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Rickea Jackson, first girls McDonald’s All-American from Detroit Game. C3

Michigan Chronicle

Vol. 82 – No. 25 | Feb. 20 - March 5, 2019

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City has 60 days to land new FCA assembly plant, 5,000 new jobs expected

By Patreice A. Massey MANAGING EDITOR

The City of Detroit today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that could see the Company making the single largest investment in its U.S. manufacturing operations since 2009 to construct an all-new assembly plant within the city limits and retool an existing plant, creating nearly 5,000 new jobs.

Subject to the execution of the terms outlined in the MOU, the city expects FCA to invest $1.6 billion to convert the current Mack Avenue Engine Complex into a vehicle assembly plant for production of the next generation Jeep Grand Cherokee and an all-new 3-row full-size SUV along with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models.

Construction of the new facility could begin in the second quarter of 2019. In addition, the Company would invest $900 million to modernize its Jefferson North plant. The total investment is expected to add nearly 5,000 new jobs in the city.

“This opportunity is unlike anything we have seen in decades, and it’s going to be crucial that we come together in the interest of our city and our residents over the next 60 days to bring nearly 5,000 new good-paying jobs to this neighborhood,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “Over the next two months, we will be out in the neighborhoods every day working with the residents to make this happen for our city. Most importantly, we’re going to bring these 5,000 jobs to Detroit without displacing a single resident.”

As part of the MOU, the city of Detroit will demonstrate within 60 days that it has obtained binding agreements to deliver title to the Mack site within the timeframe and conditions required to construct a new assembly plant and other facilities. The city will also begin the Community Benefits Ordinance process in the neighborhood to proactively engage with the community, identify community benefits and address potential development impacts. The community benefits and impacts would be included in a final development agreement to be approved by the Detroit City Council.

It is also expected that the city and the state would be able to deliver an incentive package that would support the business case for this investment.

“This is incredible news for Michigan’s economy, our families, and the future of our state,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Today’s announcement signals the strong bet FCA is making on our talent and manufacturing heritage that will continue to cement Michigan’s status as the home of automotive innovation for generations to come. We need to keep our foot on the gas as we work to build a Michigan where businesses can find the resources and talent to thrive in the state. Nearly 6,500 jobs, $4.5 billion in investment in Michigan and the first new automotive assembly plant in Detroit in 30 years provides a compelling testament that we are on the right path forward.”

See NEW

JOBS page A3

WHAT’S INSIDE

David Provost, Gary Torgow, Tom Shafer, and Donnell R. White of Chemical Bank.

Bye Bye, COBO:

Former racist mayor’s name to be taken off convention center

By Branden Hunter The Detroit NAACP is holding its 64th Annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner at the Cobo Convention Center May 5. The 110th NAACP National Convention will also be held at Cobo Center in July. But by the time those two events roll around, the Cobo Center will be no more, with Chemical Bank purchasing the naming rights to Cobo for $1.5 million annually for 22 years, an industry record. The new name will be announced by the end of 2019.

“This is a historic day,” said Detroit Branch NAACP president Wendell Anthony. “You can’t change everything, but you can some Mayor Albert Eugene things. And I Cobo served from have been want1950-1957. ing and even urging that Cobo Center be renamed. This center being renamed and reclaimed in Black History Month is history.”

Chemical Bank, one of three competitors who presented naming plans to the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) that operates Cobo, recently announced plans to merge with TCF Financial Corporation, a move that will create the 27th largest bank in the country. If the merger goes through, the convention center will bear the name of that new entity, TCF Center. If it does not, Cobo will become the Chemical Bank Center.

Dozens of city and state dignitaries attended the historic announcement

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said the city can’t change the name of every street in Detroit bearing controversial names, but it was time to rename Cobo Center. in a room at Cobo Center overlooking the frozen riverfront, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Mayor Mike Duggan, Chemical Financial Corporation Chairman Gary Torgow, Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, and First Independence Bank CEO and Chairman Kenneth Kelly, among others.

“We know the name that is coming off this building is synonymous with division,” said Gov. Whitmer during the announcement. “And right now, in our country and in our state, I know we have enough division. It’s time for us to move forward together, to build bridges, to do so in a way that ensures everyone has opportunity.

“That’s something that is happen-

ing here today. It’s not simply a name change of a building in the great city of Detroit. This is about the next chapter for Michigan, this is about opportunity for all, no matter who you are, and being inclusive in that.”

Larry Alexander, the chairman of the DRFCA, said, “We selected the best economy, the absolute best company, which is located right here in Detroit, Chemical Bank, which is the right fit for a true partnership.”

The bank’s investment further signals its commitment to the city of Detroit since Chemical Financial Corporation said it would move its headquarters from Midland to downtown

See NAMING

RIGHTS page A2

Supreme Court Makes It Harder For State To Confiscate Property

Wayne County Leads the State in Seizures "It's Like Legalized Carjacking"

The New Black? .

Happiness

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$1.00

By Trevor W. Coleman In an important civil rights victory, last week, the Supreme Court moved to curb government seizure of property. The justices unanimously expanded constitutional protection for people beset by the imposition of “excessive fines” known as civil assets forfeiture.

The ruling, in an Indiana case, will permit citizens to more aggressively block asset forfeiture and other revenue-raising police tactics.

It was a Supreme Court decision particularly welcomed by civil rights and civil liberties groups and activist in minority communities since they were the ones most likely to be victims of this law which is a remnant of the "Black Codes" laws written by white legislators following the Emancipation Proclamation to keep African Americans oppressed and victims of the carceral state. In fact, during the Obama Administration the Department of Justice found it to be a

major weapon used by police and the court system in Ferguson to persecute its black citizens while raising revenue for the police department and local court system.

As the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. noted, in the case known as Timbs v. Indiana, the Court unanimously held that the Eighth Amendment’s protection against excessive fines and fees applies to the states as well as the federal government. LDF filed an amicus brief in the case making clear that historically, states used criminal fines as a way to force Black people into indentured servitude, and that communities of color are still disproportionately subject to criminal fines and forfeitures.

Daniel Harawa, Assistant Counsel at LDF, said in a statement: “The Supreme Court’s decision in Timbs rightly extends the Eighth Amendment’s protections against ­ excessive

See RULING page A2

John Knoelk, 52, was a victim civil asset seizure in 2017 after his car was seized by a Wayne Country Sherriff’s officer. The officer charged his car with nuisance abatement, which means if the officer suspects a driver of engaging in illegal activity he can seize his property. PHOTO: Trevor W. Coleman

Page A-2 • michiganchronicle.com •

Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

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Naming rights From page A-1 Detroit last July.

“It’s an iconic center in Detroit and the region, the state, and the country,” Torgow said. “For us to be associated with our name and our company and our folks to be here, it’s just a great honor, and we look forward to continue doing the great things Larry Alexander and the regional authority have done.”

The merger would move the new TCF Bank’s base of operations from Minnesota, to the 20-story, $60 million building Chemical is designing at Elizabeth Street and Woodward Avenue. The combined company would hold $45 million in assets, making it one of the largest banks in the country.

The merger is expected to be completed in the third or fourth quarter of 2019, though convention center visitors can expect to see changes even sooner. Alexander said the Cobo sign on the building and the bust of the former mayor will be removed in the coming weeks. Digital signs around the center will display Cobo’s and Chemical’s logos in the meantime.

The authority hired firms in August 2017 to search for clients to buy the rights to name the center.

An initial 20 companies from the region and nationally, including Rock Ventures and Quicken Loans Chairman and founder Dan Gilbert, were identified as possibilities, Alexander said. Eight held presentations before the authority.

Calls to remove Cobo’s name from the convention center increased as cities across the country began debating the fate of controversial statues in public places, including Detroit’s neighbor, Dearborn. A statue of former Mayor Orville Hubbard, who was not shy about keeping black people out of the city, was stored away for more than a year after leaders decided it did not belong outside a new City Hall.

Albert Cobo was born October

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the Cobo name was synonymous with ­division.

2, 1893 in Detroit. He attended Western High School and the Detroit Business Institute and was a businessman, running two confectionary stores. In 1918, he joined Burroughs Adding Machine Company, working his way up to an executive position. In the spring of 1933, when Detroit’s financial affairs were in perilous conditions due to the Great Depression, Burroughs “loaned” Cobo to the city for six months. He helped Detroit avert a bankruptcy and never returned to work for Burroughs. He was appointed Detroit City Treasurer in 1935.

Cobo served as City Treasurer of Detroit for seven terms before first running for the mayor’s office in 1949. He won, and was elected twice more, in 1951, and 1953. He ran on a platform of segregation, aiming to keep African-Americans from living in predominantly white neighborhoods.

The Republican businessman was heavily criticized for spearheading urban renewal projects that razed black neighborhoods, most notably Black Bottom, which was replaced with the I-375/I-75 freeways. He was lambasted throughout his career by civil rights groups that accused him of moving too slowly in response to harassment and police brutality against

the city’s black residents and for continuing the city’s longstanding housing segregation policy. Cobo was Detroit’s mayor until he unexpectedly died of a heart attack on September 12, 1957, while completing his final two-year term. He was 63.

“They can’t take the name off fast enough for me in terms of the history and the city of Detroit,” Evans said. “We had vibrant African-American neighborhoods in this city until Albert Cobo destroyed them and did it at a time when the rest of the city wasn’t receptive to black residents either.”

Cobo Hall first opened August 15, 1960. It was owned and operated by the city until 2009, when the regional authority was created and renamed Cobo Center. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons when they first moved to the city in 1957, the North American International Auto Show, the Detroit Public School League boys and girls basketball playoffs, and countless other events.

“The Cobo era was marked by the wiping out of African American neighborhoods in the name of urban renewal,” Mayor Duggan said. “I don’t believe our civic center with its name should be celebrated here.”

Ruling From page A-1 fines to all states and their residents. The Court’s decision builds upon the argument raised in our brief by pointing to the historic use of criminal fines to enforce a racial hierarchy and compel Black Americans into indentured servitude.

This ruling also places important constitutional limitations on rampant asset forfeiture abuses at the state level, which disproportionately target communities of color to this day.”

According to news reports in the Indiana case, Mr. Timbs used an inherited life insurance policy to purchase a $42,000 Land Rover. He was later arrested and convicted of drug dealing. His criminal sentence carried a maximum fine of $10,000, but he ended up only paying $1,200 in fines. Despite the value of the vehicle exceeding this maximum amount, and the man showing how he was able to purchase it with funds that were not connected to his criminal activity, law enforcement officials took ownership of his vehicle anyway. The court ruled that this was grossly disproportionate to his offense and violated the Eighth Amendment.

Jarrett Skorup, director of marketing communications for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and who has written extensively on the issue said Supreme Court opinion should help those fighting for a change in Michigan law which law currently allows for law enforcement officials to seize and take ownership of property without charging anyone with criminal activity.

In fact, the first legislative bill introduced in the House in this year; Bills 4001 and 4002, would require a criminal conviction before property with a value of less than $50,000 can be permanently seized through civil forfeiture. Laws would also be tightened for forfeiture of more valuable property.

Which, if eventually passed, should come as a relief to Wayne County residents in particular.

Skorup noted that law enforcement officials in Wayne County have a notorious reputation for pulling people over in areas of known drug use or as they leave medical marijuana facilities or for simply accusing them of solicitation or even driving without insurance, and then proceeding to seize their vehicle. They then charging them $900 to get them back or force them to fight these seizures in court – often without being formally charged with a crime.

He said nearly 400 people in

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STATE OF MICHIGAN BEFORE THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION **** NOTICE OF HEARING FOR THE GAS CUSTOMERS OF DTE GAS COMPANY CASE NO. U-20319 • DTE Gas Company requests Michigan Public Service Commission’s approval of its application for Reconciliation of its Revenue Decoupling Mechanism (RDM) for the Period November 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018.

• The information below describes how a person may participate in this case.

• You may call or write DTE Gas Company, One Energy Plaza, Detroit, MI 48226, or call 313-235-8000 for a free copy of its application. Any person may review the documents at the offices of DTE Gas Company.

• A pre-hearing will be held:

Knoelk, a disabled veteran, car was impounded for nearly two years until a judge ruled late last year the seizure violated his Eighth Amendment rights and there was no evidence of his having committed a crime. However, he still did not get his car back until Feb. 21st of this year. PHOTO: Trevor W. Coleman Wayne County last year who were never charged with a crime still lost property to law enforcement agencies last year through civil asset forfeiture. That exceeded the rest of the state’s counties combined.

“In Michigan it is used 6,0007,000 times year and takes in about $15-$20 million a year for law enforcement,” he said. “Most of the time law enforcement forfeits the property before they get a conviction. So, they take ownership of it, keep the cash, or car, or home or sells it before the conviction. And the money stays with the local law enforcement agency that seizes it.”

John Knoelk, a 52-year-old military veteran and former Military Police officer just got his 2006 Dodge Charger back after it was seized by the Wayne County Sherriff’s Office in July 2017.

A Detroit native who now lives in Warren, said he was driving home on John R near State Fair when he stopped at a gas station, and a friend who had come from an appointment asked him for a ride home, so he gave her a lift.

He said a sheriff’s deputy followed him from John R in Detroit at the State Fair Grounds past the Coney Island on 8 mile and stopped him in Warren on other side of John R and accused him of solicitation. He went to trial the spring of 2018.

“I had he known the woman for years and I lived in and worked in that area for almost 30 years before moving to Warren,” Knoelk

said. “She wasn’t a prostitute and neither of us ever had a criminal record and they never produced any evidence of criminal wrongdoing at trial.”

Still, the judge sided with the police and the Sherriff office kept his car. Soon after the Michigan ACLU took up Knoelk’s case after he filed an appeal and received an expedited appeal with immediate consideration, otherwise it might have taken another 12 months to adjudicate.

He won his appeal in November 2018 and physically got it back Feb. 21st.

“Fortunately, because I won my case I did not have to pay the $900 fine or storage fees, but I still had to pay the towing cost to get my car home and it was clearly damaged,” Knoelk said. “It was not in the same condition when they took it and it was devalued because it sat for so long.”

Knoelk, who is disabled, is bitter about his experience and said being without his car for nearly two years also denied him the ability to earn extra income because he had no meaningful transportation and had to rely on public transportation to get to appointments.

“Basically, it’s like a legalized carjacking,” he said. “You actually feel more violated than if a stranger did it because you don’t law enforcement to just roll up on you, demand your car and deny you due process under the Constitution.”

DATE/TIME:

Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at 9:00 AM

BEFORE:

Administrative Law Judge Martin Snider

LOCATION:

Michigan Public Service Commission 7109 West Saginaw Highway Lansing, Michigan 48917

PARTICIPATION: Any interested person may attend and participate.

The hearing site is accessible, including handicapped parking. Persons needing any accommodation to participate should contact the Commission’s Executive Secretary at (517) 284-8090 in advance to request mobility, visual, hearing or other assistance.

The Michigan Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold a pre-hearing to consider DTE Gas Company’s (DTE Gas) January 16, 2019 application requesting Commission’s approval to: 1) reconcile the revenue decoupling mechanism for the period November 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018; 2) adjust its existing retail gas rates to refund a net amount of $4.57 million, plus interest; and 3) include any residual balance resulting from an over-or-under collection, or over-or under-refund in subsequent RDM reconciliation filings.

All documents filed in this case shall be submitted electronically through the Commission’s E-Dockets website at: https://mi-psc.force.com/s/.

Requirements and instructions for filing can be found in the User Manual on the E-Dockets help page. Documents may also be submitted, in Word or PDF format, as an attachment to an email sent to: mpscedockets@ michigan.gov. If you require assistance prior to e-filing, contact Commission staff at (517) 284-8090 or by email at: mpscedockets@ michigan.gov.

Any person wishing to intervene and become a party to the case shall electronically file a petition to intervene with this Commission by March 5, 2019. (Interested persons may elect to file using the traditional paper format.) The proof of service shall indicate service upon DTE Gas Company’s attorney, Megan E. Irving, One Energy Plaza, Detroit, MI 48226.

Any person wishing to appear at the hearing to make a statement of position without becoming a party to the case may participate by filing an appearance. To file an appearance, the individual must attend the hearing and advise the presiding administrative law judge of his or her wish to make a statement of position. All information submitted to the Commission in this matter becomes public information, thus available on the Michigan Public Service Commission’s website, and subject to disclosure. Please do not include information you wish to remain private.

Requests for adjournment must be made pursuant to the Michigan Administrative Hearing System’s Administrative Hearing Rules R 792.10422 and R 792.10432. Requests for further information on adjournment should be directed to (517) 284-8130.

A copy of DTE Gas Company’s application may be reviewed on the Commission’s website at: michigan.gov/mpscedockets, and at the office of DTE Gas Company. For more information on how to participate in a case, you may contact the Commission at the above address or by telephone at (517) 284-8090.

Jurisdiction is pursuant to 1909 PA 300, as amended, MCL 462.2 et seq.; 1919 PA 419, as amended, MCL 460.54 et seq.; 1939 PA 3, as amended, MCL 460.1 et seq.; 1969 PA 306, as amended, MCL 24.201 et seq.; and Parts 1 & 4 of the Michigan Administrative Hearing System’s Administrative Hearing Rules, Mich. Admin Code, R 792.10106 and R 792.10401 through R 792.10448.

Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019 • michiganchronicle.com • Page A-3

Frederick Douglass is safe, but Ben Carson still up for a potential name change in Detroit’s district

By Lori Higgins The Detroit school district will hold meetings next week to get input on potential name changes for three schools, including the school named after Ben Carson, the controversial Detroit native and renowned pediatric surgeon who is now part of President Trump’s cabinet.

But two other schools that were being looked at — including one many thought could be renamed to honor the late Aretha Franklin — are no longer under consideration for potential name changes after the district reviewed survey results.

The three schools moving ahead include the Benjamin Carson School for Science and Medicine, Harms Elementary School, and Catherine Ferguson Alternative Academy. These are the times and dates of the meetings at those schools: Ferguson: 5 p.m., Feb. 27, 2750 Selden Carson: 6 p.m., Feb. 28, 571 Mack Avenue Harms: 8 a.m., March 1, 2400 Central Street “The community meeting will allow stakeholders to see the survey results and provide input on proposed new names,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said.

The two schools no longer being considered are the Detroit School of Arts and Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men. Chrystal Wilson, spokeswoman for the district, said surveying showed there wasn’t enough support to continue moving ahead.

The process for potentially changing the names of the schools began last summer, when the district’s board of education approved a policy that spelled out guidelines for renaming schools.

The first step is requesting a name change for a school. A school board member, the superintendent, School Advisory Council or more than half of the student body can make that request.

The second step is for any request to come before the school board, which then must decide whether to move ahead with seeking public comment about the proposal. The board did so in November.

Ben Carson

The third step is for surveys and public meetings to be held to determine if enough interest exists for changing a name. Frederick Douglass and the school of the arts were both dropped after survey results showed there wasn’t enough support for a name change.

But surveys conducted at Carson, Harms and Ferguson showed more support.

When the school of arts was included on the list of schools that could see name changes, many assumed it could be named after Franklin. Vitti and some board members had previously floated the idea of naming a school after the treasured Detroit singer after she died last year.

The district’s renaming policy spells out the scenarios with which a school’s name could be changed.

As charters rush to find new locations, the Detroit district announces big plans to use their buildings

By Lori Higgins Chalkbeat

The Detroit school district plans to spend more than $3 million to update buildings it is taking back from charter schools — with plans to turn those buildings into district schools that will relieve crowding at some schools and boost overall enrollment.

District officials have already notified four charter schools that they’re ending contracts to lease buildings from the district. They include Escuela Avencemos Academy, Hamilton Academy, GEE-Edmonson Academy, and GEE-White Academy.

“This is specifically to increase market share,” Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said during board of education committee meetings Monday morning.

“Right now there are 50,000 students that live in the city who attend charter schools.

And there are another 20,000 that are leaving the district for other options. This is a strategy … so more students attend district schools,” Vitti said.

of the Americas or its students in preschool to third grade. The academy’s high school currently is housed in space the district leases at St. Anne Parish for $300,000 annually, Vitti said. That lease is ending. Vitti said the recommendation could attract students. Within a onemile radius of Academy of the Americas, there are 1,000 high schoolers who aren’t attending a district school because there isn’t a high school nearby.

Cost to upgrade the building: $825,740.

GEE Edmonson, 1300 W Canfield. Using that building would relieve some of the pressure on Spain Elementary-Middle School, which Vitti said is struggling to maintain a performing arts program and a Montessori program in the same building.

The new building would offer what Vitti described as “a wallto-wall Montessori” program for preschool to third-graders.

Cost to upgrade: $1,516,380.

Hamilton Academy, 14223 Southampton. Ending the lease with this school represents “an easy recapture of students back to the district,” Vitti said, because other schools in the

A school is eligible for renaming if it was newly built or redesigned, the name of a school does not reflect the current school population, the community near the school requests a name change that more closely aligns with the history of the locality, or information newly discovered about the current name of the school is negative in nature.

While the district is working through potentially changing the name of three schools, it is also working on the naming of two other schools: The new high school that will be located on the campus of Marygrove College, and a new Latin school. Both are set to open in time for the next school year.

The potential name change at Carson has garnered widespread attention, given the school is named after the Detroit native who is now a key member of Trump’s administration.

Former board member LaMar Lemmons, whose term ended in December, had been a key backer of the Carson name change. Among his issues with the name: A state-appointed emergency manager made the decision to name the school after Carson with no input from the community, and he said Carson’s political views are different than most Detroiters.

As for the other schools: “The principal at Harms asked for the consideration of a name change to better market the school and represent the community,” Vitti said.

Parents and educators at the school have long discussed changing the name of that school out of concern that the literal meaning of the word “harms” would turn parents away.

Vitti said the name change at Ferguson is being considered to coincide with a change in focus. The district first discussed changing the name of Catherine Ferguson last year when it announced plans to put an alternative school into the Catherine Ferguson building. The building had previously been home to a celebrated school for teen moms that closed a few years ago. It reopened this school year as a school for students with discipline issues.

Monique Bryant, the president of the parent-teacher association at Frederick Douglass, has been critical of the push to change the name at her son’s school.

“I’m ecstatic about the fact that Frederick Douglass has been removed from the list,” Bryant said. But, she said, she’s still not happy because she doesn’t believe the district has done enough to get input from parents about the process.

New Jobs From page A-1

Should FCA move forward with the investment, the Mack Avenue complex would be the first new assembly plant to be built in the city of Detroit in nearly three decades. The FCA Jefferson North facility was the last new assembly plant built in the city in 1991. When complete, Mack would join Jefferson North as the only automotive assembly plants to be located completely within the city limits of a major U.S. city.

The plant would also be the first built in Michigan since 2006 and the first built in the nation since 2011.

“FCA wants to thank Mayor Duggan, Governor Whitmer,

Wayne County Executive Evans, Detroit City Council and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation for their support of a project that will bring an all-new state-of-theart assembly plant and nearly 5,000 high paying jobs to Detroit and Wayne County,” said Mark Stewart, Chief Operating Officer, North America, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA). “Also, we look forward to working with the Detroit City Council to implement initiatives that will further benefit the city’s residents.

“We chose the city of Detroit for this investment based on the quality of its workforce and the quality of the products they produce, like the award-winning Jeep® Grand Cherokee,”

Three of those school buildings (Escuela Avencemos, Hamilton and Edmonson) will be reused by the district. The district owned the buildings but leased them when the district was controlled by state-appointed emergency managers.

area are already full. He said the district would reach out to parents, hoping to keep students attending the charter school.

The district would also look to recruit current teachers to stay at the school. Cost to upgrade: $951,740.

A fourth currently being leased by a church would also be reclaimed.

Barton School, 8530 Joy. This school, previously closed, had been leased by a church. The district would re-open a school to relieve crowding at nearby Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School. Vitti said Mackenzie is turning away K-5 students because it’s out of space. But parents who’ve been turned away aren’t opting to send their children to any of the recommended district schools.

He believes Barton will attract those parents. Cost to upgrade: $1.077,942.

The plan must be approved by the full board during its next regular meeting in March. The money to pay for the updates would come from the district’s rainy-day fund.

Here’s the plan Vitti laid out Monday: Escuela Avencemos, 3811 Cicotte. It would be re-used to house either the high school portion of the district’s Academy

said Stewart. “This new facility, along with investment at Jefferson North, will help us further strengthen and grow our U.S. manufacturing footprint to satisfy the global demand for Jeep vehicles.”

If a decision is made to proceed, the award-winning Pentastar engine family – including the 3.0- , 3.2- and 3.6-liter – currently produced at Mack would be relocated to the Dundee Engine Plant.

UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada also praised the announcement for its job creating potential.

“Today’s investment is a testament to the great quality products that our UAW members continue to build,” said Estrada. “It is especially ex-

citing because these are good union jobs that have been achieved through collective bargaining. We now look forward to working with the City and other community leaders on a community benefits agreement that reimagines our city and empowers our citizens to create sustainable communities with long-term viability.” ”Today’s announcement of a multibillion dollar investment at Mack and Jefferson North, along with the creation of nearly 5,000 new jobs, demonstrates that FCA emerged from the bankruptcy era poised to be a leader in the budding mobility sector,” said Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans. “Detroit and Wayne County have rebounded on a similar trajec-

Sonya Mays, the board member who chairs the finance committee, asked Vitti to address the criticism the district would likely face for opening new schools when it has a number of schools that are underenrolled.

Vitti said the conversation “has to be specific to the neighborhood and the feeder patterns we have.”

In the case of the four above recommendations, Vitti said the neighborhoods are growing, but don’t necessarily have enough schools for the population.

He said a separate conversation is needed about neighborhoods with too many schools and a declining student population. In those cases, there may be a need to consolidate schools.

In December, Vitti discussed with Chalkbeat the potential for reclaiming the charter buildings, for a story about the mounting anxiety among charter leaders about the district’s intentions with their leases. Vitti noted that the district could use buildings reclaimed from charters to replace current district buildings that have high repair costs.

But he also said the district could use the buildings to add a school in an area where a district school is struggling with crowded classes and “another traditional public school does not exist.”

At the time, no decisions had been made.

But on Friday, several charter leaders told Chalkbeat they had been notified the district would not renew their leases.

As for the charters being displaced, some are still looking for new buildings. But Escuela Avencemos already has new digs. Principal Sean Townsin confirmed that his school is relocating to the St. Anne building that the district is vacating.

“We’re going to have everything we need,” Townsin said.

The St. Anne’s building is about two miles from Escuela Avencemos’ current location, he said. But that won’t be a problem, given the school offers door-to-door transportation to its students.

“There will be minimum disruption,” Townsin said.

tory as FCA so this partnership is a natural fit. I applaud FCA’s commitment to Detroit and Wayne County, and their continued investment in the city amid the automotive industry’s daunting pace of change.”

The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation will assist in bringing 5,000 new jobs to Detroit without displacing any residents.

“The DEGC is excited about the many jobs this project could bring to Detroit,” said Kevin Johnson, president and CEO, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. “Our team is working with the City on infrastructure improvements as well as assisting with the real estate needs of the project to improve Detroit’s position for consideration.”

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Kamala Harris for The People?

