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American Black Journal > Partnerships > BridgeDetroit

Detroit PBS believes in the power of collaboration with media organizations to provide local news and information. Together, American Black Journal, One Detroit and BridgeDetroit produce award-winning news stories and share public forums and panels on crucial social, public affairs and economic issues. In 2024, the three content partners received the Sojourner Truth Award for coverage of the 60th anniversary of the Detroit Walk to Freedom.

Partnerships

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BridgeDetroit hosts upcoming Community Conversation on housing

Detroit faces significant challenges with housing and home repairs, a topic of increasing concern as residents grapple with deteriorating conditions and limited resources. <a href="https://poverty.umich.edu/2021/10/21/nearly-38000-households-in-detroit-estimated-to-be-living-in-inadequate-housing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Data from the University of Michigan</a> show that over 37,000 Detroit residents live in inadequate housing conditions due to unaffordable repairs.
On Aug. 20, BridgeDetroit will <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bridgedetroit-conversation-series-3-housing-home-repair-tickets-908511471267" target="_blank" rel="noopener">host its latest Community Conversation</a> focusing on housing and home repairs. The event aims to shed light on the pressing needs of Detroit residents and explore available resources to address these issues. <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
RELATED: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroits-home-repair-crisis-and-its-impact-on-residents-neighborhoods/">Detroit’s home repair crisis and its impact on residents and neighborhoods</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/homeowners-face-high-costs-eligibility-barriers-to-fix-home-repairs/">Detroit&#8217;s home repair crisis: Homeowners face high costs, eligibility barriers to fix homes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroits-home-repair-crisis-the-impact-of-disinvestment-in-detroits-neighborhoods/">Detroit&#8217;s home repair crisis: The impact of disinvestment in Detroit&#8217;s neighborhoods</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroits-affordable-housing-crisis-and-its-impact-on-homelessness-in-the-city-american-black-journal/">Detroit’s affordable housing crisis and its impact on homelessness in the city</a></li>
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The goal of <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/tag/community-convos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the series</a> is twofold: to facilitate dialogue between reporters and residents and to hear from city and state officials as well as those directly affected by these challenges. This upcoming Community Conversation will provide a platform for Detroiters to learn about resources and support available for homeowners and renters.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:-20,&quot;335559737&quot;:-20,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
BridgeDetroit <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/christine-ferretti/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Managing Editor Christine Ferretti</a> shares a preview of the event with <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/contributors/">host Stephen Henderson</a>. Ferretti highlights the critical issue of home repairs and the University of Michigan’s data on housing conditions in Detroit. She also discusses a new City of Detroit initiative, <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/news/detroit-home-accessibility-program-provide-crucial-modifications-detroiters-living-disabilities#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20Detroit%2C%20in,residents%20with%20disabilities%20and%20low%2D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Senior Accessibility Home Repair Fund</a>, aimed at improving home accessibility for residents with disabilities.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit PBS’<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

BridgeDetroit hosts upcoming Community Conversation on housing, home repairs in Detroit

Making Amends: The Quest for Reparations | American Black Journal & BridgeDetroit Town Hall

American Black Journal and <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a> co-host a live, virtual town hall on reparations for Black Americans.
“American Black Journal” <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/contributors/">host Stephen Henderson</a> moderated discussions about a Detroit voter-approved task force studying generational impacts to Black residents. He talked about where the process stands and what policy recommendations from task force members. <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-president-district-5/reparations-task-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Reparations Task Force co-chairs</a>, Keith Williams and Cidney Calloway, are scheduled to participate in the town hall.
Plus, Henderson gets insight into the research conducted by task force partners at the University of Michigan.  <a href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/ritachin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associate Dean Rita Chin</a> from the University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School will discuss the task force’s work, which aims to provide recommendations for policies dealing with wealth gaps, homeownership, environmental and educational impacts.
And, <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/malachi-barrett/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporter Malachi Barrett</a> from BridgeDetroit shared his <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-reparations-task-force-struggles-righting-wrongs-against-black-residents/">three-part series on reparations</a> and what he has learned from his in-depth coverage of Detroit’s quest for reparations.
The town hall continues <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/american-black-journal-bridge-detroit-host-reparations-town-hall/">a conversation “American Black Journal” and BridgeDetroit started in 2022</a> when Detroit’s reparations task force was initially formed with the mission of conducting research, making recommendations, setting goals, and advising on the implementation of reparation policies.
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<h2>Town Hall Participants:</h2>
<div data-wp-editing="1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-23616" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/1D19_Stephen1_web.jpg" alt="Stephen Henderson headshot" width="300" height="300" />
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Stephen Henderson is the current host of American Black Journal, WDET’s Detroit Today radio show, and executive editor of BridgeDetroit.  He is a former Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial page editor of The Detroit Free Press. A Detroit native, Henderson is a graduate of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and the University of Michigan. He has worked previously as a reporter, editorial writer, and editor at the Baltimore Sun, the Chicago
Tribune, and the Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, where he covered the Supreme Court from 2003-2007.
Henderson’s work has been honored with more than a dozen national awards, including for work that is published in the book, “Best Newspaper Writing 2001.” Henderson connects to readers and viewers with perspective and passionate opinion. Follow Stephen on Twitter @SHDetroit.
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-20920" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg" alt="Keith Williams" width="200" height="200" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg 683w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus-300x300.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
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Keith Williams is the chairman of the Michigan Democratic Black Caucus and the co-chair of the Detroit Reparations Task Force. He spearheaded the campaign that placed the Reparations Task Force on the ballot. He is concurrently a Director of Recruiting for the Wayne County Sheriff. Previously, he was Vice-Chair of the Wayne County Commission, an organization designed to pursue social justice aims.
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-35829 alignleft" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-26-at-9.23.57-AM.png" alt="Cidney Calloway" width="200" height="200" />
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Cidney Calloway is a social justice advocate and community organizer known for her involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, she developed a strong sense of responsibility towards her community from an early age. Cidney’s passion for justice and liberation led her to engage in activism and advocate for the Black community. 
In 2020, Cidney became a vocal abolitionist during the nationwide protests that erupted after the public murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. Inspired by the need for systemic change, she actively participated in peaceful protests demanding an end to police brutality and racial injustice. Unfortunately, during one of these peaceful demonstrations, Cidney was arrested for her activism.
Following her arrest, Cidney’s dedication to the cause did not waver. Instead, it led her to join forces with the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), a prominent and influential coalition of organizations advocating for Black liberation and social justice. As a two-time fellow with M4BL, she played a crucial role in organizing and amplifying the voices of those fighting for racial equality and advocating for the dismantling of systems and recreating what safety means in the Black community.
As Cidney continued her journey as an activist and abolitionist, she recognized the importance of legal representation and community empowerment in the fight against systemic injustice. Subsequently, she found her way to the Detroit Justice Center, a nonprofit organization that provides legal support, advocacy, and resources to low-income communities in Detroit.
Currently, Cidney serves as the office manager for the Detroit Justice Center. In this role, she plays a vital part in ensuring the organization’s smooth operation and continues to contribute to the fight for justice and equality in her community. Her dedication, resilience, and commitment to uplifting Black voices have made her a respected and influential figure in the ongoing struggle for social change and in creating a more just future for all.
[/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Rita Chin, Associate Dean, Rackham Graduate School” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” open=”off”]
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-35830" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/R-Chin-Rack-Photo-Crop.webp" alt="Rita Chin" width="200" height="247" />
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Chin is a professor of history at the University of Michigan, where she has taught since 2003. She received a Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley in 1999 and a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Washington in 1990 and 1992.
Chin is a scholar of modern Europe with particular expertise in immigration and human mobility; race and ethnicity; and colonialism and postcolonialism. Trained in European cultural and intellectual history, she have sought to apply these modes of inquiry to her ongoing interest in how difference and diversity have shaped the very terms of modern Germany and Europe more generally. Her research and writing have been supported by the SSRC, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, ACLS Burkhardt Fellowship for Recently Tenured Scholars, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
Chin’s areas of interest include postwar Germany, Britain, and France; immigration and migration studies; racial and ethnic minorities; colonialism and postcolonialism; gender; and European Leftism and the New Left. She is beginning a new book project called “Original Sin: Race and Reparations in the US and Germany,” which compares how the United States and Germany have variously grappled with their “original sins” of slavery and the Holocaust and shows how each society’s efforts to come to terms with its past have shaped contemporary race relations.
She is currently serving as Associate Dean of Social Sciences at Rackham Graduate School and is the faculty sponsor for a Rackham Interdisciplinary Workshop on Migration and Displacement. In addition, she’s actively engaged in the History Department’s career diversity and professionalization initiatives.
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-35831 alignleft size-full" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/cropped-Malachi-ICON.webp" alt="Malachi Barrett" width="200" height="200" />
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Malachi Barrett is a mission-oriented journalist trying to do good and stir up some trouble.
Barrett previously worked at MLive in a variety of roles in Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Detroit. Most recently, he led MLive’s statewide coverage of the 2020 presidential election, tracked political extremism and covered social movements. His coverage of Michigan’s connection to the January 6 riot was cited by Congress and federal investigators.
Barrett has won Associated Press awards for his reporting on housing and environmental pollution. He was named Michigan’s 2019 Newspaper Rising Star by the Associated Press. He was also included on The Washington Post’s 2020 list of “outstanding politics reporters to follow” on social media (@PolarBarrett). Barrett graduated from Central Michigan University in 2016, where he proudly served as editor-in-chief of the student-operated newspaper.
Barrett lives in the Jefferson Corridor. He grew up in Southwest Michigan but has also spent his childhood years in California, Wisconsin, Virginia, South Carolina and Japan. His inbox is always open for news tips and pictures of Spider-Man.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit PBS’<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss “American Black Journal” on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
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The pressing issue of affordable housing and its intricate connection to homelessness is affecting the lives of several individuals and families in Detroit. Decades of population loss, industrial shifts, and disinvestment have left a profound impact on the city’s housing landscape and created a formidable challenge for residents seeking affordable, stable homes.  
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/a-detroit-woman-finds-herself-homeless-after-losing-her-husband-to-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Detroit woman finds herself homeless after losing her husband to COVID-19</a>
As the pursuit of safe and secure housing becomes increasingly difficult, an unfortunate reality unfolds, revealing a cycle that perpetuates both homelessness and a lack of accessible housing options. Taking a critical examination of this two-fold issue, “American Black Journal” delves into the deep-rooted struggles faced by Detroiters, exploring the impacts of Detroit’s affordable housing shortage and the devastating consequences it inflicts upon the lives of its most vulnerable inhabitants.  
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/pope-francis-center-mariners-inn-working-to-curb-chronic-homelessness-in-detroit/">Pope Francis Center, Mariners Inn working to curb chronic homelessness in Detroit</a>
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/united-way-alice-report-2023/">United Way ALICE Report highlights the magnitude of financial hardship for some Michigan families</a>
“American Black Journal” host Stephen Henderson leads a roundtable on affordable housing, homelessness and the city resources available to those who are struggling with housing. He talks with BridgeDetroit <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/nushrat-rahman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporter Nushrat Rahman</a>; <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/group-executive-housing-planning-and-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Rencher</a>, the City of Detroit’s group executive for housing, planning and development; and <a href="https://www.nso-mi.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neighborhood Service Organization</a> CEO Linda Little. 
They talk about the current state of homelessness in the city, housing instability, a need for more affordable housing units, federal housing vouchers, and the end of a national moratorium on rental evictions. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Detroit’s affordable housing shortage intertwines with homelessness, amplifying hardships for residents

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Detroit Food Academy is revolutionizing the lives of young Detroiters by blending the art of cooking with life and leadership skills. <a href="https://detroitfoodacademy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As a nonprofit organization</a>, the Academy’s mission is to transform the lives of Detroit youth by using food as a medium to teach essential life skills, promote social justice and build vibrant communities. 
The Detroit Food Academy curriculum is designed to not only teach culinary skills, but also to foster personal and professional growth among its participants. Through experiential learning, they gain practical knowledge about food systems, sustainability, and the importance of healthy eating. 
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/one-detroit/cooking-with-que-revolutionizes-plant-based-eating-detroit-with-the-kitchen/">Cooking with Que Founder Quiana Broden brings plant-based dining to Detroit with The Kitchen</a>
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/restaurant/sozai-restaurant-serves-up-sustainable-sushi-environmental-education/">Sustainable sushi? How one metro Detroit chef is attempting to change the seafood industry</a>
Additionally, the nonprofit incorporates a strong emphasis on social justice and community engagement. Students learn about food disparities, food deserts, and the importance of equitable access to nutritious food. Two of the Detroit Food Academy instructors talked with <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a> reporter <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/micah-walker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Micah Walker</a> about the mission of the organization, the culinary opportunities available for young people in Detroit, and how it prepares students to become leaders in the community. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Detroit Food Academy cooks up the next generation of young leaders through food education

