Stories from Community Experts

Our Racial Equity Fellows are community experts working on the ground to fight structural racism in Detroit.

March 15 marks International Day to Combat Islamophobia - WDET 101.9 FMThe UN is recognizing March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. Petra Alsoofy says systematic Islamophobia impacts everyone.

Detroit pumps more money into ShotSpotter

Detroit has approved more funding for ShotSpotter technology, and residents are divided on how they feel about it.

Watch the discussion starting at minute 13:55.

This Detroit neighborhood is using the community land trust model to help ensure affordable housingDetroit’s housing market is pushing many people to start thinking outside the box when it comes to home ownership. For years, Detroit was seen as the place to purchase a decent, affordable home. But that is no longer the reality in many parts of the city.

Detroit promised to end water shut-offs for low-income residents. Advocates say we’re not there yet.A moratorium on stopping water service is six months from ending. Detroit officials have a plan but some advocates say they've been left in the dark.

Attorney: Detroiters facing eviction deserve right to counsel in courtrooms • Outlier MediaBy Ted Phillips Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and other councilmembers are considering introducing a new ordinance that would provide Detroit residents facing eviction with a right to legal representation. These types of ordinances, known as right-to-counsel laws, have been enacted in cities throughout the country, including New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Toledo. […]

The only Arab American museum in the nation is 'much more than a building'In the heart of Dearborn, Michigan, stands the Arab American National Museum, the first and only museum in the country dedicated to the history and resilience of the Arab American community.

OPINION: Now is the time to act on water affordability | Planet DetroitReading Time: 2 minutes A recent report from the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley once again designated Detroit as one of the most racially segregated regions in the country. It is not just segregation of race. Spatial-structural racism is the hyper segregation of race, wealth and opportunity. This segregation lies at the root of Detroit’s multiple crises ...

Haitian Americans in Michigan protest U.S. policy on migrants at borderSpeakers told the several dozens present that Black immigrants are often treated worse than others.

Congratulations to our Racial Equity Fellow Myaia Holmes (DEAL 6) for being named a 2021 Power of One Dedicated Woman honoree!

New push to make Michigan’s outdoors more inviting to people of color | Bridge MichiganVisitors to public lands and outdoor recreation are overwhelmingly white. State land managers say they want to reduce this “nature gap,” while African-American and Latino groups are encouraging more exploration of Michigan waters and trails.

GreenLight Fund Detroit seeks second-round funding for efforts to improve lives of Detroiters in poverty

How the U.S. Constitution Does and Does Not Protect Your PrivacyLegal scholars and privacy experts weigh in on the privacy protections granted to all Americans through constitutional provisions and federal statutes.

Detroit Community and Cultural Organizer Uses Food as a Medium for Ancestral HealingLifelong Detroiter shane bernardo explores land-based practices around growing and preparing Philippine cuisine to heal intergenerational trauma and reconnect with his roots.

Detroit: Not Yet Seen“As public money is diverted to private projects, Detroiters are told to be patient. They are told that the benefits will “trickle down” to them over time. In truth, these benefits remain tightly controlled in private hands. Little is trickling down anywhere.”

Chauvin verdict is the exception, not the norm, in 'justice' system | OpinionTo truly make our city safer, we need to redirect police spending to housing, mental health services, and alternatives to criminal punishment.

Detroiter Antonio Rafael aims to get kids to see leaders of color in the outdoors | Planet DetroitReading Time: 5 minutes One of the main cries during the COVID-19 pandemic has been to enjoy the healing benefits of nature, but for many urban Black and Brown youths, immersing themselves in nature beyond asphalt is not a real option. At one time, people could count on schools to provide nature options beyond the neighborhood, but school budget ...

Getting Through: Why cooking is healing for this DetroiterNeed some restorative listening? Look no further. This is Getting Through, a new series where we cover the stories and sounds of how we’re staying…

White House faces new pleas to avert ‘tidal wave’ of water shut-offs as state bans continue to lapseNone of the roughly $1 billion in new stimulus aid allocated for water assistance has reached Americans in need, nearly three months after Congress authorized the first tranche of funds, adding to lawmakers' calls on the Biden administration to take action.

