BLACdetroit.com
Black Life, Arts & Culture
MIND YOUR BUSINESS 5 pages of local Black-owned establishments
A GLIMPSE BACK RECALLING THE JULY 2020 / COMPLIMENTARY
MONUMENTAL MOMENTS IN THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS – AS WE SUIT UP FOR A MODERN-DAY BATTLE
CHANGED BEHAVIOR? Oakland County hires its first chief diversity officer
HEALTH ADVICE FROM ASCENSION MICHIGAN
Why do Black lives matter in health care? Dr. Teniesha Wright-Jones, D.O.
F
or Dr. Teniesha WrightJones, D.O., representation and understanding are as important as “do no harm” when it comes to a community’s health – especially Black and minority communities. Dr. Wright-Jones, Ascension Medical Group physician and program director for family residency medicine at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, says, “For truly transformative health care, patients need to have someone they can identify with and trust. When little Black kids see doctors that look like them, doing well and giving back, they know this career path really is a possibility for them.” Dr. Wright-Jones says, “I wanted to provide primary care in a community setting similar to the ones I
received care in growing up. There are a lot of reasons why I decided to come to Southfield, but top of the list, was to serve the African American patients in this area. I wanted to become part of addressing disparities by identifying, understanding and engaging with the community.” Over 40% of the people who have died due to COVID-19 in Michigan were African Americans, while Black people make up only 14% of the state’s population. In the wake of COVID-19, which has disproportionately affected the Black community nationwide, and weeks of protests in response to the death of George Floyd and others at the hands of police, Ascension came out strongly in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Dr. Wright-Jones championed
the White Coats for Black Lives rally that happened on June 5. Hundreds of doctors, residents, med students and hospital staff across the country and from Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield and Novi gathered for a demonstration that featured various speakers, presentations and, for eight minutes and 46 seconds, they knelt in silence in honor of George Floyd and all the other Black Americans lost to police brutality and disease. “Of course Black lives matter, but not just in terms of social justice. In order for all lives to matter, Black ones have to matter in areas like education and health care, too,” Dr. Wright-Jones says. “The COVID crisis hit us twice as hard as anyone else. I want to do my part in dismantling implicit bias and barriers
that may hold us back, in particular health care disparities.” Ascension Michigan has several community-based campuses throughout metro Detroit and they are committed to caring for all people with special attention paid to those most vulnerable. They offer financial counseling and assistance to help address any concerns patients or families may have regarding their care. “It’s really about giving back and being an active part of the change,” Dr. Wright-Jones says. “Ascension works to understand the disparities that affect the communities in which we serve, and we take them into account every single day. Starting small with even just one patient a day will make a big change.”
GET MORE HEALTH INFORMATION AND FIND A DOCTOR NEAR YOU BY VISITING ASCENSION.ORG/MICHIGAN OR CALLING 866-501-DOCS (3627)
SPONSORED CONTENT
JULY 2020
INSIDE 4
Online at BLACdetroit.com
FEATURES 15
DIVERSITY HIRE Oakland County’s new chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer Robin Carter-Cooper prepares for her new role
18
BILLY + BLAC Q&A with BLAC’s new publisher Billy Strawter Jr.
22
TIME TRAVEL A look back at civil rights history
DEPARTMENTS 8
DISCOVER Browse our Black business roundup, and catch up on all the reopening buzz
13
DETROIT PROPER Lessons learned so far in the year of the bizarre
NEW DEPARTMENT dedicated to visual art 14 APPRAISED Artist Tylonn Sawyer uses race, politics and pop culture to challenge the status quo 29
ACCESS Your need-to-know rules of engagement by venue type
30
SEEN Out and about on Belle Isle
SPONSORED
15
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WHY DO BLACK LIVES MATTER IN HEALTH CARE? RACHEAL ALLEN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MARYGROVE CONSERVANCY
D LIFE
BLACdetroit.com
Online in July Visit BLACdetroit.com for web exclusives and to stay up on what’s happening in Black Detroit
Opinion Piece BLAC’s former editor Aaron Foley returns with a new monthly column.
Gearing Up Everything you need to know about Michigan’s new no-fault auto
insurance law.
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Treat the Heat Easy and refreshing summer cocktails.
SEEN Galleries Check out the full digital gallery. Did we spot you?
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A year-long series featuring Detroiters who are driving positive change in their communities.
Driving Community Sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund
Racheal Allen Chief Operating Officer Marygrove Conservancy This Marygrove alumna has returned to the campus to continue the institution’s legacy of educating the community and preserving history.
A s of December 2019, Marygrove College is no more. But the northwest Detroit campus remains – and will continue to prioritize education under the tutelage of Marygrove Conservancy, established in 2018 to oversee operations for the 53-acre campus. Chief Operating Officer Racheal Allen is a graduate of Marygrove College, and she’s returned to the historic grounds determined to keep the party going. Marygrove’s groundbreaking P-20 partnership is inching closer to completion. The campus will become an interconnected web of cradle-to-career educational institutions and programs. An early childhood education center is scheduled to open fall 2021, and a K-8 elementary and middle school is under construction now. A high school – The School at Marygrove – opened with an inaugural ninth grade class last September, and, come fall, they’ll launch 10th grade. The School at Marygrove is currently a Detroit Public Schools 6 BLAC • JULY 2020 • BLACdetroit.com
Community District application school that grants preference to students from a two-mile catchment area. Allen says, “It really is meant to attract students from the neighborhood, although it’s a magnet school that attracts students from all across the city. (DPSCD) really wanted to give priority to those who are of the neighborhood, because that’s what the Marygrove campus is about. Although we serve those from all over the city, the conservancy is really making a concerted effort to prioritize programming for those in the Fitzgerald and Bagley communities.” She says partnerships, like the one with DPSCD, have been crucial. Also at the table is the University of Michigan School of Education, Detroit Collaborative Design Center, IFF, Starfish Family Services and, of course, The Kresge Foundation, whose headlinegrabbing $50 million endowment is making it all possible. “Having those organizations as partners is
“Ford Fund believes that investing in the needs of our youth is an essential step toward empowering
really critical to envisioning what state-of-the-art programming looks like versus what we traditionally see,” Allen says. “And so, it’s been really nice to have the kind of meetings where we’re really dreaming up the type of campus that should exist.” As programming evolves, additional partners will prove necessary. Allen says they’re actively looking for organizations who want to be on the Marygrove campus. In September, they’re introducing their impact incubator to host and support nonprofits who fit within their P-20 vision. As the campus reopens after a months-long shutdown, the conservancy is specifically hoping to be a beacon for those businesses and orgs hit hard by COVID that may not be able to afford space elsewhere. Marygrove hasn’t been immune to the economic difficulty, either.
