Organizers of the Michigan Black Summit are already at work planning the 2027 edition of the event, just a few months after hosting 200 people at Lake Michigan College for 2026.

Summit Chair Trenton Bowens tells us the event in February was a resounding success with leaders from all over the state coming to Benton Harbor for discussions about how they can improve their communities. And while summit organizers in the past have floated the idea of taking the event on the road in future years, Bowens says they’ve decided that Benton Harbor can be the only place for it.

“We thought about it long and hard, and this is home,” Bowens said. “It was built in Benton Harbor, it started out in Benton Harbor, and we’re going to keep it in Benton Harbor.”

Bowens says when the summit returns to the Mendel Center next year, the theme will be “What’s Going On,” paying tribute to the 1970s. He says holding the event in Benton Harbor shows the area is getting attention statewide.

“We have a lot to offer. We have an airport. We are close to the highway, Detroit or Chicago, and we have water. So at the same time, it may be snowy, but we’re able to promote Benton Harbor as the area for opportunity.”

The 2027 summit will include conversations around Black education, Black healthcare, Black economic development, leadership, voting rights, housing, and the future of Black communities throughout Michigan.

“There’s actually a lobby day getting ready to happen in Lansing, and they’ll be using the pillars of the Black Summit. So, every time somebody leaves the summit, my hope is that they — I don’t like going to these conferences where you’re just sitting there — but my hope is that people are able to learn and go back to their communities and be agents of change.”

Bowens says housing and healthcare costs will be a particular focus, and he wants those who attend to leave with a clear blueprint of how to bring progress to their areas. He’s expecting attendance to rise to more than 300 next year.