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By Courtney McGinley
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As Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit Michigan on Thursday night for an event with Oprah Winfrey, Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell told Newsweek it won't change anything for the city.
The Black pastor who captivated the Republican National Convention in July with a fiery, pulpit-style speech told Newsweek Harris' visit to Detroit "changes nothing." He questions where she has been in supporting the city over the past four years.
"Detroit was voted the neediest city in America in 2021 in terms of access to health care, home values and crime during her time as vice president," Sewell said. "Her visit to Detroit is irrelevant."
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He argues her visit is a superficial attempt to gain support rather than addressing the city's long standing issues, especially in the school system where he said approximately 80% of the students cannot read. The Literacy Association reports only 18% of third graders were reading proficiently in the 2020/21 academic year.
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"The only thing Vice President Harris can do by coming to Detroit is try to convince people that, because she's Black, she cares," Sewell said. "That's all she can do. She hasn't done anything else."
The pastor's influence has surged since the RNC. He recently spoke at Daystar in Bedford, Texas, a suburb of Dallas about why Christians need to vote and why they need to vote for Trump.
"At least President Trump came to my church, heard from entrepreneurs, and gave me a platform," Sewell said. "I am preaching the gospel, and people are being educated."
Harris will be joined by Oprah Winfrey in Detroit for the "Unite for America" live stream event from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
This follows campaign stops by former President Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance in Flint and Sparta earlier this week.
New post-debate polls show Harris holding a slight lead over Trump in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
A new poll from the Howard University Initiative on Public Opinion suggested that an overwhelming majority of Black voters in the seven swing states are supporting Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump.
The new data shows 82% of respondents suggesting they support Harris, compared to 12% backing Trump.
The voters polled are over 18 and registered in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It was conducted between Sept. 4 and 11, with 1,000 respondents.
About 5% of the respondents said they are undecided and the other 1% said they intend to vote for a different candidate other than Harris and Trump.
Almost 90% of Black voters over 50-years-old are support Harris, with 8% backing Trump.
For young voters, 75% still back Harris, but support for Trump has doubled. Now, 16% of respondents are supporting the Republican nominee.
Among Black men, 72% of those under 50-years-old favor Harris, with 88% support her over 50.
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Who is Lorenzo Sewell?
Sewell, a native of Detroit, grew up in a challenging environment marked by physical and verbal abuse, according to the church website. His high school years were particularly difficult, with his father incarcerated and his younger brother tragically killed.
These hardships led Sewell into a life of drugs and gang leadership. But his path took a dramatic turn on April 18, 1999, during his senior year at Fraser High School, when he experienced a profound spiritual awakening.
In January 2019, Sewell became the Lead Servant of Evangel Ministries in Detroit, an urban congregation dedicated to gospel-centered service and discipleship. Prior to this role, he was the lead pastor at Woodside Bible Church's Pontiac Campus and served as the Director of the Dream Center of Pontiac.
"Can you imagine it? A kid from the eastside of Detroit," Sewell said. "My dad's in prison for murder. My mom was beaten every week—I saw it. My sister just got out of jail. Can you imagine it? I was a drug dealer. Jesus saved my life, and now I have preached to billions of people."
Sewell's work is driven by his belief that if an initiative doesn't make disciples, it doesn't make sense. He is deeply committed to serving Detroit alongside his wife, Molly, and their three children: Isabella, Elijah, and Naomi.
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