The campus is home to a number of event spaces that are usually rented out for weddings, business functions and the like, so they’ve taken a revenue hit along with the rest of the world. “When the opportunity came to come to Marygrove, it felt like a role that could not have been better created for someone,” Allen says, who came on board as COO in December as the institution was transitioning from historic college to something brand new. She was a teen mom and high school dropout, but Allen did eventually graduate with a 4.0 GPA and says, “I could’ve had my choice of colleges across the country, but the only school I applied to was Marygrove College.” Allen graduated from Marygrove in 2006 and started her career in education and entrepreneurship. She was a principal before moving into education opera-
tions. She says, “I really fell in love with being able to manage physical plans and all of the behind-the-scenes ways that large organizations operate.” The native Detroiter also worked for Detroit Downtown Partnership managing their cleaning and hospitality program before her newest gig. “Not only did I have that tie to the Marygrove community – a place that is very special to me, for the last 20 years – I also intimately know operations and older and historic buildings that have these really unique challenges. It’s a dream job. I literally pinch myself when I go on campus every day.” The Marygrove Conservancy is committed to hiring and contracting with small, local and minority-owned businesses and to making sure the community is at the forefront of every decision made. Allen says it’s important that “people who look like me are represented in the way that this organization is developed.” She says they’re also determined to continue Marygrove’s legacy of arts and cultural engagement. They’ve developed the Center for Detroit Arts & Culture to provide programming related to literary arts, music, dance and more. “Although the college no longer exists in its traditional way as an educational institution,” Allen says, “we believe that there is a ton of value in making sure that those types of programs continue.”
our communities for a promising future.” Ford Congratulates Racheal Allen on her new position as chief operating officer of Marygrove Conservancy, a new force to help ensure that education is the foundation for success. Ford Fund believes that education is key to making lives better, creating social change and building sustainable communities. And that’s why Ford Fund invests more than $16 million annually to support education initiatives that empower people to envision and lead change in their communities or in their own lives. Ford Fund believes the best way to learn is by doing – by taking classroom knowledge and applying it in the real world. Our belief in the power of learning and doing something meaningful with that education is a key driver in the educational investments we make around the world. Ford is proud to recognize Racheal Allen on her new role, and we’re excited to watch Marygrove Conservancy become the positive force for change that the metro Detroit community needs. For more information about Ford’s educational programs, please visit community. ford.com
– Pamela Alexander, director of community development for Ford Motor Company
NEIGHBORHOOD TIES Marygrove Conservancy is looking to partner with community-based organizations. For more information or to get involved, visit marygroveconservancy.org.
BLACdetroit.com • JULY 2020 • BLAC 7
D LIFE
DISCOVER By Ebony Jones
Black in Business W
hen I was thinking of putting this list together, I often thought about traveling to those cities traditionally associated with deep-rooted history like Chicago or New York and visiting a small family business that’s made it to its fifth generation of ownership. But then I remembered. That history is right here in Detroit. Whether it’s a tiny burger spot or decades-old ice cream shop, it means something to have community staples that greatgrandfathers visited as little boys and can now take their greatgrandsons to. These past few months have been tough on the city’s small businesses. The hard truth is that many won’t recover, but for the ones lucky enough to be reopening, they’re doing so to a public that’s hungry for change – and eager to shop Black.
Food and Beverage
Fresh Life Detroit Photo By Starpointe Photography
Black and Mobile This food delivery service with locations in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Detroit is the first in the country that specifically partners with Black-owned restaurants. REOPENING BUZZ: Visit their website for a complete list of partner restaurants. COVID PREPARED: Currently offering contactless delivery. blackandmobile.com
Narrow Way Cafe & Shop Located on the Avenue of Fashion, this familyowned business offers a stress-free ambiance and a relaxing cup of your favorite coffee. REOPENING BUZZ: Join the Narrow Way Stress-Free Java Club, and, every month, have 12-ounce bag of unique coffee delivered right to your doorstep. COVID PREPARED: Inside dining is currently closed, but stay tuned for reopening details. 19331 Livernois Ave., Detroit thenarrowwaycafe.com
Fresh Life Detroit
Detroit Vegan Soul
Yum Village
Using local farmers and suppliers, this fresh juicing company helps Detroit-area communities cleanse, detox and create healthier habits.
Enjoy spaghetti with meatballs, seitan pepper steak and mac and cheese without the guilt because it’s all vegan at this city favorite.
REOPENING BUZZ: Currently offering contactless delivery.
REOPENING BUZZ: The East Village location is currently closed, but the Grand River spot is open for curbside pickup.
