BLAC Detroit Magazine April 2020

BLACdetroit.com

Black Life, Arts & Culture

FLOWER

APRIL 2020 / COMPLIMENTARY

W E R O P A look at Michigan’s new recreational marijuana industry

HEALTH ADVICE FROM ASCENSION MICHIGAN

What are the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases?

Ebonie Harris, M.D.

L

ast October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report, which ranked the city of Detroit at No. 29 of the top 100 cities for sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. When it comes to STDs, also known as sexually transmitted infections or STIs, awareness is key, and in honor of STD Awareness Month in April, a local physician weighs in on the symptoms and impact of STDs. “STDs can cause devastating effects to a woman’s health and wellbeing,” says Ebonie Harris, M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist with Ascension Medical Group. “STDs have been linked to chronic pelvic pain, infertility, ectopic pregnancies, infections in unborn babies, cancer and even death.”

According to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, adolescents of all races, particularly

girls, are disproportionately affected

by STIs. One in four young women in the United States ages 14-19 years old is infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 and/or human papillomavirus (HPV). However, according to the same study, among same-age African American females, nearly one in two (48%) had an STI. Some STIs, such as chlamydia, disproportionately affect African American women. The CDC reports that the rate of chlamydia in Black women was 5.7 times higher than the rate among white women.

“I always counsel my young patients about the reality of how common STDs are in women in their age group, and that the complications associated with STDs disproportionately affect women greater than men,” Dr. Harris says. “I also emphasize that there are common STDs like genital warts and HSV that we do not have a cure for and

are not completely prevented with condoms used as a barrier, but evidence has shown consistent condom use may reduce risks of infection. So, the decision to become sexually active should not be taken lightly, and only abstinence from sexual activity is 100% effective.”

Some STDs may have no symptoms initially, or the early symptoms may be mistaken for another illness. The CDC website urges, “If you are sexually active, getting tested for STDs is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. Make sure you have an open and honest conversation about your sexual history and STD testing with your doctor.”

Symptoms of STDs will vary with the type of infection. However, these symptoms warrant further investigation by your health provider: • Painful urination • Lower abdominal pain • Vaginal discharge in women • Discharge from the penis in men

• Pain during sex • Bleeding between periods in women • Testicular pain in men It’s important to note that some STIs are becoming resistant to currently available treatment.

“I have had patients with Trichomonas whose infections were not completely treated with single-dose antibiotics,” Dr. Harris says. “They in turn had to be placed on a full seven-day treatment. Due to the potential complications of STDs, I always retest four weeks after treatment to make sure the infection is cleared,” she adds.

Dr. Harris concludes, “I feel that easy access to medical care and treatment as well as education is key. Many patients come in for prevention of pregnancy. However, I always emphasize the need to protect yourself against STDs and have regular health screenings.”

GET MORE HEALTH INFORMATION AND FIND A DOCTOR NEAR YOU BY VISITING ASCENSION.ORG/MICHIGAN OR CALLING 866-501-DOCS (3627)

APRIL 2020

INSIDE 4

Online at BLACdetroit.com

FEATURES 16

CANNABIS CULTURE Recreational weed sales start in Wayne County

22

PINCHING PENNIES Financial experts teach us how to build wealth

DEPARTMENTS 8

DISCOVER Make your home eco-friendly for Earth Day, a downtown flower shop donates profits to local charities, a 12-yearold author and more

13

DETROIT PROPER A new book shares writers’ abortion stories

28

SEEN Campus Martius Ice Rink Spring Fever Weekend

SPONSORED

22

2

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES?

6

CAMILLE PROCTOR, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE COLOR OF AUTISM

14

REDEFINING ADULT HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN DETROIT

21

SISTERFRIENDS DETROIT LINKS EXPECTANT MOMS WITH DEDICATED MENTORS

27

THE DETROIT HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO MONITOR COVID-19

ON THE COVER Marijuana flowers provided by 1st Quality Medz in River Rouge Photo by Lauren Jeziorski

D LIFE

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BLAC BOARD MEMBERS

Paul

Riser Jr. Chairman

Sharon Banks

Alexis

Bourkoulas

Marc

Hardy

Alyssa

Martina

BLAC EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Sharon

Austin Black II President, City Living Detroit

Karen Dumas President, Images & Ideas Inc.

Jacqueline J.

Tiffany Love Director of Advertising, MGM Grand Detroit

Katrina

Alicia Nails Director, Wayne State University Journalism Institute for Media Diversity

Dr. Glenda Price President Emeritus, Marygrove College

Banks President & CEO, Bankable Marketing Strategies

4 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

McCree Director of Government and Community Affairs, DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital

Howard Director of Corporate Citizenship, Ally Financial

Brandon

Jessup CEO, Michigan Forward Urban Affairs Group

Khary Turner Executive Director, Coleman A. Young Foundation

D I S C O V E R B L A C D E T R O I T. C O M T O D AY

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Alyssa R. Martina, amartina@BLACdetroit.com VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Alexis Bourkoulas, alexis@BLACdetroit.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Julia Elliott, julia@BLACdetroit.com SENIOR EDITOR Paris Giles, paris@BLACdetroit.com COPY EDITOR Kim Kovelle, kim@BLACdetroit.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Desiree Cooper, Arianna Smith CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kelly Buren, kelly@BLACdetroit.com SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lindsey Lawson, lindsey@BLACdetroit.com PHOTOGRAPHER Lauren Jeziorski, lauren@BLACdetroit.com

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BLACdetroit.com • APRIL 2020 • BLAC 5

A year-long series featuring Detroiters who are driving positive change in their communities.

Driving Community Sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund

Camille Proctor, Founder and Executive Director, The Color of Autism

This mother’s son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which led her to form a support system for African American parents and families also affected by autism.

F rom having to teach children what to do if stopped by the police to relatives who are reluctant to discuss mental health, the problems already prevalent within the Black community are exasperated for families dealing with an autism diagnosis. After her son Ari was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2008, Camille Proctor 6 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

formed The Color of Autism the following year to specifically address the needs of Black families.

An African American family affected by autism faces a unique set of challenges, namely isolation.

With family and friends, Proctor says, “You don’t get the support sometimes because they don’t quite understand or they’re in

denial. And then when you’re seeking support groups on the outside, most of the people don’t look like you, so then they don’t understand some of the situations that your child may be in that their child will never have to experience.”

Like most Black mothers, she was afraid for Ari as he’d grow older and likely encounter the police at

some point. Would the officer see that he has a developmental disorder? Would Ari understand their commands? The Color of Autism works to educate and advocate for African American families affected by autism, and they’ve created a network where parents and caregivers of color can lean on each other.

They host support groups on the

second Saturday of each month at Detroit Parent Network and offer regular parent trainings, six-week programs during which parents learn to be “advocates within their communities” and act as peer support for one another.

The Color of Autism is a part of the Autism Safety Coalition, a collection of varied organizations that worked with lawmakers like Sen. Tulsi Gabbard to pass Kevin and Avonte’s Law, named for 9-year-old Kevin Curtis Wills who wandered from his home and slipped into Iowa’s Raccoon River and drowned in 2008, and 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo who wandered away from school and drowned in New York City’s East River in 2014. Kevin and Avonte’s Law, passed in 2018, facilitates training and emergency protocols for schools, provides first responders with additional information and resources, and makes locating technology more readily available.