Resident-led investment set to transform Detroit’s North End - Bridge DetroitThe Knight Foundation is focused on Detroit’s North End, and longtime residents will lead the community’s plan for development.

Podcast: Mass Surveillance of Black Bodies & Anti-Racist Data-Sharing: An Interview with Data 4 Black Lives’ National Organizing Director Tawana Petty | All In: Data for Community HealthAll In: Data for Community Health Podcast · S3 E1: Mass Surveillance of Black Bodies & Anti-Racist Data-Sharing: An Interview with Tawana Petty Tawana Petty is a mother, social justice organizer, youth advocate, poet, and author. She is intricately involved in water rights advocacy, data, digital privacy rights education, racial justice, and equity work. She is the National Organizing Director at Data for Black Lives, former director of the Data Justice Program at Detroit Community Technology Project, co-founder of Our ... read more

Opinion: An End To Detroit Water Shutoffs? Beware The Duggan Bait-And-Switch - Bridge DetroitWe hate to be spoilsports, but we’d advise those advocates to hold their applause for claims by El-Sayed and Duggan to end water shutoffs. We’ve seen this play by Duggan in the past.

Opinion: Water shutoffs in Detroit linked to increase in COVID-19 cases - Bridge DetroitThe practice of water shutoffs represents a long history of systemic racism and structural neglect impacting our communities of color. The problem of water poverty won’t end with the pandemic.

Opinion | Dual pandemics: police brutality and coronavirus racial disparities

Detroit needs more resources for disabled DetroitersAdvocates for disable Detroiters urge the city to create an Office of Disability Affairs.

Healing justice group Healing By Choice! engages community in wellness activitiesCare Circles allow participants to engage in a multi-layered communal process of healing, sharing, listening, support, reflection, and transformation.

What We Should Know About The Slaying Of An Imam 10 Years Ago In DearbornOctober 28, 2019 marks 10 years since the tragic homicide of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah who was shot 20 times in Dearborn, Michigan by a special FBI tactical sq

We Found Hip Hop offers safe space to help propel hip-hop careers for women and girlsPiper Carter and Nina Payne created the social enterprise to develop artists by investing in people and producing events that provide platforms to elevate or introduce new artists, as well as to educate women on staying safe in the industry.

On American Black Journal, music producer, artist, and social justice activist Bryce Anderson [aka Bryce Detroit] discusses the concept of “entertainment justice” in light of the recent entertainment partnership between rapper Jay-Z and the NFL.

Bipartisan panel: Why Detroit's facial recognition technology should be bannedDetroit’s facial recognition system is invasive, error-prone, and racially biased, a bipartisan panel warned residents at a town hall meeting Monday. About 30 people turned...

Housing development in Detroit's North Corktown targets middle-income earnersConstruction is underway on a 14-unit development that averages 1,500 square-feet, two bedrooms and two bathrooms

WATER POWER

A new film that combines music video and documentary filmmaking to shine a light on Michigan’s water crises.

“We’re using hip hop music and documentary techniques to provoke and educate people with regards to the poisoning of Flint, the poisoning of Detroit school students and the risk of pumping oil through the Great Lakes,” said Will See Music, hip hop artist, activist and Detroit Equity Action Lab Fellow.

(By award winning Detroit director Kate Levy and legendary Detroit MC, activist and Detroit Equity Action Lab Fellow Will See.)

Detroit homeless court changes lives for its defendantsAt Street Outreach Court Detroit, around 20 homeless or at-risk-of homelessness individuals get civil infractions and misdemeanors resolved, as well as waiving most fines and fees associated with those charges.

Rebuilding the Bridges Between Detroit's Jewish and African-American Worshippers A pastor and a rabbi are making 'interfaith' more than just a buzzword

Wayne State Fall 2017

Detroit Equity Action Lab Fellow Jayesh Patel: "I've always been interested in social justice. In this day and age of the million-dollar defense, I began asking, 'What if everybody got the same level of service?' and that's how Street Democracy was born," Patel explains. "But we also realized that without addressing the underlying causes of poverty and homelessness, we would only be performing legal triage."

What can white people do about racism in America?What can white people do about racism in America?