Detroit Walk to Freedom: 60 Years Later | American Black Journal & Bridge Detroit Town Hall

American Black Journal teamed up with <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a> for a virtual town hall commemorating the 60th anniversary of two historic events in the Civil Rights Movement: the 1963 <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroit-walk-to-freedom/">Detroit Walk to Freedom</a> and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Detroit&#8217;s 1963 Walk to Freedom was the largest civil rights demonstration ever at the time, organized by prominent religious and civil rights leaders Rev. C.L. Franklin and Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr. among others. The march traveled down Woodward Avenue with at least 125,000 people in attendance, and it featured Dr. Martin Luther King delivering an early version of his renowned &#8220;I Have A Dream&#8221; speech at Cobo Arena. Two months later, he would deliver the iconic speech atop the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
RELATED:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/history/detroit-to-receive-life-size-bronze-statue-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-in-hart-plaza/">Detroit NAACP unveils life-size bronze statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Hart Plaza</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroit-naacp-previews-june-jubilee-a-celebration-of-freedom-events/">Detroit NAACP President Rev. Wendell Anthony previews June Jubilee: A Celebration of Freedom events</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/walking-down-memory-lane-two-detroit-women-reflect-on-attending-the-1963-walk-to-freedom/">Walking down memory lane: Two Detroit women reflect on attending the 1963 Walk to Freedom</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/history/rev-dr-joann-watsons-life-changed-after-the-1963-detroit-walk-to-freedom/">From attendee to activist: Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson’s life changed after the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom</a></li>
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&#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> leads a series of in-depth conversations about these milestone civil rights events with the town hall&#8217;s special guests, including Detroit historian <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/author/ken-coleman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Coleman</a> talking about the significance of both marches and their status in the history books.
Then, <a href="https://horacesheffield.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Horace Sheffield III</a>, executive director of the <a href="https://dabodetroitinc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Association of Black Organizations</a> (DABO) joins the conversation to talk about his father, community and labor leader Horace Sheffield Jr.&#8217;s significant role in the Detroit Walk to Freedom and how it has influenced his own life as a social activist.
Detroit and community activist <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/walking-down-memory-lane-two-detroit-women-reflect-on-attending-the-1963-walk-to-freedom/">Edith Lee-Payne</a> joins Henderson to share her memories of participating in the Walk to Freedom and March on Washington with her mother as a young girl. Plus, <a href="https://www.orlandopbailey.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando Bailey</a>, engagement director for <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/orlando-bailey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a>, and <a href="https://www.wearehopewellbc.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Kenneth Pierce II</a>, of the <a href="https://www.detroitnaacp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Branch NAACP</a>, jump into the conversation to talk about the next generation of African American civil rights leaders.
Join these guests and others as we reflect on the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom and look ahead to the August 2023 anniversary of the March on Washington.
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<h2>Future of Work Town Hall Participants:</h2>
<div data-wp-editing="1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-23616" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/1D19_Stephen1_web.jpg" alt="Stephen Henderson headshot" width="300" height="300" />
<div>Stephen Henderson is the current host of American Black Journal, WDET’s Detroit Today radio show, and executive editor of BridgeDetroit.  He is a former Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial page editor of The Detroit Free Press. A Detroit native, Henderson is a graduate of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and the University of Michigan. He has worked previously as a reporter, editorial writer, and editor at the Baltimore Sun, the Chicago Tribune, and the Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, where he covered the Supreme Court from 2003-2007.
Henderson’s work has been honored with more than a dozen national awards, including for work that is published in the book, “Best Newspaper Writing 2001.” Henderson connects to readers and viewers with perspective and passionate opinion. Follow Stephen on Twitter @SHDetroit.
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-31749 size-medium" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Ken-Coleman300x300.png" alt="Michigan Advance Senior Reporter Ken Coleman" width="180" height="180" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Ken-Coleman300x300.png 300w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Ken-Coleman300x300.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px" />
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Ken Coleman writes about Southeast Michigan, history and civil rights as a senior reporter for Michigan Advance. He is also known as an unofficial Detroit historian. He is a former Michigan Chronicle senior editor and has served as an &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; segment host on Detroit Public Television. He has written and published four books on Black life in Detroit.
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-31751" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Edith-Lee-Payne-scaled-e1667248095990-533x533-1.jpeg" alt="Edith Lee Payne headshot" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Edith-Lee-Payne-scaled-e1667248095990-533x533-1.jpeg 533w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Edith-Lee-Payne-scaled-e1667248095990-533x533-1.jpeg 300w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Edith-Lee-Payne-scaled-e1667248095990-533x533-1.jpeg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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Edith has been an activist for social justice in areas of education, housing, public safety, police and community relations, and civil rights spanning four decades. In 2008, Edith learned she had a permanent place in history after discovering that three photographs taken of her at the August 28, 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom are among the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration.
Most notably, one of the images appears on the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial brochure, in the Records of Rights permanent exhibit in the David M. Rubenstein Gallery of the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., and in the recently opened Oprah Winfrey Gallery in the National Museum of African American History and Culture along with the pennant Edith held in the historic photo.
Edith brings history to life when speaking to audiences of all ages on her personal recollections, observations, and interpretations of growing up during the Civil Rights Movement to the present. As the poster child for the Civil Rights Movement, Edith has made a variety of local, national, and international appearances. Edith is among over 150 men and women who championed racial and social injustices throughout the United States in the Comcast/NBCUniversal™ and the Equal Justice Initiative collaboration, Voices of the Civil Rights Movement, to honor the 50th Anniversary of the August 28, 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Edith is Executive Director and Co-founder of the Lee-Lovett Foundation (LLF); a non-profit organization that educates, promotes, and encourages organ and tissue donation targeting potential donors in the African American community where donors are most needed. The LLF was founded in memory of her eldest son, Antoine Christopher Lee, and co-founded with the late James Lovett Jr., the recipient of Antoine’s heart.  Her advocacy for organ and tissue donation has been recognized globally. Her professional career also includes freelance consulting in marketing, political and public affairs, and as a political strategist.
Edith is a native of and currently resides in Detroit, Michigan. She received her education through the Detroit Public Schools and earned a B.P.A. in Public Affairs from Wayne State University.  Edith has been an active member of Carter Metropolitan CME Church of the Third Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church for over 50 years.  She has one adult son, eight grandchildren and one great-grandson.
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-31750 size-full" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rev-Horace-Sheffield-300x300-1.png" alt="Rev. Horace Sheffield III headshot" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rev-Horace-Sheffield-300x300-1.png 300w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rev-Horace-Sheffield-300x300-1.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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Rev. Horace L. Sheffield, III, was born in Detroit, Michigan during the midst of the civil rights and labor movements. The legacy of his father, Horace L. Sheffield, Jr., who was the president of the Negro American Labor Council (NALC) helped shape and expose him to a great model of servant leadership and prophetic societal challenge. With this foundation, social activism has been the driving force in many of his efforts to help move change in the black community.
Rev. Sheffield is the executive director of the Detroit Association of Black Organizations (DABO) where he leads and builds the Detroit community by developing the skills, abilities, and resources that organizations and communities need to be sustainable in this fast-changing world. The organization’s main purpose is to impact and enrich lives across the city of Detroit. DABO has had many successful initiatives under Rev. Sheffield including COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, hosting leadership training, HIV prevention, community development, and much more.
Rev. Sheffield is currently the president of the Michigan Chapter of the National Action Network (NAN), national chairperson of the Restore Black Wall Street 2021 campaign, chairperson of the Detroit Ecumenical Ministers Alliance, lifetime member of the NAACP, and national board member of the Black Leadership Commission on Aide and the National Cares Movement.
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-31293" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Orlando-Bailey-Headshot.png" alt="Orlando Bailey" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Orlando-Bailey-Headshot.png 250w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Orlando-Bailey-Headshot.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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A lifelong Detroiter, Orlando P. Bailey learned how to practice community development in the neighborhood where he was born.
Passionate about shifting the narrative of Black cities &amp; neighborhoods, Bailey is an Emmy Award winning journalist, Director of Engagement for BridgeDetroit, co-host of the podcast Authentically Detroit, and host of Urban Consulate. Previously, he served as Chief Development Officer for the Eastside Community Network.
A sought-after voice for public dialogues &amp; media, Bailey has appeared on stages &amp; screens for The Aspen Institute, SXSW, Canadian Urban Institute, Wellbeing Cities Forum, American Black Journal on Detroit Public TV and more. In 2019, Bailey traveled across Europe with The German Marshall Fund of the United States. In 2020, he was named a BMe Vanguard Fellow. In 2015, he was selected as an Emerging City Champion by Knight Foundation and 880 Cities in Toronto.
In 2010, Bailey was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Eastern Michigan University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. Since then, Bailey has had the privilege to interview hundreds of visionaries and changemakers, including Dr. Cornel West, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, Dr. Andre M. Perry and more.
Rooted in his faith and radical love for his community, Bailey is a passionate advocate for city residents as experts in their lived experience. He continues to reside on Detroit’s Eastside.
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<div><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-31752 alignleft size-full" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rev-kenneth-pierce-300x300-1.png" alt="Rev. Kenneth Pierce II of the Detroit NAACP" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rev-kenneth-pierce-300x300-1.png 300w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Rev-kenneth-pierce-300x300-1.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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Pastor K.C. Pierce II is an anointed preacher and teacher whose vision for God’s people enables him to build bridges, and reach across denominations, generations, gender, race, culture, and ethnicity while changing lives and building communities.
He is the older of two children, born in a Christian and God-fearing home. His parents are Rev. Dr. Kenneth C. Pierce and Mrs. Ilean Pierce. He is a proud parent of three children. Pastor Pierce is a graduate of Murray Wright High School. Furthering his education at Baker College, Oakland Community College, and Ashland Theological Seminary. 
Six years ago Pastor Pierce II was called to the Hopewell Church, Detroit, MI where he now serves as the Senior Pastor. He is the founder and CEO of the Hopewell CDC Inc., a very active and vital help to the community, which encompasses a weekly food giveaway program since the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic. He is also the founder of My Brothers’ Keeper mentorship program for inner city young males (grades 5-8). 
Pastor Pierce proudly serves as an active Executive Committee Member and Chair of Religious Affairs of the NAACP, Detroit branch. He has worked diligently on the Soles to the Polls campaign in helping to get millennials registered to vote. 
He is an active member of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit Vicinity, where he proudly serves on the Executive Board and Co-chair of the Political and Social Justice Committee. 
He also serves as Wayne County Sheriff Chaplin, Chaplain and activist for SEIU, activist for 1 Detroit, community partner for Focus Hope &amp; Hope Village, and Clergy Partner for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmore. Pastor Pierce II is the proud recipient of the African-American Leadership Award.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to One Detroit’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/OneDetroit/videos"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss One Detroit Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="http://onedetroitpbs.org/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/onedetroit/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/DPTVOneDetroit"> Twitter</a> @DPTVOneDetroit, and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/one.detroit/?hl=en"> Instagram</a> @One.Detroit
<h3><a href="https://www.detroitpbs.org/category/one-detroit/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch One Detroit every Monday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Detroit Public TV on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Screen-Shot-2023-05-30-at-3.05.19-PM