A common characteristic of children with autism is the tendency to wander, and they’re often attracted to water; acciden-

tal drowning is the leading cause of death in children with autism according to the National Autism Association. The Color of Autism encourages parents of children with autism to teach their young ones to swim, which often requires a tailored, more expensive setting.

Proctor says, in some cases, they’re able to underwrite the costs of swimming lessons for families in need. “It’s a very important skill,” she says. “If your child has wandering tendencies, they tend to run to water or the freeway. But most of our kids, most African American kids, end up drowning.”

Proctor says from 2 years old, Ari was an “escape artist.” He could disengage any lock or security code and slip out, but Ari had an early protector in their late dog Boo. “Boo, in her mind, Ari was her puppy,” she says. “That dog would go behind him and knock him down, and sit on him until we could find him.” She says she had other reasons to be concerned about Ari early on; he’d walk on his tiptoes for hours and turn light switches on and off for no apparent reason.

“I had to push for a diagnosis, but that was only because I went to every doctor I could, and finally, a genetic doctor said he had 47 chromosomes instead of 46 and most kids that she sees (with an extra chromosome), in her opinion, had autism.” That doctor connected Proctor with a developmental pediatrician, and she was able to get an appropriate diagnosis and start to help Ari, but it was still a struggle finding people who could truly relate. “All I wanted was for somebody to tell me that it was going to be better.”

Black children with autism are often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late – or not at all. Proctor says, “Our children get diagnosed with autism, on average, two and a half years later than their white counterparts,” a delay that she credits to denial and misinformation. She says she wants to see other autism advocacy groups be more deliberate about getting out and connecting with the Black community. “We have to dispel the misinformation out there. We have to teach parents how to be their child’s best advocate.”

“It takes a village to raise a child – but just one person to change a community.”

We applaud Camille Proctor and The Color of Autism for their dedicated mission of increasing awareness and visibility in the autism community.

Camille’s call to action is for advocate groups to be more deliberate about connecting with the African American community, and Ford Motor Company prides itself on being a driving force and support system for community progress.

The initiatives we fund empower communities and families, including those with special needs members, to become more aware of the services available to them. And we work to fill gaps where needed. This is especially important in times of critical need. Ford Fund and Ford Motor Company remain committed to providing innovative and real-time solutions to our communities and to the world.

– Pamela Alexander, director of community development for Ford Motor Company

THE COLOR SPECTRUM

For more information on The Color Spectrum, to get involved or to donate, visit thecolorofautism.org.

BLACdetroit.com • APRIL 2020 • BLAC 7

D LIFE

DISCOVER

By Paris Giles

Green

T

he coronavirus may have effectively put pins in all of our plans, but Earth will indeed keep spinning and while we’re stuck at home without much else to do, why not use this time to show our planet a little love while saving a few coins?

Welcome spring and shout out Earth Day on April 22 with these easy, at-home moves sure to take you from blue to green.

Plant native species Avoid filling your garden with exotic tropical plants and instead go for species native to the area. This creates a more hospitable environment for local wildlife and, strategically placed, can help regulate your home’s temp.

Stop junk mail You can stop those unsolicited credit card offers and life insurance applications that you chuck right in the trash by calling the Federal Trade Commission or visiting their website.

Match the pot to the burner Make sure the eye you’re cooking on is smaller than the pot you’re using to heat more efficiently and avoid wasting energy and money.

8 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

Switch to energy saving lightbulbs Energy Star-certified lightbulbs use between 70% to 90% less energy on average than traditional incandescent bulbs, and you’ll knock money off your electric bill.

Make your own cleaners Eco-friendly cleaners can be pricey, but many websites will walk you through how to make your own at home using ingredients like white vinegar, corn starch and washing soda.

House

Need help to g started? et DTE cu

stomers can re quest a Home Energy Efficien cy Kit for free!

Kits may include LED lig htbulbs, an en ergy efficient show erhead, a powe r strip or more. Visit DTEenergy.com / saveenergy fo r more info.

Fix leaky faucets and toilets

Start a compost pile or bin

Stop wasting water, energy and money by finally fixing those sinks, bathtubs and toilets. The problem is usually easy to fix, and numerous YouTube videos can walk you through it.

Whether set up inside or out, a composting bin is an easy way to recycle organic material like banana peels and dead leaves into a deep conditioner of sorts for your soil to help your plants grow stronger.

Insulate your water heater

Change the direction of your ceiling fans

Wrap an insulation blanket around your water heater and lower its running cost by as much as 9%.

Ceiling fans should run counter-clockwise during the summer months and clockwise in the winter. This helps with hot/cold air distribution, saving energy.

Switch your thermostat to ‘auto’ Avoid leaving your heat and air conditioning forever on, and instead allow it to regulate according to your home’s temp.

BLACdetroit.com • APRIL 2020 • BLAC 9

D LIFE

DISCOVER

By Paris Giles and Arianna Smith

WISE WORDS

A

BEST BUDS W

hen the Flowers for Dreams team decided to set up their newest flower shop in downtown Detroit’s Parker’s Alley, co-founder Steven Dyme says he knew the community would be key.

Before its official opening in March, patrons were invited to visit the storefront in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day and nominate their favorite charity. Flowers for Dreams partners with local charities and donates 25% of its net profits.

Dyme asks, “What better way to engage the community and have them greet us with open arms?”

The Children’s Foundation was selected as the first nonprofit partner through April, and they plan to announce a new charity monthly.

This is their third location; they’ve got two others in Chicago and Milwaukee. “The Midwest has always been our domain,” Dyme says. “We’re like the only one in the country that’s a regional player, that’s not either 10 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

only serving a neighborhood, like a local mom and pop, or serving everyone by UPS.” Flowers for Dreams has built their own supply chain, from sourcing to designing to hand delivering.

Stop in and nestled among the daffodils and bird’s nest ferns, find honey from Bees in the D and lavender candles from Detroit Rose.

“Every person I’ve met in Detroit cares really deeply about Detroit, and is very protective of the community,” Dyme says. Along the way, he took care to meet with then-chief storyteller for the city of Detroit – and former BLAC editor – Aaron Foley and others who Dyme thought represent the area’s Black voice to figure out how best to strike a balance between old Detroit and a city in bloom.

– P.G.

1435 W. Farmer St., #120 Detroit flowersfordreams.com

licen Marie Felder didn’t speak, crawl or reach other milestones until after her peers. Today, the 12-yearold is a self-published author and honor roll student at Pierce Middle School in Redford, sings as president of the cherubic choir at her church and crushes the competition on the soccer field. Alicen does all this while traveling to spread the story of how faith, perseverance and family brought her out of struggle and into the sunlight.

“Say a Little Prayer isn’t fiction – it’s my story,” Alicen says. “It’s about the issues I had in my earlier years when I couldn’t communicate the way I wanted to. I was very frustrated and upset; I’d get laughed at once the teacher left. I wanted to cry all the time and I felt isolated.”

Both Alicen and her mom say that prayer, patience and God’s work got Alicen over her hurdles. The chapter book follows Alicen’s journey of testing and diagnosis, and chronicles how she overcame her developmental setbacks.

