating spaces that reflect the soul of East Canfield.
Our Core Initiatives
We work at the intersection of art, community development, and environmental justice. Our projects include the East Canfield Art Park, The Remediation Forest, and Jack’s Storefront, a return-to-use initiative that supports returning citizens and small Black-owned businesses through access to space and technical support.
Combatting Pollution with The Remediation Forest
We’re particularly proud of our work with The Remediation Forest, a vital effort to address environmental disparities in our community. Located near a major auto manufacturing plant, this forest is strategically planted with trees known to combat air pollution. We’ve installed real-time air quality monitors within the forest, providing crucial data directly to residents.
Our commitment to environmental education extends to local youth. We’ve engaged students from the Barack Obama Leadership Academy in outdoor classrooms within the Remediation Forest, where they learn about air quality readings firsthand and understand the importance of healthy air for their community. This dynamic resource not only improves air quality in the immediate surrounding area but also serves as a living laboratory for environmental stewardship.
At its core, Canfield Consortium is about reclaiming possibility — making sure our people are not only seen, but resourced, respected, and rooted in the future of Detroit.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Boldness gave us the courage to dream big in places others had written off. Starting a community-rooted organization in a historically disinvested neighborhood meant facing skepticism, red tape, and limited resources. But we leaned into our vision anyway. Boldness isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about moving forward with conviction and letting your values lead.
Listening is the foundation of everything we do. We learned early that the best ideas come from the ground up. Listening to our elders, youth, and neighbors shaped every project we’ve launched — from the Art Park to our workforce initiatives. If you’re early in your journey, make listening a continuous practice, not just a fleeting step. Create spaces where people feel truly heard, and let their insights guide your strategy.
Resilience has kept us going through challenges, delays, and seasons of uncertainty. Community work isn’t linear, and real impact takes time. There will be moments when progress feels invisible, but resilience means showing up anyway, trusting the process, and adjusting when necessary without losing sight of your purpose.
Our advice?
Be bold enough to begin, even when the path isn’t fully clear.
Stay rooted by listening deeply and often.
Build your resilience like a muscle — not alone, but in community with others who believe in the work as much as you do.
That’s how movements are built and sustained.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
One of the most important books in our development — both personally and as an organization — is The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley. Malcolm had the foresight and courage to tell his own story, in his own words, at a time when Black voices were so often distorted, erased, or criminalized. If he hadn’t, his legacy might have been whitewashed — reduced to a caricature of an “angry Black man,” a villain whose assassination was somehow justified. But because he captured the complexity of his journey — from street hustler to revolutionary thinker — we see him for who he truly was: a man in constant transformation, fiercely committed to truth, dignity, and liberation.
A few lessons from that book still guide us:
• The power of self-reinvention. Malcolm’s life was proof that growth is possible — not just despite your past, but because of how honestly you face it. That has shaped how we think about people, particularly returning citizens, and the importance of second chances in our work.
• Control your narrative. If you don’t tell your story, someone else will — and they may get it wrong. That’s why storytelling, oral histories, and cultural preservation are central to what we do at Canfield Consortium.
• Radical honesty leads to radical change. Malcolm never softened the truth to make it more palatable. He challenged power, exposed injustice, and spoke directly to the conditions of his people. That clarity continues to inspire how we advocate for our community.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X isn’t just a book — it’s a blueprint. A reminder that legacy isn’t what you leave behind, but what you intentionally build, word by word, while you’re still here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.canfieldconsortium.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canfieldconsortium/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canfieldstreet
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabLhsImOxOddb6EDO8Corw
Image Credits
Photos 1, 2 and 4 Credited to Noah Elliott
Photo 3 credit to Jordan Weber
Photos 5, 6, 7 & 8 credited to Canfield Consortium
