Angela Reyes
Angela "Angie" Reyes is a tireless advocate and community-builder who has devoted decades to nurturing hope, healing, and providing opportunities in Southwest Detroit. Born in 1954 and raised in the city's Latino neighborhoods, Reyes understands the lived realities of her community and has made it her life's work to transform them.
Starting in her teenage years, Reyes worked with marginalized youth. Early on, she noticed the cycles of violence, loss, and disinvestment that threatened young lives. In 1997, she founded the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC). She launched it from her living room because, as she put it, she was "tired of burying children."
Under Reyes's leadership, DHDC transformed into more than just a nonprofit. The organization became a movement grounded in cultural roots, trauma-informed practice, and grassroots empowerment. She brokered gang truces, launched the GRACE (Gang Retirement and Continuing Education & Employment) program, and partnered with Hispanic-owned manufacturers to bring formerly rival gang members into the workforce.
Over time, DHDC expanded into a wide range of services, from youth development and adult education to mental health, community organizing, reentry support, and cultural healing practices. These programs have helped thousands of individuals reclaim their lives and build brighter futures.
Reyes earned a master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan and has spoken nationally and internationally on issues such as youth violence, cultural awareness, immigration, education reform, and community-based participatory research. She also served as a founding board member of the Detroit Urban Research Coalition before DHDC's founding in 1997.
After nearly three decades at the helm, Reyes announced her retirement effective May 31, 2025. Her legacy, however, lives on in the countless lives changed, the community strengthened, and the vision of a Detroit where Latino families can thrive with dignity and purpose.