Located in the New Center area, this restaurant boasts strong African and Caribbean flavors. You can opt for milder spices or tell them to bring on the heat.
COVID PREPARED: To support their customers, Fresh Life rolled out recipes to build healthy digestive systems and immunity. They wear masks during all deliveries and additional safety measures are taken during juice prep. freshlifedetroit.com
COVID PREPARED: They’re only accepting credit and debit card payments at this time. The staff wear masks during prep and the dining room remains closed. 19614 Grand River Ave., Detroit detroitvegansoul.com
REOPENING BUZZ: Currently open for business as usual. COVID PREPARED: The staff uses masks while preparing food, and guests are asked to stay six feet apart while placing orders. 6500 Woodward Ave, Detroit yumvillage.com
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DISCOVER By Ebony Jones
Diamond Smiles Dentistry Headed by University of Michigan graduate Dr. Aisha Akpabio, this practice specializes in preventative care, general dentistry and restorative care. REOPENING BUZZ: Take advantage of their reopening promo, and get an exam, cleaning and X-rays for $69. COVID PREPARED: Patients must undergo two COVID-19 screenings before their appointment (one verbal and one written) as well as submit to a temperature check, and they’re encouraged to use the sanitation station upon entry to the office. They’ve also decreased the time spent in the waiting room to reduce patients’ interaction with one another. 13334 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit diamondsmilesdentistry.com
Moor Herbs This west-side herbalist marketplace focuses on educating and supplying patrons with herbal remedies, alkaline water, healthy beauty products and plant-based meals and smoothies.
Everette's Natural Beauty School & Salon Photo By Starpointe Photography
REOPENING BUZZ: Currently offering electromagnetic body scanning.
Health and Beauty Everette’s Natural Beauty School & Salon This family-owned and -operated full-service natural hair salon and beauty school specializes in braids, locs and twists for all your natural needs. REOPENING BUZZ: Currently accepting applications for four-week loc classes starting in October. COVID PREPARED: Stations are sanitized before and after every use. Guests and staff are required to wear masks, and sanitizer and gloves are placed throughout the business and available for use. River Park Lofts, 227 Iron St., Suite 133 Detroit everettes.com
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Loose Massage Therapy Gift yourself with a day of relaxation while supporting a business that has served Detroit for over 17 years. With its variety of affordable therapeutic massages and hot stone options, you are sure to find a service that meets your needs and budget. REOPENING BUZZ: Reopening in July. Visit their website for up-to-date details and for operating hours. COVID PREPARED: The staff is currently undergoing training to ensure cleaning and safety standards are being met before and after every guest. 16000 W. Nine Mile Road, Suite 410 Southfield lmtpmassagedeals.com
COVID PREPARED: The store requires masks to be worn by staff and guests. They also encourage social distancing, and they’re focused on educating the community about building immunity and creating a clean diet. 16140 W. Seven Mile Road, Detroit moorherbs.com
Crescent Beauty Supply Find everything you need to complete your beauty routine at this Black-owned beauty supply in Highland Park. Stop in to pick up your favorite conditioner or make an appointment with their makeup artist right in store. REOPENING BUZZ: Currently open for business as usual. COVID PREPARED: Order online for curbside pickup or two-day delivery. If you’re ready to visit the store in person, products and the store are being sanitized and masks are required by staff and patrons. 14000 Woodward Ave., Highland Park detroitbeautysupply.com
Fashion W by Crystal White This online curve-friendly athleisure brand offers functional and fashionable apparel and accessories for active lifestyles. REOPENING BUZZ: They recently launched the “Look at Color” collection supporting racial equality by displaying powerful messages. To show their commitment, they’re donating a portion of proceeds to organizations working towards combating police brutality and racial inequality. COVID PREPARED: They’re offering safer packaging featuring fewer touch points when processing orders, discontinuing returns of intimate items to reduce contamination, and practicing transparency with customers regarding delays or impacts to their orders.
wbycrystalwhite.com
LeeAnne’s Luxury Bridal Boutique Located on Detroit’s west side in Rosedale Park, this bridal boutique checks all of the boxes that come with choosing a special gown for your special day. REOPENING BUZZ: Currently open by appointment only. COVID PREPARED: For safety precautions, face masks are required in the store, and no more than three people are allowed with you during your appointment.
LeeAnne's Luxury Bridal Boutique Photo By Sydney Kispert-Bostick
18724 Grand River Ave., Detroit leeannesluxurybridal.com
Hot Sam’s
Three Thirteen
Not Sorry Apparel
Providing custom men’s fashion since 1921, Hot Sam’s is a pillar in the Detroit fashion community. Whether you’re dressing for a night on the town, the boardroom or the big day, this is the place to find your style.
If you’re looking for Detroit-inspired leisure, athletic wear or premium denim for your family, you’ll find it all here.
Located in The Rust Belt Market in Ferndale, this apparel brand boasts pride and unapologetic individuality.
REOPENING BUZZ: A new app will allow you to scan an item of clothing for a full description.
REOPENING BUZZ: This apparel company is supporting Black youth and the LGBTQ community through special fundraisers and proceed donations.