The <a href="https://www.detroitnaacp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Branch NAACP</a> is preparing for an exciting weekend of Black empowerment and celebration with its June Jubilee weekend of events to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the <a href="https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/events-african-american-history/detroit-walk-to-freedom-1963/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom</a>, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first gave an early version of his “I Have a Dream” speech before his famous national address two months later in Washington, D.C.  
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/the-60th-anniversary-of-detroits-1963-walk-to-freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The 60th anniversary of Detroit’s 1963 Walk to Freedom coming in summer 2023</a>
At a news conference on May 23, Detroit Branch NAACP President Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony announced the weekend-long slate of events taking place June 22-25, kicking off with the Freedom Walk Summit. Celebrations will also include an unveiling of a Martin Luther King statue at Hart Plaza, the <a href="https://www.detroitnaacp.org/mlk-walk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">60th-anniversary commemoration of the Freedom Walk</a>, and the 68th annual <a href="https://www.detroitnaacp.org/68th-dinner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fight for Freedom Fund dinner</a> at Huntington Place. 
In partnership with <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a>, reporter <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/micah-walker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Micah Walker</a> attended the conference and <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/naacp-june-jubilee-to-honor-60th-anniversary-of-mlk-freedom-walk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brings viewers comments</a> from Rev. Dr. Anthony and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, as well as other city and community leaders involved in the planning of the walk and other June Jubilee weekend events. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Detroit Branch NAACP commemorates 1963 Walk to Freedom with June Jubilee events

Building Black Development | American Black Journal and Bridge Detroit Virtual Town Hall

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<h2 style="text-align: left;">American Black Journal and BridgeDetroit host town hall on Black real estate development</h2>
The real estate development industry is dealing with a representation crisis. According to <a href="https://reports.groveimpact.org/breaking-the-glass-bottleneck/">a new study</a> from the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) and Grove Impact, minority developers — Black and Hispanic — make up less than 1% of the entire real estate industry. African Americans make up 0.4% of the industry, while Hispanic developers represent only 0.16% of the industry.  
These findings point to the constraints many minority developers face trying to enter the industry. In the majority-African American populated city of Detroit, where does the state of Black real estate development stand? 
To find out, &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit">host Stephen Henderson</a> leads a virtual town hall on Black real estate development in Detroit, where he examines the challenges residents and developers face at every stage of the process — from the onset through completion.  
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/new-ebiara-fund-will-break-down-barriers-for-minority-real-estate-developers-in-detroit/">Ebiara Fund Breaks Down Barriers for Minority Real Estate Developers in Detroit</a> 
The town hall is broken up into three panels:
<ol>
<li>Black Women Developers</li>
<li>Neighborhood Black Developerment</li>
<li>Financing &amp; Other Assistance for Developers</li>
</ol>
Through a series of three panels, town hall panelists examine the barriers for Black real estate developers entering the industry, the lack of access to capital, the gender-based barriers of <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/black-women-entrepreneurs-face-uphill-battle-for-business-growth-compared-to-men/">being a woman in a male-dominated industry</a>, the fluctuating supply chain around material costs and availability, the impact of inflation, and the shortage of workers that&#8217;s been revealed and exacerbated by the pandemic. 
Plus, panelists discuss some of the solutions that are helping to build up and support Black development in the city, and the benefits that could come from greater diversity in real estate development. By fixing the representation crisis, closing the revenue gap and leveling revenue cliffs for Black and Hispanic developers, <a href="https://reports.groveimpact.org/breaking-the-glass-bottleneck/">The ICIC study</a> estimates that would create more than $106 billion in new revenue each year for the industry as well as create 1.7 million new jobs. 
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<h2>Black Women Developers Panel: </h2>
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,1_3,1_3&#8243; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SONYAMAYS-DEVELOPDETROIT.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;Sonya Mays, President of Develop Detroit&#8221; title_text=&#8221;SONYAMAYS-DEVELOPDETROIT&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Sonya Mayes&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Sonya Mays, President &amp; CEO, Develop Detroit
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<h2> Neighborhood Black Development Panel:</h2>
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,1_3,1_3&#8243; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jason-Headen-Headshot-181&#215;180.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Jason Headen, Vice President of Detroit Market, CHN Housing Partners&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Jason-Headen-Headshot&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Panelist 2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Jason Headen, Vice President of Detroit Market, CHN Housing Partners
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Richard-Hosey-Headshot-180&#215;180.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Richard Hosey, owner, Hosey Development&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Richard-Hosey-Headshot&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Panelist 3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Richard Hosey, Owner, Hosey Development
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Rod-Hardamon-headshot-177&#215;180.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;Roderick Hardamon, CEO URGE Development Group &amp; URGE Imprint&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Rod-Hardamon-headshot&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Panelist 4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Roderick Hardamon, CEO, URGE Development Group &amp; Urge Imprint
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
<h2>Financing &amp; Other Assistance for Developers Panel:</h2>
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,1_3,1_3&#8243; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/KenyettaHairston-Bridges-300&#215;300-1.webp&#8221; alt=&#8221;Kenyetta Hairston-Bridges&#8221; title_text=&#8221;KenyettaHairston-Bridges-300&#215;300&#8243; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Kenyetta Hairston-Bridges, Executive Vice President of Economic Development &amp; Investment Services, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC)
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jeff-Mosley-CIP-square.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;Jeff Mosley&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Jeff-Mosley-CIP-square&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Jeff Mosley, National Equity Development Initiative Program Lead, Capital Impact Partners
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Keona-Cowen-v2.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;Keona Cowan&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Keona-Cowen-v2&#8243; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
Keona Cowan, Executive Vice President of Lending, Invest Detroit
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
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US-HOUSE-OF-REPS

A new wave of political representation has arrived in Detroit with the election of <a href="https://thanedar.house.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar</a>, a millionaire businessman who immigrated to the United States from India as a child. It’s the first time in nearly 70 years that Detroit has elected a non-Black candidate to represent the city in Congress. 
“American Black Journal” has teamed up with <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a> to examine the changes in Detroit’s Black political power in Congress, and what impact the loss of African American representation may have on the city’s nearly 80% Black population.  
Host <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/contributors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> leads a conversation with BridgeDetroit Executive Director and Editor Catherine Kelly about a BridgeDetroit and WDET-produced podcast series that takes a close look at Detroit&#8217;s Black political power and features interviews with some of the Congressional candidates, including elected U.S. Representatives Shri Thanedar and Rashida Tlaib.  
RELATED: <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/detroit-lost-black-representation-in-congress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Podcast explores how Detroit lost Black representation in Congress</a>
Plus, they talk about how the newly-elected lawmakers will represent Black interests in the city and what the future looks like for the city’s Black political representation. 
<h2>Full Transcript:</h2>
Stephen Henderson, Host, American Black Journal: I was aware the idea for this podcast came from after Shri Thanedar was represented to elected to represent Detroit in Congress. We decided that we needed to look at the idea of Black representation, where it is and where it may be going. 
Catherine Kelly, Executive Director &amp; Editor, BridgeDetroit: Yeah. I mean, not only was it new, I mean, it was really an imperative. You know, I think about that time, you know, it was the late sixties, early seventies when you had rebellions across the country and there was a real focus on Black economic power, Black political power. I think you really saw that in the development of Detroit. I think you still see those politics and the vision and the ideal. 
But I mean, I think that&#8217;s absolutely a part of our childhood and growing up. I, you know, I remember going to community meetings and political events and conventions, and the focus was always pretty singular and very focused around maintaining Mayor Coleman Young&#8217;s legacy, his political organization, the all that he was putting in place to make sure Detroit would be a Black city where Black people could benefit from it. 
Stephen Henderson: Yeah. So, one of the things that comes up in a lot of the interviews that we did with people who were running for the 13th Congressional District seat and with Warren Evans, who tried to bring people together around a consensus candidate is the way that Coleman Young approached this issue. Right. The authority I guess that he had now to be able to say, look, what&#8217;s important is that we all get a voice in who&#8217;s elected. 
And the way to do that is work together. And I&#8217;m going to you know, I&#8217;m going to boss up on the people I need to boss up on but that&#8217;s the way we maintain this. They all said that that doesn&#8217;t work anymore in Detroit and that, you know, you don&#8217;t have a figure who could do that. But you also don&#8217;t have people who are willing to set aside their own ambitions necessarily for the idea of the community. 
Catherine Kelly: I think it&#8217;s kind of a sign of the times. I mean what is Blackness now? I think during those years, the experience of Black people was more similar. I think you can have a diversity of experiences now that you didn&#8217;t have then.You have Black people who grew up in the suburbs and moved back to the city. You have a more income diversity. So I think the interests and the focus of Blackness has also changed. If there ever was like one monolithic thing. But I do think one thing that united certain objectives was more of a shared experience than what you have now. 
If you look at what has happened around redistricting and the loss of Black representation, even on a statewide level, what does Blackness mean nowadays? What are Black interests? You know, it was something that came up in my conversation with Adam Hollier about his run. You know, are there interests that Black candidates now represent? And if so, what are they? With, as, you know, you have more Black people living in the suburbs. 
There was a time, you know, we&#8217;ve talked about it, the two of us, like there was a time when if you traveled anywhere and someone who wasn&#8217;t Black said they were from Detroit, you were like, no way, Where are you really from? And they&#8217;d always tell you some suburb and you were like, no. Because it was that definitive and clear. 
Stephen Henderson: If you think about the things that someone like Shri Thanedar, who is an immigrant to this country, somebody who did grow up under really extreme poverty conditions and now will represent Detroit in Washington. If you think of the things that he might have trouble getting his mind around. If you think about the things that he might struggle to really represent how Detroiters feel and what they might need, what comes to mind? 
Catherine Kelly: I think some of this will be&#8230; Will kind of unfold, and I don&#8217;t mean to punt on that, but, you know, I think as a legislator, there&#8217;s less room for nuance than I think more executives seats. You know, it&#8217;s just kind of the function of what it is. But, and especially in a national context. But I do think locally, you know, there really is going to be this there&#8217;s going to be more of an opportunity to examine where do Black interests if there are any, separate from Democratic policies and interests. 
If you look at the agenda, that the Democrats have laid out in Lansing right now, there&#8217;s some you know, there are some bright spots, but it&#8217;s very much a Democratic agenda. And how will it affect Black people, especially in Detroit? If you look at, you know, the last election and what happened, how Detroit voters moved on prop three, more than 83%, I believe, of voters voted to support a woman&#8217;s right to choose an abortion. 
I think that really illustrates how there are certain interests and certain beliefs in a majority Black city that are different. You know, sometimes that partizan bickering doesn&#8217;t even work here. There&#8217;s a bigger set, I believe, of issues and concerns. And it&#8217;ll be interesting, you know, what moments will the Democrats take up things that actually impact Detroit? You know, in the past, there&#8217;s been such a stall around instituting legislation that could help the city. I mean, one of the big things that I think Detroit needs to focus on is its revenue stream. 
You know, as income taxes have fallen off and people are increasingly working from home. A lot of these policies that Detroiters have criticized through the years. investing in casinos, investing in bringing big corporations downtown, you know, what has it really done for city residents? What is it doing? And, you know, this is a real moment to kind of test where Democrats and race kind of fall because there&#8217;s just this it&#8217;s time to shift, you know, give Detroit the ability to tax on how we&#8217;re building our economy, which is on entertainment, which is on casinos and sharing economy and restaurants. 
Stephen Henderson: One huge distinction with Shri Thanedar I think is that sense of history, that sense of memory. And that&#8217;s not his fault, right? I mean, you know no one chooses where they&#8217;re born. But for those of us who are from here&#8230; I have a close friend who always says that you&#8217;re you become a real Detroiter when the city takes something precious from you. 
Catherine Kelly: Wow. 
Stephen Henderson: Which is a really dark way to think about it. But I think there&#8217;s something really true about that. And I worry, I worry about someone like Shri Thanedar, who I think is very well-intentioned and is not cynical about what he&#8217;s doing. I don&#8217;t think he can surmount that hurdle. 
Catherine Kelly: And if you also think about, you know, the visionary legislation that some of these Black representatives moved, you know you have Representative Conyers, Congressman Conyers, who went in and created the legislation about studying reparations. Will the kind of impetus, the vision, the innate belief, and desire to move that kind of agenda or set that kind of agenda, will that come from our Brown representatives? 
They do a lot of they fall they fall on the guess right side of a lot of these issues. You know, they&#8217;re for funding schools. They&#8217;re for, you know, a lot of very baseline things that help a lot of people. But there are always some really specific things that I think that I do deeply believe that Black people need and deserve. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

For first time in nearly 70 years, Detroit lacks Black representation in Congress

