Civil Rights
On this day in 1965: Former Michigander Malcolm X is killed
Malcolm X was killed on this day in 1965. The former Lansing, Detroit and Inkster resident was fatally shot by rival Black Muslims while addressing Organization of Afro-American Unity members at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Neb., in 1925, he was the son of James Earl Little, a […]
Gilchrist headlining NAACP dinner that LGBTQ activists will boycott
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is set to headline the Flint NAACP Freedom Fund dinner next month, but LGBTQ activists have called for a boycott of that event. State Rep. Sheldon Neeley (D-Flint) said in a press release that a local LGBTQ group lead by Quincy Murphy has asked members of the Genesee County state delegation not […]
Detroit turns page on Cobo, bank to rename convention center
The Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) on Wednesday awarded the naming rights of 723,000-square-foot Cobo Center in Detroit to Chemical Bank. The facility is named for former Detroit Mayor Albert E. Cobo. Many African-Americans have long called for the facility to be renamed, given Cobo’s record of racial discrimination in the city. The Rev. […]
House Republicans offer ‘guiding principles’ for term
Republican members of the Michigan House on Tuesday unveiled their action plan for the 2019-20 legislative term, hitting on issues they’ve stressed before. During the 12-minute, broad-strokes presentation, the 58-member majority caucus talked about: Improving infrastructure, including roads, public water systems and broadband. Protecting constitutional rights and religious freedoms. Addressing mental illness and victims of […]
On this day in 1922: Michigan’s first Black Supreme Court justice is born
Otis M. Smith, the first African-American to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court, was born on this day in Memphis, Tenn., in 1922. Smith attended Fisk University and Syracuse University. In 1950, he earned a degree from Catholic University Law School in Washington, D.C. In January 1951, he began to practice law in Flint. Five […]
GOP lawmaker appears to compare poll taxes to gun license fees
It was a fairly routine Michigan House committee hearing until a GOP lawmaker unexpectedly raised the idea of a poll tax, which hasn’t been legal in more than a half-century. On Tuesday, Attorney General Dana Nessel was invited to appear before the House Judiciary Committee. The Democrat talked about the organization of her office and […]
Is ranked-choice voting the next election reform for Michigan?
Another big change could be coming for elections in Michigan — if the measure can get on the ballot. In 2018, Michigan voters approved sweeping reforms to Michigan’s elections with two ballot questions. Proposal 2 created an independent redistricting commission and Proposal 3 reinstated straight-ticket voting, implemented same-day voter registration and added no-reason absentee voting. […]
Michigan joins states fighting Trump’s emergency declaration for wall
Michigan’s attorney general had some harsh words about President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration to gain funding for a border wall. Dana Nessel called it “a manufactured crisis,” and announced on Monday that Michigan has joined 15 other states to seek an injunction against the president’s measure. “This fake emergency is a publicity stunt that will raid our federal […]
Immigrant detention company could buy private land since Whitmer nixed plan
A Virginia-based company that planned to build a private immigrant detention center in Michigan may now consider buying private property after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer halted its state land sale bid, the company’s legal counsel said. Whitmer, a Democrat, reversed a state land bank decision under GOP former Gov. Rick Snyder that would have sold the […]
Activists voice border wall dissent
Left-leaning Michigan activists met in a Lansing church basement on Monday to show their support for Presidents Day protests planned across the nation. The action was billed on social media as a protest, but ended up being a press conference where some 200 activists showed up. Many were disappointed there was no rally, said Mark […]
FOX-2’s mess over Whitmer’s dress makes international news
FOX-2 got its clicks for a story quoting random people appraising Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s appearance. The station’s management defended the move and appears to want to move on — but the national, and even international, media have other ideas. The Advance was the first to call out FOX-2’s piece featuring comments like, “I’d hit that,” […]
Susan J. Demas: It’s a new day in Michigan, boys. Try and keep up.
Just after Christmas 2011, I was sitting in a tent in Arizona’s Arrastra Mountains, enjoying the 20-degree chill and a much-needed break from covering politics 14 hours a day. Out of habit, I was scrolling through news on my Blackberry (yes, that’s what I had at the time) and stumbled on a quote from then-state Sen. […]