More Than a Proclamation: The Story Behind Lansing’s First Mikey 23 Day
- Yanice Y. Carter
- 12 minutes ago
- 7 min read
How one father’s unimaginable loss became a movement of hope, skilled trades and healing throughout an entire community.
When the City of Lansing officially proclaimed Aug. 1 as “Mikey 23 Day,” it wasn’t simply recognizing a nonprofit organization. It was recognizing a father’s decision to answer unimaginable tragedy with hope. It was recognizing a family that refused to allow gun violence to write the final chapter of their son’s story, and it was recognizing a movement that continues to rebuild homes, restore lives and inspire a generation of young people to believe they have the power to build something greater than themselves.
Meet Michael McKissic Sr. He is a man who leads with all heart because he has seen firsthand the impact compassionate leadership can have on a community. Before there was a foundation, there was a father. Before there was a mission, there was unimaginable loss. Over the years, Michael has been tested in many ways, but none more profoundly than the tragic loss of his son to gun violence. Yet through unimaginable grief, he has remained steadfast, drawing upon the love, kindness and tenacity within himself to transform heartbreak into hope. Those experiences would eventually shape not only his own life, but also the lives of hundreds of young people throughout the greater Lansing community.
On Aug. 1, 2015, Michael’s 23-year-old son, Michael McKissic II, affectionately known as “Mikey,” was murdered in an act of gun violence. Nearly 11 years later, Mikey’s murder remains unsolved. For many families, tragedy has the power to stop time. For Michael McKissic, it became the beginning of a mission. Rather than allowing grief to consume him, he chose to transform heartbreak into hope.
Seeing the footprints Mikey left behind inspired Michael to continue building not only his family’s legacy, but also a legacy of service that now reaches hundreds of young people through the Mikey 23 Foundation. The Mikey 23 Foundation, is an organization dedicated to mentoring youth, teaching skilled trades, strengthening neighborhoods and helping young people discover purpose through service.
A Legacy Built by Hand
Construction has always been part of Michael’s story. A second-generation contractor, he proudly follows in the footsteps of his father, Lonnie McKissic Sr., one of Lansing’s first licensed contractors. “I’m the second-generation contractor in my family,” McKissic shared with The Chronicle News. “My dad, Lonnie McKissic Sr., was one of the first licensed contractors in Lansing.”
Today, that family legacy has become much more than construction. It has become restoration.
“My family and I started the Mikey 23 Foundation in my son Michael McKissic II’s name after he was murdered at the age of 23,” he said. “We teach youth and young adults a building trade in construction. Our motto is, ‘Instead of picking up a gun, pick up a hammer and build up your community.’”
Those words are more than a slogan. They have become the heartbeat of everything the foundation stands for.
More Than Building Houses
At first glance, someone might think the Mikey 23 Foundation simply teaches roofing, siding, drywall, painting and carpentry. Spend even a few moments with Michael McKissick, however, and it quickly becomes clear the work goes much deeper.
Every house restored becomes a symbol of renewal, every neighborhood improved becomes a reminder that communities can heal, and every young person who learns a trade becomes another opportunity to interrupt the cycle of violence that forever changed Michael’s family.
In a previous interview with FOX 47 News, McKissic offered perhaps the most powerful description of his work.
“Rehabbing homes is like having a date with closure.”
Perhaps no sentence better captures the heart of the Mikey 23 Foundation. Construction is not separate from grief. It is one of the ways Michael has chosen to carry it. For Michael, every home restored represents more than lumber and nails. It is another opportunity to keep another young person from walking the same path that claimed his son.
A Story That Explains Everything
When asked what makes him most proud of the foundation, Michael didn’t begin by talking about awards, recognition or community honors. Instead, he shared a story about his son.
Years ago, Mikey was standing in line at a grocery store when he noticed an elderly woman who didn’t have enough money to pay for her groceries. Without hesitation, he quietly paid the remaining balance. What his parents didn’t know was that Mikey continued buying groceries for the woman every two weeks, never asking for recognition and never mentioning it at home.
