Race Equity
On this day in 1975: Nation’s first Black-owned TV station launches
On Sept. 29, 1975, Detroit television station WGPR-TV 62 signed on air for the first time. That came after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously voted in 1973 to grant a permit by African Americans to operate a television station in Detroit. “There wouldn’t be any need for a station of this type if things […]
Nessel draws broad support from tribal nations, businesses and other states in Line 5 suit
A coalition of tribal nations from across the Midwest and Canada on Monday submitted a brief supporting Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s argument to move her lawsuit to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipelines back to state court. The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will weigh arguments as to whether Nessel’s case should be […]
U.S. House passes Wounded Knee memorial bill
The U.S. House approved by voice vote Wednesday a bill that would help protect land at the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota, where an estimated 350 Lakota were killed by U.S. soldiers. The site is within the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River […]
Bills to eliminating majority of court fees for Michigan juveniles get Senate hearing
Youth criminal justice stakeholders told lawmakers this week that some families of juveniles in Michigan owe upwards of $100,000 in non-restitution related fees to the court. They added that the time and money dedicated to collection of those fees outweighs any benefit to the state and Black families often bear the highest debts. The Michigan […]
Michigan Dem reps. set to attend Congressional Black Caucus Conference in D.C.
Democratic state House members are poised to travel this week to the nation’s capital to attend the Congressional Black Caucus’ (CBC) 52nd Annual Legislative Conference held Wednesday through Sunday. “I am greatly looking forward to this opportunity to convene in D.C.,” said state House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit). “Not only is it a chance to […]
States urged by Biden administration to rectify underfunding of land-grant HBCUs
States engaged in decades of underfunding of land-grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities, leading to a more than $12 billion disparity with comparable white institutions, leaders of the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday. “Unacceptable funding inequities have forced many of our nation’s distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities […]
Vice President Kamala Harris to NC A&T students: ‘When you vote, it scares some folks.’
This is what happens when the vice president of the United States visits Greensboro: Excitable German shepherds, restrained by their military handlers, sniff every duffel, trash can, and bathroom of a terminal at Piedmont Triad International Airport. Poised, yet nervy and as quiet as bats, Secret Service agents in dark suits and sunglasses scan the […]
Civil rights leaders among those remembered during Black fraternity centennial
The Detroit chapter of a leading Black fraternity on Saturday will host its centennial celebration, with two of its founding members boasting strong ties to the American civil rights movement. Omega Psi Phi fraternity’s Detroit alumni chapter, Nu Omega, was founded at a time when African Americans, largely from southern states, were moving to the […]
Michigan has made big strides on voting rights. Here’s what to expect next.
This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org Michigan has made strong progress in protecting voters’ rights and access to the ballot box in recent years, […]
Column: White Christian nationalism threatens U.S. democracy
You may be among the 35% of Americans who have never heard the term “white Christian nationalism.” But of those citizens who are knowledgeable of the concept, it carries a decidedly negative view. The belief is becoming more and more important to understand as cultural diversity, racism, immigration issues, political divisiveness and political candidate pandering […]
Oakland University groups call out former Gov. Rick Snyder headlining ‘civility’ event
Two Oakland University-based organizations are calling out a school decision to host GOP former Gov. Rick Snyder in an Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement event on Monday. The event is titled, “Breaking the Barrier: The Importance of Civility and Improving Political Discourse.” In response, two campus groups, the Oakland University Campus Alliance for Sustainability […]
Lawmakers hear bills aimed at preserving Indigenous culture
The idea that Indigenous students would be allowed to wear traditional attire to their graduations these days is an emotional image for Mary Lee, a survivor of an Indian boarding school. Lee, having survived Holy Childhood school in Harbor Springs, one of the last Indian schools used to assimilate to white culture and prey upon […]