D'REAL GRAHAM

D'Real is a placemaker and youth worker. He joined 826DC, a youth writing and tutoring center, in 2017, to contribute his writing, research, program management and administrative experience to talent development, resource sharing, and education. Graham came to DC after five years at 826michigan, a youth writing and tutoring center, where he collaborated with Ypsilanti Community Schools leadership to promote intellectual curiosity and risk-taking.

Originally from southeast Michigan, Graham has spent the last eighteen months pairing food with mumbo sauce and learning about Go-go music. He has participated in numerous community-focused collaborative projects. From co-facilitating the Ypsilanti Public School/Willow Community School District merger after the 2012 General Election, to executing an award-winning master plan update in one of Washtenaw County’s most economically segregated municipalities, Graham’s work has focused on exploring and understanding teamwork through placemaking methods.

With a passion for third-space and equity theory, naps, friendship, in addition to life-long learning, Graham continues to explore the intersection between dominant worldview and traditional knowledge in his daily walk.