“I always used to write my thoughts down, and I love reading and (English language arts). I had thoughts saved up. My mom and I were talking about what I went through one day, and I came up with the idea of sharing my story in the book. The main things that helped me were time, patience and prayer,” Alicen says.

Mom Dr. Kelli Felder, a speech pathologist, says she couldn’t be prouder of her daughter, even if the initial process of publishing a book was a bit of a crash-course in entrepreneurship. “I Googled like crazy, and we were just getting info and advice from everywhere. It was trial and error, and we’re still learning as we go,” Felder says.

Alicen says she wrote Say a Little Prayer to inspire anyone dealing with roadblocks to put faith in God’s glory and not doubt themselves or his timeline.

– A.S.

Say a Little Prayer is available on Apple Books, Amazon, Lulu and Bookmate.

SIP OF SUCCESS I

t takes a certain kind of mind to see a mundane everyday item and find inspiration.

The kind of mind that gets you through medical school. Senior dermatology student and native eastsider Zoë Indigo Smith explains, “Medicine is an amazing field, but studying it at times can be daunting drudgery. The slightest bit of customization can keep you that much more motivated.

"My coffee cup is always by my side and the first thing I reach for in the morning, but when I looked down at my bland mug, I really wanted more motivation.”

The Medicine Mug was Smith’s solution, a

white ceramic mug with a gold handle sculpted to resemble the Rod of Asclepius, a symbol of healing and safety in Greek mythology.

“I chose the mug instead of a T-shirt because I wanted something where I could merge my creativity with pride in my field.

Our mugs are tangible symbols of determination and inspiration for those who hear the call to medicine,” Smith says.

Her brand also designs customizable drinkware gifts for the med or veterinary student in your life – or just anyone who really, really loves mugs.

– A.S.

themedicinemug.com

MOTOWN SOUND M

usicTown Detroit may run a two-person skeleton crew, but executive director Annie Scaramuzzino says that won’t stop them from highlighting local artists. Their new web series District Sessions represents the wide sampling of musical talent in metro Detroit.

“It’s just myself and our engineer Ryan full time, but we’re huge music fans and we wanted to do more to show off the modern creative talent of Detroit. The series is in the same vein as NPR Tiny Desk or the BBC Live Lounge, but more unique to our studios,” Scaramuzzino says.

The series airs on MusicTown’s YouTube and Facebook platforms every other Tuesday. The plan is for it to run indefinitely to serve as cozy,

behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creative process. Scaramuzzino and her partner curate the talent but say anyone is welcome to reach out and inquire about being featured.

“The vision for District Sessions was sort of a stripped down, intimate setting. We close curtains, hang some lights, make it moody and cool. During the sessions, artists rework their songs and play with their styles. Podcasters come in and assist us a lot – Rob Reinhart from Acoustic Café (on WDET) has been a great collaborative partner, for instance,” Scaramuzzino says.

The first two episodes feature local guitarist Trey Priest, a member of the D.Cipher collective who also facilitates instruction, production

and exposure for local talent. MusicTown’s parent company, Entercom, allows the organization to assist community creatives in a variety of ways.

“We want to let the episodes speak for themselves the same way we try to act as helpers here at MusicTown,” Scaramuzzino says.

“There’s always an element of community. We do free podcasting here and host networking events in our live rooms. We’re the platform, the artists are the motors.”

– A.S.

musictowndetroit.com BLACdetroit.com • APRIL 2020 • BLAC 11

D LIFE

DISCOVER

By Arianna Smith

Photo by Tara Turkington

REVIVAL

B

etsy Murdoch has lived in metro Detroit over 10 years and worked the back end of the wholesale coffee business for nearly as long. She and her husband started looking for homes in the city and were disappointed to find almost no walkability in the areas they loved.

“I love the vibe that coffee shops create in a community, but if you aren’t downtown there’s really nowhere to walk to eat, work, entertain, etc. We settled in Boston Edison, and it’s beautiful, but we wanted somewhere we could gather and have a good time in the neighborhood,” Murdoch says.

She’d always drive past the old church on Rosa Parks Boulevard and thought nothing of it. But four years ago, she saw that the doors were wide open and ready for rehabilitation. “It was fate!” She says. “I know how to run a good business, and I know what my community wants.”

The 2,500-square-foot vacant church, formerly christened New St. James, was last used as a place of worship until 2014.

The Congregation, a café serving coffee, cocktails, sweet treats and more, opened in March. Murdoch utilized funds from a Motor City Match win plus grants from the Michigan Women Forward and Detroit Development Fund to outfit and update the space with themed furniture. She says they kept the original stained glass and as much of the historical décor as they could.

“We needed to keep the integrity of the church. The story is important because Detroit has a lot of great architecture. We hope we inspire people to do cool things with a lot of cool different buildings,” Murdoch says. She says they plan to host events like live music and yoga sessions. And, right now, the whole wheat turkey sandwich is the café’s bestseller. “That and the salmon bagel.”

9321 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit thecongregationdetroit.com 12 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

SLICE OF HEAVEN O

n Feb. 1, Sean Brezzell and his family opened 24th Cheesecakerie’s second location in Ypsilanti. Brezzell wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth – it was wooden, and he says he’s held onto it ever since.

“Food was always my calling. My mom and grandmother both made their living in the kitchen, so it’s no wonder my job is being a stay-athome daddy and baker,” Brezzell says.

No matter what kitchen Brezzell cooked in, his delectable cheesecake recipe always made a splash with customers and managers. 24th Cheesecakerie made a name for itself at the Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor for its fantastic flavor combinations and a particular taste that Brezzell says took him months to perfect. “I don’t want the tang of cheese or sour cream in my recipe. I want my cheesecake to taste like ice cream,” Brezzell says. “People love recommending new flavors of the week to us. My wife’s favorite is birthday cake; mine is hazelnut. Get you a slice of that with coffee and you’re in heaven.”

Brezzell says the whole family – mom and grandma included – help with operating the store and coming up with new ideas.

“We bake all day, three days out of the week. The best thing about it is the support we all give each other. My brother is the biggest staple. He really be busting his behind, but all of us are really committed to this.”

100 Briarwood Circle, Ann Arbor 14 N. Washington St., Ypsilanti 24thcc.com

D LIFE

DETROIT PROPER HIGHLIGHTING THE PEOPLE, PLACES, EVENTS AND ISSUES OF BLACK DETROIT

‘Choice Words: Writers on Abortion’ Presents the Truth of Women’s Experiences

BY DESIREE COOPER

A

bortion isn’t an easy subject to broach, but it seems particularly difficult in the Black community. This is mystifying, since one in four women will have an abortion over her lifetime. While abortions have dropped over the last 15 years, Black women continue to have the highest abortion rate (27.1 per 1,000 women) compared with 10 per 1,000 for white women, according to the American Journal of Public Health.

When I received a copy of Choice Words: Writers on Abortion, I was heartened to find that so many Black writers had contributed. Poet, activist and editor Annie Finch has assembled the work of our community’s literary giants to lend voice to this common experience. “In doing my research for this anthology, I was amazed at how many prominent Black writers have taken on abortion,” says Finch, who lives in Washington, D.C. “Collectively, these works validify the range of abortion experiences, including those of women of color. It’s time for abortion without apology.”

“Once I was pregnant & shamed of myself.” That’s a line from Ntozake Shange’s 1975 seminal choreopoem, for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf. It describes the enduring stigma of unplanned pregnancy and abortion. Women are forced to endure the experience in secrecy, which adds to the trauma of the decision.

As contemporary poet Tara Bet-

ts writes in “The Promise,” included in Choice Words, “I promised on Catholic-school skirt/ communion dress dragged deep/ into dreams, I would not say a word.”

Several of the Black poets in Choice Words addressed the socioeconomic reasons women seek abortions. In her poem “Motherhood,” Georgia Douglas Johnson speaks to her unborn child: “Wait in the still eternity/ until I come to you./ The world is cruel, cruel, cruel, child,/ I cannot let you through.”

short stories, “Cora Unashamed,” which chronicles the life of a Black housekeeper. When Cora gets pregnant, she chooses to keep the baby, who is later stillborn. Her defiance feels courageous for the 1930s and remains so today: “Cora didn’t go anywhere to have her child. Nor tried to hide it. When the baby grew big within her, she didn’t feel that it was a disgrace. … Cora was humble and shameless before the fact of the child. There were no Negroes in Melton to gossip, and she didn’t care what the white people said. ...

story.” She asks the question that haunts her: “Do you still cling? Or are you willing/ to let another call my womb/ home?”

People expect women to feel regret after an abortion, but studies show that the most prevalent feeling is relief. In “The Virginity Thief (A Letter to My Man),” Thylias Moss attributes many of her personal and professional achievements to her choice to terminate a pregnancy.

She says that her life was “made possible because I had an abortion following my loss of virginity: rape

“People expect women to feel regret after an obortion, but studies show that the most prevalent feeling is relief.”

We don’t often hear from the women who terminate a pregnancy under duress – how would we? But literature allows us to imagine the voices that have been silenced. In “Abortion,” the late poet Ai writes from the point of view of a man who has come home to find his wife has aborted their child: “What can I say, except that I’ve heard/ the poor have no children, just small people/ and there is room only for one man in this house.”

Langston Hughes is one of the few men in the collection.

Although famous for his poetry, the collection includes one of his

Let the people talk.”

In “The Mother,” Gwendolyn Brooks describes abortion as an act of love: “Abortions will not let you forget./ You remember the children you got that you did not get.” She adds: “Believe me, I knew you, though faintly, and I loved, I loved you/ All.” In “Haint,” Teri Cross Davis wonders if the aborted child is still inhabiting her womb, causing later miscarriages: “Science tells me/ you are still whispering/ inside my bones/ that years from now/ cut me to the marrow/ and microscopes will read/ the rings of your insistent

at age fifteen that resulted in pregnancy fathered by Charles Jones, twenty-five-year-old Deacon in my mother’s church, and director of the choir I was in.”

Feminist icon, poet Audre Lorde describes her own abortion as a shift “from safety towards self-preservation,” and Gen X poet Lauren K. Alleyne echoes that sentiment in “Gretel: Unmothering” – “There is a live thing inside me,/ I know—I carry its heart./ Forgive me, little bun,/ but I am no oven.”

DESIREE COOPER IS THE AUTHOR OF KNOW THE MOTHER. BLACdetroit.com • APRIL 2020 • BLAC 13

Staying Active for a

Lifetime

Through five neighborhood hubs – with over 40 different programs – the Detroit Area Agency on Aging is redefining adult health and wellness in Detroit.

Here, one Detroiter shares how these programs have impacted her life.

N

SO – Northwest Wellness Center is a home away from home for Carolyn Welch. After her retirement, a friend recommended a popular exercise class there – just four miles from her home. After one class, she never looked back.

Over the last two years, Welch shed 30 pounds through exercise, a healthier diet and a series of workshops to help manage her chronic conditions, including arthritis and hypertension. These health and wellness programs are unique to five Community Wellness Service Centers supported by the Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA).

NSO – Northwest Wellness Center is one of them, located at Northwest Activities Center.

Welch’s involvement has had a major impact on her overall quality of life and well-being. “As long as I’m alive, I want to be as healthy and active as I can be,” Welch says.

To achieve that goal, she rises every weekday morning at 7:30 to participate in classes at two different locations.

This wasn’t always the case, though. In fact, prior to retirement, Welch’s career in nursing led to a position in health administration, which resulted in her spending more time off her feet. Anyone with a desk job knows how hard it can be to get in those extra steps each day. For Welch, a sedentary lifestyle led to weight gain and a heart attack.

Welch’s involvement with the DAAA has led to her healthy, connected life – one she didn’t imagine 20 years ago – a life filled with everything from social events, to travel, to continuing education.

“There’s no reason to stay home bored,” she explains. “The wellness centers have so many programs – there’s something for everyone.”

Welch has also made time to volunteer with the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. She is now a trainer for Creating Confident Caregivers, a popular class for family caregivers. In addition, she is a program leader for Walk with Ease, designed for people living with arthritis.

14 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

Welch’s transformation is a testament to DAAA’s commitment to the people it serves. It is also an inspiration to peers who see her in action and say, “Hey, I should do that!”

The Detroit Area Agency on Aging is a nonprofit organization that serves older people, adults with disabilities and people caring for loved ones residing in Detroit, the five Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, Harper Woods and Highland Park. Read on for more about the DAAA and its Community Wellness Service Centers.

Promoting Health & Wellness

Some 150,000 people age 60 and over live in Detroit and eight adjoining communities served by

the DAAA. Whether seniors are active or frail, the agency is a one-stop resource for the information and services they need related to nutrition, care management, benefits counseling and more.

Whether you are looking for more physical activity, support as a caregiver, find volunteer opportunities, the DAAA can help.

The five Community Wellness Service Centers provide their own mix of activities, in addition to health and wellness programming. The common goal of each center is to help individuals reduce isolation, increase physical fitness and improve overall health.

The Detroit Area Agency on Aging is a non-profit organization that serves older people, adults with disabilities and people caring for loved ones residing in Detroit, the five Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, Harper Woods and Highland Park. Read on for more about the DAAA and its Community Wellness Service Centers.

Carolyn Welch outside of the Northwest Activities Center

Community Wellness Resource Centers

A note from Ronald S. Taylor, CEO of the DAAA

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n active lifestyle is the key to a longer, healthier life. However, for caregivers and older adults, it isn’t always easy to find the time or the resources needed to focus on one’s health and wellness.

Our five Community Wellness Service Centers help ensure that adults age 60 and over – with different ability levels – are able to participate in programs and services to promote healthy aging. A lack of information, limited access to health care and unhealthy lifestyles can take their toll and lead to multiple chronic conditions, which can shorten lives.

This is not the future we want for our community.

Through our network of wellness centers, free preventive measures can foster healthier lifestyles and prolong life. Individuals can empower themselves and look forward to better health. And all of us can look forward to a better quality of life. It starts with one call to us at 313-446-4444.

The Detroit Area Agency on Aging is your Senior Solution!

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NSO – Northwest Wellness Center 18100 Meyers Rd. Detroit, MI 48235 313-397-8227

Community Services 2 People’s Adult Day and Wellness Center 8625 Joseph Campau St. Hamtramck, MI 48212 313-875-1750

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LA SED Senior Wellness Center 7150 W. Vernor Highway Detroit, MI 48209 313-841-8840

Content brought to you by the Detroit Area Agency on Aging.

For more information, visit detroitseniorsolution.org.

Patrick Senior Center 4 St. 58 Parsons St. Detroit, MI 48201 313-833-7080

Helm at the Boll Life Center 5 The 158 Ridge Rd.

Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 313-882-9600

High Society The state’s first dispensaries started selling marijuana for recreational use this year, attitudes around weed use have relaxed significantly and most of the pop, including our presidential candidates, support decriminalizing the sticky icky. As cannabis kids rejoice, uncertainties still loom. When will Detroit get in the Mary Jane game? And what happens to the Black bodies still locked up on weed charges – and the ones whose prior conviction may bar them access to this exciting new industry?

BY PARIS GILES

O

n Nov. 6, 2018, Michigan voters approved Proposal 1 by nearly 56%, creating the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act. In short, MRTMA made Michigan the first state in the Midwest to legalize the possession and use of recreational marijuana for adults over 21. The law allows for possession of up to 2.5 ounces of weed while out and about, and at home, you can keep up to 10 ounces and cultivate up to 12 plants for per-

sonal use. It also made it possible for entrepreneurs to apply for recreational licenses to sell, but with a caveat – municipalities can limit or prohibit dispensaries in their jurisdiction, and 80% of them opted out – including Detroit.

A booming industry

Cannabis Legal Group founder and principal attorney Barton

Morris Jr. says because Michigan’s licensing program gives control to the cities rather than some overarching state-run entity, that makes it more favorable than those in other states.

“These cities are taking advantage of the opportunity to be able to do it on their terms in their time,” he says. Morris has been instrumental in the grassroots effort to destigmatize and legalize cannabis. He’s an official spokesperson for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol

Marijuana flowers provided by 1st Quality Medz in River Rouge. Photo by Lauren Jeziorski.

BLACdetroit.com • APRIL 2020 • BLAC 17

and a council member of the Marijuana Law Section of the Michigan Bar Association.

“Detroit is definitely going to adopt an ordinance that’s going to provide opportunities for recreational marijuana retail stores, but they’re doing it in their own time – and they want to do it in a way that’s right and that includes opportunities for social equity,” Morris says.

The first recreational dispensary in Wayne County to start selling to the public is Black- and woman-owned.

River Rouge’s 1st Quality Medz was already established as a medical dispensary, and in January, they began stretching their recreational legs. 1st Quality also operates a provisioning center and a Class C cultivation center, which allows them to grow and cultivate up to 2,000 plants.

Owner Vetra Stephens says the process of obtaining additional licensing was smooth since she’d already wedged a foot in the door with the medical operation and built a rapport with the powers that be in Lansing. Stephens says the state has been interested in speaking with business owners like herself to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.

“I’m at everything,” Stephens says of her industry engagement.

“I stay involved as it relates to this whole process. It’s all been brand new to Michigan. I think the state didn’t want to use what Denver had in place, or California or Vegas. I think they wanted to take what they thought worked and then create new things.”

Stephens says it was disease that first drew her business partner and herself to cannabis. Stephens suffers from lupus, an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks normal, healthy tissue resulting in inflammation and damage to the joints, skin and other organs, and

18 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

her partner had late-stage cancer.

They tried Rick Simpson oil, and, Stephens says, “It helped us, both of us.

Our eyes were opened to this plant.”

Rick Simpson oil is a THC-heavy extract developed by the marijuana enthusiast. His main claim is that it treats cancer, and also that it’s effective against multiple sclerosis, arthritis, inflammation, high blood pressure and other ailments.

A 2014 study published by the American Association for Cancer Research found that THC and CBD extracts coupled with radiation appeared to increase the effectiveness of the radiation against an aggressive form of brain cancer in mice. Though, a different 2004 study on human cells suggests that THC may actually increase the growth rate of certain lung and brain cancer cells.

Most doctors and scientists agree that we’re a long way from making a conclusive statement about if and how cannabinoids work against cancer and other serious illnesses.

A societal shi

Stephens is a church gal with a background in theater – and she uses and sells marijuana. At play in the passing of Prop 1 is the steady relaxing of attitudes about weed – and the visibility of more users has busted any myths around the “type” of person who gets high.

In the two hours we spent at Stephens’ shop, I spotted everyone from the nerdy tech guy to the middle-aged empty nesters. “There was a stereotype,” Stephens says.

“You thought, ‘Oh, he must not have a belt; his music must be this or that.’

But it’s different.” She says they get in “average people.”

The fear of and aversion to marijuana in America has racist roots.

Writer Emily Dufton’s book Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America quotes a 1917 Treasury Department report that said its chief concern was that “Mexicans and sometimes Negroes and lower class whites” smoked marijuana for pleasure and were apt to assault upper-class white women under its influence.

A 2019 Time magazine article references a 1911 writing by a member of California’s State Board of Pharmacy about the fear that a recent wave of immigration from India had brought with it a demand for weed, and that this “very undesirable lot” was “initiating our whites into this habit.”

That same article quotes historian Isaac Campos, author of Home Grown: Marijuana and the Origins of Mexico’s War on Drugs: “Cannabis came to gain this reputation in the 19th century, when it starts to appear as a recreational substance that’s smoked in cigarettes and is overwhelmingly concentrated in some of Mexico’s most marginal environments – prisons and soldiers’ barracks. So you have this drug that’s kind of associated with danger and indigenous Mexico, then in these environments associated with violence and danger.”

It continues, “Then this mixes with a bunch of other stuff – (such as) widespread anti-alcohol sentiment especially among the elites – and that led people to think a drug like marijuana could trigger violent, savage responses in its users. Then all of this mixes with sensationalism in the press, which was always excited to write about violent incidents with the lower classes.” Especially the Black and brown lower classes.

White and Black people use

marijuana at roughly the same rates, but, across the country, Black people are almost four times as likely to be arrested for possession, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union. In states with the worst disparities, so says the ACLU report, Black people are over six times as likely to be arrested. Initiatives like the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act will obviously start to combat the problem – that and a continuing calming of nerves.

Still, Michigan is one of only 11 states where cannabis is legal for recreational use and one of 33 where it’s legal for medical use. A September 2019 Pew Research Center survey found that 67% of people favor legalizing marijuana; in 2000, 63% of people surveyed said that weed should be illegal.

Attorney Morris thinks the momentum will continue. In his past attempts to enact ordinances to legalize marijuana, he says, “I used to debate the opponents on a weekly basis and many of those arguments made, people aren’t even discussing anymore – like it being a gateway drug. That was one of their biggest arguments. I think people are now recognizing that it’s no more of a gateway drug than cigarettes or alcohol. People are now getting to understand the reality of it as opposed to just hearing propaganda.”

He says other fears like increased youth use and impaired driving have been disproven.

Propaganda and fear still abound, though. Last Halloween, the Johnstown, Pennsylvania police department issued a warning to parents on Facebook: Mischievous stoners were

looking to secretly drug kids with edibles disguised as Halloween candy.

Cannabis fans collectively rolled their eyes and laughed hysterically. Seriously, they couldn’t stop. As if they’d give away their edibles to costumed children. The post was apparently inspired by a drug bust in the area during which authorities recovered

condition of employment, as allowed for in MRTMA. Never mind that the weed may have been ingested weeks before the applicant sought the job or on the current employee’s day off.

Morris says, “The whole intent was to treat marijuana like alcohol and regulate marijuana like alcohol.

Employers, though, do have the right to not permit their employees to drink alcohol, but nobody does that because everybody drinks alcohol.

Over time, I think the same thing will be set for marijuana: that employers will be less and less likely to prohibit their employees from using marijuana off the job as long as it doesn’t interfere with their performance on the job.”

He says, “20 years from now, it’s not going to be an issue.”

“White and Black people

use marijuana at roughly

the same rates, but, across the country, Black people are almost four times as likely to be arrested for possession.”

394 Nerds ropes laced with THC. When pressed by Rolling Stone, the police captain said there was “absolutely no evidence” that the ropes were intended for trick-or-treaters.

Employers here in Michigan and around the country still widely set the absence of THC in the system as a

Leveling off

A key argument for the legalization of marijuana across all states is that to put the power with the people and with governments is to take it away from murderous cartels.

We saw what the prohibition of alcohol did for organized crime in this country. The drink was consumed no less frequently than before it was illegal, but introduced into the equation were gangsters like Al Capone and Charles “Lucky” Luciano who made hundreds of millions of dollars on the sale of illegal booze.

The legends of these bootleggers and their Tommy guns make for fun fodder for movies and bus tours, but the carnage was real and the era birthed black-market schemes and money laundering tactics that paved the way for other illegal operations

BLACdetroit.com • APRIL 2020 • BLAC 19

once Prohibition ended – ones that still hang around today.

It’s true that as the United States has relaxed its stance on marijuana, Mexican drug cartels have turned less and less to trafficking illegal weed.

U.S Customs and Border Protection statistics show a steady decline since 2015 in the amount of marijuana seized at the border. In fiscal year 2015 (Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2015), agents confiscated 602,821 pounds of weed and in fiscal year 2019, just 289,529 pounds. But it’s not quite that black and white.

As USA Today and other outlets report, these violent gangs have instead upped the production and smuggling of heroine to feed America’s opioid appetite, one reason why some have proposed decriminalizing opioids and other hard drugs as well – but that’s a different article.

Ironically, Morris says, “The opioid epidemic absolutely played a significant role” in shifting the conversation around marijuana use and legalization. He says, “Cannabis has been proven, in areas in states where it’s been legalized, to reduce opioid-related deaths, hospitalizations and overdoses.” The authors of a peer-reviewed 2019 article published in Injury Epidemiology analyzed 16 studies and the data pool revealed that legalized medical marijuana was associated with a “statistically non-significant” 8% reduction in opioid overdose mortality and a 7% reduction in opioids dispensed.

Additionally, “Legalizing marijuana for recreational use was associated with an additional 7% reduction in opioid overdose mortality in Colorado and 6% reduction in opioid prescriptions among fee-for-service Medicaid and managed care enrollees.”

Cannabis is not a plant without its

problems, though. Several studies suggest a correlation between repeated and continued use of high-potency cannabis and an increased risk of psychosis, especially in those already prone to mental illness. And in November, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

“Cannabis has been proven, in areas in states where it’s been legalized, to reduce opioidrelated deaths, hospitalizations and overdoses.”

issued a temporary emergency ban on all marijuana vaping products following a slew of vape-related illnesses and deaths. The governor wanted to test for the suspected culprit vitamin E acetate, a cheap cutting agent sometimes used to thicken or dilute

THC vaping liquids.

“Vaping is a significant part of the industry,” Morris says. “(The ban) hit it hard because there’s tons of consumers that that’s their choice of ingestion.” He says vapes are desired, especially among women, for their discreetness and lack of odor. “This is another example of an evolution of an industry and of a controlled substance that has been significantly ignored and the opportunities for its medical benefit, but also for its safety issues, hasn’t been explored yet.”

Some are concerned whether Black Detroit will be excluded from this ever-evolving industry. More than that, perhaps, is the question of restorative justice for the thousands of Black and brown bodies locked behind bars on weed possession charges – or physically free but carrying the burden of a conviction with every job application they fill out.

A criticism of Michigan’s new law is that it made no allowance for the expungement of those records. In November, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a wide-ranging legislative package that, if passed in the Senate, could allow for the expungement of some marijuana-related convictions.

As for a seat at the table, Morris says just as municipalities were given the power to disallow dispensaries from setting up in their areas, when they do finally come around, it’ll be their responsibility to make sure more than just “new” Detroit is represented.

He says, “These cities, like the city of Detroit, really have to take control of the opportunity to ensure that there is some social equity in their ordinances, because if they don’t, there’s not going to be the diversity that is necessary and appropriate in the industry.”

PARIS GILES IS BLAC DETROIT’S SENIOR EDITOR.

20 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

SisterFriends Detroit is Linking

Expectant Moms with Dedicated Mentors

The Detroit Health Department program assigns mentors to moms to be in an effort to decrease the infant and maternal mortality rates, and foster healthy families.

F

ew times are as overwhelming in a woman’s life as when she’s preparing to birth a new baby. Am I asking my obstetrician the right questions? Is this car seat safe? Should I breastfeed? For how long? The questions are nearly endless, and for many moms to be, it’s not just answers they need – it’s access to resources. SisterFriends Detroit aims to ease the minds of expectant moms by

pairing them with caring mentors who act as emotional and mental support systems that can connect them to crucial resources, like transportation to and from doctor’s appointments. The duo is matched while

mom – “little sister” – is pregnant, as early on as possible.

Director of Community Outreach Shirley Gray says mentors are expected to “walk beside” the little sister until the baby is 1 year old. The hard truth is this: A hand to hold during pregnancy and in the months after could mean the difference between life and death. “Our goal is to have full-term, healthy babies, and then keep that baby healthy until the first birthday,” Gray says. “We realized that many of our mothers face barriers in term of accessing quality prenatal care, social isolation and environmental stressors that affect the outcomes and put them at higher risk” for preterm labor, low birth weight or worse. Since its inception, over 600 expectant moms have been matched to a mentor through SisterFriends Detroit, and no children have been lost.

SisterFriend mentors need only be over age 21, committed, compassionate, nonjudgmental, reliable, honorable and trustworthy. Mentors submit to a background check, and once approved, attend a two-hour orientation to learn about what the program entails. They'll be introduced to available resources related to infant safety, breastfeeding, housing, health care and more.

Mentors are also required to attend at least four monthly educational sessions, which are filled with fun activities and important resources. Throughout the program, they're expected to offer one-on-one mentoring and

support little sisters, who are also assigned a community health worker to provide additional assistance and guidance.

Social worker and St. Clair Shores resident Beverly Weathington signed up to become a SisterFriends mentor. She was matched with Detroiter Lativa Wilson when Wilson was entering her third trimester of pregnancy. “I could tell just through that first phone conversation that ( Wilson) was just so committed to being the best mom possible and that she knew having support could help that happen, and she was very open to support,” Weathington says. “She really, really was excited about the upcoming birth of this baby and she wanted to make sure she was doing everything possible to give her baby just the best advantage.”

After a difficult labor and delivery – one Weathington thinks could’ve turned bad had she not had support – Wilson gave birth to Kaden Jermaine Wilson in January. “By the time she was in labor, she had enough trust in me, and I had total confidence in her,” Weathington says. Wilson agrees, saying, “She just kept talking me through it like, ‘You can do this. You got it.’ I was kind of scared to get a SisterFriend because I thought we wouldn’t connect, but me and Ms. Beverly, we connected.”

SISTERFRIENDS DETROIT is looking for more mentor s. For information, or to sign up to be a mentor or a lit tle sister, call 313-961-BABY or visit sister friendsdetroit.com.

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THINGS BLACK FOLK CAN DO TO HELP NARROW THE

22 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

WEALTH GAP

S

BY PARIS GILES

peaking generally, white people make more money than Black people. Duh, right? That’s no huge surprise, but what may be jarring is just how much more. Calculations by the Federal Reserve Board showed that, in 2016, the median wealth for Black families in America was $17,600 compared with white families’ wealth of $171,000 – 10 times more. This is no stroke of bad luck. At work is an interconnected, overlapping, centuries-old web of racist policies put in place to enact a very deliberate beating down and keeping down of Black people.

Change must happen on a policy level, no doubt, but we are not powerless in the meantime.

We called on economist and assistant professor of economics at the University of Detroit Mercy Dr. Ablaye Camara and ELE Wealth Management president and CEO Ellis Liddell to understand what we can do to help command control of our financial future.

Plan for a Family Babies may be cute little bundles of joy, but they’ll cost you a bundle of bank. According to a report from the Department of Agriculture, for a family in the overall median income range ($59,200-$107,400) to raise a child born in 2015 through age 17, will cost an estimated $233,610, or about $14,000 per year.

Liddell on child care: He says you should discuss whether you both will continue to work, or, if one of you will stay home, which one. “Those decisions need to made before you conceive. Because if you aren’t clear on that, and your wife’s idea is, ‘I want to stay home’ and the man’s thinking, ‘No, I’ll be the one staying home,’ y’all are going to have a problem, because somebody’s got to go to work.” If someone else is going to keep the baby, then you’ve got resolve whether you’ll pay for a preschool or day care – which can average between $372 to $1,100 per month, according to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.

Liddell on college savings plans: He likes 529 plans, which are college savings plans sponsored by a state or state agency. But, he says, “Most people don’t save enough money for that. Whatever your car payment is, is what your payment to your child’s 529 plan should be.” He recommends asking grandparents and other relatives to give to the plan instead of toys and gifts for birthdays and holidays.

Embrace Technology

Invest Your Money

Whether taking advantage of Facebook and Instagram to market your business or downloading budgeting and bill pay apps like Mint, making smart use of technology will be imperative as our world becomes more digital.

Keep your cash somewhere where it can make money for you. High-yield savings accounts – which typically pay a higher interest rate than traditional savings accounts – real estate and stock in public companies are all potentially lucrative options. But remember, these are unrealized gains. Their value doesn’t become realized until you actually sell. So, if you’re inexperienced with investing, consult a financial advisor to help you make the wisest choices.

Camara on e-banking: “Economic transactions are increasingly happening online.” E-banking and online bill pay saves on “shoe leather costs,” your expenses in time and energy. Less trips to the bank mean less gas used and less miles put on your car. “Most importantly, it actually saves time – time being a really important resource,” he says. This stored reserve can lead to improving productivity, which he says is “tantamount to earnings. We have to do everything in our power to increase the productivity of the workforce of the group for which we want to increase the net income.”

Liddell on cryptocurrency: There’s plenty of hoopla surrounding it, but he says because it’s unregulated, it’s not something we should concern ourselves with right now. Bitcoin did give us what Liddell calls “a gift” – blockchain technology, a decentralized public ledger used to record transactions across many computers. “Blockchain management allows one computer to talk to 100 computers at the same time,” he says. “You try to hack one then the other 99 computers take over and they keep switching.” This, Liddell says, will prove useful in protecting against identity theft and breaches in data security so we can protect our wealth.

Liddell on stocks: The top four companies by market capitalization are tech giants: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet (Google), according to Investopedia. “The things that you use on a regular basis, those are the things that are going to make money. The market is emotional.”

Camara on CDs: A certificate of deposit is a savings certificate with a fixed maturity date and fixed interest rate. “It’s not liquid.

You can’t just go take it out, but it’s there,” he says. Purchasing a three-month CD at 1.5% interest means that after the end of three months, the bank will add 1.5% to the amount you initially deposited, and then it’s yours to withdraw. “You can actually look at it as a savings at the same time as an investment, because you’re bringing in some kind of income from the fund that you have.”

Liddell on real estate: “I won’t call it safe. I don’t think anything’s safe anymore.

However I would call it an investment (with which) you can become a millionaire – on paper.” He says real estate in Detroit has historically been a good market, and he thinks it’ll stay that way.

5

THINGS BLACK FOLK CAN DO TO HELP NARROW THE

WEALTH GAP

Prepare for Retirement Most companies have done away with pension plans and, unless changes are made to the Social Security system, funds could run out by 2035. Money experts doubt that Congress will let it deplete and do nothing, but still, we should be proactive about our future.

Liddell on starting early: “The earlier you start planning for it, the better off you’re going to be,” he says. “If you’re a millennial, you have no choice but to save for yourself. And if you don’t save for yourself, you will work for the rest of your life, provided your body allows you to do it.”

Liddell on 401(k)s/deferred savings: Unlike pensions, deferred savings like 401(k) plans are self-managed. Many make a mistake by thinking they should just set it and forget it, but the amount you set aside should be increased one percentage point each year. He suggests starting at 10% and going up from there. “It requires active engagement.” And most employers will match what you save after a certain percentage. To those who say they can’t afford to contribute, he says, “You have to just kind of do it, you have to dive in, because you will live around what you have.”

Some authorities say it’s best to set it up before your first check, the idea being if you never see the money, you won’t ever miss it.

“When you look back at your life, the big question you want to ask is: How did I live my life? Did I enjoy it? Was it rewarding? You don’t have to have a million dollars. The goal is not to save $30,000 a year, not even to save $3,000 a year. The goal is to save some money while living your best possible life now.”

– Ellis Liddell, ELE Wealth Management

Brace for illness or death This can be tough to even discuss, never mind arrange, but it’s crucial that we’re properly prepared to get hurt or die. This looks like health insurance so that an accidental injury or unexpected illness doesn’t plunge you into a whirlwind of debt or bankrupt you, life insurance for beneficiaries and a trust so that you can manage your assets even when you’re gone.

Liddell on life insurance: “The African American community absolutely buys the most life insurance of any group in America, but the problem is we buy just e-freaking-nough to bury ourselves; we don’t buy enough to leave a legacy, not enough to make a difference in the next generation’s life. We buy small policies for $5,000 and $10,000.” If a mother of three dies with a million-dollar policy, for instance, each kid would inherit $333,333. “Most retirement plans after 40 years don’t have $330,000 in it. The easiest way to build wealth in America is through life insurance.”

Camara on creating a will: “When people pass away and they leave things without a will, it creates tension among people who are left behind, sometimes undue tensions.” This may leave the people you love fighting over your stuff, and each may need to hire expensive lawyers to sort through and divvy things up. “It may actually reduce their wealth in the end, especially if the assets left are not very valuable.”

Liddell on trusts: He says if you have more than $50,000 in assets, then everything should be in the name of a trust – the title to your home, your bank account and life insurance – if beneficiaries are not the most responsible. The trust will pay out funds in increments versus handing everything over at once. It’s “controlling your assets from the grave.”

YOUR CHILD

Help Our Children Get The Best Education And Complete The 2020 Census.

deserves the

BEST

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To make sure your school gets money for school lunches and education programs, you must complete the 2020 CENSUS this spring.

The 2020 CENSUS is quick and EASY to fill out. Use it to count EVERYONE in your home. And by law, it is 100% CONFIDENTIAL For more information go to www.mivoicecounts.org

LOVE

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CONTENT? LIKE US ON FA C E B O O K !

BLACdetroit.com • APRIL 2020 • BLAC 25

access

ED

DENI

DETROIT APRIL 2020

Come on now. You guys know all the away-from-home fun has been canceled or postponed. As much as we wish we could’ve been your saving grace, “eat,” “sleep” and “sanitize” couldn’t exactly fill five pages, and so it didn’t make much sense to publish our normal events calendar.

Rest assured: As soon as the coronavirus threat is no more and things get back to normal, our calendar will return in all its Black excellence. In the meantime, keep an eye on our online listings at BLACdetroit.com/calendar. We’ll start to rev that up again at the first sign of life. Stay strong, safe and healthy!

BLACdetroit.com/CALENDAR

THE DETROIT HEALTH DEPARTMENT

CONTINUES TO MONITOR

COVID-19

L

Detroit Health Department Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair shares the department’s efforts against COVID-19 and helps us stay healthy.

ong before Michigan confirmed its first case of novel coronavirus, the Detroit Health Department had been preparing its team to deal with COVID-19.

For weeks, the Detroit Health Department has been analyzing ever-evolving information from the state and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention daily, fielding questions from health care workers, educating the community on the ground and through social media, and readying tailored public service announcements.

They’re also offering guidance on individual assessments through the Communicable Diseases department. “Our role at the Detroit Health Department is to promote the safety and wellbeing of residents and visitors to our city,” says Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair. At the time of this writing, confirmed cases of COVID-19 had surpassed 372,000 globally, with over 49,000 cases being reported in the United States – resulting in at least 624 deaths. In early March, the World Health Organization officially declared the outbreak a pandemic, and as of March 24, 551 cases and at least eight deaths had been reported in Detroit.

Caution and diligence are warranted, but the Detroit Health Department warns against panic. According to the World Health Organization, about 80% of those infected with COVID-19 recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Fair says, “Our goal is to reduce anxiety and reduce fear.” The best ways to protect against the spread of COVID-19 are to wash your hands routinely for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face, stay home when you feel ill, avoid close proximity to people who are sick, cough into a tissue and immediately dispose of it, and clean and disinfect surfaces regularly.

The Detroit Health Department also recommends that you get the flu vaccine.

While the flu shot won’t protect you from COVID-19 directly, it does have an indi-

The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bust COVID-19 myths.

• COVID-19 can be transmitted in all areas, including warm and humid climates.

• Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill COVID-19.

• Taking a hot bath will not prevent you from catching COVID-19.

Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair

rect effect on responsiveness. Because the symptoms of COVID-19 can mimic those of other ailments – fever, fatigue and dry cough – patients going to the hospital with these symptoms, which may be caused by the common cold or seasonal flu, can bog down the health care system, deplete valuable resources and make it harder to identify those infected with COVID-19.

However, if you do develop symptoms, call your primary care physician or the Detroit Health Department for the appropriate next steps. Fair says, “Residents can trust that the Detroit Health Department will maintain diligence and preparedness.”

• COVID-19 CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.

• COVID-19 CANNOT be spread between pets, like cats and dogs, and humans.

• Vaccines for pneumonia, like the pneumococcal vaccine and the Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not protect against COVID-19.

• Antibiotics are NOT effective against COVID-19. Antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria.

• There is NO evidence of COVID-19 transmission associated with food.

Coronaviruses are generally spread from person-to-person through respiratory droplets.

Sources: who.int, cdc.gov

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COVID -19, visit detroitmi.gov/depar tments/detroithealthdepar tment, call the Detroit Health Depar tment at 313-876-4000 or email DHDoutbreak@detroitmi.gov.

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D LIFE

SEEN

Campus Martius Ice Rink Spring Fever Weekend

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o close the Frankenmuth Rink at Campus Martius for the season and usher in spring, guests showed up March 6-8 ready to ice skate and party, silent disco-style. They also enjoyed live bands, contests, specialty cocktails and more.

Photos by Starpointe Photography

Danielle Bessant, Melissa Clarke

Katrina Johnson, Lyric Johnson, Josiah Howard, Randall Johnson

Duriajaiye Lewis, Sarah Fischer

Reggie Drew, Tahara Drew, Rayshaun Drew

Char Charles, Insiyah Shaheed 28 BLAC • APRIL 2020 • BLACdetroit.com

Athena Johnson

Ryan Pitts, Julius Stevens

Stand Up and Be Counted!

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he stakes are sky high for the 2020 Census, which has officially launched.

AARP reminds Metro Detroiters about the importance of reaching out to family and friends to make sure they fill out the Census form and mail it back, or go online and complete the form.

Also, if you have elderly neighbors or family members please check in on them to see that they are completing the form.

Participating in the Census means getting counted so your community receives the federal funding it is due over the next 10 years.

And remember, the decennial tally is also used to determine the number of the state’s representatives in Congress.

Over 300 federal programs allocating more than $1 trillion to state and local governments are linked to the census-derived statistics.

CHECK OUT

BRENDA PRICE, AARP Michigan Associate State Director for Community Outreach

The list of programs impacted is a long one, topped by state allocations for Medicare and Medicaid. Also affected are child health insurance, Head Start programs, public transportation, foster care, adoption assistance, child care and development.

In addition, the information you give can help uncover health and environmental disparities in your community and inform future policies and funding decisions, and help combat employment discrimination policies and practices.

And let’s not forget highway construction spending, a big item in pothole-riddled Michigan.

The 12-question Census is quick and easy, and should take about 10 minutes to complete. It’s safe, secure and confidential. Your information and privacy will be protected.

You should have received by now an invitation to respond to the 2020 Census and a reminder letter or postcard. A final reminder postcard will be sent out later this month. Those who do not respond will receive a paper form. Enumerators will follow up in person to knock on doors of non-responders through July.

For more information on the Census and how you can help, please email Brenda Price at bprice@aarp.org Visit 2020census.gov to see an interactive version of the sample Census form with each of the questions asked and links to the different ways to respond.

Also available on that site are links to Census 2020 guides in Spanish and 58 other languages, as well as accessible versions in large print and American Sign Language.

Go to aarp.org/Census2020 to find out how the Census count affects older adults, how to be alert for Census scams, getting a Census job, and other information.

AARP urges Detroiters and all Michiganders to define their decade!

THE FRAUD WATCH NETWORK AT

aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork