16-year-old emerges as a leader at Detroit's Monday protest: 'I felt I made a mark'

When 16-year-old Stefan Perez exited a Michigan Route No. 2 city bus and walked to Detroit Police Department Headquarters, joining the protesters marching through the city, he did not expect to become a leader.

But by the end of the fourth night of Detroit protests against police brutality, Perez found himself on his knees in the middle of Michigan Avenue with a megaphone in his right hand, urging protesters to comply with the city's 8 p.m. curfew.  

With the Detroit Police behind him dressed in full riot gear — prepared to use physical force, tear gas and rubber bullets — Perez joined the amplified voices who demanded that protesters disperse, for their own safety.

The stakes were high in Detroit on Monday, the second night of the city's 8 p.m. curfew. As racial tensions exploded across the country because o the killing of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer, Detroit had avoided some of the violence seen in other places. But the night before, Detroit police fired tear gas, made arrests and shot rubber bullets at protesters who refused to leave downtown. It was a potentially dangerous scenario, and Perez and the march leaders were determined that things would not get out of hand. 

"The fact that I was able to put my hand up and stop everybody from causing trouble here tonight, I look back and smile at that moment," said Perez, who is not affiliated with any political organization. "The people followed me into battle and I'm glad that I was able to get them home safely."

Protests over the weekend in Detroit were led by adults affiliated with political or activist groups. But after four straight days of marches, the thought that a teenager could be leading more than 1,000 protesters through the streets of the city was something the crowd could not fathom.

"He is so mature for his age. I could not believe it when he said he was 16," said Markia Fuller, wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt. "He led us the entire way and people listened to him without ever knowing how old he was."

Like many who are 16 years old, Perez likes to play sports, talk to girls, and hang out with his friends. He attended Communication and Media Arts High School last school year. He will be a senior next year, and, upon graduating, plans to attend Wayne County Community College. 

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In his spare time, Perez records music and goes by the name "Fano," a combination of his first name and middle name, Noel.

"My grandmother gave me that name when I was little," said Perez, who lives with his grandmother in southwest Detroit. "She is going to be so proud of me when she watches the news tonight."

Perez — who is black, Mexican, Puerto Rican and Nicaraguan — described his relationship with his grandmother as a close one. Perez has lived with her a year, and maintains a healthy relationship with his mother and stepfather, he says. But he gives a lot of credit to his grandmother for the young man that he is becoming.  

"If it wasn't for my grandmother," he said, "I wouldn't be here today. As a teenager, I have put her through a lot of stuff. But she stuck by my side when I needed it the most and she'd be proud of what we accomplished tonight."

The highlight of Perez's night came shortly after the protesters headed east of Bagley to their cars. Surrounded by reporters and television camera crews, a stranger handed him a telephone. On the line was Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who watched Monday's protest via live stream. Duggan called former staffer Toson Knight, and asked to speak to Perez after seeing the teen help lead the march. Shocked and caught off guard, Perez beamed when he heard the mayor's voice.

"Mayor Duggan called me and said he thought the kid was remarkable and said he brought tears to his eyes," said Knight, who was volunteering for the group Cease Fire at the protest. "I gave him the phone and at first he didn't believe me. To have the mayor call you and you're only 16, is major. I hope that motivates him to continue being the leader that he is."

After speaking with the mayor, Perez said: "That was amazing. ... I didn't think I was gonna make it to 16. ... The fact that people follow me ... and the fact that the mayor just spoke to me, the fact that the Detroit police didn't shoot. And they could've. It's just amazing. I'm glad I'm not a statistic, because I could be."

As the protest broke up, Knight and Perez exchanged phone numbers. Perez asked Knight, who is the dean of students at Western International High School, whether he could help him enroll in his neighborhood school. 

Perez's leadership inspired many people, along the protest route. The teen said that he plans to continue his activism and participate or possibly lead other protests this week.

"We did this. I'm not going to necessarily say I did this, because I didn't," Perez told photojournalist Mandi Wright of the Free Press, as she interviewed him. "I had plenty of help today. But I'm here. I'm alive. I woke up today enough to do this. I'm just glad that I'm here. I'm glad I was able to take a knee, put my hand up and say 'Black Lives Matter.' "

Perez vowed he wasn't going to become another statistic and asked the media to make sure the story was told accurately: that Monday's protest in Detroit was peaceful and went without any major incidents.

"... At the end of the day I felt like I made a mark," he said. "I felt like people that was with me felt that. They felt the pain. All we wanted was just to reconcile for ourselves to the people we lost: George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbury, Trayvon Martin. There are so many names. ... I'm glad that I'm not a name."

When Perez was done talking to fellow protest leaders and others who congratulated him on a job well done, the Detroit teen walked down Michigan Avenue to catch the bus bound for home. 

Branden Hunter is a native Detroiter and east sider who covers the city's neighborhoods for the Free Press. Contact him with neighborhood news at bhunter@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustCallmeBHunt.