Rev. Horace Sheffield, III, MA, MPA 

Rev. Horace Sheffield, III is the executive director of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations (DABO) where he leads and builds the Detroit community by developing the skills, abilities, and resources that organizations and communities need to be sustainable in this fast-changing world. The organization’s main purpose is to impact and enrich lives across the city of Detroit. DABO has had many successful initiatives under Rev. Sheffield including: COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, hosting leadership training, HIV prevention, community development, and much more.  

Rev. Sheffield was offered hundreds of thousands of dollars to lead a campaign against banning the sale of menthol cigarettes in the U.S. He was told the money was coming from RJ Reynolds, the tobacco giant behind America’s most popular brand of menthol cigarettes, Newport. 

His exclusive interview with the Bureau gives a rare insight into how companies attempt to influence the menthol debate via Black-led organizations, which are often in desperate need of more funds.  

“We shouldn’t be lured into doing things which are contradictory to our calling and to our public posture simply because we need money to continue to operate,” Sheffield said in explaining why he turned down the money. 

Rev. Sheffield is currently the National chairperson of Restore Black Wall Street 2021 campaign, chairperson of the Detroit Ecumenical Ministers Alliance, lifetime member of the NAACP, and national board members of the Black Leadership Commission on Aide and the National Cares Movement. 

Rev. Horace Sheffield, III is a longtime social activist, pastor, and media personality. He is an on-air radio personality for 910 AM/WFDF, as the host of On The Line and an on-air television personality for WADL, as the host of Real Talk Weekly. Sheffield is also the pastor of New Destiny Christian Fellowship and executive director of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations, both in Detroit.