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Nelson Mandela exhibit announced at Dearborn’s Henry Ford museum
The Henry Ford, a sprawling museum in Dearborn, announced Tuesday it will offer an exhibit focused on the late South African president and freedom fighter Nelson Mandela starting this fall. “Mandela: The Official Exhibition” will be on display from Oct. 21 to Jan.15, 2024. It will include 150 historical artifacts and personal effects on loan […]
On this day in 2013: The city of Detroit files for bankruptcy
On July 18, 2013, the city of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. It was the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history. The decision was made by Kevyn Orr, then-Gov. Rick Snyder’s hand-picked emergency manager. Orr, a corporate lawyer and University of Michigan Law School graduate, had been on the job in Detroit since […]
Gun reform advocate Gabby Giffords backs Slotkin for U.S. Senate at Detroit event
During a press event in Detroit on Monday, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) announced that she is endorsing U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing) for U.S. Senate in Michigan in 2024. “Elissa has the unwavering commitment needed to address the epidemic of gun violence our country faces,” Giffords said. “Having grown up around firearms and […]
Detroit leaders celebrate 3rd-annual Courageous Games for kids
The third-annual Courageous Games, which were held over the weekend on Wayne State University’s campus in Detroit, has been a labor of love for founder Keith Williams, a Motor City native. “Since 2012, my mission has been clear: To help and support kids who face challenges in their lives,” said Williams, a former Wayne County […]
How Michigan politicos helped to represent the first African World Festival 40 years ago
As it approached 20 years as a cultural institution in 1983, the Afro-American Museum of Detroit created and carried out a weekend public festival – and Motor City area political officials helped to make it happen. The first African World Festival theme was “The African World is One” and was celebrated at Detroit’s Hart Plaza. […]
Hill Harper on U.S. Senate race: ‘We want as many people in the race as possible’
Updated, 7:08 a.m. and 10:33 a.m., 7/14/23, Actor Hill Harper this week formally announced his Democratic bid for the Michigan U.S. Senate seat left open in 2024 by retiring U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing). Harper, an Iowa native, bought a home in Detroit in 2016, a 16,000 square-foot mansion in the city’s historic Boston-Edison community, […]
Southeast Michigan leaders discuss ways to tackle climate crisis
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) on Monday joined local elected officials and community leaders for a roundtable at The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) in Warren to discuss Michigan’s economic opportunities in the transition to clean energy and the need for good-paying union jobs. At the roundtable speakers held an in-depth discussion […]
Actor Hill Harper announces Democratic U.S. Senate bid in Michigan
In a Twitter post on Monday, Hill Harper — an actor, Detroit business owner and resident — announced his intention to run for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, joining an increasingly crowded field. He posted: “We can all feel it: D.C just isn’t getting things done for people. We need representatives who’ll take on special […]
Ellison: Congress needs to act and get the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said that his book, “Break the Wheel,” was inspired by the 2020 murder of George Floyd, an African American man who died at the hands of Minneapolis law enforcement. Here’s how the Democrat and Detroit native learned about the Memorial Day killing of Floyd. “My phone woke me up at […]
Black Oakland County residents call for more collaboration with white public officials
During a meeting this week in Pontiac, a group of Black Oakland County residents urged their white political office holders to better include them on budget, policy and endorsement matters. “We have public officials, and elected representatives who do not address our concerns and the urgency to end racial disparities in our communities,” said Tia […]
Highland Park environmental activists help inspire award-winning documentary
A group of Highland Park residents on Saturday screened an award-winning documentary centered on grassroots groups combating the climate crisis and seeking environmental justice that included their neighbors. “How to Power a City” is a documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker and Pace University professor Melanie LaRosa, was shot in several locations around the U.S. including […]
Detroit Immigration Task Force celebrates Immigrant Heritage Month
A resolution passed this month by the Detroit City Council celebrates Immigrant Heritage Month in Michigan’s largest city. “The resolution acknowledges Detroit’s past and present as a beacon of freedom, refuge, and opportunity for migrants from around the world. Detroit is home to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers of all backgrounds, and continues to welcome […]