REOPENING BUZZ: New operating hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. COVID PREPARED: Masks, gloves and hand sanitizer are placed around the store for convenience. 127 Monroe Ave., Detroit hotsamsdetroit.com
COVID PREPARED: Only 10 customers are allowed in the store at a time and they’re asked to stand six feet apart. Hand sanitizer is placed throughout the store, and masks must be worn inside at all times. 19495 Livernois Ave., Detroit 2642 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit threethirteenstore.com
COVID PREPARED: Online shopping is currently available, and they’ve added face masks and high-quality surgical caps for health care workers to the inventory. 22801 Woodward Ave., Ferndale notsorryapparel.com BLACdetroit.com • JULY 2020 • BLAC 11
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DISCOVER By Ebony Jones
Art in Motion Exercise and inspire your creativity at this ceramic studio and gallery. With youth summer camps and adult ceramic classes, you’ll be sure to find something for every member in the family. REOPENING BUZZ: Currently open for business as usual. COVID PREPARED: Patrons are asked to wear masks and are welcome to use provided hand sanitizer and gloves. There is a 10-person maximum in the store and during classes. 19452 Livernois Ave., Detroit artinmotiondet.com The Cochrane House Luxury Historic Inn Photo By Sydney Kispert-Bostick
A Smorgasbord of Sorts 7 to 7 Cleaners Committed to high-quality service, affordability and giving back to the community, owner Washington Youson follows in the path of Thomas Jennings, the first Black man to hold a patent for dry scouring, a precursor to modernday dry cleaning. REOPENING BUZZ: Currently open. All first responders and health care workers get 10% off their first orders and can have any twopiece uniform cleaned for just $4. COVID PREPARED: Only one customer at a time is allowed inside the store, and masks are required. The staff all wear aprons, masks and gloves when handling equipment and your clothing. You can also request a special fabric disinfectant. 19834 Kelly Road, Harper Woods fb.com/7to7cleaners
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Love Travels Imports Inside the gallery of Art in Motion curated with the spirit of helping our neighbors, this spot boasts high-quality artisan pieces from all over the globe. You are sure to find a rare handmade treasure to satisfy your curiosity.
The Cochrane House Luxury Historic Inn Rest, work and play in this luxurious Italianate style bed-and-breakfast in the heart of Detroit. Complete with renovated modern bathrooms and an event space for intimate gatherings, this B&B is something to write home about. REOPENING BUZZ: Reopening for reservations on Aug. 1. Promotions and specials are always under the “Special Offers” tab on their website. COVID PREPARED: Along with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleaning guidelines, they limit guests in their event space to 25. Temperatures will be taken upon entry (below 100.4 F is required), masks are required to enter the building and sanitizer stations are placed strategically around the premises. 216 Winder St., Detroit thecochranehouse.com
REOPENING BUZZ: Doors open to patrons in July. COVID PREPARED: They’re currently offering contactless delivery and curbside pickup. All products for sale have been cleaned and sanitized. 19452 Livernois Ave., Detroit lovetravelsimports.com
Detroit Book City Nestled in a multipurpose building on Detroit’s west side, you’ll find this book store chock-full of the greatest compositions for expanding our minds. REOPENING BUZZ: Currently closed to walkin patrons. COVID PREPARED: Online ordering, plus virtual book fairs and dialogues, are planned and available every week. 24361 Greenfield Road, Suite 305, Southfield detroitbookcity.com
D LIFE
DETROIT PROPER HIGHLIGHTING THE PEOPLE, PLACES, EVENTS AND ISSUES OF BLACK DETROIT
What the First Half of this Ludicrous Year Has Taught Me BY DESIREE COOPER
Z
ora Neale Hurston famously wrote, “There are years that ask questions, and years that answer them.” Well, 2020 is asking a lot, and it may take years to understand the answers. But in the meantime, here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned in the first half of the worst year ever. Hair matters. Remarkably, even after months of quarantine, we still believe that if we don’t get our hair did, we will surely die. Even those of us with “natural” hairstyles now realize that natural hair requires several extra hands and more product than you can order from Amazon. Lawd, how did we manage for 400 years? Sure, salons are open now, but we’re not out of the woods yet, my people. If we are going to ever survive the apocalypse, we’ve got to figure out how to go back to our roots. Patriotism is black and white. Americans love to sing the national anthem. The problem is that for whites, “national anthem” means rockets red glaring and bombs bursting in air. For Blacks, it means lifting every voice and singing until Earth and heaven ring. Just a little difference in perspectives. The same goes for Independence Day, which celebrates freedom for white males from other white males. Juneteenth is Independence Day for the rest of us who got the freedom memo late, and have been pissed ever since. Christopher Columbus doesn’t live here anymore. But who knew
he ever did? Y’all have passed by that Christopher Columbus bust on Jefferson a million times and never paused once to say, “Screw you.” Now, it’s too late. The rapist and pillager is stuffed in a storage bin where he will possibly stay for another 110 years. Timing is important. On June 12 during Pride month, President Bunker Baby rolled back civil rights protections for transgender Americans. That was also the date of the Pulse nightclub massacre, when, four years ago, a gunman walked into a gay club in Orlando and killed 49 people and caused injury to 53 others. The Royal Covidiot then scheduled a death trap rally for June 19, commonly celebrated as Juneteenth (see above). To add tone deafness to racism, he decided to hold it in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the site of the Tulsa race massacre, the worst racial attack in United States history. He moved that rally to June 20, because he loves the Blacks. But if all goes as planned, the Doughboy of Depravity will accept the Republican Party’s nomination on Aug. 27 in Jacksonville, Florida. That’s the date in white history 60 years ago when a Klan mob used ax handles and baseball bats to beat Black demonstrators. Folks in Jacksonville still call it “Ax Handle Saturday.” The truth is that every
day is the anniversary of another racist atrocity. Every. Damn. Day. Urban gardeners were right. In the past, I have derided the urban gardening whenever it was heralded as the answer to Detroit’s economic woes. I think I said something like, “Farming is not the economic future for any city.” Well, now I’m eating crow until the veggies ripen in my backyard. If this summer has taught us anything, it’s that you’d better learn how to grow your own food and weave your own baskets.
remember, it’s not hoarding if you’re really going to need it. Millennials got this. Millennials are having their moment, and God bless them for it. For me, a millennial is anyone between 25 and 40, because they’re still young enough to get out of bed without groaning. Evidently, these whippersnappers have superpowers. Who knew? While we were complaining about their failure to launch, they’ve been accepting each other’s race, food, music, gender and sexual identi-
“If this summer has taught us anything,
it’s that you’d better learn how to grow your own food and weave your own baskets.” It’s not hoarding if it may come in handy. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve held a sturdy box, a cute plastic container or a strong shopping bag and said, “I might need this for my survival condo,” I’d have a billion dollars to add to the stash of quarters beneath my bed. All these years, I laughed at my mother saving tinfoil and Ziploc bags, now here I am, thinking, If I have to go off the grid, I’m going to need at least three manual can openers to last me a decade. Just
ties. They’ve been meeting at the U.S. Social Forum, the Allied Media Conferences and in groups to address food insecurity, water rights and reproductive justice. They’ve been Afro-futurizing and, yes, even gentrifying, but more importantly, organizing. They didn’t come out of nowhere, my aged warriors – and, lucky for us, they’re not going anywhere. DESIREE COOPER IS THE AUTHOR OF KNOW THE MOTHER. BLACdetroit.com • JULY 2020 • BLAC 13
D LIFE
APPRAISED NEW DEPARTMENT dedicated to visual art By Ebony Jones
ART IMITATING LIFE
"American Gangsta - Uncle Sam"
I
nspired by the intersections of race, politics and pop culture, Tylonn J. Sawyer creates multifaceted works of expression that are reflective, insightful and educational. With a Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art Graduate School of Figurative Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Eastern Michigan University, Sawyer’s art is the byproduct of a well-read man with lived experiences. Sawyer says art can be a catalyst for social change. “Whether you empathize with my work or choose not to, it has a lot of facts and honesty. It is the factual and cold truth that’s driving the emotions of what we are seeing today,” he says. Because he draws on those ever-present topics, he’s able to “cultivate” work that has a certain “matter-of-factness” – and challenges the mythology of America.
"A Gentle Reminder"
@ tylonn.j.sawyer tylonn-j-sawyer.com 14 BLAC • JULY 2020 • BLACdetroit.com
"White on White - Stone Mountain"
Diversity Training
O
akland County
appointed its first
chief diversity, equity
and inclusion officer –
Robin Carter-Cooper. The
millennial is looking to help forge a better tomorrow in a county with a checkered past.
BY ARIANNA SMITH
Diversity Training
E
ven in turbulent times, silver linings can be found in the most unexpected places. On July 1, Oakland County welcomed Robin Carter-Cooper as the county’s first ever chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. “I think I’m most excited to build authentic relationships with the community. I’m coming with my own thoughts and ideas, but this isn’t a one-woman show. It has to be collaborative and connected. This is a big step and a really good sign for Oakland County,” Carter-Cooper says. Before taking this post, she worked most recently as the executive director of instructional equity for Rochester Community Schools. She was born and raised in Flint and says she became an equity activist in large part because of what she experienced “just being a Black woman in Flint.” She says, “I do this work of equity activism, but I also live it from multiple ends. I was exposed to inequity from a young age, and it was like a crash course. I saw a community full of good people that had no resources, access or proper opportunity to fairly thrive. We had obstacles that stopped us from progressing and cost us our freedom, and I saw people beat impossible odds that they couldn’t control. That’s why I challenge unjust systems today wherever I see them.” Carter-Cooper reports directly to Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, who took up the appointment last year after the sudden passing of previous executive L. Brooks Patterson. By the time he died, Patterson had developed a reputation as
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“I think I’m most a hard-nosed transplant from Detroit with a grudge against his hometown as well as most policies that would connect Oakland to the rest of the region. Echoing the community of the county he adopted, Patterson was a staunch opponent of transportation reform and integrating schools via busing. And who could forget the infamous “blankets and corn” comment? Frank Russell, publisher and content editor for The Pontiac News, worked as a human resources analyst in Oakland County for 34 years. He served that last 15 years with Patterson and says it was “a nightmare.” He says, “The main problem was the HR department. We tried for years to instate a program or policy of inclusion, but there were so many people there who were apathetic to diversity and people who actively fought it. When Brooks passed, I made it my personal commitment to talk to several board members about addressing these issues. I went down with some people like Commissioner Janet Jackson from Southfield, and we emphasized the importance of a position that would fight to educate the higher-ups.” According to census data, Oakland County is a 14% Black and 4% Hispanic, and Russell says those citizens haven’t felt fully represented or served for a long time due to a mixture of stereotyping, lack of contact and context, and lingering tension between Democrats and Republicans. “I have issues sometimes discerning Democrats from Republicans, as (Democrats) take
excited to build authentic relationships with the community. I’m coming with my own thoughts and ideas, but this isn’t a one-woman show. It has to be collaborative and connected. This is a big step and a really good sign for Oakland County.”
us for granted and Republicans just ignore us,” Russell says. “But I’m happy and elated that Robin is on board, and I can’t wait to meet her and let her pick my brain, and to pick hers. This is a great opportunity, and I know she’s got excellent ideas.” Carter-Cooper says she knows a quick fix is not the answer. In her senior advisory role to Executive Coulter, she’ll provide information and insight about the state of diversity, inclusivity, intersectionality and equity in areas of Oakland, like the job market and the education and health care systems. She’ll also work to increase diverse hiring and employment sustainability practices in the departments. “In order to look at dismantling and restructuring systems, you have to be willing to understand the roots and the history of the systems. Who were they created to support and oppress?” Carter-Cooper says. “Talking to the community and gathering data first is important because without connecting it to a system change, initiatives aren’t effective. This is 500 years of injustice. We have to be really intentional in our plans and go deeper than the surface.” In addition to championing equitable treatment and opportunities for students, CarterCooper has been dedicated to working with the National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities for and alongside the LGBTQ+ community. She also spent time at the University of Michigan as the director of the health careers program, engaging Black and minority students to foster and grow their interest in medical professions. While there, she says she got an “intimate look” at the problems plaguing Black Americans in health care. “I saw the school-to-prison pipeline working right in front of me,” Carter-Cooper says. “I had the honor of learning about gender and sex discrimination through the eyes of the most vulnerable in the LGBTQ community. When I went to work for primarily white people in Rochester, I saw that there were inequalities there as well, poverty and things like that. Understanding the intersections of systemic inequity is essential to this work.” Coulter, who was mayor of Ferndale before becoming Oakland County’s executive, says that Carter-Cooper’s new position will be “a free and non-restricted” role that plays to her knowledge and strengths, and will allow her
to work internally and externally to rectify years of misunderstanding and segregation. Coulter was “pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming response” when the position was announced, both from jobseekers and the community at large. “There’s a lot that’s great about Oakland, but there’s ways we can be more successful and progressive. Supporting all of our residents means everyone has a seat at the table. That’s the only way Oakland is going to be collaborative partner in the region,” he says. “The relationship hasn’t always been positive, but making sure everyone is respected and heard is integral to my leadership style.” Carter-Cooper says she has a great feeling about moving forward as a partner with the Coulter administration and that they showed genuine promise even prior to her hiring. “The
Coulter office really went above and beyond with the COVID-19 response, particularly when it came to evaluating how the virus was affecting minorities and African Americans. It’s exciting to work with a culturally knowledgeable team that’s as passionate about the work as I am,” she says. For a longtime public servant like Russell, Carter-Cooper’s appointment is a breath of fresh air for everyone involved. “I lived through the ’60s and the (civil rights) movement. There were aspects of it I didn’t agree with, and I felt at times we fell for the civil rights okey-doke,” Russell says. “But now, we have scores of young and liberal white people caring and getting out there. It’s a long time coming, and if it didn’t happen right now, it probably would’ve never happened.” ARIANNA SMITH IS DETROIT-BASED FREELANCE WRITER.
18 BLAC • JULY 2020 • BLACdetroit.com
MEET BLAC’S NEW PUBLISHER Entrepreneur Billy Strawter Jr. purchased this magazine in April with a staunch commitment to amplifying the voices of Black Detroit.
C
BY PARIS GILES
uriosity is a fundamental of journalism, and so it seems we’ve arranged the perfect marriage between BLAC Detroit magazine and entrepreneur Billy Strawter Jr. – who says, by his nature, “I’m curious. How can we take something, and how can we make it better? How can we grow things?” Undeterred by our current existence in the upside down, Billy purchased BLAC in late April guided by the philosophy that the community should lead and that the best idea always wins. Born in Georgia to small-town parents and raised in Midland, Billy says he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug early on. Today, among other ventures, he owns marketing agency MILO with offices here in Detroit, along with New York, Memphis, Houston and Chicago. As a regular contributor turned associate editor turned senior editor, I’m just as anxious and excited as all of you to discover Billy’s vision for BLAC and help him actualize it. So, let’s go to work.
BLACdetroit.com • JULY 2020 • BLAC 19
MEET BLAC’S NEW PUBLISHER WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO BLAC?
I always felt like the magazine itself was unique in the sense that, growing up in Midland, I had never seen a publication that was local for just an audience of African American people. And it’s one of those big dreams that you dream where in passing you say to someone, ‘Man it would be really cool to own BLAC.’ It’s one of those big dreams that you don’t ever see coming true, so when the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to figure out how to make it happen. Because it’s important to have that voice in the community, but there’s so much more we can do with it.
AFTER WEEKS OF TALKS, THE SELL WAS FINALIZED IN APRIL AMID A PANDEMIC. WHY GO THROUGH WITH THE PURCHASE AMID THE COVID CRISIS?
There is no other option. I don’t know what would’ve happened to BLAC. I’m sure it would’ve still
"And I see BLAC in the same vein of being able to document and celebrate our history, our culture, our wins and our losses, and understanding how to move forward." 20 BLAC • JULY 2020 • BLACdetroit.com
been around, but my concern was that it may have been struggling already, and with the recent acquisition of Chicago Parent, (former publisher) Metro Parent’s time would be divided between those two entities – which would have left BLAC just sitting there fending for itself. And it just didn’t make sense to me to leave it in the hands of anyone else. I moved here in 1996 from Midland, and when I moved here, I came from an area that’s not known for being a big city. And I was quite naïve when I moved to the area, and Detroit almost sent me packing. Detroit is amazing in that if you continue to embrace and love the city and its people, it will embrace you back – but it doesn’t make it easy on you. And I just had to keep moving forward, and that’s part of being an entrepreneur. In the face of adversity, you don’t have a choice but to keep moving forward, because there’s no one that’s coming to rescue you. And so, that’s why when all of a sudden this came down, there was no way that I was going to abandon the sell. It was more important than ever to make sure that we carried BLAC into the future.
WHAT’S ONE THING THAT BLAC HAS GOTTEN RIGHT OVER THE LAST 20-PLUS YEARS?
There are so many things that BLAC has gotten right. The idea of 20 years ago starting a publication geared toward the African American parent, someone took a leap of faith in doing that. And having a mission of covering people, places and issues of importance to our community, that mission itself is so right. And I believe they’ve done an amazing job of capturing the stories and having difficult conversations, and it’s a solid foundation to build from.
WHERE HAVE WE DROPPED THE BALL?
If anywhere, it’s understanding how people interact and engage with content, and it’s expanding to be where the audience is. So, while BLAC is a magazine, there are certainly opportunities to engage and interact with an audience outside of those traditional channels. I would’ve loved to watch BLAC expand into … What are things that they can do with video? What are things that they can do more with email? And bringing events back. Dropping events … I know that they’re expensive, but that was something that they were a leader in, and so dropping that was a little bit disappointing.
HOW DO YOU HOPE TO MODERNIZE BLAC?
It’s looking at everything. It’s not saying no to anything without taking a hard look at it, how to implement it. But it really means stepping back and looking at everything. Looking at the history of the publication, looking at how the magazine has been distributed, understanding consumer insights. But before we can truly start making changes, we need to understand what’s worked in the past, what’s working now and even getting feedback from the community. What would they like to see? And not just making it about me and my vision but about the community.
HOW IMPORTANT WILL THE COMMUNITY BE AS WE MOVE FORWARD?
The community is everything. Without the community, this magazine doesn’t exist. It’s no reason for it other than to write about what we feel that we want to write about, and historically … our ancestors created their own publications to ensure that accurate and factual information was
passed along to our community. And I see BLAC in the same vein of being able to document and celebrate our history, our culture, our wins and our losses, and understanding how to move forward. I’m struggling to put it into words, but to me, it’s everything. Having an outlet and a voice of our community for our people, it’s a tremendous responsibility that I don’t think any of us take lightly.
WHAT ROLE DO YOU WANT BLAC TO PLAY IN THE LOCAL MEDIA LANDSCAPE?
There are plenty of publications that do breaking news or ‘here’s what you need to know about what’s going in your community.’ But it’s not easy to find a publication that’s just celebrating art and culture. In talking about what happens day to day and breaking news, there’s a sense of urgency, and there can be sadness involved with it because so much of the news that we have coming out of our community is not always positive. So being able to shine a light on positive stories – and the idea is to generate hope for a better today and a better tomorrow though life, arts and culture – is something that I want us to carry forward. There’re so many things happening not just downtown but in our communities. I mean, Detroit is 142 square miles, and it’s made up of a number of different communities. You have community captains, you have people who live in the community who aren’t community captains but have taken it upon themselves to plant a garden or to work with the youth in their community, and we need to celebrate those stories and shine a light on them. PARIS GILES IS BLAC DETROIT’S SENIOR EDITOR.
BLACdetroit.com • JULY 2020 • BLAC 21
ROAD TO REDEMPTION BY PARIS GILES
We’re at the nascency of what may develop into a modern-day civil rights movement, and, like past movements, what has helped capture the hearts and minds of those otherwise inclined to ignore has been the powerful imagery. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hopeful, at other times terrifying – but always moving. As we look forward, let’s also peer back at some of the landmark legislation, grassroots mobilizations and pivotal moments of the last eight decades. A freshly inked law doesn't absolve past sins, and boots on the ground don't automatically become seats at the table. Still, each have inched us closer to realizing that elusive American dream of life, liberty and justice for all.
Rosa Parks speaking at a rally held as part of the Poor People's Campaign in 1968. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
JUNE 25
JUNE 20-22
DEC. 5
EXECUTIVE ORDER 8802
THE DETROIT RACE RIOT
MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT
1941
In the early 1940s, there was a high demand for war related-work, but Black Americans faced job discrimination and threatened to march to demand equal employment. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs this executive order which opens national defense jobs and other government jobs to all regardless of race, creed, color or national origin.
1943
Racism, poor living conditions and unequal access jobs and housing during wartime leads to race riots in the summer of 1943. When the city tries to construct a Black housing project in an otherwise white neighborhood, an armed white mob gathers, lights a cross on fire and pickets. Tensions boil over into a fight between the races on Belle Isle that spills over into the city, lasts two days and leaves nine whites and 25 Blacks dead.
1955
After Rosa Parks is arrested and fined for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, the city’s Black citizens organize a bus boycott that lasts 381 days – the first large-scale U.S. demonstration against segregation. The Supreme Court ultimately orders Montgomery to integrate its busing system.
A passenger is dropped from the back window of a tram after a crowd stops transport and starts throwing Black passengers from the car. BLACdetroit.com • JULY 2020 • BLAC 23
Photo courtesy of Tony Spina Photographs, Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University
ROAD TO REDEMPTION
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signing the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
SEPT. 9
FEB. 1
JUNE 23
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957
THE GREENSBORO SIT-IN
DETROIT WALK
1957
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. The new act establishes the civil rights section of the Justice Department and empowers federal prosecutors to investigate voter suppression. It also establishes the Civil Rights Commission to look into discriminatory conditions.
1960
Four Black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina refuse to leave a Woolworth’s “whites only” lunch counter. “The Greensboro Four” – Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil – were inspired by Gandhi’s nonviolent protest. Their demonstration sparked similar sitins throughout the South.
1963 TO FREEDOM
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leads this march to commemorate the Detroit Race Riot 20 years earlier – and highlight segregation and brutality against civil rights activists in the South and Black concerns in the urban north, like hiring practices and housing. On this afternoon, 125,000 people fill Woodward and move in relative silence as 15,000 others look on from sidewalks, windows and roofs.
Civil rights protesters and Woolworth's sit-in, Durham, N.C., Feb. 10, 1960. From the News & Observer Negative Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C. Photo courtesy of 24 BLAC • JULY 2020 • BLACdetroit.com
the Library of Congress
Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress
AUG. 28
1963
MARCH ON WASHINGTON
Conceived by labor leader A. Philip Randolph and thenNAACP Executive Secretary Roy Wilkins, about a quarter of a million people – including 3,000 members of the press – gather near the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and to hear King give his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
JULY 2
MARCH 7
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964
SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCH
1964
First proposed by President John F. Kennedy, after nudging by King and other Black leaders, and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, this landmark act ended segregation and outlawed employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress
1965
In an effort to register Black voters in the South, peaceful protesters – including Dr. King – marching the 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama were met with violence from local authorities, white vigilante groups and state police. The attacks of “Bloody Sunday” were broadcast on national TV, proving the need for a national Voting Rights Act.
ROAD TO REDEMPTION Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
12th Street during the first day of the civil unrest. Photo courtesy of Tony Spina Photographs, Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University
AUG. 6
OCT. 15
JULY 23-28
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
THE BLACK PANTHER
THE DETROIT REBELLION
1965
Signed by Lyndon B. Johnson, this legislation outlaws literacy tests and appoints federal examiners in jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination. It also forges a relationship between local and federal governments on the issue of voting. Before, states had the power to make their own rules around voting, which allowed them to suppress Black voters with unconstitutional barriers.
1966 PARTY
Founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton and originally dubbed the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, this org challenges police brutality in the Black community. The Black Panthers dress in black berets and leather jackets and organize armed patrols of Oakland, California and other U.S. cities.
1967 OF 1967
Because of deindustrialization, widespread joblessness and white flight, between 1950 and 1960, Detroit loses 20% of its population. A culmination of decades of institutional racism, segregation and tensions between Detroit police and the Black community results in the largest civil disturbance in 20th century America that only relaxes when federal troops are called in. In the end, 43 people die, hundreds more are injured and at least 7,000 are arrested.
Elbert Howard, a founding member of the Black Panther Party, speaks of the movement in the U.S. in Mozes en Aäronkerk in Amsterdam. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons 26 BLAC • JULY 2020 • BLACdetroit.com
President Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act of 1968
APRIL 11
JULY 13
THE FAIR HOUSING ACT
BLACK LIVES MATTER
1968
2013
Discrimination in housing based on race, religion, sex, national origin and family status is prohibited. This act, signed into law by President Johnson, extends to landlords, real estate companies, municipalities and lending institutions.
In response to the killing of unarmed Black people at the hands of police, this movement is founded with a simple premise that’s grown into a global network of dozens of communities. The mission is to end police brutality, amplify our stories and put Black people in positions of power.
A couple protesting police brutality in a Washington D.C. in December 2014 in response to the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice.
ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Photo courtesy of the City of Detroit
JUNE 15
JUNE 17
LGBTQ DISCRIMINATION
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION
2020 ILLEGAL
The Supreme Court rules that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects against sex discrimination in the workplace, extends to sexual orientation and gender identity. For Black gay and transgender Americans who face some of the highest rates of poverty, homelessness and unemployment largely due to discrimination, this was a landmark decision.
2020 DAY OFFICIAL
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs a proclamation declaring June 19, 2020 Juneteenth Celebration Day in Michigan. Juneteenth has been observed quietly within Black circles as the day the last of the enslaved were freed in Galveston, Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The governor’s declaration may serve as a catalyst for a national holiday. PARIS GILES IS BLAC DETROIT’S SENIOR EDITOR.
Sources: Black Lives Matter, Detroit Historical Society, History.com, Library of Congress, Michigan.gov, NAACP, National Archives, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The U.S. Department of Justice, Walter P. Reuther Library 28 BLAC • JULY 2020 • BLACdetroit.com
access
A
s we settle into Phase 4 of Michigan’s reopening plan and prepare – maybe? – for Phase 5, let’s go over the current need-to-know rules of engagement. We recommend calling ahead or checking the website of the spot you’re looking to visit for specifics before heading out.
DETROIT | JULY 2020
PARKS & REC BELLE ISLE FOUNTAIN
• Campgrounds, state parks and recreation areas, including overnight lodging, are open.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
• Suspended during quarantine, the Recreation Passport is now required for entry into state parks, recreation areas, state forest campgrounds and most boating access sites and state trailheads. • Most amenities like bathrooms, picnic areas and concessions are open. • Detroit recreation centers remain closed. • Groups of 100 or less are allowed to gather outdoors with social distancing. • Outdoor pools are allowed to reopen at 50% capacity. Indoor public pools remain closed.
BARS & RESTAURANTS • Restaurants and bars have been allowed to reopen at 50% capacity, with six feet of separation required between groups. • Most restaurants will require that you wear a mask any time you’re not actively dining – so while being escorted to your table or heading to the restroom. • Waiting areas are closed. You may be required to wait for your table in your car or outside the eatery. • Self-serve food and drink options like buffets, salad bars and drink stations remain closed.
RETAIL & ENTERTAINMENT • Indoor theaters, cinemas and performance venues remain closed. • Libraries and museums have been allowed to reopen.
• Retail stores have been allowed to reopen at 25% capacity for stores with less than 50,000 square feet of customer space. • You may be asked to adhere to alternative order systems in lieu of traditional lines at certain retail shops.
D LIFE
SEEN
Photos by Sydney Kispert-Bostick
Getting Back to Life on Belle Isle A
fter months of sheltering in place and weeks of tumult, we caught up with people out and about and enjoying a sunshiny evening on Belle Isle on Tuesday, June 16.
Kiki Briggs, Zuriel Loving, Chris Griffin
Robert Jones
Imani Adams, Geneva Parker
Lamont Banks, Shantell Wade Serenity Ingram, Tyshawnna Grayson
William Harrison, Brandon Cummings 30 BLAC • JULY 2020 • BLACdetroit.com
Peyton Robertson
Van Bevelle, Eugene Carter
