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On this day in 2011: Detroit community leader Bernadine Newsom Denning dies
On Jan. 11, 2011, Bernadine Newsom Denning, longtime Detroit resident and community leader, died at age 80. She was living in Port St. Lucie, Fla., at the time of her death. Over the course of five decades, Denning earned a distinguished record as an educator, civil rights leader, and advocate for women. In 1951, she […]
Clement to serve as state Supreme Court chief justice
Elizabeth Clement will continue to serve as Michigan Supreme Court chief justice after a unanimous vote by the seven-member body. The GOP-nominated member has taken over for Justice Bridget McCormack, a Democratic-nominated member who retired in December. “I am honored to have been chosen unanimously by my colleagues to serve as Chief Justice of the […]
On this day in 1976: Phil Hart, the ‘Conscience of the U.S. Senate,’ dies at 64
On Dec. 26, 1976, Philip Aloysius Hart, Michigan’s senior U.S. senator, died of cancer at 64. Hart, who was first elected to the seat in 1958, had decided not seek reelection in 1976 after his condition worsened. The Democrat was known as the “Conscience of the Senate” because of his principled stance on several issues […]
On this day in 1972: State Sen. Coleman A. Young announces Detroit mayoral bid
On Dec. 15, 1972, state Sen. Coleman A. Young (D-Detroit) announced that he would run for Motor City mayor. The Democratic National Committee member would later be elected to the post in 1973, becoming the first African American to serve in city history. At the time, Detroit was the nation’s fifth largest city in population. […]
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks pledges to listen, learn from all lawmakers
Updated, 10:49 a.m., 12/14/22 Sen. Winnie Brinks, the incoming Michigan Senate majority leader and first woman to hold the post, intends to bring a different style to the job when the 102nd legislative session begins in January — a willingness to listen and learn from all of her colleagues. “You’ve seen a lot of leaders […]
Train workers continue to rail against labor contract
About 60 freight rail workers rallied in Royal Oak on Tuesday in an effort to push back on a federal government-backed workforce agreement that did not include paid sick days. “We refuse to take what occurred on Dec. 1 and 2 with silence and complacency after the railroads refused to negotiate in good faith and […]
Patrick Lyoya’s family files $100 million lawsuit against city of Grand Rapids, former officer
Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Ven Johnson, representatives for the family of Patrick Lyoya, the Black motorist who was killed by a Grand Rapids police officer in April, announced in Detroit on Wednesday that they have filed a $100 million civil lawsuit in federal court against the city of Grand Rapids and former police […]
State House OKs measure to replace Lewis Cass with Coleman A. Young at U.S. Capitol
The Michigan House on Tuesday passed a resolution that would replace a statue of former Michigan Gov. Lewis Cass inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. The resolution was introduced by state Sen. Adam Hollier (D-Detroit,) and called for replacing the statue of Cass with Coleman A. Young, Detroit’s first Black mayor. Young, a former […]
Outgoing state Rep. Cynthia Johnson: ‘There are some of you in this room who owe me an apology’
Two outgoing Black Democratic women from metro Detroit offered vastly different farewell speeches on Tuesday. Consistent with the end of session tradition, 27 members, Democrats and Republicans, reflected on their tenure in the Legislature’s lower chamber. Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden (D-Southfield) was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month. Bolden, […]
On this day in 1870: Susan B. Anthony rallies in Detroit for women’s right to vote
On Nov. 29, 1870, Susan B. Anthony demanded the right to vote for women during a visit to Detroit. Anthony, who was born on Feb. 15, 1820, in Adams, Mass., spoke during the Northwestern Women’s Suffrage Association assembly. After her presentation, the assembly adopted a resolution that read, in part, “That under a republican government […]
Wayne County board certifies Nov. 8 election results
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers on Tuesday unanimously approved the Nov. 8 general election results. Wayne is one of 83 counties in Michigan where results are certified. The board consists of two Democrats and two Republicans who are nominated by local political party organizations. Richard Preuss and James Britton are the Wayne County Democrats. […]
Lawrence interested in USPS post, toasts Jeffries as a consensus-builder among Dems
Retiring U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield) told the Advance on Thursday that she supports U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as U.S. House minority leader and she’s interested in a U.S. Postal Service appointment. The news comes after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the first woman in history to hold the gavel, announced Thursday she […]