ADOLPH-MONGO-NL

For the first time in nearly 70 years, Detroit does not have an African American representative in Congress. Last year, voters did not elect any of the eight African Americans who ran for an open 13th District U.S. Congressional seat. Instead,<a href="https://thanedar.house.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Rep. Shri Thanedar</a>, an immigrant from India, was chosen to represent the city, which has a nearly 80% Black population. <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mvaa/about-us/mvaa-leadership/panel-executive/adam-hollier-director" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State Sen. Adam Hollier</a> was the Black candidate closest to securing the open seat behind Thanedar.  
As Detroit ends an era of Black political representation in Congress, what impact will that loss have on the city’s majority-Black constituents? To find out, “American Black Journal” contributor <a href="https://twitter.com/orlandopbailey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando Bailey</a>, the engagement director for <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a>, sat down with longtime Detroit political consultant Adolph Mongo to talk about the city’s Black political representation over the years, how it has changed and why.  
Plus, they discuss the role that <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/one-detroit/michigans-new-redistricting-maps-change-election-races-face-legal-challenges/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan’s new redistricting maps</a> had on the 2022 election cycle and Black voter turnout in Detroit. 
<h2>Full Transcript:</h2>
Orlando Bailey, Engagement Director, BridgeDetroit: So, the conversation about Black representation has been palpable lately with the election of Congressman Shri Thanedar in the election a few years ago of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. But at one point Detroit was a stronghold for Black political power. How do we get there? And how do we get to where we are now? 
Adolph Mongo, Political Consultant: Easy, people didn&#8217;t vote and people don&#8217;t vote. And the so-called leaders who supposed to represent this majority Black population have sold out. Basically you know how can you let somebody like Tlaib come into Detroit, didn&#8217;t live in Detroit, lived in Dearborn. But it wasn&#8217;t Tlaib. We go back to Steve Tobocman who was a state rep in southwest Detroit, move from Huntington Woods to the southwest Detroit. And then you had five or six candidates running in that state rep seat, which was a seat held by a person of color, whether it was Brown or Black. They ran and Tobocman came in well finance, he won. 
He represented a majority district of color. After him, it was Stephanie Chang. It was Rashida Tliab. Listen, it&#8217;s like they just brought in all these folks and said, okay, we&#8217;re going to represent that area. So it started there. Really. Detroit has always been fair when it came to electing folks that when they become a majority Black city, we still elected non-people of color, male drivers, Maryann Mahaffey, Jack Kelley, I can name them. Those people cared about Detroit, but now we got people that buy seats. 
Shri Thanedar came. He ran for governor and then he went and bought a house in a part of a district. And guess what? He bought the state rep seat. A year later, he&#8217;s running for Congress with eight or nine people in a race. Tliab, same way. Brenda Jones had a great opportunity to win that seat right there. But oh, she decided she want to be in both races when John Conyers passed away. Oh, I&#8217;m a run in special election. Oh, she won a special election. Became a congresswoman what for two weeks. Okay. 
Orlando Bailey: You talked about people not voting, coming out to vote. Why aren&#8217;t Black people voting? 
Adolph Mongo: Well people, period, not voting, but especially people, Black people, young folks. That last candidate we had, it wasn&#8217;t really an election. It was a movement. It was Barack Obama. People came out and voted that hadn&#8217;t voted. Never voted because they wanted to make history. And he had a lot to say. 
Orlando Bailey: Is that all? Is it just that they wanted to make history or he had something to say?
Adolph Mongo: Both. He had a lot to say. People was looking for something different. He brought them hope. And we don&#8217;t have candidates like that, you know, now you redistrict it. Really deluded Black representation, the Democrats threw Detroit under the bus, you know. So we are in these districts where people from Birmingham and Madison Heights and Warren, they represent Detroit now. 
Orlando Bailey: Do you believe that the last congressional election was a referendum on how redistricting went? Democrats really wanted to draw districts that were going to favor Democrats, but not necessarily favor Black Democrats or Black Detroiters.
Adolph Mongo: There&#8217;s no question about it that, you know, you put a little pocket of Detroit in there. It makes a difference, but not enough difference to elect somebody, say, like Marshall Bullock, was a state senator.  Boom. You know, the young lady out in Birmingham, who represents Birmingham, Royal Oak and Huntington Woods, etc&#8230; That&#8217;s her that&#8217;s her base. And she won. She killed them, raised all the money in D.C. and he didn&#8217;t even have a chance. 
Orlando Bailey: I hear stories about Coleman Young and what his election meant to Black Detroiters in 1973, and they kept him elected all the way until the early 1990s, really modeling for the country, you know, Black, a Black political stronghold. Right. Talk about that time and what it meant for Black Detroiters to feel and be represented. 
Adolph Mongo: Before then, you didn&#8217;t have too many Black officials. You had people getting elected. 
Orlando Bailey: Like John Conyers was elected. 
Adolph Mongo: John Conyers. Charlie Diggs. You know, we? State the State House, you had many women, Black women in particular, that was elected. That was a hay day. The Morrishood, his brother. Detroit had to fight at that time, had the, you know, Coleman Young had to fight the police department. Had to fight the fire department because they refused forever to hire people of color. 
You know, they have a few, you know, doing the race riots of 1943. There was 35, 36 African American police officers and they took their guns from them. They disarmed them and then went. And 67, who knows, it was less than 200, maybe less than 100 that was on the police department. And he got elected and he worked 20 years in the courts to make the police department the way the community was made up. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
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Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

A shift in representation: Detroit’s Black political past and present with Adolph Mongo

Detroit’s home repair crisis: Homeowners face high costs

Detroit residents have spoken. After City officials and community groups held 65 public meetings and posted an online survey seeking residents&#8217; input about how the City should use its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, Detroiters say their top priority is home repairs. According to the University of Michigan&#8217;s <a href="https://detroitsurvey.umich.edu/">Detroit Metro Area Community Study</a> (DMACS), an estimated 37,630 Detroit homes need major repairs. For 13% of those households, the level of repair has reached hazardous conditions. 
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/detroits-home-repair-crisis-the-impact-of-disinvestment-in-detroits-neighborhoods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit’s home repair crisis: The impact of disinvestment in Detroit’s neighborhoods</a>
<figure id="attachment_27499" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27499" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-27499" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Detroit-Home-Repair-ABJ.png" alt="Renew Detroit home repair program" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Detroit-Home-Repair-ABJ.png 1920w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Detroit-Home-Repair-ABJ-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Detroit-Home-Repair-ABJ-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Detroit-Home-Repair-ABJ-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Detroit-Home-Repair-ABJ-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-27499" class="wp-caption-text">A hole in Detroit homeowner Samela Dean&#8217;s house from leaking water damage is one example of the home repairs that residents across the city need. | Photo by American Black Journal</figcaption></figure>
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/partner-content/great-lakes-now-partner-content/great-lakes-now-hazardous-housing-environmental-issues-in-older-homes-could-lead-to-health-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hazardous Housing: Environmental Issues in Older Homes Could Lead to Health Issues</a>
In partnership with &#8220;American Black Journal,&#8221; <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a> reporter <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/malachi-barrett/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malachi Barrett</a> went around the community to talk with Detroit residents about the difficulty of getting major problems fixed at their homes. They talk about the cost-prohibitive barriers they face, like banks turning residents down for loans, and the eligibility requirements for Detroit&#8217;s home repair program, <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/renew-detroit-home-repair-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Renew Detroit</a>. Plus, Barrett learns more about the impact that unmet home repairs have on the city&#8217;s neighborhoods. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Detroit’s home repair crisis: Homeowners face high costs, eligibility barriers to fix homes

Detroit’s home repair crisis: The impact of disinvestment in Detroit’s neighborhoods

After years of disinvestment in Detroit&#8217;s neighborhoods and housing stock, city officials are hoping a new <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/renew-detroit-home-repair-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">home repair program</a> can begin to reshape the narrative and re-invest in thousands of homes across the city. Renew Detroit launched in September 2021 with $30 million appropriated to help repair roughly 1,500 homes for eligible senior and disabled homeowners. 
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal/homeowners-face-high-costs-eligibility-barriers-to-fix-home-repairs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit’s home repair crisis: Homeowners face high costs, eligibility barriers to fix homes</a>
In July 2022, city officials added an additional $15 million in state funding to the program, though that only scratches the surface. A <a href="https://poverty.umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Michigan Poverty Solution</a> study estimates that Detroit needs nearly $2-$4 billion for home repairs across the city. 
RELATED: <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/new-detroit-home-repair-program-can-fix-1000-roofs-nearly-5000-detroiters-applied/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Detroit home repair program can fix 1,000 roofs. Nearly 5,000 applied.</a>
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/partner-content/great-lakes-now-partner-content/great-lakes-now-hazardous-housing-environmental-issues-in-older-homes-could-lead-to-health-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hazardous Housing: Environmental Issues in Older Homes Could Lead to Health Issues</a>
Looking at this issue and the need for systemic solutions, &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; host <a href="https://twitter.com/SHDetroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Henderson</a> hosts a roundtable discussion with the <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/departments/housing-and-revitalization-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City of Detroit&#8217;s Chief of Special Housing Programs</a> Heather Zygmontowicz, <a href="https://www.ecn-detroit.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eastside Community Network</a> President &amp; CEO Donna Givens Davidson, and <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a> reporter <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/malachi-barrett/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malachi Barrett</a> — who heard from Detroit residents — to explore the impact home repair needs are having on residents and neighborhoods. 
They talk more about the city&#8217;s home repair program and the issues that have led to homes falling into disrepair, as well as the negative impact of property tax overassessments and the effect on property values and generational wealth. 
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

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Forgotten Harvest CEO and community leader <a class="Hyperlink SCXW46416514 BCX0" href="https://twitter.com/KirkBMayes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kirk Mayes</a> has announced he&#8217;s stepping down from his role as CEO of the Oak Park-based food rescue nonprofit at the end of this year. The news comes shortly after <a class="Hyperlink SCXW46416514 BCX0" href="https://www.forgottenharvest.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forgotten Harvest</a> moved into a new 78,000-square-foot building on Eight Mile Road, more than doubling its footprint and capacity for serving the community. Mayes recently received the <a class="Hyperlink SCXW46416514 BCX0" href="https://shininglightawards.semcog.org/Honorees" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eleanor Josaitis Unsung Hero Award</a> from the Detroit Free Press. 
As a Detroit native, Mayes grew up on the city&#8217;s West Side, where he learned early on he could be a catalyst for change in his hometown. As he entered the workforce after graduating from Michigan State University, Mayes&#8217; affinity for investing in Detroit continued to show up in his work, from founding his own business, Village Gardeners, to his roles as executive director of the <a href="https://www.brightmooralliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brightmoor Alliance</a> and CEO at Forgotten Harvest. Now, after eight years at the helm, what does the future hold for Mayes and the organization?
Mayes joins <a class="Hyperlink SCXW222877245 BCX0" href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BridgeDetroit</a> Engagement Director <a class="Hyperlink SCXW222877245 BCX0" href="https://twitter.com/orlandopbailey" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orlando Bailey</a> at the new Forgotten Harvest warehouse facility, at 15000 Eight Mile Road, for an exclusive, wide-ranging conversation. They talk more about Mayes&#8217; decision to step down and the impact he&#8217;s had at the organization since he started there in 2014. 
&#8220;I&#8217;ve got a couple more months till the end of the year, to continue to focus on being (CEO) of Forgotten Harvest, and that&#8217;s what I&#8217;m going to be doing,&#8221; Mayes says during the interview. &#8220;Once I complete this role and my responsibilities here, there&#8217;s a lot of things that I&#8217;ve been wanting to do&#8230; that would allow me to spread my wings and chase my dreams as an entrepreneur.&#8221;
As Mayes rounds out his time with Forgotten Harvest, he talks with Bailey about his future aspirations as a consultant, speaker and author, as well as potential plans to visit Africa and establish his roots there. Plus, Mayes weighs in on the speculation that he&#8217;s running for mayor, as well as discusses Detroiters&#8217; most urgent needs right now, his love for the African diaspora, and what legacy and impact he thinks he&#8217;s been able to make on the world so far.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Forgotten Harvest CEO Kirk Mayes Announces His Resignation, Talks About Future Entrepreneurial Plans

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<h2>This Week on American Black Journal: </h2>
<h3>Reparations: What Is Owed to Black Americans? </h3>
On &#8220;American Black Journal&#8221; this week, host Stephen Henderson revisits a portion of the show&#8217;s latest virtual town hall, hosted in conjunction with <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit</a>, centered around reparations and what is owed to Black Americans. Together with four esteemed panelists, Henderson examines reparations and the forms they could take here in Southeast Michigan.
RELATED: <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-bridge-detroit-host-reparations-town-hall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch the Full Virtual Town Hall Here! </a>
Joined by civil rights activist <a href="https://www.westsideunitychurch.com/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson</a>, City of Detroit Planning Commission Chair <a href="https://www.laurenahood.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lauren Hood</a>, Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus Chair <a href="https://www.facebook.com/keith.d.williams.75" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keith Williams</a> and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/experts/andre-m-perry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andre Perry</a>, Henderson moderates an emotionally-charged conversation about the need for reparations for Black descendants of slaves and survivors of discrimination.
Plus, the panels discuss the creation of a new Detroit task force to study reparations for discriminatory housing and economic practices in the city, as well as who should receive them and what form they should take.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/black-homeowners-determining-who-leads-reparations-in-detroit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BridgeDetroit | Black? Homeowners? Determining who leads reparations in Detroit</a>
&nbsp;
<h4>With Special Guests: </h4>
<table class=" aligncenter" style="height: 344px; width: 98%; border-style: none;" width="98%">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 344px;">
<td style="height: 344px; width: 24.3243%;">
<figure id="attachment_20915" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20915" style="width: 172px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-20915" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JoAnn-Watson-Wikipedia.jpg" sizes="(max-width: 172px) 100vw, 172px" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JoAnn-Watson-Wikipedia.jpg 154w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JoAnn-Watson-Wikipedia.jpg 494w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JoAnn-Watson-Wikipedia.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JoAnn-Watson-Wikipedia.jpg 640w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JoAnn-Watson-Wikipedia.jpg 834w" alt="JoAnn Watson - Reparations: What is Owed to Black Americans? " width="172" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20915" class="wp-caption-text">Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, Senior Pastor at West Side Unity Church &amp; longtime supporter of reparations</figcaption></figure>
</td>
<td style="height: 344px; width: 22.4904%;">
<figure id="attachment_20918" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20918" style="width: 200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-20918" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Andre-Perry-Twitter.jpg" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Andre-Perry-Twitter.jpg 180w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Andre-Perry-Twitter.jpg 150w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Andre-Perry-Twitter.jpg 399w" alt="Andre Perry - Reparations: What is Owed to Black Americans? " width="200" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20918" class="wp-caption-text">Andre Perry, Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro &amp; Author of “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives &amp; Property in America’s Black Cities”</figcaption></figure>
</td>
<td style="height: 344px; width: 25.1929%;">
<figure id="attachment_20919" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20919" style="width: 186px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-20919" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lauren-Hood-Detroit-e1644342264853.jpg" sizes="(max-width: 186px) 100vw, 186px" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lauren-Hood-Detroit-e1644342264853.jpg 167w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lauren-Hood-Detroit-e1644342264853.jpg 465w" alt="Lauren Hood - Reparations: What is Owed to Black Americans? " width="186" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20919" class="wp-caption-text">Lauren Hood, Chair, Detroit City Planning Commission &amp; AfroUrbanist</figcaption></figure>
</td>
<td style="height: 344px; width: 27.0271%;">
<figure id="attachment_20920" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20920" style="width: 200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-20920" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg 180w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg 576w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg 440w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg 150w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg 640w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg 683w" alt="Keith Williams - Reparations: What is Owed to Black Americans? " width="200" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20920" class="wp-caption-text">Keith Williams, Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus Chairman &amp; Consultant</figcaption></figure>
</td>
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<h2> </h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>WATCH NOW:</h2>
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Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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3/01/22: American Black Journal – Reparations: What Is Owed to Black Americans?

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<h2>This Week on American Black Journal: </h2>
<h4><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/study-shows-black-drivers-were-stopped-by-michigan-state-police-at-disproportionately-high-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Study Shows Black Drivers Were Stopped by MSP at Disproportionately High Rates </a></h4>
Host Stephen Henderson examines the results of an <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/Executive_Summary_Wolfe_et_al_MSP_external_benchmark_FINAL_REPORT_2021_745157_7.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">independent study</a> from the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice showing African Americans were stopped by Michigan State Police troopers at disproportionately high rates in 2020. The study also showed Black and Hispanic drivers were more likely to be searched and arrested after a traffic stop. Stephen sits down with <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/msp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan State Police</a> Director Col. Joe Gasper and <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdcr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan Department of Civil Rights</a> Executive Director John E. Johnson, Jr. to investigate the findings and the steps being taken to address these racial disparities.
<h4><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/the-legacy-of-dr-charles-h-wright-and-his-museum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Legacy of Dr. Charles H. Wright and His Museum </a></h4>
Plus, American Black Journal kicks off its celebration of Black History Month with a look inside the life and legacy of the late <a href="https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/wright-charles-h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Charles H. Wright</a>, the founder of the <a href="https://www.thewright.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a>. BridgeDetroit Engagement Director <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/orlando-bailey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando Bailey</a> meets with the Wright Museum&#8217;s Director of Design and Fabrication Kevin Davidson to talk about Dr. Wright&#8217;s influence on himself and other African Americans living in Detroit, as well as the vision for creating and expanding the museum facility, which was once the largest African American historical museum in the world.
&nbsp;
<h2>WATCH NOW:</h2>
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video_slider controls_color=&#8221;light&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.5&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Full Episode&#8221; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KKuicR9C_g&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.5&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Seg 1&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtrMn6CoIbg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.5&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Seg 2&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShSi5EEc_1s&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.5&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][/et_pb_video_slider][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.5&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]
<h2>AMERICAN BLACK JOURNAL </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
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2/01/22: American Black Journal – Racial Disparity in Traffic Stops, Legacy of Dr. Charles H. Wright

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<h2 style="text-align: left;">Reparations: What is owed to Black Americans?</h2>
American Black Journal and BridgeDetroit are teaming up to host a virtual town hall at 12 p.m. Feb. 16 about reparations for Black Americans. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/701505014564638" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Join us</a> as we take a detailed look at the history of reparations and discuss what Detroit’s new task force means for the idea. The esteemed panelists will share insights on the initial work being done on the ground floor in Detroit and more in a conversation moderated by American Black Journal host Stephen Henderson.
We want to hear your questions and thoughts on reparations too. The town hall will end with an opportunity for guests livestreaming in to connect with the panelists more on the topic, and learn how they can get involved. The virtual town hall will be available via livestream on the American Black Journal <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook page</a> and Detroit Public TV&#8217;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjxgk0FqWNY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a> page.
<h4>With Special Guests: </h4>
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<figure id="attachment_20915" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20915" style="width: 172px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-20915" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/JoAnn-Watson-Wikipedia.jpg" alt="JoAnn Watson" width="172" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20915" class="wp-caption-text">Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, Senior Pastor at West Side Unity Church &amp; longtime supporter of reparations</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_20918" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20918" style="width: 200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-20918" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Andre-Perry-Twitter.jpg" alt="Andre Perry Headshot" width="200" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20918" class="wp-caption-text">Andre Perry, Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro &amp; Author of &#8220;Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives &amp; Property in America&#8217;s Black Cities&#8221;</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_20919" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20919" style="width: 186px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-20919" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Lauren-Hood-Detroit-e1644342264853.jpg" alt="Lauren Hood " width="186" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20919" class="wp-caption-text">Lauren Hood, Chair, Detroit City Planning Commission &amp; AfroUrbanist</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_20920" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-20920" style="width: 200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-20920" src="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg" alt="Keith Williams " width="200" height="200" srcset="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus.jpg 683w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus-300x300.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Keith-Williams-Democractic-Black-Causus-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-20920" class="wp-caption-text">Keith Williams, Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus Chairman &amp; Consultant</figcaption></figure>
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<h2> </h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>Watch Now:</h2>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sjxgk0FqWNY" width="939" height="528" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
&nbsp;
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ABJ-SPNSR-1920&#215;1080-1.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;ABJ Reparations Town Hall Sponsors&#8221; title_text=&#8221;ABJ SPNSR 1920&#215;1080&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.14.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

American Black Journal, BridgeDetroit Host Virtual Town Hall on Reparations

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American Black Journal kicks off its celebration of Black History Month in 2022 with a look inside the life and legacy of the late <a href="https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/wright-charles-h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Charles H. Wright</a>, the founder of the <a href="https://www.thewright.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History</a>.
BridgeDetroit Engagement Director <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/orlando-bailey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orlando Bailey</a> meets with the Wright Museum&#8217;s Director of Design and Fabrication Kevin Davidson to talk about Dr. Wright&#8217;s influence on himself and other African Americans living in Detroit, as well as the vision for creating and expanding the museum facility, which was once the largest African American history museums in the world.
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<h2>Stay Connected: </h2>
Subscribe to Detroit Public Television’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56"> YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/"> Instagram</a> @amblackjournal.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/category/american-black-journal/">View Past Episodes &gt;</a></h3>
Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

The legacy of Dr. Charles H. Wright and his Museum

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Orlando Bailey of <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/">BridgeDetroit</a> visits <a href="https://secondebenezer.org/">Second Ebenezer Church</a> to talk with its senior pastor, Bishop Edgar Vann, about the specific needs his church is addressing in 2021.
This is a part of a <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">yearlong series on the black church in Detroit</a>, produced in partnership with the ecumenical theological seminary and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American history. Today, we’re looking at the important role of the black church in the community. Historically, churches have served as a foundation for African Americans by meeting their religious, economic, social, and cultural needs.
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<h2>View More About The Black Church in Detroit</h2>
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Bishop Edgar Vann on the Black Church

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We&#8217;ll continue our yearlong series on <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/abj-church/">The Black Church in Detroit</a> with a look at how the church ministers beyond the walls of the building. Historically, the Black Church has been the cornerstone of the African American community, providing an economic and social foundation for members and residents. Stephen Henderson talks with two prominent Detroit pastors, Bishop Charles Ellis III of <a href="http://www.greatergrace.org/">Greater Grace Temple</a> and Rev. Charles Christian Adams of <a href="https://hmbcdetroit.org/">Hartford Memorial Baptist Church</a>, about the role of the church in meeting more than just spiritual needs.  The two ministers talk about their faith-based initiatives in the surrounding neighborhoods. Plus, Orlando Bailey of <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/">BridgeDetroit</a> visits <a href="https://secondebenezer.org/">Second Ebenezer Church</a> to talk with its senior pastor, Bishop Edgar Vann, about the specific needs his church is addressing in 2021.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video_slider controls_color=&#8221;light&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.3&#8243;][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Full Episode&#8221; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyXiRKVa_8Y&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.3&#8243; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Seg 1&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3hGPgIaiVw&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.3&#8243; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item admin_title=&#8221;Seg 2&#8243; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ih0Gcfj9w&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.3&#8243; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][/et_pb_video_slider_item][/et_pb_video_slider][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.3&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]&nbsp;
Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-episode-list/">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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4/25/21: American Black Journal – The Black Church in the Community

2020-11-20_1308

Pandemic Update from Garlin Gilchrist

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By Stephen Henderson for <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/">BridgeDetroit</a>
My entire life, I’ve understood this nation’s painful and difficult, racist history of denying the vote to black people. First, because we were property and not humans. Then, because, despite a devastating war and a constitutional amendment, southern states invented new barriers to throw in our way and block us from the ballot.
And just one generation before me, my father, born in Mississippi, returned home from his service in the Korean War only to be told he could not vote, because he was black.
But until Tuesday, I’ve never feared that my own vote may be discounted. I’ve never worried that when I pull the lever or put the paper ballot in the machine, that my vote might be disqualified for bogus reasons, or certainly not because I was Black. I have voted mostly in neighborhoods where I’ve lived nearly my whole life. I never took it for granted, given the history. But I never thought my own vote was in doubt.
<a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/henderson-assault-on-black-votes-in-wayne-county-reminiscent-of-jim-crow/">Read more at BridgeDetroit &gt;</a>
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BridgeDetroit | Henderson: Assault on Black Votes in Wayne County Reminiscent of Jim Crow