"Tawana Petty and Dessa Cosma of the Detroit Equity Action Lab joined Stateside today to discuss some of the ways white people can become part of the struggle for racial justice in America.

Policing Protest: The Dangers of Media Bias During Urban UprisingsAmidst a national reckoning with anti-Black racism, newspapers have published problematic and dangerous reports on recent protests…

Justice system needs transformation, not quick fixesA new report by the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration doesn't go far enough.

Searching for the Other Midwestern Swing VoterSpoiler: She’s Black and lives in Detroit

Imagining safety without prisons: Seeking a holistic solution to violence in DetroitA coalition of criminal justice reformers believed ending mass incarceration can make our streets safer.

Bryce Detroit’s ‘Structured Water’ symbolizes the renaissance of Black music culture in North EndThe rapper, producer, and entertainment activist talks about the vision for bringing back a cultural institution and how that will help fuel a new music economy.

40 Under 40 - Kate Baker

"Service to her community has always been a driving factor for [Kate] Baker. With a bachelor's degree in government and urban studies from Smith College, a master's in urban planning from Wayne State University and a career path in community development, Baker's new position as executive director of Oakland Housing allows her to sync all her passions."

How a cross-cultural coalition is making a 'Dream of Detroit' real in one Motor City neighborhoodThings are looking up in Detroit’s Dexter-Linwood area these days. Neighbors have been working together to improve the area, once-blighted homes are being rebuilt, and a new commercial kitchen and restaurant is in the works.

Environmental Racism in Detroit

Watch this video by the Climate Justice Alliance, featuring DEAL 3 Fellow Michelle Martinez.

"The Democratic presidential debates will take place in Detroit against the backdrop of a city fighting for clean air and water and historic struggles against environmental racism."

"Tell the candidates to stand with Southwest Detroit (the most polluted zip code in Michigan) on July 31st and listen to their solutions to the crisis!"

Detroit teens reimagine criminal justice with alternative to new jailLast Saturday on Detroit’s near east side, groups of teens sat huddled around tables talking about the future of their city. They were discussing something...

Restorative justice city: One woman's quest to create a more just DetroitThe Detroit Justice Center will provide community legal services to underserved Detroiters, support other equity organizations, and promote "just city" initiatives with the ultimate goal of creating a more just Detroit.

On urban farming and 'colonialism' in Detroit's North End neighborhoodThe Oakland Avenue Farmers' Market in Detroit's North End is one of those small-but-mighty neighborhood markets that accomplishes a lot with a little. Each Saturday,...

Shifting the Language: From Ally to Co-Liberator | EclectablogIf you are a black person or another person of color, I am asking you to participate in ushering in a new narrative. I am asking you to relinquish your pursuit of white people as privileged beings. If you are a white person, I am asking you to relinquish the narrative that you live a privileged existence. For those of you who made it through that first paragraph, we are well on our way towards visioning a more humane society. A society that allows everyone to show up in the conversation with their full humanity. Discarding the narrative of privilege is not an invitation to ignore the brutality that black people and other people of color endure under the system of white supremacy. It's an invitation to contribute to a dialogue that moves us beyond the false dichotomy of hierarchy we have been unintentionally fostering through our anti-racism organizing. It is an invitation to recognize the more connected to our humanity we become, the less we will tolerate the dehumanization of others.

Detroiters Send "Love and Healing" to Puerto RicoLocal herbalists hope to meet immediate needs and build sense of self-sufficiency for disaster survivors.

Tanzania Goes Full Speed Ahead to Reclaim Africa’s Natural Wealth | Black Agenda ReportTanzania has taken a dramatic step towards nationalizing its natural resources. New legislation requires the government to ensure “that the national wealth and heritage are harnessed, preserved and applied for the common good.” Tanzania Goes Full Speed Ahead to Reclaim Africa’s Natural Wealth by Mark P. Fancher “Tanzania’s National Assembly stops short of full nationalization, but nevertheless affirms permanent sovereignty over the country’s natural resources.”

Anti-racism organization to renovate house in Detroit for racial justice workshops, community eventsMuslimARC is a faith-based human rights organization focused on addressing racial justice. After purchasing a house in the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood, the organization will soon have a physical space to host workshops and community events.