Music in the Park — Downtown Dearborn

The vision for H2BE traces back to 2005 with Divine Xtraordinarians, where Dr. Denguhlanga Julia Kapilango Divine planted the seeds of leadership, arts, and justice. By 2018, those ideas matured into the research and design stage of H2BE, shaping a mission to unite food, justice, arts, and healing.

In 2019, before the pandemic, Dr. Divine partnered with Dearborn’s Economic Community Development team to design and lead Music in the Park in Downtown Dearborn. This outdoor series became one of the earliest public demonstrations of H2BE’s vision — using music and performance as a tool for placemaking, connection, and community healing.

Leadership & Design

• Curation: Recruited and coordinated musicians, DJs, comedians, and vocalists across genres.

• Branding & Promotion: Built a cohesive campaign across social media, community newsletters, and traditional outlets.

• Audience Retention: Crafted engagement strategies that kept families and residents coming back.

Community Impact

• Turned a public park into a welcoming cultural space in the heart of Downtown Dearborn.

• Brought together families, youth, and elders across cultures.

• Showed how arts and placemaking strengthen civic pride and neighborhood identity.

Outcomes

• 1,000+ residents experienced free, family-friendly performances.

• Local artists gained visibility and new opportunities.

• Music in the Park became a living example of how H2BE’s early vision for arts and voices could transform public space into a stage for unity.

This project laid the groundwork for H2BE’s mission to use arts, food, justice, and healing as tools of community empowerment.