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Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority to host Founders Day Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.®, Alpha Rho Omega Chapter, Detroit, will host its 107th Founders Day observance on Saturday, Jan. 24 at noon. It will be held at the Detroit Marriott at the ReDr. Baskin naissance Glover Center Tickets are $60 by phone at (313) 341-8520. For further information, visit the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority-Alpha Rho Omega Chapter page on Facebook.
January 21-27, 2015
michiganchronicle.com
Volume 78 – Number 19
Revenue, family, dominate council choice By Bankole Thompson
es city government has. The mistakes of the past cannot be allowed to happen again. If we handle this right we will have turned a deficit into a great recovery and a model for America’s urban centers.”
CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
Former State Representative Fred Durhal is vying to become the next member of the Detroit City Council to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Saunteel Jenkins. But Durhal is only one of 17 contenders for a seat on the most talked about legislative body in the state. The likely winner will have to garner support from a majority of the council members, each of whom have their own choice of who should succeed Jenkins, who left council to head a nonprofit group. Durhal, like the other candidates, including John Bennett, Adam Hollier, David Nathan, David Bullock, Paula Humphries Janee Ayers, Dustin Campbell,
Hollier, former chief of staff to State Senator Bert Johnson, said he will bring a fresh perspective to the council.
Fred Durhal
Adam Hollier
Tyrone Carter, Kenneth Donaldson, Frazier Kimpson, Paula Humphries, Roy McCalister, Bernard Parker, Wanda Redmond, Robert Thomas, Beverly Kindle Walker and Debra Walker brings different credentials to the position. “Detroit is at a critical financial juncture. Its city government
Beverly Kindle Walker
has to tread very carefully as it develops and implements its first post-bankruptcy budget. Although there is a slight surplus, council and the mayor must adhere to the Plan of Adjustment while it recovers from insolvency,” Durhal said. “We must also create new revenue sources that can augment what few resourc-
“The most important thing is that I am young resident of Detroit and I am planning on raising my family in the city,” Hollier said. “You don’t see that as a narrative right now. I hear people talk about young Whites who are moving in but no one is talking young Blacks who want to raise families in the city.”
Hollier said being on the coun-
See COUNCIL page A-3
WHAT’S INSIDE Comerica Cares volunteers (Page B-1) The people who comprise Comerica Cares know the true meaning of giving back. They logged in more than 46,000 hours in Michigan alone. The company is “committed to making a tangible difference in the community.”
Two inspiring stories of triumph (Page B-2) Chad Audi, chief executive officer of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, gives two examples of what can be accomplished with hard work, focus and determination — and the help of God.
Every child deserves a fair chance (Page B-4) Marian Wright Edelman, a tireless crusader for children, states, “As a nation, it’s time to close our hypocrisy gap in the treatment of our children, and value and protect our children — all of them.”
THAW radiothon to air soon (Page C-3) The Heat And Warmth Fund (THAW) has again teamed up with WWJ Newsradio 950 to produce the 12th Annual Winter Survival Radiothon. It will take place on Feb. 6 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saunteel Jenkins is CEO of THAW.
Things you may not have known (Page D-1)
This week the entertainment editor has assembled a lengthy number of facts — some serious, some not so much — most pertaining to the music industry.
$1.00
Rev. Nicholas Hood Sr.
Rabbi Daniel Syme
Rep. John Conyers
Why These King-like Giants? By Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
T
he Biblical inference that “a prophet is without honor except in his own hometown” has long been used to measure the kind of reception that is given to our own giants of history. That sometimes the quality of their Bankole work goes unThompson recognized, their achievements minimized and treated as if it is normal and their contributions to society underestimated and undervalued because we see them squarely from the lens of the past instead of looking at them as having informed the present which in turn informs the future for all of us.
That sentiment of deliberately or unconsciously failing to spotlight the contributions of what the men and women who shaped history in terms of civil and equal rights that produced an Obama era was evident when I spoke last Tuesday at the Fannie Lou Hammer Political Action Committee first meeting of the year. I was invited to give an overview of 2014 and to say what my expectations are for 2015. In the midst of my presentation, questions started coming in about the state of the economy in Detroit and what role African-American businesses will play in them, the future of the Michigan Democratic Party, Gov. Rick Snyder and media coverage of Detroit’s affairs in the past year. One particular question pointedly focused on Detroit’s own Congressman John Con yers because he recently became the first African-Amer-
President Obama to travel to Selma President Obama will travel to Selma, Alabama to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. which resulted in key legislative victories for the rights of Blacks. White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett confirmed on her Twitter account that Obama will be in Selma on March 7 to join the celebration and remembrance of one of the pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement.
ican dean of Congress. That seminal moment in American history took place in the first week of January and it means that Conyers is now the longest serving member of Congress. That distinction places him in a special place among the political greats of all time. His portrait is now on the walls of Congress where generations to come will look and realize that he is the only African-American whose face graces the same wall that features the photos of all the other past deans of Congress. The question was why there hasn’t been more extensive media coverage around Con yers’ ascension to the highest level of American legislative power. One person in the audience observed there has been no real media coverage at all and wondered if the skin color of the congressman had anything to do with it. Was the media ignoring an important aspect of political history? The conversation briefly turned to what the media considers a priority and what it sees as important for a ratings bonanza. I quickly informed the audience that the front page of the Michigan Chronicle’s Jan. 14 edition was in fact leading with Con yers’ newest ranking in the world’s most powerful legislative body.
I consider it an important story because it is part of the African-American experience, which is an intricate part of the American experience. No matter how Conyers is viewed in the press and whether he is favored in certain quarters or not, it has nothing to do with his ascendance to a new place in history. The man who authored the Martin Luther King Jr., federal holiday before Stevie Wonder turned it into a cultural campaign, hired civil rights matriarch Rosa Parks to work in his office, strongly defended former President Bill Clinton during his near political death impeachment trial is an American icon. The man who introduced the Violence Against Women Act, Fair Sentencing Act, Hate Crimes Act, Emmet Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, Help America Vote Act and Racial Justice/Innocence Protection Act, National Voter Registration Act, Sexual Abuse Act, Court Security Improvement Act, Church Arson Prevention Act and the Pigford Claims Remedy Act which ensured that Black farmers could challenge discrimination in the U.S. Department of Agriculture farm loan programs is a giant of history. Conyers,
who
introduced
See GIANTS page A-3
news
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
January 21-27, 2015
U.S. Supreme Court could allow judges in 30 states to solicit money from wealthy donors
STATE OF MICHIGAN BEFORE THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION **** NOTICE OF HEARING FOR THE CUSTOMERS OF DTE GAS COMPANY CASE NO. U-17691 • DTE Gas Company seeks Michigan Public Service Commission approval of its Gas Cost Recovery (GCR) Plan and to implement a maximum base GCR factor of $4.07 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), that may be increased by a monthly New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX)-based contingency factor matrix, beginning April 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016. The Company is also seeking approval to implement a Supplier of Last Resort (SOLR) Reservation Charge to be billed to both GCR and Gas Customer Choice (GCC) customers.
By Bill Corriher The U.S. Supreme Court could strike down rules that ban elected judges from personally soliciting potential donors for campaign cash. The Court has struck down campaign finance laws seven times since 2006. These rulings have fundamentally reshaped how political campaigns are waged and have increased the influence of big money in judicial elections. The Court heard arguments on the case on Jan. 20. One of the personal solicitation rules currently under contention — Florida’s — says that judicial candidates “shall not personally solicit campaign funds, or solicit attorneys for publicly stated support.” In 2009, lawyer Lanell Williams-Yulee ran for a seat on the Hillsborough County, Florida, bench and signed a mass fundraising letter to kick off her campaign. An arbitrator appointed by the Supreme Court of Florida fined her almost $2,000. The state supreme court affirmed the fine and upheld the ban as a means of protecting judicial integrity and the public’s trust in the fairness of judges. Twenty-nine other states have similar bans. While four of the six federal appeals courts that have considered the legality of the bans struck them down, each elected state supreme court that has considered them — Florida, Arkansas, and Oregon — upheld these laws. The Supreme Court of Florida’s decision came two years after an unprecedented campaign to vote out three justices in the 2012 retention election — an election in which voters decide whether justices remain in office. The Republican Party of Florida and the billionaire Koch brothers’ super PAC Americans for Prosperity funded ads that attacked the justices. For their part, the justices raised more than $1 million in order to respond. The 2014 Arkansas Supreme Court election also saw unprecedented money and mudslinging, but the candidates could not personally ask for donations. In 2007, the state supreme court upheld Arkansas’ ban: Allowing a judge to personally solicit or accept campaign contributions, especially from attorneys who may practice in his or her court, not only has the possibility of making a judge feel obligated to favor certain parties in a case, it inevitably places the solicited individuals in a position to fear retaliation if they fail to financially support that candidate. Several states have is-
HOW TO CONTACT US:
• The information below describes how a person may participate in this case. • You may call or write DTE Gas Company, One Energy Plaza, Detroit, Michigan 48226, (800) 477-4747, for a free copy of its application. Any person may review the application at the offices of DTE Electric Company. • A public hearing in this matter will be held:
sued similar warnings to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will weigh them against any infringement on a would-be judge’s First Amendment right to ask potential donors for money. When the Court agreed to decide whether the bans in 30 states are unconstitutional, Adam Liptak of The New York Times noted that several of the justices oppose judicial elections, writing, “They make this clear by insisting that those elections, which take place in 39 states, be as political as possible.” In 2002, the Court struck down bans on judges speaking out about “legal or political” issues, ruling that the bans violated the First Amendment. Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion stated the rule was not “narrowly tailored” to preserve judicial impartiality because it focused on issues instead of on particular litigants. The opinion concluded, “If the State has a problem with judicial impartiality, it is largely one the State brought upon itself by continuing the practice of popularly electing judges.” Conservative groups that oppose most campaign finance regulations have expressed a similar sentiment regarding the Williams-Yulee case. Justice Anthony Kennedy —often the Court’s swing vote — has emphasized how electing judges threatens judicial independence, but he has also voted to strike down limits on fundraising and spending. Although he said in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that independent spending does “not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption,” Justice Kennedy authored a ruling in Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co. that mining company executive Don Blankenship’s $3 million in independent spending for a West Virginia justice gave rise to an unconstitutional “risk of actual bias” in a lawsuit against the company. Concerns about the appearance of corruption in American courts have grown more urgent in recent years as spending
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on judicial races has exploded. A 2014 Center for American Progress report titled “Dirty Money, Dirty Water” found a significant correlation between campaign cash from attorneys and favorable rulings by the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 1998, law firms “that had more than five cases before the court and donated $400 or more [to the justices’ campaigns] won an astonishing 70 percent of their appeals, compared to 33 percent for firms with at least five cases giving less than $400.” These correlations— regardless of whether they reflect causation— sow doubt regarding the fairness of U.S. courts. A ruling in favor of Williams-Yulee, for example, would put pressure on judges to become more intimately involved in asking attorneys and corporations for money to campaign. In a case that appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, a candidate wished to sign a fundraising letter, announce his party affiliation, and respond to a questionnaire from an anti-choice group. The court found that Kentucky’s personal-solicitation ban was too restrictive of speech to serve the state’s goal of preserving judicial integrity: Prohibiting candidates from asking for money suppresses speech in the most conspicuous
of ways and, in the process, favors … incumbent judges (who benefit from their current status) over non-judicial candidates, the well-to-do (who may not need to raise any money at all) over lower-income candidates, and the well-connected (who have an army of potential fundraisers) over outsiders. The 6th Circuit implied that a narrower ban on “face-to-face solicitations, particularly by sitting judges, and solicitations of individuals with cases pending in front of the court” could satisfy the requirements of the First Amendment. Judges across America have spoken out against money in judicial elections. Justice Stephen Breyer said, “[O]nce you get into this campaign business and begin to have a lot of money, then the person on the bench begins to think — what’s going to happen if I decide the case this way or that way? Or at least the public sees it that way.” Elected judges across America are hoping that the U.S. Supreme Court considers the appearance of impartiality to be more important than any infringement of First Amendment rights.
DATE/TIME:
Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. This hearing will be a prehearing conference to set future hearing dates and decide other procedural matters.
BEFORE:
Administrative Law Judge Mark D. Eyster
LOCATION:
Michigan Public Service Commission 7109 West Saginaw Highway Lansing, Michigan
PARTICIPATION:
Any interested person may attend and participate. The hearing site is accessible, including handicapped parking. Persons needing any accommodation to participate should contact the Commission’s Executive Secretary at (517) 284-8090 in advance to request mobility, visual, hearing or other assistance.
The Michigan Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold a public hearing to consider DTE Gas Company’s (DTE Gas) December 30, 2014 application for approval of a GCR plan, 5-year forecast and monthly GCR factor for the 12-month period from April 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016. DTE Gas proposes to implement a maximum base GCR factor of $4.07 per Mcf that can be adjusted to a new maximum GCR rate by the monthly NYMEX-based contingency factor matrix, to be reflected in DTE Gas’s monthly gas customer billings beginning April 1, 2015, and continuing through March 31, 2016. DTE Gas is also requesting the approval of a SOLR Reservation Charge of an additional $0.29 per Mcf that is billed to both GCR and GCC customers. All documents filed in this case shall be submitted electronically through the Commission’s E-Dockets website at: michigan.gov/mpscedockets. Requirements and instructions for filing can be found in the User Manual on the E-Dockets help page. Documents may also be submitted, in Word or PDF format, as an attachment to an email sent to: mpscedockets@michigan.gov. If you require assistance prior to e-filing, contact Commission staff at (517) 284-8090 or by e-mail at: mpscedockets@michigan.gov. Any person wishing to intervene and become a party to the case shall electronically file a petition to intervene with this Commission by February 3, 2015. (Petitions to intervene may also be filed using the traditional paper format.) The proof of service shall indicate service upon DTE Gas’ Attorney, David S. Maquera, DTE Gas Company, One Energy Plaza, Detroit, Michigan 48226. Any person wishing to appear at the hearing to make a statement of position without becoming a party to the case may participate by filing an appearance. To file an appearance, the individual must attend the hearing and advise the presiding administrative law judge of his or her wish to make a statement of position. All information submitted to the Commission in this matter becomes public information, thus available on the Michigan Public Service Commission’s website, and subject to disclosure. Please do not include information you wish to remain private. Requests for adjournment must be made pursuant to the Michigan Administrative Hearing System’s Administrative Hearing Rules R 792.10422 and R 792.10432. Requests for further information on adjournment should be directed to (517) 284-8130. A copy of DTE Gas’ request may be reviewed on the Commission’s website at: michigan.gov/mpscedockets, and at the office of DTE Gas Company. For more information on how to participate in a case, you may contact the Commission at the above address or by telephone at (517) 284-8090. The Utility Consumer Representation Fund has been created for the purpose of aiding in the representation of residential utility customers in 1982 P.A. 304 proceedings. Contact the Chairperson, Utility Consumer Participation Board, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, P.O. Box 30004, Lansing, Michigan 48909, for more information. Jurisdiction is pursuant to 1909 PA 300, as amended, MCL 462.2 et seq.; 1919 PA 419, as amended, MCL 460.54 et seq.; 1939 PA 3, as amended, MCL 460.1 et seq.; 1982 PA 304, as amended, MCL 460.6h et seq.; 1969 PA 306, as amended, MCL 24.201 et seq.; and the Michigan Administrative Hearing System’s Administrative Hearing Rules, 2015 AC, R 792.10401 et seq.
Billy Corriher is the director of research for legal progress at the Center for American Progress.
January 15, 2015
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Don’t miss out! Feb. 15 is the deadline to sign up for health insurance for 2015
Need Help Enrolling in Health Insurance? Find out if you qualify for a low or no premium health insurance plan The deadline to sign up for health insurance is quickly approaching. Join us Saturday, January 24 from 10 am- 2 pm for Sign-Up Saturday, a local enrollment event sponsored by Humana. You will get free help from licensed agents to find out if you qualify for help to pay for health insurance and to help you sign up.
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Page A-2
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Giants
January 21-27, 2015 Page A-3
From page A-1
Rev. Jesse Jackson to Dr. King, has lived a heroic life but he has done so with elegance, stature, grace and dignity. He is never one to seek the spotlight and has been one of the most accessible members of Congress. There is no political vengeance in his bones. Even in the past election where his chances of winning was up in the air mixed with an attempt to distort his record, he was calm about it and even encouraged those who wanted to run against him to do so as they pleased. As I thought about the questions I was asked at the Fannie Lou Hammer PAC meeting about the seeming absence of media coverage on instructive moments in history like Conyers’ ascension to dean of Congress, I wondered about another giant in our community who, like Conyers, came out of an era that changed the face of this nation. Rev. Nicholas Hood Sr., pastor emeritus of Plymouth United Church of Christ, was one of the signers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in New Orleans, the group cofounded by Dr. King. Through his work in New Orleans and in Detroit, we see in Hood a man who has earned his place in history as one of the key participants in the Civil Rights Movement. He introduced and ordained Ambassador Andrew Young, one of King’s top aides in the ministry in New Orleans. Not only did he march in Selma, he worked closely along with Rev. C.L. Franklin to organize the 1963 March on Detroit, which was a prelude to the March on Washington for Jobs and Justice. He made Plymouth church, now pastored by his son, Rev. Nicholas Hood III, a leader in liberation theology, becoming one of the first churches in the country to focus on low-income housing development and place the church at the center of Detroit’s life and existence. Given the scope of his achievements, and the efficacy of his work, it is tempting to write off individuals like Hood as people who once played a role. But it would be a grave mistake to dismiss their lasting and impactful contributions for the “beloved community” King talked about. We would be fooling ourselves if we fail to pass the substance of the era that produced Hood, Conyers and others to today’s generation. Every community embraces their giants with a crown because the bedrock of any society stands on the solid foundations of their work. That is why last year I was compelled to write a column in the midst of a heated congressional campaign defending Conyers’ record because I was not going to allow political subterfuge to cloud the historical record. I was not going to take part in a festival of throwing stones at his legacy or making a mockery of him. We can debate his record and policies all day, but I will not descend into the tawdry affairs of lesser men. Conyers and Hood exemplify the finest examples of King’s legacy. Both men met King. Both men bought into his vision and demonstrated a high degree of leadership in our community and crossed every Rubicon with dignity. One of the strong features of King’s life was his ability to bring coalitions together. His transcending message reached across communities and brought unlikely allies together. One
Council
of his alliances was with the Jewish community, and he underscored that when he received the American Medallion Award from the American Jewish Community (AJC) in New York. One of King’s strongest allies in the Jewish community was Rabbi Abraham Joshua Herschel who marched with the civil rights leader in Selma. In fact, Herschel would later recollect his memory of the march and describe it in the most iconic way saying, “When I marched in Selma my feet were praying,” capturing the essence of that moment and the possibility of faith and freedom beyond Selma. Another giant in our extended community walking in the transcending footsteps of King is Rabbi Daniel Syme of Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills, one of the leading rabbis in North America. Inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. International Board of Preachers at Morehouse College, Syme has been a vocal advocate for Black-Jewish relations that has often been punctuated by tensions in the past. Syme, who sits on the board of the American Jewish Commitee, has sought to build partnerships with African-American churches in Detroit to create a sense of identification on issues facing our communities. Though Blacks and Jews are bound together as siblings of historic oppression and discrimination, the challenge now is how to rekindle the flame that gave men like Herschel moral ownership in the Civil Rights Movement. Many prominent Jews, including America’s leading rabbi at the time, Stephen Wise, helped establish the NAACP in 1909. At one point Louis Marshall, the former head of the American Jewish Committee, defended the NAACP before the U.S. Supreme Court. Noted lawyer Jack Greenberg once served as head of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. For example, when the 1930s Depression threatened the financial survival of the NAACP, it was William Rosenwald, the son of Julius Rosenwald, the founder of Sears who gave $1000 every year for three years and got four others, including three members of the Jewish community, to match his gift so the NAACP could pay its bills. The battles that were fought in the 1950s and 1960s had the support of many Jewish leaders who saw their community’s future directly linked to the future of the African -American community. The alliance that King and others before him built is begging for rejuvenation today. The absence of such has made it difficult to build coalitions to tackle the broader issues affecting our communities. In searching for that alliance we cannot forget those who paved the way. We have a moral, historical and professional obligation to spotlight their work and embrace their legacies. Bankole Thompson is the editor of the Michigan Chronicle. The author of “Obama and Black Loyalty,” his most recent book, “Obama and Christian Loyalty,” deals with the politics of the religious right, Black theology and the president’s faith posture across a myriad of issues. He is a senior political analyst at WDET-101.9FM (Detroit Public Radio). He is a member of the weekly “Obama Watch” Sunday roundtable on WLIB-1190AM New York. Email bthompson@michronicle.com or visit http://www.bankolethompson.com.
From page A-1
cil will allow him to tackle the issue of property values and the school system, all of which he said make it difficult for young African American families to move into the city. “We have to be able to better navigate our own business and start dealing with the schools,” Hollier said. “We need people on council who are going to have kids in the school system.” The former legislative aide said Detroit has a long way to go to attract people to the city who can afford services. “The mayor did something with the water issue but we need to raise money from private philanthropy to balance that water fund,” Hollier said. “We are not going to have the option anymore of having three or four employers employing everybody in the city. We need to talk about entrepreneurship and supporting small businesses.” He said the question haunting Detroit is, “How do we get more young
Black folks to move back into the city?” because most of his classmates with families don’t live in Detroit anymore. Durhal, on the other hand, said, “Detroit must reduce the number of unemployed citizens. Neighborhoods cannot survive if people who live in them cannot find work. High unemployment breeds crime and a sense of hopelessness that becomes a culture if nothing is done.” Blight has been a front and center issue in Detroit with support from the private sector leaders like Dan Gilbert, the founder and chairman of Quicken Loans. “The blight that we see must be reduced if we are to be inviting to more community investment. I deeply understand these issues and I intend to work hard to return Detroit to the greatness it once had by focusing on job training, economic development and job creation,” Durhal said. “Success here will strengthen core communities and hasten the economic stabilization of Detroit.”
COMMITTEE MEMBERS (standing from left): Sherman Eaton, Tyrone Davenport, Judge Craig Strong and Raymond Soloman. Seated from left: Rev. Ben Carter, Paris Ross, Margo Diomande, Mabel Jones, Barbara Mapson and Attorney Yvette Barrett
Judge Strong chairs membership drive for Wright Museum Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Craig strong is launching the annual Charles H. Wright Museum’s Black History Month Membership Drive, Feb. 5, 5-9 pm at the Detroit Seafood Market, 1435 Randolph in downtown Detroit. Registration is encouraged for families at $50 and individuals at $25.
Gov. Snyder’s 2015 State of the Union: What You Need to Know Governor’s Communication Office– Michigan will create an environment in which all residents can succeed, regardless of their stage in life, through a strategic realignment of government services and unparalleled public-private collaboration, Gov. Rick Snyder said during his fifth State of the State address.
for Michiganders. In some cases, plywood is being used on bridges to hold concrete from falling onto our roads, and one in nine bridges is structurally deficient. Snyder will:
The governor outlined his vision for focusing government on people rather than programs, with the support of new, robust collaboration. He called this new perspective of government, which will be structured from the people’s point of view, “The River of Opportunity.”
“The River of Opportunity”: The governor will emphasize efficient, effective and accountable government that offers people the help they need when they need it by:
“This country was founded as a nation of opportunity,” Snyder said. “But too many of our residents find themselves with barriers in that River of Opportunity, whether it’s because they are struggling with poverty, don’t have parents in their lives, lack a good education, suffer from an illness or disability, or don’t have transportation necessary for school or work. Government and nonprofits are in the forefront of offering help, but we must fundamentally reshape the way in which we do that. “We will reorganize government so it treats individuals as real people, not as numbers on a page, as too often is the case with myriad programs that lack coordination. It’s time to maximize our resources on solutions, not bureaucracy. Working with people as complete human-beings enables us to more effectively solve root causes of barriers to success, rather than just the symptoms. Our goal must be to create opportunities, not dependencies. We can do this, and I look forward to continuing my partnership with the Legislature and stakeholders statewide. Working together, we’ll show the rest of the nation that Michiganders stand together, and that there’s no better place to live, work and play than the Great Lakes State.” Four years of strong fiscal stewardship, thoughtful policymaking, bold innovation and genuine leadership have given Michigan a solid platform for continued growth in 2015. Numerous indicators underscore the state’s turnaround, including the creation of over 300,000 private-sector jobs since December 2010 and consecutive years of population increases. “Across our peninsulas and in every corner of this state, Michiganders are contributing to our shared future through collaboration, innovation and a genuine confidence that the path we’re on is the right one,” Lt. Gov. Brian Calley said. “Each day, we break new ground, find creative solutions to challenges and keep driving forward. That’s the Michigan way.” Snyder offered the following priorities to continue Michigan’s impressive rebound while ensuring that all residents have the tools and opportunities to share in the comeback:
Highlight the need to fix our neglected roads and bridges in a manner that also protects our schools and lower-income Michiganders.
Reorganizing the departments of Community Health and Human Services to create the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Continue innovative programs and systematically review others to make necessary reforms in order to ensure state government is able to effectively assist individuals. Education: The governor recognizes that creating opportunities for success starts with education. His goals include: Partnering with the Legislature to enact legislation to improve third-grade reading this year. As part of the effort, he is calling for the establishment of a commission outside of state government, which includes business and philanthropic communities that will develop recommendations on specific actions to improve third-grade reading scores. Vigorous collaboration between high schools and higher education to create opportunities and cost-savings for students. One of the top priorities is to make Michigan a national leader in connecting individuals to high-demand, good-paying careers in skilled trades. Snyder, lawmakers and partners in the education community continue to emphasize the importance of career technical and skilled-trades opportunities. More and better jobs: Growing the economy demands collaboration, innovation and good public policy. Snyder committed to: Creating “Regional Prosperity Teams,” which are multidisciplinary teams that will work in communities with our regional partners, helping ensure that no area of the state is left behind in economic development efforts and supporting the region’s strategic vision for its future. Encouraging lawmakers to have a serious discussion on the merits of expanding Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. People: Because good public health is vital to a strong Michigan, the governor: Called for the development of an aggressive strategy to combat prescription opioid abuse. The number of unintentional drug poisoning fatalities has increased dramatically, with the rate nearly quadrupling since 1999.
Transportation: Our crumbling roads and bridges are a public safety concern
President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union: What You Missed “We are fifteen years into this new century. Fifteen years that dawned with terror touching our shores; that unfolded with a new generation fighting two long and costly wars; that saw a vicious recession spread across our nation and the world. It has been, and still is, a hard time for many. But tonight, we turn the page.” “At this moment – with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production – we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth. It’s now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next fifteen years, and for decades to come.
Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?”
adversity. We gave our citizens schools and colleges, infrastructure and the internet – tools they needed to go as far as their effort will take them.
“In fact, at every moment of economic change throughout our history, this country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances, and to make sure everyone gets a fair shot. We set up worker protections, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to protect ourselves from the harshest
American leadership. We lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don’t let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents. That’s exactly what we’re doing right now – and around the globe, it
That’s what middle-class economics is – the idea that “So the verdict is clear. Mid- this country does best when dle-class economics works. everyone gets their fair shot, Expanding opportunity works. everyone does their fair share, And these policies will contin- and everyone plays by the same ue to work, as long as politics set of rules.” don’t get in the way.” “I believe in a smarter kind of
is making a difference.”
force against ISIL.”
“In Iraq and Syria, American leadership – including our military power – is stopping ISIL’s advance. Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group. We’re also supporting a moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this effort, and assisting people everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt ideology of violent extremism. This effort will take time. It will require focus. But we will succeed. And tonight, I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of
“No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids. We are making sure our government integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat terrorism. And tonight, I urge this Congress to finally pass the legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of cyber-attacks, combat identity theft, and protect our children’s information. If we don’t act, we’ll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable. If we do, we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people around the globe.”
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Comerica Cares volunteers stopped by the WWJ Newsradio 950 studio in February 2014 to answer phones and accept donations for the annual Winter Survival Radiothon to benefit THAW - The Heat and Warmth Fund. While there, they had a chance to meet and be interviewed by WWJ reporter Beth Fisher.
January 21-27 , 2015
Comerica colleagues gathered on Belle Isle for the 26th annual UNCF Walk for Education in August 2014. This past year, Comerica colleagues raised nearly $14,000, part of which is helping provide scholarships for Michigan students.
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HOMEFRONT Comerica Cares volunteers log more than 72,000 service hours nationwide last year
More than 46,000 hours logged in Michigan As metro Detroiters look ahead to the New Year, Comerica Cares volunteers have good reason to take a look back. This past year, Comerica Cares volunteers logged more than 72,000 service hours nationally, including more than 46,000 hours by Michigan colleagues.
Comerica Bank-Michigan President Michael T. Ritchie and 20 Comerica colleagues, their family members and friends, spent a September morning at Crossroads of Michigan in Detroit preparing meals for those in need.
“As an organization, we are always trying to raise our customers’ expectations of what a bank can be,” said Patricia McCann, vice president and national civic affairs manager, Comerica Bank. “In 2014, we demonstrated that we do more than make loans and take deposits. We are also substantially invested in the communities we serve.” According to the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics, the estimated value of Comerica Cares service hours is nearly $1.6 million ($22.55 per hour), as reported by The Independent Sector. Comerica Bank is committed to the communities it serves in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas. The bank has a significant presence in Michigan, including Detroit, southeast, central and west Michigan, which reflects heavily in the state’s volunteerism statistics. More than 1,500 colleagues logged nearly 64 percent of the company’s 72,000 service hours valued at more than an estimated $1 million in Michigan alone.
Comerica Cares volunteers Rechieal Holmes (left) and Rhonda Dunigan shell peas that they picked while volunteering at Lafayette Greens, an urban garden in downtown Detroit, in September 2014.
“My colleagues’ undeniable passion to serve others is a true testament of Comerica bank’s corporate values,” said Michael T. Ritchie, president, Comerica Bank-Michigan. “Looking back, I am tremendously impressed by the unwavering devotion of personal time and talents donated to supporting a variety of community-minded organizations, including Crossroads Soup Kitchen, Focus Hope, The Parade Company and The Salvation Army.” In metro Detroit alone, Comerica Cares
Comerica Cares volunteers form an assembly line to stuff more than 300 backpacks with school supplies during a back-to-school-themed Live in the D Plaza Dayz at the WDIV-TV studios in downtown Detroit in August 2014. Comerica also provided a grant to help purchase school supplies to stuff the backpacks. volunteers spent time supporting more than 500 nonprofits and served as board members for more than 164 nonprofits. “Comerica is committed to making a tangible difference in the community through volunteer efforts and charitable giving,” said McCann. “After all, it’s the communities we live in and our neighbors we’re serving.” It’s not just bank employees giving back, Comerica family and friends also logged more than 2,000 service hours, too. “It’s refreshing to see the impact our employees make on those around them,” said McCann. “They’re not just bringing themselves, they’re encouraging their parents, children, siblings and friends to come
out and serve as well.” Although 2014 was an impressive year for the Comerica Cares program not much time is spent dwelling on the past. Comerica team members are already busy volunteering throughout metro Detroit, Michigan and nationwide with hopes to give back even more in 2015. The bank has a 2015 goal of 72,000 service hours. So, next time you’re out in the community look for their blue Comerica Cares t-shirts and be reassured that Comerica volunteers are always happy to lend a helping hand. For more information on how Comerica Cares volunteers are giving back to the community, visit www.facebook.com/ComericaCares.
Comerica Cares volunteers (left to right) Ben Lewis, Monica Alexander, Brian Griffin, Vanessa Johnson, Ashanti Bell, Deborah Edwards, Ketra Lewis and Elaine Logan helped make lunches for metro Detroi- Comerica colleagues throughout Michigan participated in various Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks ters in need at The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit’s to support the American Cancer Society’s fight to end breast cancer. More than 150 Comerica volunteers participated in the Detroit event in October 2014. Acres of Hope campus in September 2014.
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Commentary: They Hadn’t Told Anyone By Chad Audi, Chief Executive Officer for Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries
She came to apply for a job to help homeless women coming to our emergency shelter program. When she interviewed for the position, the interviewer saw that she had the ability to help women and their children coming in the shelter and that she could do it without making the women feel judged or disrespected. She was hired and given her chance to prove herself.
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
January 21-27, 2015
“The staff – they saw talents in me I didn’t see in myself. They believed in me and I started to see it too.” She talks about the things she had to learn along the way – maybe the biggest being that she needed to let go of the things she’d been holding on to and to take responsibility for the part she had to take with God’s help. She learned humility, to ask for help and to lean on the friends she had made. She too got a job helping homeless women after completing a vocational education program at the mission. “When the ladies come in, I know what they are feeling and it feels good to help them.”
Comerica Bank’s Michigan Index Eases after Six Months of Growth
On Friday, January 16th, both ladies came to share their testimony at a special Martin Luther King Jr. service at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. Though somewhat nervous, each was willing to share the wisdom and lessons they had learned with those in attendance and to encourage others who were present.
Chad Audi
Her supervisor knew that she could do the job. There were a few odd things though. Sometimes she was really late for work without offering explanations or really early. She also ignored requests for employee benefits paperwork. Finally the Director of H.R. called her in to complete the paperwork. She told the Human Resources staff member that she hadn’t filled out the paperwork because didn’t have an address to put on the paperwork. She was moving from couch to couch, getting a motel room from time to time, and staying each night where she had to so she could get to work the next day. This is a true story, as told by Sharon Thompson of the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. “She said to me, ‘You mean you are working with homeless women and you yourself are homeless?’” It wasn’t long after that Ms. Thompson answered a knock on her motel door where she was then staying and invited to pack up her things and come see the new place she would be staying – her own apartment. She made a promise then that she would only take that apartment for one year. By then, with God’s help, she knew she would be established and get her own place. She kept that promise – and continued on with her job, helping other women at the Genesis House III facility who come homeless, overwhelmed and seemingly without options. Her co-worker, Lynette Bradley, had a similar story. Her family ran into some personal difficulties and she and her children needed shelter. She came to Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries and began a process of having far more being given than just a bed and meals.
What they didn’t know was that a surprise was in store. To recognize the hard work they had done to turn their lives in a new direction and to help them with difficulties they continued to faced, each was presented with the type of help they needed now. Ms. Thompson, who had kept her promise to release her apartment after one year for another woman to use, still had problems getting to work because of a lack of reliable transportation. Ms. Bradley had a job but was still homeless. For those of you puzzled by a co-worker’s behavior, this story may already be familiar. Might they be people who would rather be fired or continue to remain homeless rather than admit their homelessness? Both Ms. Thompson and Ms. Bradley both quietly admitted, “I didn’t tell people on the job I was homeless.” No, they just did their jobs with dignity and dealt with it. But they also came to learn, “Don’t be afraid to admit you need help.” To honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of profound teachings and God honoring actions, our agency decided to do something about the needs these two women continued to have. Through the grace of God and goodness of donors who ask that we help people like them, Ms. Thompson was presented with the keys to a working car. Ms. Bradley was given keys to a refurbished house to call her own. Tears were shed and laughter rolled as they reacted to the news. The biggest laugh came when Ms. Thompson held up her car keys and, in the Spirit common at the Mission, announced to the room full of hundreds of people, “Now you call me if you need a ride to work. I mean it!”
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Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index slipped slightly in October, decreasing 1.5 percentage points to a level of 119.2. October’s reading is 45 points, or 61 percent, above the index cyclical low of 73.8. The index averaged 114.2 points for all of 2013, seven and one-tenth points above the index average for 2012. September’s index reading was 120.7. “Our Michigan Economic Activity Index eased in October, breaking a string of six consecutive monthly gains. Payroll job creation has been inconsistent in Michigan through 2014 despite significant gains in U.S. auto sales through the year. October auto sales were solid at a 16.5 million unit pace, and November and December improved from that base, bringing the fourth quarter average sales rate up to 16.9 million units. Lower gasoline Robert A.Dye prices and solid job growth nationwide are supporting strong auto sales, which are now near the top of the cycle,” said Robert Dye, Chief Economist at Comerica Bank. “We expect to see ongoing modest-to-moderate growth for Michigan in 2015, supported by a strong manufacturing sector and improving real estate markets.” The Michigan Economic Activity Index consists of eight variables, as follows: nonfarm payrolls, exports, hotel occupancy rates, continuing claims for unemployment insurance, housing starts, sales tax revenues, home prices, and auto production. All data are seasonally adjusted, and indexed to a base year of 2008. Nominal values have been converted to constant dollar values. Index levels are expressed in terms of three-month moving averages.
The heaviest tears came to listener’s eyes as recognition sank in about how much each lady had come through, how grateful they were for their restored dignity and for the sincerity of the praise they lavished on those who had helped them - and to God. As the two women went forward to receive their keys, one voice in the audience could be heard saying, “Oh, now -- that is a GOOD thing!” And it is.
Detroit Area Agency on Aging Offers Training to Prepare Volunteers to Help Clients Manage Diabetes through Lifestyle Changes Compared to the general population, African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes. According to diabetes. org website, 13.2% of all African Americans aged 20 years or older have diagnosed diabetes and African Americans are 1.7 times more likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. African-Americans are significantly more likely to suffer from blindness, kidney disease and amputations because of diabetes. But good diabetes management can help reduce your risk. That’s the why the State developed the Diabetes PATH program. This program is designed specifically to enUNI_CBP-4117_NotTheirs_MCHF.pdf hance patient confidence in their ability to manage their diabetes.
The PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) six-week program has several components: skills mastery; modeling; action planning with social support. The Detroit Area Agency on Aging is looking for volunteers to become Diabetes-PATH Lay Leaders. A Diabetes-PATH Lay Leader is someone who is interested in helping others take Personal Action Toward Health by becoming better self-managers of their diabetes. This person does not need to be a health care professional and will be trained to lead Diabetes-PATH classes and teach people skills and methods to manage their chronic condition. 1
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Other Diabete-PATH Lay Leader qualifications include: being comfortable with
public speaking to groups of 15-20, be concerned and compassion for people with diabetes; and be available to lead 2.5 hour Diabetes-PATH sessions once a week following the training. To become a Diabetes-PATH Lay Leader there is a short application and screening along with FREE training classes led by a Master Trainer in February 2015. The trainings will be held at Adult-Well Being Service, 1423 Field Avenue, Detroit, 48214.
Comerica Bank, with 214 banking centers in Michigan, is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Business Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Michigan and Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, and Florida, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico.
To find Comerica on Facebook, please visit www.facebook.com/ComericaCares.
For more information please call, Anita Kanakaris 313-446-4444 ext. 5841 or Misha Stallworth at 313-446-4444 ext. 5818 or email StallworthM@daaa1a.org
Follow us on Twitter at @Comerica_Econ.
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
February 5 -8
January 30 -31
North American International Auto Show 9 am Cobo Center 1 Washington Blvd., Detroit The public viewing of the North American International Auto Show 2015 is a showcase of current and future innovations in the automobile industry. Cost: $7-$13 For more information call 248.643.0250.
Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs Stravinsky’s “Firebird” Music Box at Max M. Fisher Music Center 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit Detroit Symphony Orcheastra concertmaster Yoonshin Song performs Prokofiev’s first Violin Concerto and Robert Treviño conducts orchestral favorites by Strauss and Stravinsky. Performance begins at 10:45 a.m. on Jan. 30 and 8 p.m. on Jan. 31. For more information call 313.576.5111.
January 23 Latin Jazz All-Stars at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Detroit 8:00pm Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts 350 Madison St. Detroit, he Latin Jazz All-Stars celebrate 14 years of making great music.Cpst $25
For ticket information call 313-887-8500
January 24 Street Eastern Market Food tour at Eastern Market in Detroit 9:30am Eastern Market 2934 Russell St. Detroit, Stroll from shed to shed tasting a range of Detroit delights at this Feet on the Street Eastern Market Food tour. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Cost: $29
For more information call 313-393-2055
January 31 Pre-Black History Month Community Prayer Breakfast at Peoples United Methodist Church in Detroit
Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Detroit Opera House Detroit Opera House 1526 Broadway Detroit Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Performances feature the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops.
For more information, visit http://www. shenyun.com/detroit
Frebruary 6
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Go Red For Women Luncheon at MGM Grand Casino-Hotel in Detroit
Peoples United Methodist Church
9:0 0am to 1:30
19370 Greenfield, Detroit, The Scott Community Center, Inc. and Peoples United Methodist Church Black History Committee will host the annual Pre-Black History Month Community Prayer Breakfast. The guest speaker will be Rev. Conley Gibbs, Jr., senior pastor of Ferguson Heights Church of Christ in St. Louis, MO—one of the churches working to restore peace amid civil unrest in Ferguson. African-American vendors will also be available with goods for sale. The event is open to the public.
MGM Grand Casino-Hotel 1777 Third Street, Detroit, MI Wear “red” and attend the 2015 Detroit Go Red For Women Luncheon. Learn simple ways to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke to keep you and your family healthy. Cost $200 For more information call 248-936-5835
January 21-27, 2015
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February 16 Open City Detroit: Bricks to Bits at Cliff Bell’s in Detroit 11 am Cliff Bell’s 2030 Park Ave Detroit, Open City is a forum for Detroit’s aspiring and established small business owners to learn, network, and exchange information in a fun and lively atmosphere. For more information email hello@buildinstitute.org
February 18 Recovery Conference and Seminar at the Charles R. Wright African American Museum in Detroit Charles H. Wright African American Museum 315 East Warren Avenue Deroit, Team Mental Health Services, Inc. will host a Recovery Conference to address the stigma of substance abuse while celebrating the efforts toward recovery. This event will increase public awareness about the behavioral health services located within the Detroit Metro Area. Admission includes full course lunch meal, valet parking, private tour. Cost: $100 For more information call 313-274-3700
For additional information, call 313-5382575.
January 31-February 16 Sesame Street Live: Make a New Friend at the Fox Theatre in Detroit Times and dates vary. Fox Theatre 2211 Woodward Ave. Detroit, Sesame Street Live: Make a New Friend is a spectacular show about finding friends and having fun. Cost: $21.35-$42.25 For more information call 313.576.5111.
Email Your Upcoming Events to events@michronicle.com thurs, jan. 22-tues, jan. 27
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The ‘real’ Dream speech By Lee A. Daniels “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!” A suggestion for the recent days of special attention to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Whenever people cite this sentence from his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech, ask them if they know the rest of the speech.
He follows this with a “dream” that “one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood,” and another that “even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”
And then, after he speaks of his children, he says, “I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his I’ve long suspected that lips dripping with the words of people who cite that sen‘interposition’ and ‘nullificatence as proof we today tion’ — one day right there in should stop taking race into Alabama little Black boys and account in the necessary reBlack girls will be able to join ordering of American society Lee A. Daniels hands with little White boys haven’t bothered to underand White girls as sisters and brothers.” stand — or, most likely, even read — the In other words, King places his dream rest of the speech. I think that’s because they’ve adopted the let’s-pretend-race- for all children squarely within the nehas-no-meaning stance conservatives cessity of reforming three states with have been pushing for the last 30 years long histories of horrific state-spon— ever since losing their all-out effort sored and state-aided-and-abetted murto defeat the movement for the King na- ders, beatings and other forms of violence that targeted Black children as tional holiday. well as adults. So when people refer to that senHe uses children as the focus of his tence, ask them to explain King’s also saying to the throng, “I am not unmind- dreams not only because children are ful that some of you have come here out born without prejudice and fear, but also of great trials and tribulations. Some of because their being “able to join hands” you have come fresh from narrow jail at “the table of brotherhood” could only cells. And some of you have come from occur with their parents’ acceptance of areas where your quest for freedom left racial equality. Here, King was speaking you battered by the storms of persecu- directly to ordinary White southerners. tion and staggered by the winds of po- Come, he said, for our children’s sake, let us recognize our common humanity. lice brutality.” Or, ask them to explain his reminding America “of the fierce urgency of Now … It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. … The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” Those are just two of the extraordinary passages in what is a wonderfully complex sermon, full of hidden-in-plainsight demands and warnings along with its call to our better selves. They and other passages illuminate the true meaning of its most famous sentence – a meaning underscored by the three “dreams” that immediately precede it and the one immediately after it. Before mentioning his children, King declares that “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”
The White South of 1963 answered two weeks later. On September 15, 1963, members of the Birmingham KKK cell dynamited the Sixteenth Baptist Church just after its Sunday School services had ended, killing four girls — Addie Mae Collins, 14, Denise McNair, 11, Carole Robertson, 14, and Cynthia Wesley, 14 — and wounding 20 others. In the maelstrom that enveloped the city that day, two Black teenaged boys who were not members of the church were shot to death. Virgil Ware, 13 was killed by two White male teenagers. Johnny Robinson, 16, was shot in the back of the head by a state police officer. The Black freedom struggle in the South went on. So, this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, when people only referenced the Dream speech’s “the content of their character” line and let it go at that, you’ll know they’re just whistling “Dixie.”
King and LBJ stood together By Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson The new highly-acclaimed motion picture ”Selma” suggests that former President Lyndon Baines Johnson was not an ardent supporter of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and that he and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a less than fragile relationship. Nothing is farther from the truth. Both men worked very hard to create a society in which all people have the right to vote, access to medical care, decent housing and funding for education.
As he labored for social, civil and economic justice, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was extremely concerned both about the educational inequities that were a function of segregation, and about the purpose and quality of education. As early as 1947, as a Morehouse College student, he wrote an article, The Purpose of Education, for the Maroon Tiger, the college newspaper. His article is as relevant today as it was then. Today, much of the focus of education is on passing standardized tests; and while educational measurement is important, Dr. King suggests that these measures are insufficient. In his article, he pondered the meaning and purpose of education. He wrote that “Education must enable a (person) to become more efficient, to achieve with Julianne increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.” King was critical of the results of specific aspects of education when he wrote, “education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think, incisively and to think for one’s self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half-truths, prejudices, and propaganda. A great majority of the so-called educated people does not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths.” True in 1947, but even more so today with 3-minute commentary passing for news, and some classrooms the site of propaganda delivery. Some Southerners still believe that the South won the Civil War, and they fly the confederate flags to honor it, and teach this falsity in their classrooms. A friend who lives in Georgia said nearly half of her junior high school-age daughter’s U.S. history curriculum covered aspects of the Civil War. From that perspective, young King was quite critical of segregationist, their intelligence, ad their prejudice. “The late Eugene Talmadge, in my opinion, possessed one of the better minds in Georgia, or even America. Moreover, he wore the Phi Beta Kappa key. By all measuring rods, Mr. Talmadge could think critically and intensively yet he contends that I am an inferior being. Are these the types of men we call educated?” King said that intelligence is not enough. He said, “Intelligence plus character is the goal of
While speaking before a joint session of Congress to propose the Voting Rights Act, President Johnson passionately said, “And we shall overcome.” Dr. King and some of his close aides watched the president on television. One of them, my colleague Congressman John Lewis, said that Dr. King cried when he heard the president use the banner cry of the Civil Rights Movement during his address.
In my view, history will show that no other American president played as a critical a role in the advancement of civil rights, The importance of Presfair housing and education ident Johnson’s work was Eddie Bernice Johnson than President Johnson. In celebrated at the University fact, a number of authors have written of Texas in Austin last year at the library that only the acts of President Abraham named for him by ordinary citizens and Lincoln equal what President Johnson by President Obama who was joined by did for minorities in America. former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Most knowledgeable historians agree that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act, which passed one year later, became law because President Johnson passionately supported them. In addition to the two landmark civil rights measures, the nation also witnessed the passage of legislation that introduced Medicaid and Medicare during the Johnson administration. In fact, federal legislation that prohibited housing discrimination in the sale, rental or financing of housing based on race, national origin or religion was signed into law by President Johnson. The federal housing legislation, which became a model for many state legislatures, became law on April 11, 1968, just seven days after the assassination of Dr. King. In the area of education, President Johnson included in his “War on Poverty” agenda, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Among other things the legislation provided financial assistance to students from low-income families. Under the law, $1 billion in funding was made available to schools that serviced minority students. The measure was described as the “most significant step of this century” to assist all school children. Dr. King and President Johnson were born and reared in a segregated South. They understood the political realities
The education of Dr. King
By Julianne Malveaux
of the region, and they worked as best they could to change them. Dr. King was present at the White House when the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. He and President Johnson communicated regularly. Their individual lives impacted the country and each other.
true education.” We must develop and support young people who are educated in the King tradition – young people with character and discernment. We cannot do this work without a consciousness of people who are committed to breaking down educational barriers, closing the achievement gap, improving the quality of schools and access to education. But while other countries are increasing their commitment to education, the United States is cutting back. Said King: “The most dangerous criminal may be the man (person) gifted with reason, but no morals.” How moral is it to consign millions to low wages, refusing, even, to increase the minimum wage. How moral is it to cut food stamps and jobs programs in the Malveaux name of economic growth, although many are still suffering? The art and science of politics is about compromise, but how do we compromise with people’s lives and well-being? There ought to be a floor under which no citizen is allowed to fall. Wages, health career, education, and access to housing should not be bargained over, but automatically given. Too many of our legislators are educated, but lack morals. It is shameful to watch them celebrate the shredding of the safety net. Budget cuts have made education less obtainable than ever. While many parents hire coaches to help their children write essays and complete their college applications, working class parents don’t have the money to do this kind of hiring. The American School Counselors says that many states mandate a ratio of between 500 and 750 students per counselor. Even at the lower number, a counselor can spend just an hour per student per semester, hardly enough to get advice about college attendance, the filling out of applications, and other matters. Some states have no mandate at all. They include (but are not limited to) Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Kentucky. Unless parents or civic organizations are willing to step up, some students face major barriers to college attendance and career preparation. President Obama says he wants the US to be a leader in world education. Others could care less about the education of too many students. Those who fail to care about the next generation are, in Dr. King’s words, “dangerous criminals.”
Clinton and George W. Bush. I will join Congressional colleagues in a celebration of President Johnson’s monumental achievements later this year in the nation’s capitol.
In a few days, the entire nation will pause to acknowledge the contributions made by Dr. King. There will be tributes, parades and speeches made to celebrate his remarkable life which was cut short by a sniper’s bullet. President Johnson died of a heart attack after deciding not to seek a second term as our nation’s leader. The national debate over the Vietnam War had damaged the soul of this patriot and defender of civil rights. I do not believe that legislation guaranteeing equal rights to minorities would have passed Congress but for his fortitude, and his belief in the equality of all people. President Johnson, a former teacher and Dr. King, a Baptist preacher, had tremendous respect for each other, and understood the crucial roles that each played in changing our nation, and its laws. They both assumed vital and necessary roles in making America the democracy that it is today. They are owed a tremendous debt of gratitude by all people. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson represents the 30th Congressional District in Texas.
Every child deserves a fair chance By Marian Wright Edelman “A population that does not take care of the elderly and of children and the young has no future, because it abuses both its memory and its promise.” — Pope Francis For many, the start of a new year is a chance to turn over a new leaf and take a hard look at the gap between who we say we want and need to be and who we are. As a nation, it’s time to close our hypocrisy gap in the treatment of our children, and value and protect our children – all of them. We need to examine with urgency how we treat our children and the gap between what we say and Marian Wright Edelman what we do. If we did, we’d find: A public school student is suspended every 2 seconds.* A public high school student drops out every 9 seconds.* A child is arrested every 24 seconds. A public school student is corporally punished every 30 seconds.* A baby is born into poverty every 35 seconds. A child is abused or neglected every 47 seconds. A baby is born without health insurance every minute. A baby is born into extreme poverty every 68 seconds. A baby is born to a teen mother every two minutes. A baby is born at low birthweight every two minutes. A child is arrested for a drug offense every four minutes. A child is arrested for a violent offense every eight and a half minutes. A baby dies before his or her first birthday every 22 minutes. A child or teen dies from an accident every hour. A child or teen is killed by guns every three hours and 18 minutes. A child or teen commits suicide every four hours and 11 minutes. A child is killed by abuse or neglect every five and a half hours. A baby’s mother dies from pregnancy or childbirth complications every 11 hours and eight minutes. *During the school year. What do these numbers tell us about who we are as a nation and whether we value the life and potential of every child? Why do we choose to let children be the poorest age group in our rich nation and stand by as millions of children suffer preventable poverty, hunger, homelessness, sickness, neglect, abuse, miseducation, and violence? Why do we continue to mock God’s call for justice for children and the poor and our professed ideals of freedom and justice for all? It’s time to realize the promise of a fair playing field for all children. We can and must do better.
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SCHOOL
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SCHOOL OF THE
WEEK:
January 21-27, 2015
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Nichols Elementary-Middle School
Monday mornings are typically said to be one of the most “unlooked-forward-to” days of the week for many individuals. It is routinely the morning to hit the snooze button a few times or drag your heels as you prepare for a school or work day, but the students and staff at Nichols Elementary-Middle School beg to differ. Each and every Monday morning, Principal Regina Haywood leads her school with a clever concept she likes to refer to as “Monday Morning Matters.” Monday Morning Matters is a weekly assembly Principal Haywood utilizes as a tool to kick off the school week with encouraging words, acknowledge positive student behavior, highlight extraordinary teachers and simply sync each and every Nichols school member in order to ensure a successful teaching and learning environment. “I want my staff and students to be recognized for what they do. It is important to come together to make sure everyone is on one accord because ultimately it is not just my business, but their business too,” Haywood says. Nichols, which has been in existence for more than 100 years, is described as a family-centered community, with many parents, grandparents and great-grandparents having history of attending the school. Staff member are laser-focused on attendance and retention and stress the concept of being On time, All day, Every Day, which is the district’s attendance slogan. The school currently boasts at least a 90% daily attendance rate. With Nichols students understanding the importance of their attendance and attention to their academics, many of the school’s young scholars perform many grade levels above their actual grade. Ridgeley Hudson, a seventh-grade student at Nichols, currently reads at an 11th grade reading level and credits the school and his teachers to his accomplishments thus far. Hudson plans to become a politician, president and already is a self-exclaimed genius!
A 2014 Excellent Schools Detroit “Top K-8 School”
“If Nichols was a high school and a college, I still would attend Nichols,” says Hudson, “but since it’s not, I would like to go to Cass and then Harvard to study law and political science. Ever since I was a little boy I’ve wanted to be a politician and, to be more specific, the president.” It is no surprise Nichols students are so driven. Nichols was amongst 16 Detroit Public Schools ranked by Excellent Schools Detroit (ESD) in 2014 as the top schools in the city! Science projects, recycling and gardening… oh my! If you want to learn something new, now is a perfect time to visit Nichols. Currently the halls are engulfed with wall-to-wall science boards as students prepare for the district-wide science fair competition. But don’t fear; once the competition comes to a conclusion the students will willingly recycle all necessary items as Nichols has a strong recycling program.
upheld with its community members. During the visit, members tour the school and the garden and see first-hand what Nichols has to offer for not only its students but also the community. “We have a very small, close-knit community surrounding Nichols. We have a lot of parents whose children are maybe grown and have moved on, but they still continue to watch over our school and students, and we continue to be forever grateful,” Principal Haywood says. Something you didn’t know… The Nichols Garden Collaborative not only benefits the school students with yummy healthy treats, but the community as well. Principal Haywood welcomes anyone who visits Nichols to take home items from the garden and share their scrumptious experience with their families.
In 2013, the Nichols Garden Collaborative broke ground at its new school garden at 3000 Burns Street in Detroit. Students at Nichols along with their parents and members from the surrounding community filled six 4 x 8 ft. raised beds with soil and compost, in order to plant vegetables that will be used in the cafeteria for school lunches. The vegetables include delicious: squash, cucumbers, beans, radishes and a variety of greens such as collards, spinach, kale and mustard. The innovative program is part of the Detroit School Garden Collaborative and the Farm-to-School initiative inspiring access to healthy foods. Programs such as gardening and recycling are only two of the many reasons Nichols has been able to keep up with its century-strong community foundation. Nichols has robust partnerships with local community members and organizations who regularly visit the school to mentor and tutor students. The Indian Village Home and Garden Tour brings in numerous community members who do not have current students attending Nichols, but want to be involved because of the reputation the school has
Regina Haywood Nichols Elementary-Middle School 3000 Burns Street, Detroit, MI 48214 Phone: (313) 852-0800 • Fax: (313) 852-0811
Principal: Regina Haywood
Commentary: School Choice Matters
In the spring of 1968, while growing up in Indianapolis, my mother scooped up me and my three younger siblings and told us that she was going to take us to hear the next president of the United States speak. It was a misty, overcast night but I was excited to go - even if I had to stand in the rain. When we arrived at the near northeast park, the mainly African-American crowd was buzzing with expectation. Though just 11 years old, I knew that this was a big deal. Soon, Robert Kennedy and his staff arrived at the park. But they didn’t look happy. We were about 30 yards away and I could see the tension on the faces of Kennedy and his team. I sensed something was wrong. From the very beginning, they did not look like they were at a presidential campaign rally. Finally, Bobby Kennedy stood on the back of a truck and announced to all of us that Martin Luther King, Jr. had just been assassinated in Memphis. The crowd, including my mother, all began to gasp, scream, then cry. As sad as I instantly felt, I was determined not to cry. I wanted to be strong. I do remember thinking, however, as the light drizzle fell on my face, it would help to camouflage my tears - but I did not cry. As people were dealing with the shock, some of the folks in the back were getting agitated. I could feel the anger rising. Bobby Kennedy then gave one of the most famous speeches in American political history. He quoted the poet, Aeschylus; talked about the need for love, not hate and then calmed the crowd in a way no one else could do by letting them know that he understood how they felt - especially since, as he said, “a white man killed my brother”. With each word he spoke, you could feel his anguish, his agony and his compassion. That night, nearly every major American city burned in rioting be-
Kevin Chavous cause of the anger over Dr. King’s murder. All except Indianapolis. Bobby Kennedy did what no other white man in America could do that night: he connected with an African-American crowd in a way to dissuade them from striking out because of Dr. King’s death. A surreal spiritual energy descended on us all during that intense emotional moment. For those of us watching and listening to him, Bobby Kennedy was no longer a white man talking to Black folks; he was a man who had lost a loved one to a senseless act of violence consoling a group of people who had just lost a loved one to another senseless act of violence. We were all connected through our humanity. I thought of that night during a recent visit to my Indianapolis hometown. I was visiting the Oaks Academy, a private pre-K-8 elementary school located just 5 blocks from the park where Bobby Kennedy gave his now legendary speech. The school is one of a kind. 97% of the 600 plus kids are proficient in both reading and math. Indeed, the school’s scores are among the best in the state. 50% of the kids are on free or reduced lunch. Almost 60% of the Oaks students are recipients of scholarships from the Indiana Opportunity Scholarship Program. But here is the really remarkable thing about Oaks Academy: the other 50% of the kids come from middle class to upper middle class families. In fact, some of the wealthy parents drive from as far away as Carmel, a wellto-do suburb, to enroll
their kids in the school. The Head of School Andrew Hart, works hard to keep the racial and socio-economic balance of the school in place. His waiting list consists of equal parts poor kids and kids from wealthy families. Both groups benefit from the socialization experience of being exposed to someone from a totally different world. For instance, Mr. Hart shakes his head when talking about how extremely different Christmas break is for his kids. One set of kids may go to Vail to ski over the break, while another group of kids have the primary responsibility of taking care of and watching their younger siblings. How does Oaks do it? “It helps that most of our kids enroll at our school in pre-K and remain here until they are ready for high school,” say Andrew Hart. “So all of our kids and their families feel like they are part of a community. The kids all grow up together. And all are close, irrespective of their backgrounds. They are connected through their shared experience at our school, through our values and our humanity.” Today, with America’s schools more segregated than when the1954 Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court decision legally struck down the practice of ‘separate but equal,’ it is exceedingly rare to see a school with such a diverse socio economic mix of students. It is more rare to see a school community so dedicated to preserve that mix. When I left the amazing Oaks Academy, I drove by Martin Luther King Park, where I witnessed history that tragic night in 1968. As I glanced at the memorial located on the spot where Bobby Kennedy spoke, I thought about both Kennedy and King’s dream of a colorblind society and the irony of how that society is more evident at the tiny elementary school down the street than in most places in America.
SPR COM ING ING , 20 15
The Michigan Chronicle is proud to present our 2015 fall school choice guide, ACHIEVE! Despite many changes over the past few years, too few tools exist to help parents easily navigate through today’s educational landscape. ACHIEVE! aims to identify the options, issues and performance of Metro Detroit schools, while exposing existing disparities between school types and districts. ACHIEVE! offers an unbiased view of public, magnet, private or charter school options worthy of exploration, in addition to high-quality after school, tutoring and other programs that support urban households. Our educational guide gives parents the tools not only to identify the “best” schools, but also to choose the best school for their child. Over 50,000 copies of ACHIEVE! have been distributed throughout metro Detroit via insertion in the Michigan Chronicle, direct drops at targeted schools, libraries, resource centers, local churches and retail chains.
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COMERICA IN THE COMMUNITY
Comerica hosts local students at Detroit Economic Club meetings
Larry Bryant named president for Comerica Bank’s Ann Arbor Region Larry Bryant has been named president of Comerica Bank’s Ann Arbor region and senior vice president and regional manager for Comerica Bank’s South Central Michigan region of banking centers. He is responsible for the region’s 35 banking centers in Ann Arbor, Lansing, Jackson and Howell. A 25-year banking veteran, Bryant formerly served as senior vice president and regional manager of Comerica’s East Oakland/ West Macomb region. He began his banking career with Manufacturers Bank, which later merged with Comerica.
Johnson is Comerica’s expert source of insight on market-related topics, including investment philosophy and asset allocation, alternative investments, risk management, stock and bond market outlook, European debt and its impact on the U.S. Dennis Johnson market, international investment strategy, U.S. debt, market sector analysis and other market matters, and the automobile industry. Johnson manages $26.8 billion in assets with a scope of responsibilities which includes overseeing the firm’s passive and active investment strategies, alternative investments, new products, client relations and business development. He also serves as chairman of the Comerica Investment Policy Committee, the governing body which helps Comerica’s clients make the correct long-term asset allocation decision, one of the most important investment decisions clients will make. Johnson is also chairman of the board of directors for World Asset Management, a registered investment advisor subsidiary of Comerica Bank. Finally, he is a member of the Comerica Pension Plan investment sub-committee. Whenever possible, Johnson enjoys giving back to the Detroit community through the Comerica Cares program. He also supports many local nonprofits, including Piquette Square for Veterans, and serves on the boards of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Detroit Public Television. He also served as the executive sponsor for Comerica’s participation in the 2014 UNCF Walk for Education on Belle Isle.
Bryant is currently the chair of Comerica’s African-American market segmentation team, a business outreach initiative that supports financial and educational development in the African American Community. He also serves on the leadership council of Comerica’s African American Network (CAAN), an employee resource networking group. Bryant was among the Michigan Chronicle’s 2013 Men of Excellence honorees. Over the years, he has provided his expertise to the board of directors for several nonprofit organizations, including the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce, the Henry Ford Village Foundation and the Real Life 101 Mentoring organization.
Caroline E. Chambers (front center), vice president and national manager of diversity initiatives for Comerica Bank, recently spoke to members of the Girls Who Dream Club at Detroit Cristo Rey High School. The club offers students an opportunity to meet female leaders, learn about their careers and hear about the ways in which they have overcome adversity.
COLLEAGUE SPOTLIGHT Comerica Asset Management Group’s Chief Investment Officer Dennis Johnson has 33 years’ experience in wealth management. As chief investment officer, he is responsible for developing investment strategies for Comerica’s high net worth and institutional clients.
Larry Bryant
Advanced Technology Academy students had an opportunity to meet and hear from Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association, at a recent Detroit Economic Club meeting.
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Dennis Johnson
Comerica gave local students an opportunity to hear from today’s business leaders at recent Detroit Economic Club meetings
Students from Cody APL High School met Tony Earley, CEO of PG&E Corporation and former chair of DTE Energy, prior to a recent Detroit Economic Club meeting.
January 21-27, 2015
A cum laude graduate of Siena Heights University, Bryant holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. He was a two-time All American and Academic All American in basketball and was inducted into the Siena Heights Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Dr. Michael Lomax (left), national president, UNCF, speaks with Dennis Johnson and wife Kendra prior to the start of the 2014 UNCF Walk for Education on Belle Isle. When did you know you wanted to work in wealth management? “It was while I was working towards my undergraduate degree in economics at the Virginia Military Institute that I realized how much I enjoyed investment and economic courses. I performed well in those classes and believed a career in wealth management was something I’d excel at, as well as enjoy.” In your words, how does someone achieve continued success? “To be successful in life and career, it takes hard work, commitment and networking or relationship building skills. It’s important to surround yourself with people who will teach you and push you to do your best. It’s also important to have a very clear and focused goal that you take seriously as you work to achieve what you set out to do.” What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time? “Volunteering is certainly on my short list of hobbies. I enjoy serving as a mentor to young African-American men and women and I think it’s important to take an interest in our young people. I believe if we all invest a little bit of our time to try to help the next person it will be rewarding and potentially make a difference in that person’s life.” What are you most looking forward to in 2015? “I am looking forward to staying focused on my goals, including continuing to mentor and invest in young people, helping clients achieve their wealth management goals and objectives and improving my personal health.” For more information on how Comerica volunteers are giving back to our community, visit
www.facebook.com/ComericaCares. Masters of Harmony
Pamela Wise
Alvin Hill
The Detroit Public Library will celebrate the 71st aniversary of the E. Azalia Hackley Concert in 2015. This year’s event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Main Library and is free and open to the public.
troit Public Library’s popular Java and Jazz concert series. Among the performers at the E. Azalia Hackley Concert will be Alvin Hill, a technology-based artist whose work combines sound, still image, video, projection, movement, light, physical computing, interactivity and DJ arts; Masters of Harmony, a four-person a capella gospel group from Detroit featuring Kelly Thomas; and pianist Pamela Wise featuring jazz saxophonist and clarinetist Wendell Harrison.
E. Azalia Hackley Concert returns to Detroit Public Library
Twenty-fifteen will mark the 14th year Comerica Bank has sponsored this concert and the bank’s 15th year of sponsoring the De-
Comerica colleagues Theresa Dapprich (left) and Kimberly Taylor help sort through the 145 coats that were collected for donation to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen along with winter accessories and other clothing.
A student rushes to greet Santa at a special holiday program held for preschool and elementary school students at Salina school. Comerica colleagues and their families once again assisted the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office with its annual holiday event that provides financially disadvantaged and disabled children with Christmas gifts, using donations received from the Sheriff’s Department, other organizations and the community. Kathy Bisaro of Comerica (left) and her son were among the Comerica representatives who helped the children with their gift selections that day and assisted the children in getting their gifts wrapped.
Comerica and ACCESS partner to surprise students with a visit from Santa Claus Comerica Bank and ACCESS partnered for the 15th consecutive year to host a holiday program and gift presentation for nearly 900 students from Salina School. The students were given a break from the classroom to
visit with Santa Claus just before the holiday. Santa brought with him gifts of school supplies and toys for deserving students. Comerica Cares and ACCESS representatives served as Santa’s elves, helping to pass out gifts to the students.
ComericaCares volunteers were busy this holiday season, making nearly 100 blankets, scarves, hats and outfits for premature infants which were then donated to Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Also getting in the holiday spirt were the bank’s Dearborn Wealth Management colleagues, who collected 82 blankets, 44 scarves, 40 hats and 24 pairs of gloves for Team Mental Health Services.
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January 21-27, 2015
Meet Darnell Earley, DPS’ new emergency manager
By Donald James Special to the Chronicle
Darnell Earley calmly answered the media’s tough questions at a recent press conference held at the city’s Burton International Academy to introduce him as Detroit Public Schools’ (DPS) new emergency manager (EM). While the rapid questions about his plans to rescue DPS from its nearly $170 million deficit, and his ideas on how to improve educational opportunities for students and teachers were non-stop, Earley appeared well prepared for not only the barrage of questions, but the tough road ahead as DPS’ new EM, the fourth since 2009. He replaces outgoing EM Jack Martin. Earley takes over as EM after serving as the city of Flint’s EM since September 2013. Flint is expected to transition back to local control in April, 2015. He also served as Flint’s city administrator from 2001 to 2004,
where he successfully developed and implemented three fiscal-year city budgets, all of which represented a reduction of more than $19 million as part of an overall retrenchment management plan. Additionally, Earley has served as Saginaw’s city manager and chief administrative officer. He is credited with reorganizing the city’s financial management structure and redeveloping the budget process to implement a performance-based focus. Over the last 35-plus years, Earley has held many other high-profile professional positions, including deputy county controller for administrative services and budget (Ingham County, Michigan); director of research and public policy staff (Michigan House of Representatives); township manager (Buena Vista Charter Township, Michigan); administrative assistant to the county administrator/EEO (Muskegon, Michigan) and director of commu-
See DARNELL EARLEY page C-2
Darnell Earley
Steve Arwood appointed to new MEDC position by Gov. Snyder The Michigan Economic Development Corporation executive committee has appointed MEDC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Arwood as MEDC CEO, effective immediately. He replaces Michael A. Finney, who was named Gov. Rick Snyder’s senior advisor for economic growth in December.
to new levels of excellence. Steve’s service will be vital to our success.”
Following Arwood’s appointment as MEDC CEO, Snyder named Arwood president and chairman of the Michigan Strategic Fund.
As CEO, Arwood is charged with implementing and executing MEDC’s core mission of business development and attraction, community development, providing access to capital and improving Michigan’s image and brand. His responsibilities will include administering all programs, funds, personnel, contracts and all other administrative functions of MEDC.
“Steve Arwood, in leadership positions in my administration, has demonstrated a real feel for what it takes to grow our economy and his appointment to chair MSF is important to our continuing reinvention of Michigan,” Snyder said. “We are committed to bringing our state workforce capabilities
“Steve has an extraordinary track record of accomplishment and knowledge of our state’s business climate,” said MEDC Executive Committee Chair and President and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan Doug Rothwell. “His experience in energy development, the Michigan Jobs Commis-
Arwood has also been named director of the newly-created Talent and Economic Development Department, announced by the governor in December. The new department was created to ensure that the state can efficiently and effectively develop, administer and coordinate Michigan’s economic, housing, and talent development initiatives and programs.
Steve Arwood sion, the National Federation of Independent Business and Licensing and Regulatory Affairs makes him an ideal fit as we move forward and take the next steps to improve Michigan’s economy.”
Prior to joining MEDC last August, Arwood served as chief regulatory officer and director of licensing and regulatory affairs where he led reforms of the state’s regulatory and licensing environment. Under his leadership, more than 1,500 unnecessary and duplicative regulations were eliminated across state government. He previously served as LARA deputy director overseeing the Unemployment Insurance
Agency and Employment Security and Workplace Safety, which includes MIOSHA, Employment Relations and Workers’ Compensation. He joined LARA in 2011 from Windlab Developments, USA, LTD, where he served as U.S. regional director. He has worked in wind energy development, conservation, and business development since 1999. He previously served as deputy director and other executive management positions at the Michigan Jobs Commission under Governor John Engler. He has also served as director for the House of Representatives Programs and Policy, and the National Federation for Independent Business-Michigan. Arwood is a graduate of the James Madison College at Michigan State University.
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Darrnell Earley nity development (Urban League in Muskegon).
Additionally, he was an adjunct faculty member at Grand Valley State University for 12 years, where he taught such undergraduate and graduate courses as public budgeting, financial administration, workplace diversity and human service organization development. He is also the past president of the International City/ County Management Association (ICMA), which has almost 10,000 members in 31 countries across the globe. “Darnell brings to our international organization the right combination of strong leadership skills,” said Robert J. O’Neill, Jr., ICMA executive director at the time of Earley’s presidency. “He is strongly committed to demonstrating the value of professional management.” A native of Muskegon, Earley, after graduating from Muskegon Heights High School, went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a master’s degree in public admin-
istration from Western Michigan University. He has always been a strong advocate for quality education and feels that DPS’ students are extremely important to the future of Detroit. “I’m convinced that the final draft of the story of Detroit’s rebirth won’t be completed until the chapter on Detroit Public Schools be rewritten,’ said Earley, who is also an ordained Baptist deacon. “That revision is some six years in the drafting, with at least another 18 months of editing yet to be done. So education must and will be the focal point of all of our efforts. It must be a cornerstone of a strong, revitalized Detroit. “We will be looking for innovative and bold initiatives that offer positive outcomes throughout the DPS organization, academically and organizationally. It’s going to take all of us pulling together to move that needle to financial solvency, educational competitiveness and community sustainability.” He continued, “It takes
January 21-27, 2015
Page C-2
From page C-1 a team to manage a city, a school district, a business, a church, because one person cannot do it by him or herself. However, every team must have a leader who has the capacity to get things done in the face of what many deem insurmountable odds. Every team must also have a vision that will make a place much better than when the team got there. “That’s my goal to leave Detroit Public Schools in much better shape than it was when I got here. I ask your help, and I solicit your prayers as we move forward to the next phase of DPS.”
First home. Next home.
Talmer West Bank helps make it possible.
“Darnell Earley has a legacy of success in dealing with municipal challenges in the state of Michigan,” said Gov. Rick Snyder. “He has done outstanding work in Flint, Saginaw and wherever he has gone. We now have the opportunity for Darnell to come join us here at DPS and bring his special expertise and skillset. He has my full support and backing to make sure that we follow through to help our kids in DPS be more successful.”
Whether you’re looking to buy your first or your next home, call Talmer West Bank at 313.967.9700. Combine today’s low rates with our expertise, and you’ll find it’s a great time to let Talmer help you open the door to new possibilities.
645 Griswold | Suite 70 | Detroit, MI 48226 313.967.9700 | www.talmerwest.com
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Crittenton Hospital Medical Center to join Ascension Health
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The Crittenton Hospital Medical Center Board of Trustees has selected Ascension Health Michigan as its top choice as the health system it seeks to join, following months of evaluating proposals from various health systems. A letter of intent has been signed to proceed with a six-month due diligence process to complete the business evaluation and details of the transaction. Crittenton Board Chair Robert Lenihan said his organization was seeking a health system partner with a high quality reputation and medical staff, financial strength and commitment to the community, and they found it in Ascension Health Michigan. Ascension has a significant statewide footprint in Michigan, including St. John Providence
in southeast Michigan, Borgess Health in Kalamazoo, Genesys in Grand Blanc, St. Mary’s of Michigan in Saginaw and St. Joseph Health System in Tawas. Crittenton’s location in Rochester is approximately mid-way between the service areas of Genesys and St. John Providence. Crittenton brings a strong Northern Oakland County presence to Ascension Health’s statewide service area, and increases its ability to pursue its goal of creating a clinically integrated system of care that will be positioned to manage the health of populations in partnership with insurers. Several months ago, Ascension Health Michigan aligned with Trinity Health and physicians across the state to form Together Health Network, a clinically integrated
network that is well-positioned to provide state-wide access to care for population health management. There is already some precedent for clinical partnership. In April 2014, St. John Providence and Crittenton partnered to open the St. John Hospital Rochester Hills Cancer Center. Physician-led network development is a high priority within Ascension Health Michigan, and addition of Crittenton will provide even more accessibility and convenience for patients. Crittenton will now be part of the largest non-profit health system in the country, Ascension, and will enjoy the support of a national system that is benefiting from shared best clinical practices, cost efficiencies, and quality improvements.
WWJ Newsradio 950’s 12th annual radiothon for THAW fund hits airwaves Feb. 6 Winter can be a challenging time for our state’s vulnerable citizens. For many, even their own home will not protect them from the harshness of winter.
tary events and fundraisers to engage the public, including:
The live broadcast, presented by DTE Energy and Kroger, takes place at WWJ Newsradio 950’s studio at 26455 American Drive in Southfield from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6.
Governor Rick Snyder has declared February as Keep Michigan Warm Month. The proclamation recognizes the 1.2 million households in the state which are eligible for heating assistance and the challenges faced by low-income families and individuals in meeting home energy needs. It also states that heat is not a luxury, but a necessity during Michigan’s cold winter months, and no one should ever have to choose between heating their home and feeding their family. Volunteers and supporters from local businesses, schools and community organizations will work the phone banks receiving donations. There will be appearances from area leaders and personalities from the government, business, entertainment, and sports sectors to encourage donations and offer their support of THAW’s mission.
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• 3rd Annual Hardcore THAW – The stars of TruTV’s hit show “Hardcore Pawn” – Les, Seth and Ashley Gold – will host this special private event on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 8 to 11 p.m. at American Jewelry & Loan (20450 Greenfield Road in Detroit). Share Your Good News with Detroit Enjoy food, drink, and music andShare Your Good News with Detroit bring along your items and negoShare Your Good News with Detroit tiate with the crew from American Jewelry and Loan. Share Your Good News with Detroit Business Section
Since 2004, WWJ’s Winter Survival Radiothon for THAW has raised nearly $11 million dollars in cash and utility match. Organizers expect to reach the Radiothon goal of raising $1 million through call-in donations, sponsorships, events, online auction and dollar-for-dollar matching funds from DTE Energy and various local businesses.
“Many of the families we assist have young children and senior citizens living in the home and these populations are especially vulnerable to the cold.”
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• 4th Annual Celebrity Coneys for a Cause – Celebrity servers made up of local media personalities, athletes, and entertainers will be on hand Thursday, Feb. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to serve lunch customers at American Coney Island located at 114 W. Lafayette in Detroit. A portion from the sales of coney and coney combo specials will be donated to THAW.
To help our neighbors in need keep their lights and heat on, The Heat And Warmth Fund (THAW) has once again teamed up with WWJ Newsradio 950 to produce the 12th Annual Winter Survival Radiothon.
“The WWJ Winter Survival Radiothon is THAW’s primary source of community support and it allows us to provide energy assistance to thousands of families in desperate need,” said Saunteel Jenkins, THAW CEO.
Willie Brake
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Tickets are $125/VIP (includes advanced entry at 7 p.m., a signed 8x10 photo and guided tour of American Jewelry & Loan) and $60/ general admission. Portions from all items bought and sold will benefit THAW. 21 and older only admitted.
Saunteel Jenkins, THAW CEO
“The WWJ Winter Survival Radiothon is THAW’s primary source of community support and it allows us to provide energy assistance to thousands of families in desperate need. Many of the families we assist have young children and senior citizens living in the home and these populations are especially vulnerable to the cold.”
Donations may be made by calling the Winter Survival Radiothon Hotline at (888) 579-4950 or online at either www.thawfund.org or www. cbsdetroit.com. Supporters who make a donation of $250 or more will be included in the 950 Club and will receive a special edition WWJ/ THAW scarf.
are a necessity and we are proud to offer our support once again this year to THAW with the Winter Survival Radiothon and help them assist our vulnerable neighbors keep the heat and lights on this winter,” said Debbie Kenyon, Sr. Vice President/Market Manager of CBS Radio Detroit.
“WWJ Newsradio 950 understands that heat and electricity
In conjunction with the Radiothon, there are several supplemen-
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For more information and to purOpenings, and more chase tickets, visit the Events tab at Send to Send to www.thawfund.org. newsdesk@michronicle.com newsdesk@michronicle.com Send to FAST • Online Auction – Beginning MonEmergency Service day, Feb. 2 at 6 a.m. and runningnewsdesk@michronicle.com PLUMBING -- HEATING through Monday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m., AND ELECTRIC SEWER bid on exciting regional items from CLEANING Detroit’s leading businesses, culVIOLATIONS CORRECTED tural institutions, and sporting venues. Senior Discount Call 24 Hours Go to www.cbsdetroit.com and click on the Radiothon button and (313) 579-0855 select the Auction link. • Pennies for Power – This schoolbased fundraiser is directed at elementary and middle schools in Southeast Michigan and engages students in a school-wide penny (and other coin) drive to support THAW. The winning classroom from each school will receive a pizza party and tickets to the upcoming Detroit Shrine Circus. For a list of participating schools and more details, visit Pennies for Power. The 2015 WWJ Newsradio 950 Winter Survival Radiothon is presented by DTE Energy and Kroger and also made possible by the following generous sponsors: Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel, Deloitte LLP, Detroit Shrine Circus, Family Heating Cooling Electrical, Faurecia, Gordon Chevrolet, Greenpath Debt Solutions, ITC Holdings Corp., Mechanical Heating Cooling and Electrical, and Sterling Heights Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram. Since its inception in 1985, THAW has provided $145 million in emergency energy assistance to more than 200,000 Michigan households.
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Do the dead speak? Author &
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Page C-4 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • January 21-27, 2015
W
ho’s Who Publishing, powered by Real Times Media, celebrated the unveiling of DRIVEN: A Tribute to Multicultural Achievement in the Automotive Industry on January 14. Held at the Garden Theater, the fifth edition of the DRIVEN was celebrated by more than 650 guests representing all facets of the automotive industry as well as a host of notable personalities from the Detroit business and political arena. The event brought out the who’s who of the auto industry, from dealership owners and suppliers to the marketing arms and non-profits that have benefitted from the automotive industries participation and funding in programs and projects. The event was hosted by jessica Care moore, CEO of Moore Black Press, Executive Producer of Black WOMEN Rock!, and founder of the literacy-driven, Jess Care Moore Foundation. Project champions, foreword writer, Frank Venegas of Ideal Group and introduction writer, Alicia Boler-Davis of General Motors, were also on hand.. The festive evening concluded with an afterglow featuring hip hop legend MC Lyte. The night was definitely one not to miss. Launched in 2011, DRIVEN is celebration of multicultural achievement in the automotive industry. Initially conceived to highlight the accomplishments of trailblazing African Americans in the industry, the program has since expanded to include multi-ethnic features. Now in its fifth edition, DRIVEN celebrates the contributions and success stories of various minority groups within the automotive industry alongside the African-American content the readers have come to expect. Unveiled each year during year Detroit’s autoshow season, DRIVEN is a national event which draws professionals from around the country and attracts the “who’s who” of automotive executives, civic, business and community leaders who use the publication as an information and reference tool.
Ernie Sullivan, Lisa Lunsford (GS3), Hiram E. Jackson
Frank Venegas, Laurie Sall, Jesse Venegas, Sylvia Gucken, Guest, Yesenia Lara, Yesenia Ramos, Osmara Zarate (Ideal Group)
Ernie Sullivan, Alicia Boler-Davis, Leon Richardson
MC Lyte
Hiram E. Jackson, Shawn Thompson, Ford Motor Company; Dr. Ben Chavis, NNPA; Marc Perry, Uniworld
Ernie Sullivan, Rhonda Bolton - Kia; and Hiram E. Jackson
Ernie Sullivan, Sylvester Heaster, Global Automotive Alliance and Hiram E. Jackson
Bill Pickard, Global Automotive Alliance; Gordon Folmer
Damon Lester, NAMAD, Frank Washington, Aboutthatcar.com, James Colon, Toyota
Ernie Sullivan, Shawn Thompson, Carla Traci Preston – Ford Motor Company, Hiram E. Jackson
Powered by Real Times Media
SECTION D
January 21-27, 2015
michiganchronicle.com
Reflections By Steve Holsey
OUTstanding People in the worlds of entertainment and sports have been “coming out” in record numbers, telling anyone who wishes to listen that they are not ashamed of the sexual orientation they were born with. Being gay is increasingly being recognized as a non-issue, which is a good thing because everyone should be who they really are. That is a basic right. Besides that, why should anyone care?
“The Jeffersons”
Joan Collins and Diahann Carroll.
Eric Benét
Maybe you didn’t know… By Steve Holsey
Don Lemon
…that in 1986, Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald recorded the smash duet “On My Own.” However, they didn’t actually meet until after the song reached No. 1 — R&B and Pop. When you watch the video, you see that they are not actually together at any time. Sometimes a split screen was used.
Lee Daniels
…that there were two rap duos in which the members had the same first name. Kid ’N Play featured Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin, while Kris Kross consisted of Chris Kelly and Chris Smith. …that Diahann Carroll went public with her desire to be “the first Black bitch on television.” She had her eye on the red hot “Dynasty” and was quickly hired to portray the ultra glamorous Dominique Deveraux. However, her character was only “bitchy” when she was having confrontations with Alexis (Joan Collins).
Raven-Symone
Robin Roberts Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald.
…that actor Clifton Davis, perhaps best known as Rev. Reuben Gregory from the long-running TV series “Amen,” wrote one of the Jackson 5’s biggest hits, “Never Can Say Goodbye.” …that in 1968, Diana Ross & the Supremes (Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong) appeared as nuns in an episode of “Tarzan,” the TV show starring Ron Ely.
Shaun T
…that Eddie Kendricks was arrested at the funeral of fellow Temptation David Ruffin at New Bethel Baptist Church, for non-payment of child support/alimony. Fortunately for the embarrassed singer, he didn’t have to go to jail because Martha Reeves was able to contact Berry Gordy by phone and he put up the bail. The ironic thing about that is that Gordy and Kendricks never liked each other, in part because Kendricks was very outspoken, plus hot for Diana Ross.
Jason Collins
Among those who have freed themselves are “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts, R&B singer Frank Ocean, NFL player Michael Sam, film and television director-producer Lee Daniels, fitness megastar Shaun T, actress Raven-Symone, NBA stars Jason Collins and Derrick Gordon, comedienne-actress Wanda Sykes and CNN news anchor Don Lemon. They join a long list of others, including Anderson Cooper, Guillermo Diaz (Huck on “Scandal”), Neil Patrick Harris, Angela Davis, Sam Champion (“Good Morning America” meteorologist), Alice Walker, Ricky Martin, Lance Bass, Meshell Ndegeocello and Adam Lambert, to name a few.
…that Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra’s marriage lasted six days. And Eddie Murphy and producer Tracey Edmonds ended theirs in two weeks. These are two examples of being in it for the long haul! …that Aretha Franklin and her sister, Erma, once had a disagreement and subsequently didn’t speak for about
See Maybe you didn’t know Page D-2 Diana Ross & the Supremes
The odd thing is that in virtually every case, the Black person’s partner or spouse is White. A coincidence? If not, then what? EVERY TIME I see Shaun Robinson, the beautiful and personable “Access Hollywood” correspondent and weekend anchor, my mind flashes back to 1985 when she was starting her career as a news reporter at WGPR/ Channel 62. (It is hard to believe that she is 52 years old! She looks great.)
Beyoncé Knowles
Lena Horne
Clifton Davis
Eddie Kendricks
The Gap Band
I met Robinson back- Shaun Robinson stage at Masonic Auditorium where the group Loose Ends was performing. They had a big hit at the time titled “Hangin’ on a String (Contemplating).” When Robinson saw group member Steve Nichol, who is very handsome, she got very excited and said to her friend, “Girl, look at him!” When she noticed that I had a camera, she asked me to take her picture with him and gave me an address to send it. Robinson has come a long way since then. JOHNNY GILL is one of those who believe that some people are just meant to do what they do, both as a career and an avocation. For him, singing and performing come as natural as breathing. “I love what I do,” he said. “This is what I was put here to do. You go Johnny Gill through ups and downs, but this is my calling, there is no question about that.” Most people do not know that at one time Dionne Warwick and Philip Michael Thomas were a couple, as unlikely as that sounds. According to a source very close to Warwick, Thomas has something to do with her filing bankruptcy a while back. Kim Kardashian says she and husband
See Reflections Page D-2
Kris Kross
Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman.
entertainment
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
January 21-27, 2015 Page D-2
MOTOR CITY ENTERTAINMENT
CALENDAR
CHRIS BROWN, Trey Songz, Tyga, Joe Louis Arena, Feb. 15. Tickets on sale at the Joe Louis box office and Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.
Sound Board at Motor City Casino, March 13. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino. com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.
CLINT COOLEY, Tahir Moore, Clayton Thomas, St. Andrews Hall, Jan. 31. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com.
THEOPHILUS LONDON, Doja Cat, Father, St. Andrews Hall, Feb. 21. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com.
ROBERT CRAY Band, Royal ZAP MAMA, Antibalas featurOak Music Theatre, March 10. Chris Brown ied in Fela celebration, Music Tickets at sale the Royal Oak MuHall, Feb. 6. For more inforsic Theatre box office. mation visit www.musichall.org. DR. PROF. LEONARD KING Orchestra, Bert’s Entertainment Complex, Jan. 14, March 11, May 13, June 10. For more information call 313.729.6919 or visit www.lymonorganization.org. “FENCES,� Bonstelle Theatre, Feb. 13-22. For more information visit Joekvoriak.edu. RACHELLE FERRELL, March 19. Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, April 17. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino.com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000. WHOOPI GOLDBERG, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, April 17. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino.com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000. ARIANA GRANDE, Joe Louis Arena, March 7. Tickets sold at the Joe Louis box office, OlympiaEntertaint.com and Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000. LATIN JAZZ All Stars, Music Hall, Jan 23-24. For more information visit www.musichall.org. LEDISI, Raheem DeVaughn, Leela James,
“NOTORIOUS WIVES,â€? Music Hall, Jan. 29Feb. 1. For more information visit www.musichall.org. “RAGS & RHYTHMSâ€? Marti Gras Celebration featuring the Alvin Waddles Quartet, part of the Palmer Woods Music in Homes, Jan. 31. For tickets and more information call 313.891.2514 or visit palmerwoods.org. The remainder of the schedule is as follows: Charles Boles Quartet, Feb. 28; Jannina Norpoth and Marie Meirelles, March 28; MichĂŠle Ramo World Jazz Festival with Heidi Hepler, April 25; Orquesta La Inspiracion, May 30; Luther “Badmanâ€? Keith Blues Band, June 26, Ralphe Armstrong Quintet, June 27. “A RAISIN in the Sun,â€? staged reading, Jan. 24, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. No charge. For more information visit Joekvoriak.edu. SESAME STREET Live, Fox Theatre, Jan. 23-Feb. 16. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000. WHISPERS, Sound Board at Motor City Casino, Feb. 11, Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino.com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.
Maybe you didn’t know a year. (My friend Erma told me this.) Then as a peace offering, Aretha bought Erma a light green Cadillac. But Erma was not a luxury car person, so she said the car sat in her driveway for a long time before she drove it. ‌that Jennifer Hudson at one time worked at Burger King, Kanye West was a salesman at The Gap, Diana Ross bussed tables in the basement cafeteria of Hudson’s department store, BeyoncĂŠ Knowles swept up hair at her mother’s beauty salon and Jay-Z was a drug dealer. ‌that although “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Foreverâ€? was a huge, iconic success as a TV special, and was followed by “Motown 30,â€? “Motown 40â€? and “Motown 45,â€? there was no “Motown 50â€? special, as expected, because the people involved couldn’t come to a meeting of the minds regarding who was in charge. ‌that Joseph Jackson, patriarch of the Jackson family, once struck his wife, Katherine. However, he only did that once because she let him have it with an ironing cord. ‌that Eric BenĂŠt checked himself into a 35-day sex addiction rehab program after being caught cheating blatantly on his wife at the time, Halle Berry. ‌that George Clinton lost the legal rights to the names Parliament and Funkadelic even though he created them, which is why he had to begin using “P-Funk All Stars.â€? ‌that former mayor Dennis Archer is a big fan of John Legend. ‌that “Someday We’ll Be Together,â€? the last recording by Diana Ross & the Supremes — and a No. 1 hit — was intended to be Ross’ first solo record, but Berry Gordy decided otherwise. Supremes Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong are not on the record. The background vocals are by sisters Maxine and Julia Waters. ‌that Ike Turner, a regular cheater, at one point actually wanted to move one of his girlfriends into he and Tina’s house. Despite his domineering, abusive ways, Tina Turner put her foot down
Reflections
Kanye West are “literally obsessed with each other.� ANITA BAKER has been under the radar for too long now. I am among those concerned people wondering what is wrong. What happened to the album that was supposed to come out last year, if not before? Why no performances? And I was so surprised when her marriage to Walter BridgAnita Baker forth ended. They are two of my favorite people and I thought they were “together forever.� Anita said a line from the Smokey Robinson song “More Love� gave her goosebumps: “As we grow older, no need to fear, when you need me I’ll be here.� Usher seems to have a preference for women older than himself. His first wife, Tameka Foster, was older and so is the lady he is engaged to now, Grace Miquel, his manager. She is 45 and he is 36. Said Usher: “I have an incredible partner and manager. She has helped me through some of the hardest times in my
From page D-1
and said, “Ike, no!â€? ‌that when the Miracles performed at the Apollo Theater for the first time, they didn’t have any music charts, just what are called onion sheets, which was not enough. Ray Charles, show headliner, was kind enough to put some charts together for the group. Years later, Smokey Robinson said, “I love Ray Charles!â€? ‌that in 1965, Bill Cosby became the first African American to costar in a dramatic series when “I Spyâ€? made its debut, also starring Robert Culp. Cosby won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his work. The show ran for three seasons (82 episodes). ‌that the Gap Band — Charlie, Robert and Ronnie Wilson — started out as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band, the name derived from three streets in their hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Later they switched to an acronym — Gap Band, “Gapâ€? being an acronym for “Greenwood, Archer and Pine.â€? ‌that the parents of multitalented Wayne Brady are West Indian, although he was born in Columbus, Georgia. ‌that Nia Long has relatives in Detroit. ‌that even though “The Jeffersonsâ€? ran for a very impressive 11 seasons, CBS did not give the show’s producers the opportunity to do a farewell show. The cast, including Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford, felt disrespected. ‌that Lena Horne had a sexy bathtub scene in the movie “Cabin in the Sky,â€? but it was edited out because the decision makers felt that White moviegoers would not accept a Black woman being sexy. ‌that hefty Cheryl Lynn has no problem with being plus-sized (and she can move!). And as for food, never mind dainty salads, etc. “I’m a meat and potatoes girl,â€? she said. ‌that Robert Townsend used his credit cards to partially cover the massive production costs of the first movie he directed, “Hollywood Shuffle.â€? Fortunately, it took in $5 million at the box office.
From page D-1 life and my career.â€? BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW‌that at one time Marvin Gaye wanted to play on the Detroit Lions team, but Berry Gordy wasn’t about to risk having one of Motown’s top artists getting hurt. But the Lions let him work out with them. MEMORIES: “Encoreâ€? (Cheryl Lynn), “Dare Meâ€? (the Pointer Sisters), “Shaky Groundâ€? (the Temptations), “Don’t Let Goâ€? (Isaac Hayes), “Silhouettesâ€? (the Rays), “The Jamâ€? (Graham Central Station), “Wide Receiverâ€? (Michael Henderson), “I Feel for Youâ€? (Chaka Khan), “Can I?â€? (Eddie Kendricks), “Sensitivityâ€? (Ralph Tresvant). BLESSINGS to Misha Helvey, Shirley Beeks, Galen Pauling, Edward Phillips, Luther Keith, Leni Sinclair, Donafay Collins, Nicholas Hood Sr., James Mitchell and Donald Phillips. WORDS OF THE WEEK, from Maya Angelou: “You may not control all of the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.â€?
Let the music play!
Steve Holsey can be reached at Svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A BLUMHOUSE/SMART ENTERTAINMENT/NUYORICMUSICAN PRODUCTION A FILM BY ROB COHEN JENNIFEREXECUTIVELOPEZ â&#x20AC;&#x153;THE BOY NEXT DOORâ&#x20AC;? RYAN GUZMAN JOHN CORBETT IAN NELSONPRODUCEDAND KRISTIN CHENOWETH BY RANDY EDELMAN NATHAN BARR PRODUCERS COUPER SAMUELSON BLUM p.g.a. JOHN JACOBS p.g.a. ELAINE GOLDSMITH-THOMAS BENNY MEDINA JENNIFER LOPEZ JEANETTE VOLTURNO-BRILL ZAC UNTERMAN BY JASON WRITTEN DIRECTED BY BARBARA CURRY BY ROB COHEN A UNIVERSAL RELEASE Â? <50=,9:(3 :;<+06:
STARTS FRIDAY, JANUARY 23
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
entertainment
«««STAR CHART ««« ARIES You may feel an internal pressure towards responsibility this week. Go with the flow and this week will be like a gift. Judging others will bring harsh judgments on you. Let your words assist others in becoming more self-responsible. You are a good teacher of right actions. Soul Affirmation: I slow down and find the success that has been following me. Lucky Numbers: 19, 23, 46 TAURUS Finding a way to do it better than others is not going to be hard this week. Share your wisdom with other seekers. All who receive your word will benefit this week. Happiness rules! Don’t waste a moment of this perfect week on any negative thoughts. Soul Affirmation: I give myself a chance to see all the good I can see in others. Lucky Numbers: 36, 38, 55
Lucky Numbers: 20, 27, 31
SAGITTARIUS
LEO
This week should bring an opportunity to further your education, don’t
Rev up your engines. This is a fine week for making progress with projects that you’ve got in the works. Your energy is high and your mind is clear. Use every advantage this week to finish up your works. Look for love in the right places. Know the difference between love and lust.
pass it up. Pay special attention to details at work. A friend needs
Soul Affirmation: I forgive and set myself free.
CAPRICORN
VIRGO Educate those around you in the area of personal growth. Their
serious turn. Be open to making an unusual purchase.
improvement will bring benefits to you. Humor in communication is
Soul Affirmation: I can see clearly now the rain is gone. There are no obstacles in my way.
the key. Humor in introspection is a must. Soul Affirmation: Success that has been following me is trying to catch up.
Soul Affirmation: I go within and find what I’ve been searching outside myself to find.
Soul Affirmation: I go along to get along.
This week romance is begins to percolate. Enjoy your feelings and let your brain relax. Suspend all judgments of others. Being stern won’t work for you this week.
Lucky Numbers: 1, 6, 19
Lucky Numbers: 13, 29, 34 SCORPIO
Soul Affirmation: The truth that finds me is the truth I’ve been seeking.
Lucky Numbers: 26, 35, 43
Future plans should be spotlighted. A relationship is likely to take a
LIBRA
You’ll be energizing and inspiring others this week as you speak what’s on your mind regarding spiritual matters and masters. The quality of your thoughts is very pure; write yourself a love letter. Move slowly with explanations. Others will not understand as quickly as you think they should.
Soul Affirmation: All things work together for good.
You and your mate should increase your saving for the future this week.
Strong vibrations bring a series of dramatic interactions with others this week. Practice your charm. Let it come from the heart, and let your energy carry you upwards to your best, highest self. Keep emotions calm. Let the warmth from inside of you touch others and thereby make your world better.
CANCER
your support. Find joy in giving it.
Lucky Numbers: 19, 26, 39
Lucky Numbers: 16, 30, 39
GEMINI
January 21-27, 2015 Page D-3
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Romance will find you this week. Don’t be looking the other way. Your “rap” is especially strong. Make as many of those important phone calls as possible. People will respond. They are waiting to be receptive, Soul Affirmation: Friendships are shock absorbers on the bumpy roads of life. Lucky Numbers: 11, 13, 20
Lucky Numbers: 10, 30, 50 AQUARIUS Don’t take any big gambles this week, the time is not right for a flight into the unknown. A newfound harmony is in store for you and your mate. Your mate will understand your fears. Soul Affirmation: New insights create new directions and a new cast of characters. Lucky Numbers: 6, 48, 51
Do the dead speak? Author &
Psychic Medium
John Edward MAY 5th, 2015 - 7:00PM The Dearborn Inn
20301 Oakwood Blvd • Dearborn, MI 48124
Get Tickets
TODAY!
1 (800) 514-3849
(A Reading Not Guaranteed)
JohnEdward.net ETix.com
IF YOU USED THE BLOOD THINNER XARELTO and suffered internal bleeding, hemorrhaging, required hospitalization or a loved one died while taking Xarelto between 2011 and the present time, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles H. Johnson 1-800-535-5727
PISCES The air can be cleared easily. Admit your need for help. Seek understanding. You’ll help another by seeking help from them. Communication problems will smooth themselves out. Soul Affirmation: Moving slowly might be the fastest way. Lucky Numbers: 33, 52, 54
CROSSWORD PUZZLE: MODERN WRITERS
ACROSS 1. Trig function 6. ___ de Triomphe 9. Not much 13. African sorcery 14. Pigeon sound 15. Air freshener product 16. Santa Maria’s companion 17. *”On ___ Majesty’s Secret Service” by Ian Fleming 18. Jimmie Johnson, e.g. 19. Short and blunt 21. *Lawyer turned legal thriller author 23. Campaigner, for short 24. By ____ of, interchangeable with “means”
25. Freight weight 28. Like some models 30. *Social science fiction author of “Oryx and Crake” 35. A variety of anisette 37. Fabled fliers 39. Y’all 40. Caused by poison ivy 41. *Author of “The Da Vinci Code” 43. Relating to the ear 44. Make a connection 46. Address a deity 47. *Norman Mailer’s “The ____ Park” 48. Alex Trebek’s forte 50. Tangerine grapefruit hybrid 52. Like some humor 53. Unit g
55. “The Lord of the Rings” creature 57. *King of horror 61. Do before kissing the bride? 64. Serf 65. Energy unit 67. One who does no work 69. In tune 70. Naught 71. Lack of guile 72. Quiet attention grabber 73. Cracker Jack bonus 74. “_____ Anatomy” DOWN 1. Admit or “___ to” 2. Followers of #13 Across 3. Email folder 4. Consume
5. *”Wonder Boys” author 6. Flu feeling 7. Wade’s opponent 8. Welch dog breed 9. Exclamation of sorrow or pity 10. 18th century composer 11. Brainchild 12. A President can’t serve more than two 15. Often used to describe someone who’s tough 20. Dust jacket promo 22. DNA transmitter 24. Queen’s conduct 25. *Pulitzer winner for “The Goldfinch” 26. Very happy 27. Japanese-American 29. Small town or hamlet 31. “American Gothic” painter 32. Revealed 33. Basketry stick 34. Condemn 36. Prisoner’s weapon 38. ____ and cascade 42. Stockings material 45. Nighttime lingerie 49. “We ___ Family” 51. *He wrote of the world according to Garp 54. Beside, archaic 56. Moth-repelling wood 57. “____ ‘til you drop” 58. 6 of these in 64 59. Benevolent and Protective Order of ____ 60. *Author Maya Angelou, e.g. 61. Like Hans Christian Andersen’s duckling 62. Pelvic parts 63. *Andrea ____, author of “Small Island” and “The Long Song” 66. Host of 2016 Summer Olympics 68. Hi-___ graphics
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JANUARY IS NATIONAL GLAUCOMA AWARENESS MONTH
ATTENTION QUALIFIED GENERAL CONTRACTORS JANUARY 16, 2015 The City of Detroit is inviting qualified General Contractors for the following Project: PROJECT Abayomi Community Development Corporation – New St. Mark Family Life Center Facility Renovations
OWNER New St. Mark Baptist Church Abayomi Community Development Corporation, 24331 W. Eight Mile Rd, Detroit, phone number (313) 541-9828, is inviting qualified Contractors to submit separate bids for each of the following projects: 1. Completion of partially installed elevator. 2. Renovation of existing stairwells, corridors, class room, elevator pit waterproofing, exit and emergency lights, floor covering, light fixtures, completion of duct work and electrical work. ARCHITECTBIDC, Inc. (313) 899-2099 GENERAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Contractors desiring to bid shall demonstrate the following minimum qualifications: At least three years experience in their relative trade(s), licensed as required by the state or local law. A completed Contractor’s Qualification Statement and Cost Breakdown must accompany the Bid, the form of which is attached to this Bid Announcement. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS Public Liability with the City of Detroit named as an Additional Insured, Auto Liability, Worker’s Compensation to limits specified in the General Conditions of the Contract and Payment and Performance Bond. BID PACKAGES Interested Contractors can forward an email to bidci@sbcglobal.net for bid packages. They will also be available at the pre-bid conference.
BIDDING: Bid proposal forms are due by 2:00PM on Monday, February 2, 2015 at 24331 W Eight Mile Rd. Detroit, 48219. Sealed bid proposal must be submitted in accordance with the instructions to Bidders contained in the bid package. BID OPENING: All bids will be opened publicly at 2:00PM on Monday, February 2, 2015. The Owner reserves the right to waive any irregularity in any bid or to reject any or all bids should it be deemed for its best interest. PROJECT FUNDING: The contract will be executed under the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund program as administered by the City of Detroit Planning and Development Department. BONDING REQUIREMENTS: The successful Bidder is required to furnish Payment (Labor and Materials) and Performance Bonds in the amount covering the faithful performance of the Contract and the payment of all obligations arising there under, in the amount of 100% of their contracts, executed by a surety acceptable to the Owner and which is licensed to business in the State of Michigan. WAGE AND EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS The successful contractor will be required to comply with federal laws governing equal employment opportunity, with prevailing wage requirements of the Federal Labor Standards Act which also incorporates Davis-Bacon requirements, will have to be cleared and approved by the City of Detroit, and comply with Mayor’s Executive Order No. 2007-1 Utilization of Detroit Residents on Publicly-Funded Construction Projects, as follows: Per Executive Order No. 2007-1: at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the workforce must be bonda-fide Detroit residents. In addition, Detroit residents shall perform fifty-one percent (51%) of the hours worked on the project. Workforce and project hours shall include work performed by Detroit residents in the various job categories: officials and managers, supervisors and forepersons, professions, technicians, sales workers, office and clerical, skilled trades, craft workers, operators, laborers, service workers, apprentices, and on-the-job training positions. The contractor shall be required to comply with the “Section 3 Clause” (24 CFR Part 135). All contracts (subcontracts) shall include the Section 3 Clause.
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HELP WANTED Senior Telematics Validation Engineer General Motors Co. seeks a Senior Telematics Validation Engineer – Warren, MI, to be responsible for test specification, test environment design, and test execution for wireless/telematics products; provide design evaluation, analysis, and testing of projects; provide technical leadership and guidance to other engineers or engineering support staff; generate product validation solutions for both current and future programs; provide technical leadership for wireless/telematics test and measurement development activity; performs complex design analysis; develops validation designs (including automated test systems), among other duties. Min. BS & 7 yrs. exp. Please send resumes to: GM Co., Resume Processing, Ref. #5534982, 300 Renaissance Center, M/C 482-C32-D44, Detroit, MI 482653000.
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JANUARY IS NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH
Republican AG Schu ette endo rsed by De troit polic e
The CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CLINTON ACT 78 POLICE & FIRE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION will be testing for the position of FIREFIGHTER to create an Eligibility List for future employment opportunities. To apply and schedule a test for this position, go to the website https://www.empco.net and follow the instructions. There is a fee to take the examination, but results of this one test will be accepted by all participating fire departments in Michigan. You must apply and pass the test by 4:00 p.m. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015.
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Detailed qualifications are available on our website at www.clintontownship-mi.gov Excellent working conditions, fringe benefits, opportunity for advancement.
John Russi, Chairman Raymond Glime, Commissioner Bethany Pryor, Commissioner Kim Meltzer, Secretary AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Syncreon America, Inc. has an available position of Executive Vice President, Global Purchasing in Auburn Hills, MI. Though the position of Executive Vice President, Global Purchasing is based in Auburn Hills, MI, the Executive Vice President, Global Purchasing will be required to travel approximately 40% of working time to employer’s affiliates & subsidiaries as well as customer sites in North America, South America, Europe, & Asia. The position requires an individual with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Geography, History, Supply Chain Management, or Sociology & 60 months experience as a Logistics Director. Position also requires: Exp. must include: 1) 60 mos. exp. directing logistics activities in China, Brazil, & the United Kingdom or the Netherlands for an automotive &/or consumer technology billion-dollar company; 2) Exp. directing procurement of air & sea freight, distribution center services, & domestic freight services; 3) Exp. improving the cost base of an operation with a minimum spend of $500 million; & 4) Exp. overseeing & directing teams responsible for bidding & selection processes for multimillion dollar contracts including Requests For Quotations (RFQs), contract negotiations, & internal approvals. Any exp. reqs. may be met concurrently during the same time period. Job Duties: Serve as top purchasing/logistics executive for billion-dollar global company. Direct & lead all procurement activities within a logistics environment for company worldwide. Manage improvement of company cost base & cash flow. Direct geographically dispersed global logistics purchasing team responsible for all aspects of purchasing. Responsible for multimillion dollar global property portfolio.
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Qualified candidates should send resume to:
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Licensed Professional Engineer. Construction and Project Management
CLINTON TOWNSHIP FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A pre-bid site review will be held at 24331 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit at 11:00AM on Monday, January 26, 2015.
SECTION
PLANNING ASSISTANT The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments seeks an individual with college courses or practical experience in urban or regional planning, geography, GIS, or related field for a part-time position in our Data Analysis Group. Successful candidate will have excellent quantitative, interpersonal, and communication skills. For more information, go to www.semcog.org/Careers. aspx, or call 313-324-3419. EOE
NOTICE APPLICATION FOR FIREFIGHTER
GENERAL PROJECT DESCRIPTION
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REBUILD GREATER DETROIT
Applicants submit resumes to: Administrator, MCES 4201 St. Antoine, #3R Detroit, MI 48201 or fax (313)745-2689
LOCATION New St. Mark Baptist Church, 24331 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit, MI 48219 Phone: 313-541-3846
City
HELP WANTED
Medical Center Emergency Services seeks an Emergency Medicine Physician to work in Detroit, MI. Will examine patients to obtain info about their physical condition. Compile & record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes & results of physical exam. Make diagnoses & decisions about management & treatment of patients. Will prescribe & administer emergency medical treatment, therapy & medication as required. Will admit patients as required. Must have Medical Doctor Degree or the foreign academic equivalent & have completed 36 months of residency in Emergency Medicine. Must have or be eligible for a MI Physician License.
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SITUATION WANTED Residential Neighborhoods
BORN GIFTED READER
Services for Marie Truelove were held on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2015 at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Detroit with Rev. Dr. Michael D. Thomas Sr. officiating. She made her transition on Dec. 31, 2014. Mrs. Truelove was born on Feb. 17, 1918 in Arcadia, Louisiana, the oldest daughter of Harrison and Belle Lewis. She was baptized at an early age and was active in every church where she had a membership. She moved to Portland, Oregon in the early 1940s and to Detroit where she became a nurse’s assistant. It was also in Detroit that met a man who would become her husband, Napoleon Holt. She later married David I. Truelove. Both preceded her in death. A former member of the Eastern Star, Mrs. Truelove loved helping people, caring for pets, cooking, sewing, traveling and working in her garden. She volunteered as a teacher’s aide at Keating and Tindeler elementary schools. Left to cherish the memory of Marie Truelove are her daughters, Sandra Marie Edwards and Gwendolyn Yvonne Davis; a granddaughter, Ahsha Marie Davis; a nephew, Jimmy Wyrick; a great-nephew, Lamondo Wyrick and many other relatives and friends. Arrangements were handled by T M. Hughes-Perry Mortuary, LLC in Battle Creek.
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE praiseconnect.com Detroit mourns loss of Oscar G. Hayes, music icon and pastor
January 21-27, 2015 Page D-5
Baptist Churches of America. Pastor Hayes was the proud pastor of one of Detroit’s fastest growing congregations, Nazarene Missionary Baptist located in Detorit, where he devoted his life in making the ministry bigger and better. All who loved him will continue to pray for his wife, Mrs. Ericka Hayes, his family and the Nazarene Baptist Church family. Pastor Oscar G. Hayes’ homegoing celebration services will be as follows: Oscar G. Hayes
Oscar G. Hayes, pastor of the Nazarene Baptist Church, musician, songwriter and producer, made his transition on Monday, Jan. 20, 2015. Pastor Hayes is known across this city and country for being the founder of Abundant Life Community Choir, known as (ALF). He is also known for songs such as “I Got to Tell It,” “None But the Righteous” and “Simply Determined,” that he wrote with close friend and brother Darius Twyman. He also wrote songs for the legendary Craig Brothers, Bishop Edgar Vann and the Second Ebenezer Mass Choir, the title song for Derrick Milan & Peter’s Rock Mass Choir CD titled “Over and Over” and was guest songwriter and director for the National Progressive
Saturday, Jan. 24 Viewing, 12 pm - 8 pm Nazarene Baptist Church 901 Melbourne Street Detroit Sunday, Jan. 25 Memorial Musical Celebration at 5 p.m. New St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church 21050 Ascension Ave. Warren Monday, Jan. 26 Homegoing service at 10 a.m. Second Ebenezer Church 14601 Dequindre Detroit
Lyric coloratura opera singer
Jann Moody
makes her final curtain call Jannette Moody (aka Jann Jones) was an opera singer who began her professional career with the New York City Opera and spanned the globe to Europe. She died peacefully on Dec. 1, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 77 after a long battle with kidney cancer. Her former husband and companion, Johnny Jones, was by her side. Mrs. Moody, born October 27, 1937 in Savannah, Georgia, was an accomplished artist on the musical stages both on and off Broadway where she was nominated for an Obie. On Broadway in New York City she was among the cast of such shows as “I Had a Ball” with Buddy Hackett, Rosetta Le Noir and Richard Kiley, and “Funny Girl” with Barbra Streisand, Mimi Hines and Phil Ford at both the Winter Garden and Majestic theaters. She also performed in “Treemonisha” with Kathleen Battle at the New York City Opera, the Vienna Volksoper, where she lived in the frigid cold of Vienna, Austria, as a working performer for the one-year run. Jann also was a principal cast member in “Purcell’s King Arthur,” playing the roles of both Philodel and Cupid. Over the years she was reviewed by many major news media throughout the world, including the Wall Street Journal, Life magazine, the New York Times and the Washington Post. The New York Times said of her, “Miss Moody’s voice has a very fresh, peaches-and-cream quality…an attractive soprano of good size, easy production and plenty of carrying power.” According to the Washington Post, “Janette Moody sang with a sound and style and impish glee that was one of the evening’s highest joys, completely outstanding.” The Wall Street Journal stated, “Janette Moody, a young soprano sounding glorious, even flying about the stage on wires capturing a spirit that might have made more of the evening.” According to The Opera News, “Janette Moody, who began her American career in the New York City Opera and toured Europe, sang the Queen of the Night at Cologne and the Vienna Volksoper, earning acclaim for her stage presence and perfect high F’s.” Ms. Moody also performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Avery Fisher Hall with such renown conductors as Leopold Stokowski, Raymond Panell, Leonard Bernstein, Lee Shannon and Muhal Richard Abrades, to name a few. Jann also worked on as many as eight films, including “Northern Lights” in which the played the lead role of Helen. She delivered an award-winning performance in her dramatization of a one-woman show about African-American abolitionist and Union spy Harriett Tubman. Her mastery of playing every role, including a male slave owner, a white Northern lady, a child and Harriet Tubman garnered rave reviews during the 1997 Actors’ Festival in San Diego, California. In addition to living and performing in Savannah, Georgia, New York City, Vienna, Austria, Detroit, Chicago, Mexico City, San Diego, California, and Brownstone, Texas, she performed in 48 of the United States. She also performed on three continents, including South America, Europe and North America. Ms. Moody was a classically trained vocalist and an accomplished pianist. After graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor of Art degree, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Northwestern University. She never completely retired from the stage. In recent years, Jann performed at various venues as her health permitted, singing locally in Detroit where she lived with her then-husband Johnny Jones. She also performed in the metropolitan area. Even to the end of her life, her pristine vocal gymnastics with perfect pitch and clarity brought delight to her listeners. Along with being a patron of the arts, Jann enjoyed playing bridge. She as a member of the American Bridge Association and held a membership with the Motown Aces Bridge Club in Detroit. In addition to Johnny Jones, she was also married to actor-comedian Garrett Morris, one of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast members. She was also married to Charles Allen, an artist and political cartoonist for Esquire magazine and the Saturday Evening Post. A private memorial is planned.
Wings of Truth Gospel Church anniversary
Wings of Truth Gospel Church, 252 Tuxedo in Highland Park, recently celebrated the third anniversary of Pastor Patsy Brown in the church’s banquet hall. O’ Neil D. Swanson Sr., president/CEO of Swanson Funeral Homes, Inc., was a special guest of Rev. Brown. Pictured from left are Rev. Patsy Brown, O’Neil D. Swanson Sr. and DeAndre Windom, Highland Park mayor.
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Page D-6 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • January 21-27, 2015