Shamayim "Mama Shu" Harris

Shamayim "Mama Shu" Harris (born 1965) is the CEO and founder of the Avalon Village, located in Highland Park, Michigan.[1][2] Her nickname, "Mama Shu", is a reference to Shu, the Egyptian god of air.[3] Although she has transformed her neighborhood into the Avalon Village, she does not have a background in urban planning or development "except for sitting on this porch conjuring up what I want to do on this block, that's it", stated Harris.[4] Harris also houses The Moon Ministry, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization.[2] The Moon Ministry has no connection or affiliation with Hyung Jin Moon's Unification Church.

Harris is an active member of her community and has held many roles over the years. She was a school administrator in the Detroit Public Schools for 27 years, a chaplain for the Highland Park Police Department, chairwoman of Highland Park Charter Commission, Vice President of the Highland Park Housing Commission, President of the Highland Park Board of Education, and was appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a member of the Michigan Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity.[5][6]

  1. ^ Johncox, Cassidy (2024-05-31). "Avalon Village continues to transform Highland Park for the better". www.clickondetroit.com. WDIV. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  2. ^ a b Thibodeau, Ian. "Highland Park 'eco-village' brings basics back to block". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  3. ^ "Mama Shu: Turning Loss Into Love - All There Is with Anderson Cooper - Podcast on CNN Audio". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  4. ^ Hartman, Steve (2022-03-18). "An unlikely urban planner injects new life into her Michigan community". www.cbsnews.com. CBS News. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  5. ^ Kisner, Kim (2024-07-08). "It Takes A Village – And Mama Shu Is Building One". detroitisit.com. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  6. ^ "Michigan Health and Human Services: Shamayim Harris". Michigan Health and Human Services. Retrieved 2024-11-22.