Civil Rights
Coronavirus cuts life of ‘earnest, engaged’ Detroiter Tom Wilson short
A man who has been described by some as the “Spirit of Detroit” has succumbed to COVID-19. Thomas A. Wilson Jr., a fixture in Motor City community and politics circles for several decades, died on Wednesday. He was 73. “He had a fantastic life,” said Eileen Wilson, his wife of more than 50 years. “I […]
Column: As air pollution worsens COVID-19, we must move to cleaner energy
Southeast Michigan – home of Michigan’s most polluted ZIP code – has been hit hard by COVID-19 and new research from Harvard University has shown that patients with long-term exposure to pollution are more likely to die. This heartbreaking reality is shown in Wayne County, where more than 1,500 people have already died from COVID-19. Nearby […]
Mich. LG calls lawmaker’s Confederate flag mask ‘appalling,’ says Senate should censure him
On Friday, state Sen. Dale Zorn (R-Ida) wore a protective mask on the Senate floor which appeared to have a Confederate flag design, following right-wing protests against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer which featured Confederate flags, AR-15s and Nazi symbols. Zorn initially defended the mask in media interviews, but then apologized on Twitter Saturday morning. Lt. Gov. […]
After right-wing protesters carried Confederate flags, GOP senator’s mask draws ire
A Republican state senator wore a protective mask during a rare Friday session that appeared to have a Confederate flag design on it. That was while the Republican-led Legislature met to attempt to yank emergency powers from Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to show their unhappiness with her actions to stop the spread of COVID-19. Sen. […]
Planned Parenthood offers telehealth services for birth control, UTIs
Like many health care providers during the COVID-19 crisis, Planned Parenthood of Michigan (PPMI) is now offering telehealth services, including access to birth control and urinary tract infection (UTI) treatment. “We know that sexual and reproductive health care can’t wait. Everyone is facing challenges and new stresses right now – getting your birth control or […]
Nessel urges FDA to stop discriminating against LGBTQs in blood donations
Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a group of attorneys general in submitting comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support lifting current donation restrictions on the LGBTQ population. She said that will help maintain an adequate national blood supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 2, […]
Trump is ‘playing games with our lives,’ activists say on Earth Day
Michigan leaders blasted President Donald Trump on Earth Day, citing his poor environmental record and “bungling” of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since taking office in 2017, Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax,” has pulled out of the Paris Agreement. His administration has moved to weaken a host of environmental regulations, including fuel-economy standards, clean […]
Column: We must protect people with disabilities during the COVID-19 crisis
According to the latest U.S. census American Communities Survey, there are 1.4 million Michiganders with disabilities, including 126,001 Detroiters or roughly 19% of the city. This is important as the World Health Organization (WHO) issued guidance that people with disabilities are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 because of physical barriers to accessing hygiene, difficulty […]
Whitmer to FEMA: Waive all cost-share requirements during COVID-19
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, citing the strain on state resources resulting from Michigan’s COVID-19 outbreak, has requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) waive all cost-share requirements for federal assistance in Michigan be waived. Since President Donald Trump granted a major disaster declaration in late March, state, tribal and local recovery efforts have been supplemented […]
COVID-19 pushes Postal Service’s finances to the brink
WASHINGTON — Millions of Americans are relying on the U.S. Postal Service for key supplies while they isolate themselves to slow the spread of COVID-19. But the Postal Service itself faces uncertain times ahead, as the economic fallout of the pandemic and hostility from the Trump administration threaten to hobble it. “At a time when […]
Gov. signs order creating coronavirus task force on racial disparities
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed Executive Order No. 2020-55 that creates the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities. It comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color throughout Michigan. For example, while African Americans represent 13.6% of the state’s population, they make up a staggering 40% of the deaths from […]
Civil rights leaders rip Lansing protest for ‘racist undertones’
The Rev. Charles Williams II, National Action Network’s Michigan chair and pastor of Historic King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, said that last week’s “Operation Gridlock” rally in Lansing was President Trump-inspired and had “racist undertones.” “I think that this is the same dog-whistle and cat-calling that Donald Trump and others have used all along,” […]