An American Street

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The Black Lives Matter movement focuses not only on police brutality. It looks at the entirety of what it means to value Black life in America. Organizers want to redefine the concept of neighborhood safety by placing control within the community. Orlando Bailey spoke with social justice activist Tawana Petty and Bridge Detroit reporter Bryce Huffman about the current state of crimefighting in the city.
This segment is a part of American Black Journal and BridgeDetroit&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-and-bridgedetroit-collaborate-on-coverage-of-black-lives-matter-movement/">collaboration</a> presenting a series of reports on issues threatening the lives of people of color and the groups advocating to protect them.
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<h3>Read full transcript</h3>
Orlando Bailey, Engagement Director, BridgeDetroit The Black Lives Matter movement focuses not only on police brutality. It looks at the entirety of what it means to value black life in America. Organizers want to redefine the concept of neighborhood safety by placing control within the community.
Orlando Bailey, Engagement Director, Bridge Detroit I spoke with social justice activists Tawana Petty and BridgeDetroit reporter Bryce Huffman about the current state of crime-fighting in the city. The Detroit News broke that Detroit is leading the nation in violent crime. Bryce, what is your reaction to that? While we are having this discussion around surveillance and public safety.
Bryce Huffman, Reporter, BridgeDetroit Well, my question in the wake of that would be, have any of these programs like Project Greenlight or having facial recognition technology and live surveillance, has any of that made the city less dangerous? Like, has any of that stopped crime or helped reduce crime? Has any of that made the city feel safer to people who actually live and work here? And I would say not really. Sure, you can point to some types of crimes that have gone down since Project Greenlight came into the fold. But the idea that we&#8217;re doing this and investing all this money into something that has all of these civil rights implications has all of these potentials to lead to wrong more wrongful arrest than the ones we&#8217;ve already seen. The idea that, sure, we have a lot of crime. So let&#8217;s keep investing in these things that falls apart. Once you look at all right, well, how effective are these things at stopping crime? Have these things actually made a difference in the neighborhoods that are stricken by crime or like Project Greenlight tends to show us in like the city tries to tout every time they mention Project Greenlight has it made business owners feel safer? And I think that while, yes, we want business owners to feel safer and feel like their businesses might be robbed or have any issues with crime, you know, the whole idea of Project Greenlight is to make Detroiters feel safer. And, you know, we&#8217;re not really seeing anything concrete that points to that.
Bryce Huffman, Reporter, BridgeDetroit Tawana, Detroit leading the nation in violent crime and you&#8217;re in the fight against surveillance and facial recognition. How do you react to that?
Tawana Petty,Director, Data Justice Program, Detroit Community Technology Project I mean, I react similarly to Bryce. We&#8217;ve spent nearly 30 million dollars on both of these systems since twenty sixteen. And they have not made any drastic reductions in crime. Also, we&#8217;ve we always know what reduces crime resource neighborhoods, reduce crime. General lighting in neighborhoods reduces crime. I mean, you don&#8217;t need a vivid imagination. Just drive 10 minutes outside the city and see the neighborhoods that have lower crime. They have grocery stores, They have recreation centers, they have adequate public housing infrastructure, and public schools. And so, you know, surveillance has never been a solution to crime. And I don&#8217;t understand why in a predominately black city when 13 cities across the country so far and counting have banned facial recognition, which happened to be predominantly white cities, I might add, are saying that this is a racially biased technology, that they will not subject their residents who are black and brown to this technology are they are banning it. They&#8217;re standing up against and in the black city and America is doubling down and spending more money on it instead of resources into the communities which could actually reduce crime. Quality of life issues create quality of life crime.
Orlando Bailey, Engagement Director, Bridge Detroit So Bryce facial recognition. You&#8217;ve been following this a lot in your reporting. What have you uncovered and what stories are being told in the stratosphere around this facial recognition technology? Is it working? Is it not working?
Bryce Huffman, Reporter, BridgeDetroit So I found two really, I think important things when it comes to facial recognition. And the first is that a lot of Detroiters don&#8217;t have a full understanding of how the system works and how facial recognition technology leads to arrests. And the second thing is, when you do understand it, you&#8217;re wholly against the technology being used here outside of the people who work for the police department and people who are city officials, people who understand how it goes from an image on a security camera or in security camera footage to the arrest warrant, to the arrest people who understand that process see that, well, using something that, according to the chief himself, only works four percent of the time, you know, to arrest people. That just doesn&#8217;t make sense that that seems like a system that is built to harm more and more innocent black people than it&#8217;s going to help. So when we look at that, those are the things that really jump out to me. The other thing that jumps out to me is that despite the data showing that it only works four percent of the time, the chief is you know, defending it at every turn. You know, the department invited me to the real-time crime center to kind of see how it operates. And while that visit did ease some of my worries about the technology and its use, it didn&#8217;t stop the fact that they&#8217;re using a system that is racist. And when I say racist, I mean, it&#8217;s known to misidentify black and brown faces in a city that&#8217;s 80 percent black. But they keep defending its use despite those numbers, despite the wrongful arrest that we&#8217;ve seen with with Robert Williams and Michael Oliver, despite the fact that, you know, nationally and globally, we&#8217;re kind of having a reckoning with how we policed black communities. Despite all of those things, the chief and the people in the department are just backing it 100 percent.
Orlando Bailey, Engagement Director, Bridge Detroit Tawana where is the data coming from in these systems? Where is the police getting the photos, am I, is my photo in this database somehow? Where&#8217;s all of these pictures and things coming from?
Tawana Petty,Director, Data Justice Program, Detroit Community Technology Project Yeah. So any person in the state of Michigan who has taken an I.D. at the Secretary of State since nineteen ninety-nine is in that database. So we&#8217;re literally all in a virtual lineup, not just in Detroit, but then the entire state of Michigan. And so that&#8217;s why you saw a Robert Williams get arrested for something in Detroit when he hadn&#8217;t even traveled to Detroit. He lives in Farmington Hills. And so his image is in that database. And any time they&#8217;re looking for someone, they&#8217;re flipping through every person in the state of Michigan to look for that person. So imagine being in a perpetual lineup hoping that this faulty algorithm somehow exonerates you of a crime. And you&#8217;re sitting at home watching television, not even knowing that you&#8217;re part of an investigation.
Tawana Petty,Director, Data Justice Program, Detroit Community Technology Project They also use images from social media and any other images that they can take. I&#8217;ve seen officers in various cities, including Detroit, take up photography and take photo images at protests and things so they can use those images. Now, when they first entered into the facial recognition contract, they had real-time crimes surveillance, which means that they could have taken a cell phone and mark somebody real-time on the spot and connected them to the system and identified them in that point. But because of protests and activism over the last two years, they had to issue a more stringent policy and get rid of real-time crime surveillance. We saw in Baltimore at the Freddie Gray protests that officers scanned the audience of protests and picked people up for tickets and other warrants in the middle of protest. So, you know, we right now we&#8217;re going by, you know, the DPD&#8217;s promise not to misuse this technology, but any if they if it if the trend that we&#8217;re seeing and any other law enforcement agency across the globe is any indication, it will be misused.
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How to Reduce Crime and Increase Safety in Detroit

2020-10-07_1013

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A report from One Detroit’s Will Glover on the importance of diversity in the nation’s newsrooms. Plus, Stephen Henderson speaks with Michael McCarter, a managing editor at the USA Today network, about the role of diversity, standards and ethics in the media.
This segment is a part of American Black Journal and BridgeDetroit&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-and-bridgedetroit-collaborate-on-coverage-of-black-lives-matter-movement/">collaboration</a> presenting a series of reports on issues threatening the lives of people of color and the groups advocating to protect them.
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<h3>Read full transcript</h3>
Will Glover Historically, black Americans are underrepresented in decision making positions in one of the country&#8217;s most important institutions. The news media. But why does it remain this way? Is it denial in unawareness of the status quo? Here&#8217;s Vincent McCraw, president of the Detroit branch of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Vincent McCraw Unfortunately, over the years, I think it&#8217;s a little of both. I think newsrooms have been in denial for a long time.
Vincent McCraw And now when we see the culmination of these events just this year with the pandemic, the protest at the protest and some violence related to racial justice issues around the country and even this election, now, it&#8217;s even more important that the voices of journalists, black journalists in particular, and people of color be in these newsrooms, not only just in in in reporting positions, but in the news making, decision making positions, (objective observation is a cornerstone of journalism.)
Will Glover If newsroom directors don&#8217;t understand or acknowledge that if all observers are the same and does what they consider to be objective is the same, then this can lead to incomplete stories or coverage that may miss the point entirely.
Vincent McCraw  Many are starting to understand. Many do understand and have understood for a long time, but then they lose their way. What they all should be looking for an understanding is that we as black journalists and journalists of color, the life experiences, the lived experiences that they bring to to a newsroom, the way they see a community, the way they cover a community, that doesn&#8217;t mean that there&#8217;s that. And that&#8217;s not to suggest that they&#8217;ll cover it any different than any journalists would cover a community.  But when you bring your lived experiences to the job, then you have you know, there&#8217;s a there&#8217;s a different eye.  There is a different, you see something that a white journalist is not going to see.
Will Glover That difference in life experience can be seen in moments like when CNN reporter Omar Jimenez is arrested live on air. The anchor doesn&#8217;t address the fact that the police arrest people with little to no explanation regularly and observed truth in the black community.
We don&#8217;t know why they&#8217;re being arrested. They&#8217;re not being given any explanation as far as we can here for why they&#8217;re being arrested.
We don&#8217;t know why they&#8217;re being handcuffed or when senior writer for The Root, Michael Harriot, was arrested. They&#8217;re asking is he&#8217;s media
Michael Harriot (he says he is.)  I wasn&#8217;t the only one who didn&#8217;t have visible credentials. I was the only one who was filming. The only thing that distinguished me from the other people in that area was that I was black.
Vincent McCraw And the reason that Michael and the other weren&#8217;t surprised is because it&#8217;s a part of their lived experience, either in their own private lives. It may not have been them who has been arrested or or harassed by police, but someone close to them, some relative. And frankly, many of us particularly many of us black men have been pulled over by the police for something.
Stephen Henderson A new survey from the Knight Foundation and Gallup shows 79 percent of Americans feel news organizations should increase diversity among their staffs to better reflect the makeup of the U.S. population.
Stephen Henderson I spoke with Michael McCarter, managing editor at the USA Today Network, about the role of diversity, standards and ethics in the media.
Stephen Henderson So this is a pretty challenging time to be a black journalist in America. Not that there&#8217;s an unchallenging time of being just in America, but this is a particularly challenging time.
Stephen Henderson But it&#8217;s also a challenging time for newsrooms and the people who inhabit newsrooms, whether they be black or white, to make decisions about how to cover African-Americans. African-American issues, things like police brutality and systemic racism. I want to start with just your reaction to the way that American media is handling this moment.
Michael McCarter Well, I don&#8217;t want to paint anything with a broad brush, but I will say because everybody is handling things in their own way, just depending on what corner of the country you&#8217;re in. I will say that I am actually rather impressed that it has received the intense attention that it has because there have been times previously where any issue like this would get tamped down simply because they got zero coverage or very minimal coverage. Now, could I say that everything has been handled fairly? No, absolutely not. There are some markets where it&#8217;s sometimes you can see bias seek to seep into some of the coverage. But overall, I am impressed, especially because it&#8217;s been, you know, 90 days more more than 90 days. And the coverage is still there. It hasn&#8217;t gone away. The flavor, the onslaught. It hasn&#8217;t been one of those flavor of the week. And, you know, they&#8217;ve moved on to the next thing.
Stephen Henderson You and I have worked in newsrooms a long time. So we know how things work and our decisions get made. But to give our viewers a sense of the way in which these issues get discussed and sort of debated in newsrooms, as you&#8217;re thinking about coverage and how prominent black voices are in those in those discussions and those decisions.
Michael McCarter Well, again, it depends on what newsroom you&#8217;re in and what company you work for and what part of the country you&#8217;re in. Because if you have if you are fortunate enough to have a newsroom that has diversity and there the people there&#8217;s not just diversity in the room, but you have diversity in leadership ranks and decision making ranks. You can have more thoughtful conversations about how to approach the storytelling of of these issues of today. And you can also have very thoughtful and considerate conversations about once once the reporters come back about how these stories are going to be presented.  It&#8217;s it&#8217;s very important that these things be we thought through and conversations be had.  And you and you have to have a diverse newsroom otherwise you run into situations where if if you have people in the room that don&#8217;t have the empathy, don&#8217;t understand, have never been in some of the situations, don&#8217;t understand what the big deal is. Then the way they frame the stories takes a whole different toll.
Stephen Henderson I also think that there is a particular challenge here that doesn&#8217;t get talked about a lot. And that&#8217;s the challenge to white reporters who don&#8217;t share the experiences, obviously, that African-American reporters might have. But the need for them to be able to to learn and and try to gain some of the understanding and knowledge about about the African-American experience that will help them cover these issues a little better. I&#8217;m not sure that I feel like in most newsrooms that imperative reaches the highest levels of decision making. I feel like it&#8217;s a kind of lack of awareness of the need to have not just black report more black reporters in the room, but also to change the way that white reporters and editors deal with these things.
Michael McCarter I don&#8217;t disagree with you. I mean, I think there&#8217;s some that would argue that&#8217;s one of the challenges that we&#8217;re facing right now in policing, is that if if it&#8217;s hard to look in the rearview mirror and fix anything. But if you know that your reporters have not traditionally gone to certain neighborhoods, have not traditionally asked to to interview people of color, have not traditionally tried to do uplifting stories in certain communities. Then when, then when it all hits the fan, you don&#8217;t have a in. It is much harder for people to trust you. It becomes something that you can&#8217;t really fix overnight in the heat of the moment. What I work hard to do is to make sure that not only do we have, you know, reporters of color in the room who can offer some some insight and do have an experience that they can share with the room, but that we get our non, our reporters that aren&#8217;t traditionally in those neighborhoods out more often and get them, I won&#8217;t say trained, but get them familiar with the neighborhoods that they don&#8217;t normally visit. You know, I won&#8217;t say I won&#8217;t go so far as to say that you have to have black people covering black issues because, you know, that just wouldn&#8217;t be fair. I&#8217;m not saying that a white journalists cannot cover black issues well if they worked at it.  But I would not sit here and say that I could cover women&#8217;s issues fairly and accurately, because I don&#8217;t have that life experience and it&#8217;s important that that&#8217;s in the room and that those opportunities remain. I would hate for any news organization to just hire people of color so when things go bad or things go sideways or they want reporting out of a different community, they can just send the black reporter.  That&#8217;s, to me that&#8217;s not really helping the issue. That&#8217;s that&#8217;s a very poorly attached Band-Aid.
Stephen Henderson And it&#8217;s I think it&#8217;s also apparent that this is work that has to go on all the time. You know, the explosion of interest nationally in the BLM movement is a moment and that&#8217;s important.  But to be prepared for that moment, you have to have been doing the work before. And I think that&#8217;s how newsrooms and reporters get caught flat footed, is that we don&#8217;t spend the time when there isn&#8217;t a crisis or when there isn&#8217;t a huge news headline getting people to understand that these issues matter and that you can&#8217;t just jump into them and really understand what&#8217;s going on. We&#8217;ve got to be, we&#8217;ve got to be working all the time to improve.
Michael McCarter Absolutely. I mean, there&#8217;s a proverb I use a lot that says, you know, the time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining. We have to be in the neighborhoods when everything is OK and everything is fine. We have to have conversations with people just over normal topics, normal issues. So then when things do escalate or there are issues that are more challenging, the the the effort to get into the neighborhoods and have people trust and talk to you is not nearly as hard.
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Diversity in the nation’s newsrooms

2020-10-02_1320t

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On the next American Black Journal, we&#8217;re continuing our special series, &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-and-bridgedetroit-collaborate-on-coverage-of-black-lives-matter-movement/">Do Black Lives Matter in America?</a>,&#8221; produced in partnership with the community-based news organization, <a href="http://www.bridgedetroit.com/">BridgeDetroit</a>.
This week, we take a closer look at the relationship between Detroit police and the community, especially in light of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. Stephen Henderson talks with <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/departments/police-department">Detroit Police</a> Assistant Chief Todd Bettison about building trust in the community, an uptick in violence, and a recent incident caught on video showing a suspect being punched by officers.
Orlando Bailey gets the community perspective on policing techniques and neighborhood safety from social activist <a href="https://www.detroitcommunitytech.org/">Tawana Petty</a> and BridgeDetroit reporter Bryce Huffman. They give their thoughts on police use of surveillance and facial recognition software to fight crime and keep residents safe. Plus, we&#8217;ll have a preview of an upcoming PBS documentary on &#8220;Driving While Black.&#8221;
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Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="http://video.dptv.org/show/american-black-journal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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10/4/20: American Black Journal – Black Lives Matter: Police-Community Relationships

2020-09-25_1352

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What is it like to be a journalist of color covering the black lives matter protests and other stories about racial injustice? Are you expected to separate personal experiences from professional reporting?
Orlando Bailey asks these questions and more to journalists Katrease Stafford of The Associated Press and Olivia Lewis from Bridge Detroit.
This segment is a part of American Black Journal and BridgeDetroit&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-and-bridgedetroit-collaborate-on-coverage-of-black-lives-matter-movement/">collaboration</a> presenting a series of reports on issues threatening the lives of people of color and the groups advocating to protect them.
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<h3>Read full transcript</h3>
Orlando Bailey  So what is it like to be a journalist of color covering the Black Lives Matter protest and other stories about racial injustice? Are you expected to separate personal experience from professional reporting? I posed these questions and more to journalists, Katrease Stafford of the Associated Press and Olivia Lewis from Bridge Detroit.
Orlando Bailey  The murder of George Lloyd has reverberated in cities all over the nation, including Detroit. How do you feel about the coverage of perhaps the largest modern civil rights movement is being covered by media organizations in the city and around the United States?  Kat we&#8217;ll start with you.
Katrease Stafford  I kind of compare it to every time a crisis hits America. You know, if you look at our coverage of Hurricane Katrina, you look at the coverage around Trayvon Martin as so many other deaths that have come before. Whenever you talk about the media writ large and coverage, there are always obvious gaps and holes in coverage. And I believe that&#8217;s a reflection because of the newsrooms not having the right people in there to add the proper nuance, to add the proper coverage that is needed, to really explain to readers what&#8217;s happening. And so when you ask me, how do I feel about the coverage of George Foy, I feel the same way that I felt in previous years where I feel that there&#8217;s a lot of great coverage. There is a lot of nuanced coverage that I am seeing. But I feel that we can always do more and do better.
Orlando Bailey  Yeah. Olivia, you&#8217;re covering protests and, you know, watching following this story closely here in the city of Detroit. How do you feel about the media&#8217;s coverage of this, you know, civil rights movement, this Black Lives Matter movement and the protests that have ensued in cities across the nation, including our city?
Olivia Lewis  Right. So, you know, when I think of all of the protests that are happening not just here in Detroit but everywhere, you know, the Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013. So we&#8217;re back to that time. There were reports going out in 2013 that we&#8217;re asking if Black Lives Matter was a terrorist organization, which is crazy. And so now and there are still reports that are going out with that question. And it&#8217;s like when we think about the words that we&#8217;re writing or the words that we&#8217;re saying on podcasts or TV or whatever radio like, those words have meaning. And so it affects the way that the community sees the protest, how it&#8217;s happening, the people who are involved. And so when we&#8217;re asking questions like, oh, well, has there been any looting or has there been you know, how many people have been arrested? You know, those questions matter. And so we have to think about our reporting in terms of how is this affecting the community?  You know, what is the community doing to either be involved or what are their feelings about the protest? And so I think that there&#8217;s been a lot of reporting in terms of like there&#8217;s been a lot of change in the way that protests have been covered, but it&#8217;s still being covered like from the forefront in terms of like a crime story, which I think is very troubling. Yeah. I&#8217;m glad to see that there have been some changes, like there&#8217;s I think it was on NPR. There was like a stance about like how headline should say a black man was shot and killed and murdered instead of an unarmed black man. Just the difference that that makes in terms of the reader and understanding the issue locally, like that, like those little things make such a huge difference. And so I think Bridgie Detroit has done a really great job in terms of looking at what the community is doing, how the community is acting and reporting those stories.
Orlando Bailey  And, you know, I guess cementing how important it is to have news reporters that are reflective  of, you know, the makeup of the cities that they are covering. To add that layer of nuance that non reporters of color, jurnalist of color, will miss because they just have a different experience, right, Kat?
Katrease Stafford  Absolutely, and just thinking about the city of Detroit, using that as an example, if you are from the city. You know the neighborhoods. You know the power players. You know who the grandma is on the street. You know the right people to interview. You know, the right questions to ask. You have that perspective that&#8217;s really ingrained in you to know what&#8217;s going on in the neighborhood. You&#8217;re not just what I call parachuting in to get a story and then leaving. You&#8217;re invested in the community. And in my opinion, that is something that every newsroom should hope for, not even just local news. You know, now I&#8217;m on a national level and it&#8217;s like, how do you bring that perspective into national coverage and it&#8217;s by still amplifying those voices, still finding the right context and the right people to talk to. So even thinking about who am I interviewing in these stories? And if you are not using the right voices in your stories, that&#8217;s a problem. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re going to continue to have this coverage that feels like it&#8217;s just scratching at the surface and that getting at the underlying issues. That makes so much sense.
Orlando Bailey  Let&#8217;s talk about facts vs. the narrative that we hear from the president and other spaces of power. Right. Does that narrative line up with what you know is happening on the ground?
Katrease Stafford  I think a lot about how President Trump lately has really kind of stuck to this law and order narrative that he wants to restore law and order in communities across the country. What we know well that&#8217;s doing is that&#8217;s signaling he&#8217;s trying to signal to a certain base. He&#8217;s trying to signal to these this this narrative, the white suburban mom, who, you know, if he believes that they don&#8217;t want to see crime come into their neighborhoods. And that&#8217;s how, as Olivia said, that&#8217;s how he is painting the picture of the movement for Black Lives. But what we know is on the other side, they&#8217;re saying that&#8217;s we&#8217;re not out here trying to destroy neighborhoods. We are literally fighting for our lives. So I think as reporters, it&#8217;s on us to provide that. Once again, nuance is my favorite word lately. To share facts and the facts are that there are people protesting in the streets because they are tired of seeing black men die at the hands of police. They are tired of seeing police brutality. They are tired of seeing people of color die disproportionately from Covid19, right.  It&#8217;s not even just about police protests, so how do you cover that?
Orlando Bailey  Yeah. Olivia, we&#8217;ve been paying close attention to the narrative that is being cascading here in the city of Detroit from the mayor and the chief of police, as well as the president doesn&#8217;t line up with what you know is happening on the ground and in the streets of the city of Detroit.
Olivia Lewis  Not at all. Just not at all. It&#8217;s actually really frustrating, especially because I can go back to Bryce Hoffman&#8217;s piece on Operation Legend, because the entire when news broke that the FBI was going to send federal agents here to Detroit. It was really confusing to people on the ground to say, wait, I thought these protests were predominately peaceful. I thought that people were really coming together. And now it&#8217;s like, wait, now we&#8217;re sending in federal agents. What does this have to do with the protests? And so I think it caused a lot of confusion around what was actually happening here and really tried. I feel like it was the federal government&#8217;s way of trying to take over the narrative and say, well, this is what we&#8217;re going to do and how we&#8217;re going to react. And even though it ended up not being about the protests, it was very confusing and an unsettling time when it didn&#8217;t have to be.
Orlando Bailey I want to I want to ask you both about what you know, the layers that exists in being black women and journalists covering Black Lives Matter. What&#8217;s going on with you, Olivia? Internally, as a black person, as a black woman, as a journalist who is expected to put words to an experience that people are feeling and going through, but that you&#8217;re also going through at the same time?
Olivia Lewis  Yeah. You know, honestly, I feel very fortunate because I worked for Bridge Detroit, so like back to your earlier statement about being in a newsroom that also represents the community that we&#8217;re covering.
Olivia Lewis  I think that is so tremendously helpful just for my own sanity and my own piece that I know that I can rely on my team and that if I have questions like you guys are going to be there for me or if I am doubting myself or the things that I&#8217;m doing, I can always go back to my team. And I didn&#8217;t always feel like that in other newsrooms. And so I feel like that&#8217;s a huge part of it. But also like I feel very invested in the stories that we&#8217;re telling that, you know, I really want to tell stories that. Reflect the community, you are answering the community&#8217;s questions like it&#8217;s not just about saying, OK, there was a protest today. This many people got arrested, where as people didn&#8217;t get arrested. You know, it&#8217;s more it&#8217;s more than that. It&#8217;s like Kat said, when you think about the neighborhoods, you know, who were the people involved, what&#8217;s going on in the neighborhood and how is how is the protest impacting them or how are they getting involved in the protests? Like all of that matters.
Katrease Stafford  And so I feel very invested in the stories that we&#8217;re telling.  These past several months have forced me to rethink journalism and how I approach my own reporting, because I&#8217;ve just been kind of in my head trying to explain what is being objective mean.  You know, when you&#8217;re in journalism school, they all they talk about is the notion of objectivity. But what I&#8217;ve really thought about over the past several months is the fact that I am a black woman first and I am also a journalist. And I believe that my experiences in America, my experiences in Detroit, inform my reporting it&#8217;s not a hindrance. And the goal for me as a journalist is to work in a newsroom that allows me to bring my full self into my work. So again, help inform that reporting. So as I&#8217;ve been watching everything unfold. I feel that as a journalist, I have to get it right. And I think about that every day because the things that we write, the things that we thought, it impacts people. It shapes the thought process of people in Detroit and beyond. So I think it&#8217;s an honor to tell our stories. And I take it so seriously because I know that journalism really does have an impact on people&#8217;s lives.
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Journalists of color on covering racial injustice

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On the next American Black Journal, we&#8217;re continuing our special series, &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-and-bridgedetroit-collaborate-on-coverage-of-black-lives-matter-movement/">Do Black Lives Matter in America?</a>,&#8221; produced in partnership with the community-based news organization, <a href="http://www.bridgedetroit.com/">BridgeDetroit</a>.
This week, we have frank conversations about the way the news media has covered the Black Lives Matter protests, and we take a look at diversity in the nation&#8217;s newsrooms. Stephen Henderson talks with a managing editor at the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/">USA TODAY Network</a>,  Michael McCarter, about hiring, inclusion and the role of journalists reporting on racial issues.
Orlando Bailey of BridgeDetroit gets firsthand perspectives on coverage of the BLM protests from two African American female journalists, Katrease Stafford, National Race &amp; Ethnicity Writer at the Associated Press, and Olivia Lewis of  BridgeDetroit, and learns what it means to them to report on stories that impact them personally as Black women. Plus, One Detroit&#8217;s Will Glover talks with the president of the Detroit Chapter of the <a href="http://www.detroitnabj.org/">National Association of Black Journalists</a>, Vincent McCraw, about the current state of diversity in the news media and what happens when journalists of color become part of the story they are covering.
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&nbsp;
Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="http://video.dptv.org/show/american-black-journal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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9/27/20: American Black Journal – Black Lives Matter: Is the Media Getting It Right?

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The protests against police brutality and systemic racism have risen to a level that we haven’t seen since the 1960’s civil rights movement and the rebellions that spread across the country.
Orlando Bailey of <a href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/">BridgeDetroit</a> spoke with two supporters of the demonstrations: Tristan Taylor, organizer of the group “<a href="https://detroitwillbreathe.info/">Detroit Will Breathe</a>,” and longtime Detroit activist Carolyn Baker.
This segment is a part of American Black Journal and BridgeDetroit&#8217;s <a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-and-bridgedetroit-collaborate-on-coverage-of-black-lives-matter-movement/">collaboration</a> presenting a series of reports on issues threatening the lives of people of color and the groups advocating to protect them.
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Fighting for a Detroit that allows all its citizens to flourish and be safe

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<div dir="auto">We&#8217;re launching a 3-part series of shows produced in collaboration with the innovative, community-based news organization, BridgeDetroit, and focusing on the question: &#8220;<a href="https://wordpress.detroitpbs.org/american-black-journal-and-bridgedetroit-collaborate-on-coverage-of-black-lives-matter-movement/">Do Black Lives Matter in America?</a>&#8221;  BridgeDetroit&#8217;s Orlando Bailey joins Stephen for thought-provoking conversations on the urgent issues endangering the lives of African Americans. Stephen talks with the organizers of the Detroit Chapter of Black Lives Matter about the current status of the movement, its platform and plans to address racial injustice. Orlando speaks with two Detroit activists about their stance on defunding the police and what it really means to value Black life in America. </div>
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&nbsp;
Don&#8217;t miss American Black Journal on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.
<h3><a href="http://video.dptv.org/show/american-black-journal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View more from American Black Journal &gt;</a></h3>
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9/20/20: American Black Journal – Black Lives Matter: The Movement and the Message

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<h5 class="byline">By <a class="url fn n" title="More from Louis Aguilar" href="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/louis-aguilar/" rel="author">Louis Aguilar</a>  from BridgeDetroit | <time class="entry-date updated dtstamp pubdate" datetime="2020-06-03T07:08:23-04:00">June 3, 2020</time></h5>
Throughout the Detroit protests, many young people have stepped in at key moments to advocate for systemic change and a radical difference in the policing of Black and brown communities.
During the five days of protest, the crowds are diverse and, at times, appear to be majority white, Millennial and Gen Z.
“These children are trying to break segregation biases, these are the children of L. Brooks Patterson, they are breaking that county line,” said Meeko A. Williams, 35, who helped organize the first protest on May 29 at the Detroit Police headquarters downtown. He was referring to the former longtime Oakland County executive who, for some, is a symbol of late 20th-century racial divide between the city and suburbs.
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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-2534" src="https://www.bridgedetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/youngleaders2.jpg" alt="" width="569" height="332" />
The Detroit protests have drawn diverse young crowds that, at times, appear to be majority white. (Photo by Louis Aguilar)
</div>
“Unemployment has hit 40 million Americans, making them reconsider what they are doing with their lives and we are the ones working all of the hours,” said Williams.  He encouraged older activists to  “stand with” young people.  “We don’t need to be down-splained or old-splained to,” he said.
The killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white policeman in Minneapolis is the catalyst for nationwide protests in at least 150 cities, suburbs and small towns. Police brutality is only part of  what draws Detroit protesters. There are signs and speeches railing against institutional racism and widening income inequality.
On Monday, a 16-year-old Black Latino, Stefan Perez, emerged as a leader.
<blockquote>“Williams contends activists don’t want trouble but are insistent on ‘rapid change’. He called for the end of mass incarceration, release of all nonviolent offenders, and an end to the ICE system.”</blockquote>
Perez said he is of Black, Mexican, Nicaraguan and Puerto Rican heritage. Early on, he held a sign that said “Stop ICE Terror”, referring to the hardline tactics toward immigrants by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The federal agency has faced withering criticism by human rights advocates for separating children from families, the policing of southwest Detroit and the overall treatment of immigrants.
Perez also affiliates himself with the group By Any Means Necessary.
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A Detroit resident holds a sign urging peaceful protest at the Monday, June 1 protest. (Photo by Louis Aguilar)
</div>
During the miles-long march, he continued to urge protesters to remain peaceful. At the end,  marchers could see a blocks-long row of police in riot gear. Perez was one of the young people in front of the crowd screaming at the several hundred protesters to walk away from the police. And they did.
As Perez talked to reporters on the street after the march, he got a call from Mayor Mike Duggan.
“When I was watching the videos of your leadership tonight, I had tears in my eyes,” Duggan told Perez, who put the call on speakerphone. “You are everything that’s special about the city of Detroit.”
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16-year-old Stefan Perez has emerged as one of the many young people who continue to march and stress peace during the Detroit protests. (Photo by Louis Aguilar)
</div>
The teen told Duggan: “I am not going to lie to you, though, I’m still going to be out here protesting peacefully.” After the march, Perez took a bus back to his southwest Detroit home.
Organizing is part of the history of Detroit. It is the home of the labor movement, the largest NAACP chapter, the birthplace of the Nation of Islam, and in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Walk to Freedom drew 125,000 people and is known as one the largest civil rights demonstrations in the nation’s history.
The current president of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP, the Rev. Wendell Anthony, recalled an incident in 2000 when a Black man died from a chokehold by a security guard at Fairlane Town Center mall in Dearborn.
“Seven thousand of us marched in Dearborn. We didn’t break a window, we didn’t burn a car, we didn’t throw a molotov cocktail, we marched,” Anthony said during a Sunday news conference with Duggan, Police Chief James Craig and other civil rights leaders.
“We believe in marching,” Anthony said. “I’m proud of the young people who are marching, protesting.  It’s good to see young whites, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics and Arabs and Jews marching together for justice. They are also marching for peace. They are not trying to do this to  tear the city up. They are marching because an injustice has been performed.”
On Sunday, the city announced a curfew as police officials and the mayor urged protesters to remain peaceful. Officials shared information on arrests and said outside agitators were part of the reason gatherings turned violent.
The fourth day of protests began with the establishment taking a hard line. A second night of curfew had been announced a few hours before the 4 p.m march.
<blockquote>“We don’t need to be down-splained or old-splained to.” – Meeko Williams</blockquote>
A small group of protesters are coming to spark violence, contended Duggan and Craig during a Monday news conference. Craig held up a rusty railroad spike to show one of the items confiscated from someone arrested during the Sunday protests.
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Detroit police and fire department personnel were prepared for a long night of clashes with protesters at the Monday, June 1 march. (Photo by Louis Aguilar)
</div>
Protesters use walkie-talkies to communicate during the events and have “supply vehicles” with “rocks, bottles and fireworks,” to throw at police, Duggan said.
Williams contends activists don’t want trouble but are insistent on “rapid change.” He called for the end of mass incarceration, release of all nonviolent offenders, and an end to the ICE system.”
“That’s why I originally had the protests at the police station because we wanted Black and brown children released with no charges.”
The Detroit Police headquarters — the meeting point of the marches — had been barricaded for the first time on Monday for the event. As protesters assembled at the corner of Michigan Avenue near police headquarters, hundreds of police and fire department personnel were assembling  at nearby West Riverfront Park.
Speaker after speaker at the Monday event extolled nonviolence and a need to focus on the issues facing Detroit.
“I understand there are people in the Detroit police who need to be talked to and need to be handled. Because I’ve seen unnecessary aggression among some of them, but not all of them,” said a Detroit resident who wanted to identify himself by TT Gawd.
<blockquote> “I’m proud of the young people who are marching, protesting. It’s good to see young whites, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics and Arabs and Jews marching together for justice. They are also marching for peace. They are not trying to do this to tear the city up. They are marching because an injustice has been performed.” – Rev. Wendell Anthony</blockquote>
He told the crowd how he tried to stop violence after the Saturday protest.  “I was up front trying to talk to a bunch of young black kids who got riled up by a white male to fight the police. And then he vanished and the black kids got arrested,” Gawd says.
“I got pepper-sprayed and got tossed in the ground. I understand rioting in Minneapolis, but not in Detroit. We don’t need it here. We’re just coming back from that right now,” he says. The crowd erupted  in huge applause.
Even amid the worst moments of violent clashes, there are many social media videos of young people stepping up to play the role of peacemaker.
On Saturday night, several young Black males stood up to protesters hurling rocks at the windows of the Nike community store on downtown Woodward Avenue. The store windows remained intact.
During the Sunday night standoff, multiple people walked between the line of police and protesters urging non-violence. Those pleas failed as some protesters began to hurl objects and fireworks toward the cops and the cops aggressively responded.
The Rev. Maurice Hardwick, senior pastor of Power Ministry’s Church, is among the Detroit faith-based leaders who have attended the protests. He tells protesters Detroit should lead the reform movement.
“You want what we already got,” says Hardwick. “You want [city leaders] to say it’s wrong and we need to fix it. We already got that. There is no need to burn, there is no need to loot, there is no need to taunt the police.
“We should be a model and an example. Let’s lead the way.”
&nbsp;

Protests continue in Detroit more than a week after George Floyd’s death

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Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

Subscribe to Detroit PBS <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/detroitpublictv56">YouTube Channel</a> &amp; Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our website, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBlackJournal/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/amblackjournal">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amblackjournal/">Instagram </a>@amblackjournal.

Subscribe to One Detroit’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@detroitpbs"> YouTube Channel.</a>
Catch the daily conversations on our <a href="https://www.detroitperforms.org/">website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/detroitperforms/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://www.twitter.com/DetroitPerforms"> Twitter</a>, and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/detroitperforms/"> Instagram</a> @detroitperforms

Watch One Detroit Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. ET on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

Subscribe to One Detroit’s<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/OneDetroit/videos"> YouTube Channel</a> and don’t miss One Detroit on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 9 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
Catch the daily conversations on our<a href="http://onedetroitpbs.org/"> website</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/onedetroit/"> Facebook</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/DPTVOneDetroit"> Twitter</a> @OneDetroit_PBS, and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/one.detroit/?hl=en"> Instagram</a> @One.Detroit

BridgeDetroit

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