Michael and his wife only learned about their son’s quiet generosity after his death.
“He never came home to tell his mother and I,” McKissic recalled. “It was only after his death that she brought her granddaughter to our house and thanked my wife and I for raising such a beautiful soul.”
That single act of kindness became part of the inspiration behind one of the foundation’s outreach programs, which now helps senior citizens with minor home repairs throughout the Lansing community. It isn’t simply charity. It is love continued.
Redemption Through Service
Michael has also never hidden his own journey. As previously reported by the Lansing State Journal, he has openly spoken about being a former felon and how that experience now shapes the way he mentors individuals returning from incarceration. Rather than allowing his past to define him, he has chosen to use it to extend grace, accountability and hope to others seeking a second chance.
That honesty has become one of his greatest strengths as a mentor. Young people see someone who understands hardship, not from a distance, but from personal experience. His willingness to be transparent allows others to believe that mistakes do not have to define a lifetime.
Building More Than Homes
Since its founding, the Mikey 23 Foundation has continued expanding its impact throughout the community. The organization mentors youth and young adults through skilled trades, provides scholarships for students pursuing higher education, revitalizes neglected properties and creates opportunities for young people to experience the pride that comes from building something with their own hands
One scholarship bearing Mikey’s name asks students to write about how they would stop violence in their communities or how gun violence has affected them personally. Another signature project transforms neglected homes into neighborhood assets.
“We take the ugliest house in the neighborhood and make it the best,” McKissic said.
According to the City of Lansing’s proclamation, the foundation has also invested in early intervention, mentorship and career development for young people, helping youth gain valuable construction skills while strengthening neighborhoods and encouraging community pride. The proclamation recognizes the organization’s work restoring homes, creating pathways toward productive futures and giving young people opportunities to become builders in every sense of the word.
Lansing Says Thank You
The City of Lansing officially declared Aug. 1 as “Mikey 23 Day,” recognizing the foundation’s years of service to youth, neighborhood revitalization, violence prevention and community development. WILX also reported on the historic designation, highlighting the city’s recognition of the foundation’s lasting impact throughout the Lansing community.
When asked what the honor meant, Michael’s response reflected the humility that has defined his leadership.
“This means so much to our family and our community. Celebrating what Mikey did to help others gives the true definition of loving this place we call home. This honor belongs to the entire Lansing community.”
Michael Welcomes All to the Mikey Day Celebration August 1, 2026
The annual Mikey Day celebration continues that spirit with free food, entertainment, horseback riding, ice cream, family activities and opportunities for neighbors to gather together. While the day celebrates Mikey’s life, it also celebrates the countless lives that continue to be touched through the work of the foundation.
Looking Ahead
Michael says the next chapter is already taking shape. He hopes to expand the Mikey 23 Foundation into Detroit, Grand Rapids, Albion and Toledo, Ohio, while continuing to seek volunteers, donated tools, abandoned homes for rehabilitation and community partnerships that will help grow the organization’s reach.
When asked why the mission matters now more than ever, his answer was simple.
“Because our next generation are in need of guidance.”
The Legacy Continues
For Michael McKissic, the greatest honor isn’t the proclamation hanging on a wall. It isn’t the recognition from city leaders, and it isn’t even seeing homes restored throughout Lansing. The greatest honor is watching another young person discover purpose, another family find hope and another neighborhood begin to heal.
Michael leaves readers with one final message.
“It’s going to take all of us to stop this disease we call gun violence. The entire village.”
Perhaps that is the true meaning of Mikey 23 Day. It is more than a date on the calendar. It is an invitation to mentor instead of ignore, to build instead of destroy and to love instead of look away. While one young man’s life was tragically cut short, his legacy continues to rise, one home, one family and one young person at a time. This is a legacy is worth sharing.
Comments