By Trevor W. Coleman

One can hardly sit in a barber shop, beauty salon, on a college campus or peruse social media sites without being inundated with debates over how authentically ‘black” a particular public figure is.

This is especially true when it comes to politicians. The most obvious example at this moment is the odd, if not absurd, accusation by more than a few people that U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (DCA), an African American woman who is a top tier Democratic candidate for the office of the President of the United States, isn’t really authentically “black” and thus, committed to the advancement of the African Americans.

Detroit: Beyond Thoughts and Prayers - a call for leadership on gun violence

By Lauren Wright and Medvis Jackson Last year in 2018, after the killings in Parkland, Florida at Stoneman Douglas High School, a crowd of brave, anxious, and angry metro Detroiters took to the streets of the city’s downtown and riverfront to make a call for gun reform.

However, as Detroit’s citizens know, our problem is far more encompassing than mass school shootings. Our city, like many others in America, is being plagued by gun violence in many forms.

In January 2018, the Detroit Police Department announced that for the second year in a row, the murder rate in Detroit fell to 261. As reported by the Detroit News, Detroit Police Chief James Craig credited this drop in our city’s murder rate to Operation Ceasefire, “a program in which police partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Wayne County prosecutors to identify gang members and others who are likely to commit crimes or be victims. Some are connected to educational and job opportunities.”

Programs like Operation Ceasefire are a great first step towards using human-centered approaches to addressing the root cause of gun violence. Programs like Operation Ceasefire treats the challenge of gun violence as sociological phenomenon catalyzed by reversible trends and behaviors. The statistics below bare out this assertion: Gun violence in Michigan most often results in suicide (586 murders in 2017 vs. 717 suicides). Moreover, according to the Center for Disease Control, the annual number of gun-related suicides in Michigan increased from roughly 550 to over 700 from 1999-2016. [CDC via MLive] Detroit has way too many murders and could benefit from a drastic reduction. In 2015, Detroit reportedly suffered from 295 murders, down from with an estimated 82% committed with a firearm. In that same year, our neighboring city of Windsor, Ontario had only 4 murders committed, with only one firearm being used [CBC News]. This number of Detroit murders has since declined to 261 in 2018 - however, when comparing our crime rate to that of our neighbor across the river, the city still has a long way to go. [Detroit Free Press] Poverty and Income inequality correlate with violent crime and murder rates. A 2002 World Bank study demonstrated that “when poverty falls more rapidly, either because income growth rises or the distribution of income improves, then crimes rates tend to fall.”

Moreover, in this study, researchers were able to take the a simple measure of inequality predicts about half of the variance in murder rates between American states and between countries around the world. [The Guardian] Nationwide, actual mass school shootings, while still too frequent, constitute a fraction of total mass shootings. According to research done by

Professor James Alan Fox and doctoral student Emma Fridel “mass murders [a killing of 4 or more people] occur between 20 and 30 times per year, and about one of those incidents on average takes place at a school.” On record, Detroit has experienced 4 total mass school shootings and an additional 9 school shootings in which 3 or fewer individuals were killed or wounded. Given that mass school shootings account for so few murders, our public conversation on gun violence must take place both within and outside of this context.

[Northeastern University, 2018]

While we should surely celebrate the reduction in our city’s murder rate, it would be ideal if we could get our 261 murders much closer to the 10 murders reported in neighboring Windsor, as of November 2018. Our city cannot afford to wait for the next mass shooting for gun violence to re-enter our public discourse. We must find constitutional ways to decrease the level of firearm ownership, increase access to publicly-funded mental and emotional health services, counteract Michigan’s culture of toxic masculinity, aggressively combat income inequality and poverty, and innovate more effective public safety methodologies.

Moreover, our government officials must give citizens more than just thoughts and prayers. They must be willing to foster inclusive dialogue and generate effective policy long after the most recent mass shooting has stopped trending on social media.

The time for real solutions is now.

If the challenge of gun violence is too tough or too costly for our politicians to take on, they should step down and make room for those with more courage and passion for transformative policies.

And they should, please, do so now before more lives are lost.

Lauren Wright and Medvis Jackson are two concerned Detroiters who connected on the issue of gun violence through their attendance of the 2018 March for Our Lives rally.

Statement From Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans On Gm Announcement Of Feb. 22, 2019 General Motors’ decision to continue some operations at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant is good news for Wayne County and the workers being retained. I understand that GM must make difficult decisions to remain competitive as the automotive industry is transformed by the mobility revolution. However, today’s announcement, along with their $20 million investment in Romulus, demonstrates that GM is willing to balance plans for the future with a continued commitment to their workers and Wayne County.

Warren Evans

Gov. Whitmer Statement on Proposed Changes to Title X by Trump Administration

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the following statement commenting on the news that the Trump administration released its final draft of a rule that makes drastic and harmful changes to Title X:

“Title X ensures that every person has access to birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings, and other essential health care services – no matter where they live and how much money they have. The Trump administration’s

Harris is a traditional mainstream progressive African American politician who as a lawyer from the Bay area spent most of her career in law enforcement as a prosecutor and state attorney general. In fact, she was the attorney general for the state of California. She is also a Howard University graduate, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the daughter of a Jamaican-American father and Indian-American mother, both of whom immigrated to the United States and were very active in the civil rights movement.

Higher rates of gun ownership strongly correlate to higher rates of gun related homicides and suicides.

America has 4.4 percent of the world’s population, but owns almost half of the civilian-owned guns around the world.

America has 29.4 homicides per million people, compared to 5.1 homicides per million in Canada, and nearly 1.9 homicided per million in Germany. Moreover, in states with lower rates of gun ownership, they experience lower levels of gun deaths. [Vox Media] Finally, men are a big part of this problem and equation. In the state state of Michigan, men make up roughly 78% of 2017 murder victims, and roughly 84.9% of 2017 perpetrators. We, as a society, must challenge our culture of toxic masculinity, empowering men in our society with the skills necessary for non-violent and constructive conflict resolution. [Michigan Incident Crime Reporting]

actions undermine this bipartisan supported federal-state partnership that has improved the health of women and families for decades. It interferes in the doctor-patient relationship. When people can’t see their provider of choice, they delay or simply go without care.

Along with other newly elected governors, I will explore all options to block these changes. I remain committed to the women and men of Michigan who rely on Title X for access to basic health care services.”

LONGWORTH M. QUINN Publisher-Emeritus 1909-1989

sion by right-wing benefactors to do as much damage as she possibly can to the black community.

However, she was a prosecutor, not a public defender. Nor was she a civil rights lawyer or community organizer. Kamala Harris job was to protect the public by enforcing laws crafted to maintain order and find justice for the aggrieved. And just as judges are going to judge, prosecutors are going to prosecute.

So, by its very definition, her job was to punish and/or remove people from the community who are chronically doing harm or causing trouble for everyone.

That what she did.

The main criticism seems to be with a truancy program Harris created as state attorney general that threatened parents with prosecution if their children were chronically absent from school. Her critics argued such a policy not only disproportionately hurt minority and low-income communities but did not adequately consider the depth and breadth of the social problems the parents were struggling against.

And as attorney general, she ran afoul of the California Legislative Black Caucus for opposing a bill that would have required her office to independently investigate all fatal police shootings, and for not saying that all police should wear body cameras. Harris said she thought it was best if police wore cameras, but that local department should make the decision on their own. https://psmag. com/news/kamala-harris-record-on-criminal-justice-reform

Yet, I have seen and heard people snipe at her for the most ridiculous reasons. The criticism has ranged from people calling her fondness for rap disingenuous, too, questioning her vernacular when talking to black folks versus how she speaks when talking to whites.

I even saw Twitter posts questioning the woman’s motivation for posting a video of herself grooving to some R&B with her hair pulled back tight in a ponytail.

Some people actually claimed she did it just to show off her nappy roots to prove her ethnic bonafides.

While much of this may seem silly and superficial, it can have an accumulative effect in shaping the public’s view of Harris, particularly with African Americans not very familiar with her.

Especially when not so subtle suggestions of an elitist detachment from the community are coupled with more serious questions about her record as a prosecutor in San Francisco and later as the state attorney general.

Most rational folks can dismiss sniping about her taste in music, how she may style her hair on a particular day and even code switching when talking with different groups of people. But they are not going to dismiss credible reports that as a county prosecutor and state attorney general Harris contributed to the mass incarceration of black and brown people in her state.

Mass incarceration is the evil twin of segregation for black and brown people living in 21st century America. Or as the legal scholar, Michelle Alexander puts it, “the New Jim Crow.”

According to the Stanford Center on Poverty & Inequality, the U.S. criminal justice system is profoundly unequal when it comes to race. And despite the fact black people in this country are imprisoned at more than 5 times the rate of whites; and one in 10 black children has a parent behind bars, compared with about one in 60 white kids, the racial disparities have become so entrenched that it is pretty much accepted as normal by most people. https://www.themarshallproject. o r g / 2 0 1 7 / 1 2 / 1 5 / a - m a s s - i n c a r c e r ation-mystery Thus, when credible voices argue rather than using her position to challenge a profoundly racist and unjust criminal justice system personified by the vicious policy of mass incarceration, Harris contributed to it with cruel policies of her own, people listen. Especially black people – who become alarmed.

And those concerns left unaddressed can kill an ambitious African American politician’s campaign while still in its infancy.

However, a closer inspection of her record shows a much more nuanced approach to crime by Harris. As well the need to put her actions as a county prosecutor in its proper perspective.

First, and foremost, unlike some other high profile African American political and legal figures in this country, Kamala Harris is not and was not some bizarre self-hating anti-civil rights and anti-social justice zealot sent on a mis-

And as Marie Gottschalk, a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania wrote in an excellent essay last month in In These Times magazine, critics also pointed out that as attorney general she held troubling positions on many other key criminal justice issues, including the use of solitary confinement, civil asset forfeitures, the criminalization of sex work, and punitive residency and other measures leveled on people convicted of sex offenses. http://inthesetimes.com/article/21700/kamala-harris-criminal-justice-reform-mass-incarceration-progress Yet, as district attorney, Harris created Back on Track, a program aimed at preventing young, first-time, non-violent drug offenders from committing more crimes. Back on Track offered handpicked offenders the chance to get job training and placement, and take community college classes, in return for a guilty plea and 220 hours of community service. Only 10 percent of program graduates committed another crime within two years of their release from jail or prison, compared to 53 percent of Californian drug offenders in general, according to numbers from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Gottschalk also noted while district attorney Harris took a courageous stand not to seek the death penalty in the case of a man accused of killing a police officer, and her office was also less likely than many other jurisdictions to deploy California’s draconian three-strikes law.

And “she challenged the idea that prosecutors should incarcerate people for as long as possible, no matter the crime, no matter how much it costs to incarcerate them, and despite the documented fact that our current prison system rarely prevents offenders from committing new crimes when they come back out.” http://inthesetimes.com/article/21700/kamala-harris-criminal-justice-reform-mass-incarceration-progress Harris, of course, argues that she was doing her best to try to make changes from the inside. And that it was unfair to expect her to be able to make revolutionary changes to a system that was decades in the making by herself alone.

And that perhaps is the point. Just as Harris’s critics of her truancy program argue it did not consider structural problems in our society that create extra burdens for poor parents, so too with “progressive” prosecutors seeking to shift the American criminal justice paradigm on how justice is met out.

In spite of it, all Harris views fall right into the mainstream of progressive jurisprudence – for a career prosecutor.

As the scholar and social commentator Julianne Malveaux; a native of the San Francisco Bay area herself so aptly put it in a recent conversation with the Michigan Chronicle, “Let’s be clear about her record, she’s a prosecutor and their job is to prosecute crimes. If people have problems with that, then they have problems with the position of prosecutor.”

Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019 • michiganchronicle.com • Page A-5

NATIONAL NEWS

Our Black Women and Girls Have Gone Missing but Few Seem to Care

By Stacy M. Brown Victoria Shaw, a Black girl approximately 15 years old, went missing Monday, Feb. 11, in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Teandah Slater, Black and also only 15 years old, was reported missing on Thursday, Feb. 7, from Noble Square in Chicago.

Areall Murchinson, a 16year old Black girl, was last seen near the 200 block of West 111th Place, according to a community alert from Chicago police.

The three are the most recent to make the dubious and heart-breaking list of missing Black girls – particularly teens.

It’s a list that’s quite long and there remains no update on their status.

Recently, the nonprofit Black & Missing Foundation compiled statistics from the FBI which noted that in 2016 alone, 242,295 individuals of color were reported missing in the United States.

A stunning 36.7 percent of those missing were Black teens under the age of 18.

In total, statistics show more than 75,000 young Black Americans are currently missing.

What’s more, officials at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline said they’ve received more than 18.4 million reports, most of which led to apparent child sexual abuse images: online enticement (including “sextortion”), child sex trafficking and child sexual molestation.

Those statistics, and the seeming lack of media interest, have led to cries of racism and neglect, particularly when it comes to Black girls.

It has also led La’Tasha D. Mayes to pen the essay, “Why the Crisis of Missing Black Girls Needs More Attention Than It’s Getting.” Mayes’ March 2017 essay was published at Ebony. com where she noted that an academic study analyzed news coverage of missing children and found that only 20 percent of reported stories focused on missing Black children. This, despite the fact that Black children account for 33 percent of total missing children cases.

15-year old Victoria Shaw went missing Monday, Feb. 11, in West Hartford, Connecticut. Teandah Slater, (top left) who is also only 15-years old, was reported missing on Thursday, Feb. 7, from Noble Square in Chicago.

28-year old Amber Evans disappeared in 2015 and is still missing.

“In other words, missing Black youth are grossly underreported in the news. For missing girls, it’s even worse. When Black girls go missing, far too many people don’t know or don’t care,” Mayes wrote.

Many argue that the stories of young Black girls and women who are missing don’t get the same degree of local, national and global attention as that of an Elizabeth Smart or Natalee Holloway.

Smart, a 14-year-old white girl, was kidnapped in 2002 from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. After an intense search that included relentless media coverage, Smart was rescued by police nine months later and, among other activities, she’s become an analyst for ABC News.

Holloway disappeared in 2005 while on a high school

graduation trip in Aruba.

The white Alabama teen’s story drew global media coverage and, although her remains were never found, she was declared dead in 2010.

Many maintain that African Americans aren’t afforded the intense police investigations or the media coverage given to whites that go missing.

“Black girls are magical and should be noticed, uplifted and acknowledged, both within and outside of the Black community,” said Ginger Lavender Wilkerson, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles.

“To recognize Black girls as magical means defining them as precious, unique and valued.

When society recognizes their worth and value, I believe that more attention will be paid to this matter. In addition, it will

call for all people to recognize this as an epidemic and cause for action,” Wilkerson said.

Child Rights activist Katerina Canyon said she’s been researching cases of missing Black girls for years and there are several unknowns, including that many go missing without any witnesses. “This leads me to believe that the kidnappers are either very good at what they’re doing, or the girls left on their own,” Canyon said.

“We need to make sure black girls have readily accessible help from adults in a safe environment such that they do not fall victim to homelessness or trafficking. A lot of times, with the proper interventions, we can prevent black girls from leaving home or falling prey to traffickers,” she said.

The mystery of the disappearances also has heightened

since 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidency and the subsequent rise in nationalism and white supremacy.

Some of the disappearances have proven more suspicious than others.

A recent report highlighted the case of Amber Evans, who disappeared in 2015.

Evans had been a key player and driving force behind state and local juvenile justice reform in Ohio – work for which she’d been rewarded when the organization she worked for, the Juvenile Justice Coalition, put her in charge.

In a Facebook post on her first day as executive director, Evans, 28, displayed her track and field medals.

“Ohio is for champions and I used to be something of a track star,” Evans wrote.

“Wearing my old medals before starting day 1 as executive director of the Juvenile Justice Coalition was a nice reminder of that.”

Three weeks later, Evans disappeared.

Her car was found, purse in the trunk, her last known whereabouts, a stop at the pharmacy. Her last known words, a text to her mother saying, “I love you and I’m sorry.”

“There never seemed to be a sense of urgency for our missing African American girls,” said Nashima Harvey, an educator and founder of Girls of Decision, a youth empowerment group that seeks to assist girls in making better choices in all stages of their lives.

“The sad thing that I have encountered has been that many of the young girls I have interacted with on my journey are young women who were former human trafficked young ladies,” Harvey said.

“These women went missing at the ages of 12 to 14 and are now adults living in toxic situations looking for a better life and all seemed to feel no longer welcomed by their family. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with this population, but I do believe that we need to be diligent and outspoken when it comes to saving our girls,” she said.

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Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

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Roots.

Finalists and $50,000 grand prizewinners for the prototype A Seat at My Sister’s Table (left to right) LaTasha Weatherall, KC Wilbourn Snapp, and Aisha Habeeb

michiganchronicle.com

Leaders Amongst Leaders had an interactive expo on display before their pitch at the MBK Detroit Innovation Challenge. PHOTO: Bre’Ann WHLGN

$310,000 awarded at MBK Detroit Innovation Challenge

By Branden Hunter

tors with the tools to redesign teaching and learning in their urban classrooms; Reading Behind Bars, a virtual literacy program that uses video technology to allow incarcerated parents the ability to read with their child; and The Lab Drawer, equipping Detroit students with STEM learning resources to help supplement opportunities that may not be available in school.

According to the dictionary, the definition of a hooligan is, “a violent young troublemaker, typically one of a gang.” But the creatives from Detroit’s North End called “the WHLGNs” are anything but the English definition.

They are a group of peer-topeer mentors who are looking to connect young creatives in Detroit with the skills, resources, and opportunities necessary to pursue their passions in the arts and build their professional network through their Leaders Amongst Leaders organization.

The group of seven moved a step further with their initiative, winning one of the six $50,000 prizes at the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Detroit Innovation Challenge held at the Michigan Science Center.

During the challenge, twenty teams showcased their ideas through an interactive expo, followed by a pitch competition where six teams were selected to win $50,000 each, as well as continued professional supports to launch their programs.

Additionally, audience members voted for one team to win a $5,000 “Audience Favorite” award.

Leaders Amongst Leaders were one of six organizations of color to win a $50,000 prize at the MBK Detroit Innovation Challenge. PHOTO: Bre’Ann WHGLN

“Leaders Amongst Leaders is essentially the branch between the generation that mentors us and the youth,” said Antonio “Tony WHLGN”

Leaders Amongst Leaders arguably received the loudest applause and displayed the most emotion when their name was called. That is what

Robinson. “We basically want to be the solution for the disparity that children face in our community, with having passions but not having access to those resources to grow their passions into some type of sustainable creative career.”

$50,000 will do to you. And they plan to put the money to great use.

to do, as well as bring in other entreprenuers and connect everyone at the same time.”

“We really want a facility,” Allante “Unc WHLGN” Steele said. “Right now, we work out of our house, doing photography, art, and other things. So we want to find a facility where we can create a creative hub. We are already doing what we need to do, now we want to bring the youth in to do what they need

The other five winners of the $50,000 prizes were the Detroit Phoenix Center, a safe haven for homeless youth; A Seat at My Sister’s Table, discourse around girls of color who have been exposed to sexual and societal trauma; Developing Strong Black Male Educators, empowering black male educa-

“Sexual abuse is often hidden in plain sight,” said LaTasha Weatherall, co-founder of A Seat at My Sister’s Table with K.C. Wilbourn-Snapp. “We decided to do something that not only affected us, but affected other women and younger girls, that no one is speaking about.

And because it’s been a secret for so long, you have to begin to unpack those things and that comes with mental illness and depression. We want to start to discuss those things early on before it gets too late in life.”

Courtney Smith, the founder and Executive Director of the Detroit Phoenix Center, was almost in tears when her name was the first one to be called.

She operates the only drop-in center in the city of Detroit for youth facing homelessness.

But the program she pitched at the MBK Innovation Challenge was an apprenticeship program that does not exist yet. But with $50,000 more in funds, it will

See MBK page B-2

Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation to receive $30,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $27 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $30,000 to the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation for the 40th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival. Art Works is the Arts Endowment’s principal grantmaking program.

“The arts enhance our communities and our lives, and we look forward to seeing these projects take place throughout the country, giving Americans opportunities to learn, to create, to heal, and to celebrate,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the NEA. “Thank you to the National Endowment for the Arts for helping us continue the educational and cultural mission of the Detroit Jazz Festival,” said Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation president and artistic director Chris Collins. “Plans are underway for this milestone year and we appreciate NEA’s major contribution toward our efforts to host an unforgettable experience in Detroit.”

DMC staff are all smiles for their Go Red event on National Wear Red Day.

Detroit Medical Center Goes Red

February is American Heart Month and recently Detroit Medical Center celebrated National Wear Red Day on February 1 by encouraging all employees to wear red in an attempt to educate Detroit residents on heart health.

“This small but significant gesture is important for us to shine a spotlight on heart health,” said Dr. Illeana Piña, M.D., M.P.H, DMC’s Regional and National Director of Heart Failure, and Director of Cardiovascular Research and Academic Affairs. “Heart disease is a taboo because people don’t recognize the symptoms that lead to a heart attack.”

The Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation will also receive operational support funding from the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, which is also a grantee of the NEA. This funding will also help to assist the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation with year-round educational ini-

See GRANT page B-2

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, caus-

DMC staff pose at their Go Red event on National Wear Red Day.

See DMC page B-2

Page B-2 • michiganchronicle.com • Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

Detroit reflections, old and new

By Dr. John Telford

Founder and Executive Director of the Detroit Phoenix Center, Court- Ladies in Training founder Jasmin Barnett (left) and ney Smith. PHOTO: The advisory board member Brittnee Shows (right).

Skillman Foundation

PHOTO: The Skillman Foundation

MBK

From page B-1 be in operation soon.

“We are going to be providing supportive housing, job training, and support networks to youth on the streets,” Smith said.

“We are also going to employ them through our social enterprise, so that they can exit their homelessness.”

The 20 semi-finalists were selected from nearly 650 applications to the MBK Detroit Innovation Challenge, a $500,000 initiative supported by The Skillman Foundation, Campaign for Black Male Achievement, JP Morgan Chase, and Ford Motor Company Fund.

Selections were made by a group of 30 judges, including previous challenge awardees and Detroit youth.

“Detroit is rich with creativity and talent. You can see it everywhere, especially in our young people,” said Tonya Allen, president & CEO of the Skillman Foundation.

“The MBK Challenge is a way to encourage and support innovative ideas that support our city’s boys and girls of color.”

Judges for the MBK Detroit Innovation Challenge included Tonya Allen, Shannon Smith, and James Tate, among others. PHOTO: Xavier Cuevas Shawn Dove, CEO of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, arrived at the tail end of the challenge, having his flight from New York City delayed and driving down from Flint to take in what he could. But he left those still in attendance with an important message.

“Everybody wins,” said Dove. “Everybody wins when we have the MBK Detroit Innovation Challenge. There are so many people here that won’t fellowship, and they asked for something and were told no. But no just means another opportunity. This is a win for all of Detroit.”

Jasmin Barnett, the founder of Ladies in

Training, a mentoring and scholarship organization that serves as a bridge to develop girls ages 10-18, won the People’s Choice Award and $5,000. She welcomed Dove’s message and her prize with open arms.

“This means that the community understands that what I’m doing is for them,” said Barnett, who tied with one other group for $5,000. “I have spent thousands of my own dollars, so this is a blessing for others to notice us. We didn’t win the big prize, but we won something that’ll help keep the program going and I plan to invest it back into my kids.”

Now in the third month of 2019 and of my 84th year, I find myself reminiscing yet again on our Detroit track & field-related events of six decades ago. as well as on some suspiciously curious Detroit-public-schools-and-Detroit-public-library-related occurrences of a more recent vintage. The late “Bullet Billy” Smith, my teammate on swift WSU teams that won 880-yard relay races at the Ohio and Penn Relays and elsewhere in that halcyon Motown era of the 1950s, was a DPS hurdles champion at Northwestern High School in 1950 and broke the world record in the 65-yard low hurdles in 1956. (Pictured from left are champion 880-yard relayists Cliff Hatcher, me, Ralph Williams, Billy, and Coach David L. Holmes. Hatcher and Williams also teamed with me and Ralph Carter to win the mile relay at the Ohio and Penn Relays that same year.) Another great relay team whereupon I teamed with Billy, Jim Bibbs, and the late Irving “Pete” Petross was the 1958 Detroit Track Club sprint team that won silver medals in the National AAU sprint-relay final in New York’s old Madison Square Garden. We dropped the baton while in the lead, went from first place to sixth in two seconds, and then snatched the stick back up and zoomed miraculously past four other teams to miss winning the gold by incredible inches. The previous week, members of that same DTC team had shattered the world 880-yard relay record at the old Yost Fieldhouse in Ann Arbor. Bibbs, who turns 90 this month, was the first to tie Jesse Owens’ world 60-yard mark. He later became the head track coach at MSU. In addition to reflecting on my having run on those record-breaking relay teams and having set several individual sprint records while outrunning Olympians on the U.S. team in Europe, I also find myself reflecting on the sad state of Detroit’s public schools, within which I set a record of quite another sort: the number of times a DPS employee

Dr. John Telford has been FIRED. I was fired from the Detroit Public School District FOUR times, including from two executive directorships and in 2013 from the SUPERINTENDENCY ITSELF by the newly-empowered DPS Emergency Manager when Lansing Republicans undemocratically reinstated the emergency manager law that we Michiganians had voted in 2012 to rescind, and which I had fought against in print and over the airwaves multiple times. In 2017, I signed a part-time contract as the newly-formed Detroit Public Schools Community District’s Poet-in-Residence, a position I still hold. In 2018, I applied (unsuccessfully) to the DPSCD Board for an appointment to the Detroit Public Library Commission. (The Detroit school board makes those appointments.) This winter, I applied for a second time (again unsuccessfully), along with the great social activist and former DPS board member Elena Herrada. I’m as yet unaware who did get selected--someone named Edith, I’m told, who hopefully thus must be some rare kind of dynamo, to have been so curiously chosen over the brilliant Elena and over a Detroit octogenarian educator who has authored six published books and more

than a thousand newspaper columns. (Perhaps newly-anointed Commissioner Edith has written SEVEN books and MORE THAN two thousand columns??) We perennially inquisitive Detroiters would all greatly appreciate being enlightened by the DPSCD Board regarding Edith’s awards, credentials, authorships, and other apparently vastly superior qualifications for the leadership position which the DPSCD Board has curiously chosen to give her over Elena and me.

In the meantime, God and the Fates willing, I’ll continue to write my columns, host my Detroit shows on WCHB, galvanize my activist affiliations, write yet another book, and do as much else as I can to foster a better education for all of Detroit’s public schoolchildren, whose test scores during the two decades of the state’s plundering takeover of our schools have sunk to become America’s worst by far.

Hear activist Detroit educator and former NCAA Al-American sprinter John Telford Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m. on WCHB AM1340. The call-in number is (313) 837-1340. Get his books at The Source Booksellers on Cass Avenue, at Barnes & Noble stores, and on amazon.com (type in Dr. John Telford). His website is www.AlifeontheRUN.com. Email him at DrJohnTelfordEdD@ aol.com or call (313) 46082872 to advertise on his show or appear on it. His programs are often vieotaped for streaming on DetroitipTelevision (DETipTV.com) and on his Facebook page.

Michigan Chronicle Grant

From page B-1 tiatives and community programming.

About the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation The Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that presents jazz and education-

al workshops throughout the year. The Foundation supports the Detroit Jazz Festival, which is the largest free jazz festival in the world and a major tourist attraction for the City of Detroit, with 26 percent of its audience coming from out of state. For more information, visit detroitjazzfest.org.

For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

DMC staff pose with their heart-shaped cut-out’s in honor of #HeartHealth Month.

DMC

From page B-1 ing 1 in 3 deaths each year— that’s approximately one woman every minute. Nearly 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented, however, the key to prevention is awareness. And to help raise awareness, all employees were encouraged to download a heart cut-out from the website, then share a heart health video message for family and friends using #HeartHealth.

“It’s exciting to see our staff join forces to raise awareness for such an important topic,” said DMC Chief Nursing Officer Tra-

DMC staffers pose with their heart-shaped cut-out’s in honor of #HeartHealth Month. vis Maher. “It was great to see all the encouraging messages – and having ev-

eryone rally on social media to shed light on heart health.”

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Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019 • michiganchronicle.com • Page B-3

Inspirations of a D-Girl:

New book chronicles Darylynn Mumphord’s life growing in Detroit

By Branden Hunter Darylynn Mumphord laid unconscious in a hospital bed for two weeks at Providence Hospital in 2006, not knowing if she would survive a blow to the head she had received from a wooden baseball bat. Not yet 15, she suffered the assault by the hands of a childhood friend named Monea who refused to return the Al Wissam coat Mumphord loaned out to her. Mumphord survived, but was diagnosed with epilepsy from the trauma to her head.

That is just one of the many short stories in Mumphord’s new book, “Inspiration of a D-Girl”, which chronicles her life growing up on Detroit’s west side near Joy Road, from her mother Jeanne taking in nine of her cousins, being diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer and being in a violent relationship, to her oldest brother Ace being murdered, and starting her own clothing line.

The subtitle for the book is “I was willing to risk it all, now I have too much to lose.”

that are family secret worthy. But it allows others to look inside the real life of someone who is well-known around the city, having 75,200 followers on Instagram.

Not to give too much of the book away, Inspirations of a D-Girl comes out March 3, 2019, which also happens to be her mother’s birthday. Mumphord is having a book signing and release party at 25250 Greenfield Road in Oak Park, Michigan. And if you are not available to attend, it will also be available on Amazon and at GotDreamsGetRich.com for $19.99.

“This is my first book, so I want honest feedback from the city,” said Mumphord. “I’m more nervous than anything about this release and I’m usually never nervous about anything. But this is a big step for me, because I’m about to tell the world about my life and more questions are going to come behind it.”

“All through the book, you’ll see that I dealt with loss early,” said Mumphord. “I lost a stepbrother, my older brother, and I was losing all of my favorite people to the streets. But I feel when people read my book, they’ll learn a lot more about me and they’ll feel inspired. I really want younger girls from the hood to be inspired by this and change their situations.”

Toward the end of the book, Mumphord talks about how she started Dream Rich clothing in 2014. She needed a way to make more money and was riding in a car with two of her friends when the idea for a clothing line struck her. They each began to brainstorm names, until Dream Rich stuck.

She began to do research on clothing design and actually was not able to get much help at home in Detroit. It is now one of the more recognizable brands in the city.

“I had to move out of town,” Mumphord said. “I was in Miami walking on the beach and I saw this guy. I asked him where he got his shirt from and he said he made them. I did my first release and it sold out. I used my last $200 to start my business.”

Mumphord co-wrote the book with friend Derek Nesbitt. Mumphord is very transparent in Inspirations of a D-Girl, revealing stories

Darylynn Mumphord

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WASHINGTON-PARKS ACADEMY 11685 Appleton Redford, MI 48239 Phone: (313) 592-6061 http://cornerstoneeducationgroup.org/ Washington-Parks Academy, a Tuition Free Public School Academy, with an academic program for K-8 grade, announces the 2019-2020 enrollment period.

Open Enrollment: 03/8/19 through 05/24/19. A random selection lottery will be held on May 27th, 2019.

LINCOLN-KING ACADEMY 13436 Grove Street Detroit, MI 48235 Phone: (313) 862-2352 http://cornerstoneeducationgroup.org/ Lincoln-King Academy, a Tuition Free Public School Academy, with an academic program for K-9 grade, announces the 2019-2020 enrollment period.

Open Enrollment: 03/8/19 through 05/24/19. A random selection lottery will be held on May 27th, 2019.

CORNERSTONE CHARTER HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL 17351 Southfield Road Detroit, Michigan 48235 Phone: (313) 486-4260 http://cornerstoneeducationgroup.org/ Cornerstone Charter Health and Technology School, a Tuition Free Public School Academy, with an academic program for 9-12 grade, announces the 2019-2020 enrollment period.

Open Enrollment: 03/8/19 through 05/24/19. A random selection lottery will be held on May 27th, 2019.

MADISON-CARVER ACADEMY 19900 McIntyre Street Detroit, MI 48219 Phone: (313) 486-4626 http://cornerstoneeducationgroup.org/ Madison-Carver Academy, a Tuition Free Public School Academy, with an academic program for K-8 grade, announces the 2019-2020 enrollment period.

Open Enrollment: 03/8/19 through 05/24/19. A random selection lottery will be held on May 27th, 2019.

CORNERSTONE JEFFERSON-DOUGLASS ACADEMY 6861 E. Nevada , Detroit, MI 48234 Phone: (313) 892-1860 http://cornerstoneeducationgroup.org/ Cornerstone Jefferson-Douglass Academy, a Tuition Free Public School Academy, with an academic program for K-8 grade, announces the 2019-2020 enrollment period.

Open Enrollment: 03/8/19 through 05/24/19. A random selection lottery will be held on May 27th, 2019.

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Page B-4 • michiganchronicle.com • Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

The Lip Bar Detroit opens in Parker’s Alley

By Branden Hunter Dozens of eager patrons waited outside along Parker’s Alley to get inside the Lip Bar for its grand opening in downtown Detroit Saturday. Founded by native Detroiter Melissa Butler in 2012, the vegan, gluten-free, all-natural and cruelty-free lipstick collection opened its 300-square-foot retail flagship store right behind the new Shinola Hotel.

know if people would come, because it’s February and it’s cold out. But people are showing love and I appreciate it.”

In November, Butler was awarded $20,000 from the city’s Motor City Match program to assist with the $70,000 buildout. Mayor Mike Duggan was in attendance Friday for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Goodie bags and champagne were also on hand. Butler said programs such as Motor City Match are important for small businesses of color in Detroit in order to level the playing field, trying to compete for spaces and business with larger corporations.

Butler started the Lip Bar truck and sold product in New York, ChiFounder and CEO of the Lip Bar, Melissa B ­ utler, cago, Philadelstands outside of her new downtown Detroit lo- phia, Atlanta, Washington cation.

D.C., and ToThe store, officially located ronto. Raised on Detroit’s east at 1435 Farmer Street, suite side near City Airport, she is 122, joins other retailers in- now able to sell her product out cluding juice maker Drought, of the Lip Bar’s first permanent florist Posie Atelier, and cloth- retail shop in the heart of downing retailer Madewell along town.

Parker’s Alley.

“I’m happy we are finally cre“I was nervous because it’s ating some retail here in the cold outside,” laughed Butler, city,” said Butler, who attended on whether she expected the Cass Tech. “There’s no reason line to her new store to be out we should have to drive all the the door. “When we opened the way to Somerset (Mall) to get pop-up shop in July, we had a high-quality products, espeline, but it was warm. I didn’t cially make-up. I’m happy to be

Those wanting to buy lipstick from the Lip Bar Detroit had to endure long lines just to get inside during its grand opening Saturday. making my mark.”

The new space will employ three people and was designed

by Imani Day of Detroit. As you enter the store, you will see four main stations with mirrors and products in an effort to personalize shoppers’ experiences. The store also features three swings hanging from the ceiling as a playful option while browsing. But there is not much room to swing.

Butler said she wanted to build a very “beautiful and unique experience” with her

new retail store, in order to build a beauty community in Detroit. She has certainly made a connection with the Detroit community, taking photos and talking to customers outside the Lip Bar, while they waited to get inside.

“I am so glad to see an African-American business woman making powers moves in downtown Detroit,” said Cayla Bishop of Detroit, who did not mind waiting in the cold to buy lipstick. “As you walk along Woodward, there aren’t too many new stores that cater

to women of color or are even owned by black people. What Melissa is doing is trailblazing for our city.”

Butler’s company previously sold at a pop-up shop on Agnes Street in Detroit’s West Village neighborhood. The Lip Bar’s products are now on Target shelves in stores across the U.S. Products and are completely vegan and cruelty free.

The Lip Bar will be open in downtown Detroit Monday-Saturday from 10-7 p.m. and Sundays from 12-5 p.m.

FAAN Black History Month planning committee and Keynote Speaker, Roslyn M. Jimmy Settles, Settles’ wife, Gwen Moore, Vivian Pickard, Sharon Madison and Brock (seated center, in purple suit) Photo Credit: Eric Hobson husband, Lauren M. Sanders, event guests(l-r) Photo Credit: Eric Hobson

FAAN Celebrates Community and Diversity During Its 38th Annual Black History Month Gala Celebration

By KC Wilbourn Snapp

Community Service Award honoree, Jason Wilson and his wife Nicole. Source: IG

The Henry Autograph Hotel’s banquet area was filled with employees, community members, and influencers for an evening of celebration. Ford-Employees African American Ancestry Network (FAAN) held its 38th Annual Black History Celebration to recognize trailblazers in the community who continue to make advancements for people of color. According to its members, FAAN’s aspiration is to have an environment where employees of African descent and other minorities are represented at every level of the company to maximize professional growth while contributing to Ford Motor Company’s strategic objectives, enabling a sustainable competitive advantage. “We must open ourselves to perspectives different from what has always been,” says FAAN President & Vice President, Global Quality and New Model Launch, Linda Cash as she acknowledges the work of Ford Motor Company and the strides it continues to make towards diversity.

“We are celebrating every culture, appreciating them for what makes them unique.”

The event, hosted by former WDIV Local 4 News Anchor, Lauren Sanders, featured an awards presentation and those in attendance were serenaded

by Grammy nominated trio, The Hamiltones. Honored with the Heritage Award this year were Sharon Madison, Owner, Madison International and City of Detroit Group Executive for Neighborhoods and former vice president – UAW – Ford National Programs Center, James “Jimmy” Settles, Jr.

Keynote Speaker Roslyn M. Brock, Founder of Bags to Butterflies, Michelle Smart Photo Credit: Eric ­Hobson

Community Service awards were given to Michelle Smart, Founder of Bags to Butterflies and Jason Wilson, Founder of The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy (CATTA) for young males of color. Bags to Butterflies is a program that helps reduce recidivism within the community by providing women who with transitional employment and training as well as connecting them with resources and a network for empowerment. As she stepped up to received her award, Smart was accompanied by two women who were incarcerated. As each woman offered her name and years of incarcer-

Heritage Award honoree Jimmy Settles and his wife(red), greet Gwen Moore Photo Credit: Eric Hobson ation, the room was filled with applause and demonstrated a shift in thinking as it relates to mass incarceration and how we have begun to personalize the experience and impact on our communities at-large. The stories shared by the honorees were stirring and steeped in emotion. Wilson, also known for his book, Cry Like a Man, spoke about “father wounds” and how his life’s mission is to work with young boys to help free them from “emotional incarceration.”

The evening was filled with encouraging words from the recipients, hosts, and its keynote speaker, Roslyn M. Brock. Brock, the NAACP National Board of Directors Chairman Emeritus, gave an insightful and charged speech, reminding listeners of the need to continue the work for equity. “We don’t live in a post racial society and despite our best efforts, there’s much more work to be done. We are truly living in a society where men, young men and women, are literally living with their backs against the wall.” Her call for mentors to lead the next generation typifies the evening’s theme “Shaping A New Generation of Leaders to Create Tomorrow.”

With so many in attendance, guests signaled their support of FORD and FAAN for its work in the community, the gala, and its strides in diversity. Strides that were cemented when the company unveiled its latest advertising campaign

that features Ford’s F-150, SUV and car lineup. The “Built Ford Proud: “We Lead” and “Ode to the Builders” campaign is narrated by legendary actress, Angela Bassett.

According to Marc Bland, VP of Diversity & Inclusion for IHS Markit, Ford Motor Company made history during the gala. “There has never been, in the history of automobiles, an African American focused, full-size, pick-up vehicle campaign until Ford unveiled its [campaign],” said Bland. Bland also lauded the work of Rajoielle “Raj” Register, Manager, Cross Brand Strategies and Growth Audiences at Ford for her contribution to cultural diversity within the brand. The uniqueness of the campaign demonstrates Ford’s longstanding commitment to African Americans and value as consumers and employees.

Ford Motor Company proudly acknowledges its work with FAAN as its first resource group. Established in 1983, organizers were committed to building a group that would be inclusive and impart a sense of community among all employees in the company.

Since its inception, FAAN members have laid the groundwork for its members to benefit from premier leadership development, an established network and an open forum for identifying issues and promoting diversity.

B5

Money.

| Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

michiganchronicle.com

What is ­Considered a Bad Credit Score?

By Rick Miller Your credit score is one of the most important pieces of your overall financial equation. However, it’s certainly not the only piece.

Lenders will rely on your credit score.

They use it to determine how much risk they would assume by giving you a loan.

Your score is just a starting point.

Your credit report may give lenders a reason to believe you are more creditworthy than your score suggests.

There are many factors that can impact your credit score. Late payments, judgments, and credit inquiries can be a drag on your credit score. A long credit history with few or no delinquencies will strengthen your score. It will help you get the most competitive interest rates.

There is good news. If you are one of the more than one third of Americans who boast a “sub-prime” credit score, you may still be able to qualify for a loan or line of credit.

There is also bad news. Have a low credit score? You are probably going to wind up with higher interest rates if you do qualify for a loan.

Is your score not where you’d like it to be? There are plenty of things you can do to bring it up.

Lenders want to lend you money.

So, they intentionally built a system that encourages second and even third chances. All you have to do is make the most of the chances you get.

New Report Identifies Resources, Barriers for Detroit Small Businesses Seeking Capital We researched & reviewed the 5 best companies in the industry. They will help you dispute items on your report & improve your credit score.

What is a bad credit score?

The most utilized scoring method to quantify creditworthiness is the FICO score. It was created by the Fair Isaac Corporation. Your FICO score can range from 300 to 850. Higher scores indicate a lower credit risk.

A bad FICO score is in the eye of the beholder. However, Experian has a chart that labels score ranges and breaks out the percentages of Americans in each category.

More than 37% of all eligible American borrowers have a score that is either very poor or fair. Fewer than 20% of eligible borrowers have a score above 800.

A “very poor” score, below 579, may prevent you from even qualifying for a loan or line of credit. A “fair” score, between 579 and 669, may require special conditions such as collateral or deposits in order to secure approval for a loan.

There are other scoring systems beyond FICO. However, the principles and metrics are all very similar.

If your FICO score is low, your score is most likely going to be low under any other system, too. If you aren’t sure what your FICO score is, there are several ways to find out.

See CREDIT

SCORE page B6

Money Alone is Not Enough to Ensure Small Business Success, Report Says A decade removed from the Great Recession, a new report identifies sources of capital available to new and established small business entrepreneurs in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, along with potential strategies to help them more successfully access the capital they need to grow their businesses.

The Capital Access report was authored by the Eckblad Group, a woman-owned consulting firm that has worked with community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to create microloan programs that support underserved business owners. The report makes three key observations about the accessibility of small business capital in Detroit: (1) It is essential that local capital providers take a collaborative, ecosystem approach to ensure that the right type of capital is available to underserved entrepreneurs at the right times.

(2) Underserved entrepreneurs need support building financial and small business management skills, navigating the capital ecosystem, and building trust in systems that were not originally built for them.

(3) Coordination at all levels of the small business support ecosystem— from neighborhood organizations to

banks—is needed to address structural issues faced by underserved entrepreneurs.

all entrepreneurs can access the right resources at the right time to grow their businesses.”

The report is accompanied by a new resource for small businesses, the Capital Readiness Checklist, also available online. A worktable of neighborhood business advocates operating across Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park designed the checklist, which serves as an assessment tool to help entrepreneurs learn the “5 Cs of Creditworthiness” and determine their readiness for loan capital. The checklist has been translated and printed in four languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, and Bangla.

In 2018, the Eckblad Group researched the sources and availability of capital for new and existing small businesses operating in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. The authors also conducted dozens of interviews with entrepreneurs, private- and social-sector financial institution leaders, and representatives of relevant community organizations to explore perceptions of capital availability for entrepreneurs, particularly those that are underserved.

“Detroit is a trailblazer among its peers in addressing the challenges of historically underserved entrepreneurs, but there are still gaps in the continuum of capital that small businesses need to start, grow, and thrive,” said Barbara Eckblad, principal of the Eckblad Group. “The Capital Access report gives a snapshot of the state of the continuum today, and the products, tools, and policies needed to make that continuum available and accessible to all members of the community.”

“The New Economy Initiative’s work has been increasingly focused on building businesses from and of our community by investing in strong support systems for local entrepreneurs,” said Don Jones, NEI’s associate director.

“The Capital Access report gives us a picture of what is needed to ensure that

The Capital Access report gives capital providers and small business advocates insight into the complex needs of new and established Detroit entrepreneurs, particularly those from underserved communities still aggravated by the effects of the Great Recession. Between 2009-2010, the number of small business loans in Detroit dropped by 60 percent, according to the report.

Though lending finally returned to pre-recession levels in 2015, accessible capital remains elusive at the lower stages of the capital continuum, particularly at the microloan level (loans of $50,000 or less).

Three nonprofit organizations – ProsperUS Detroit, Michigan Women Forward, and the Detroit Development Fund – focus on microloan products that are being accessed by small busi-

See SEEKING

CAPITAL page B6

FedEx Launches Seventh Annual Small Business Grant Contest $220,500 in Total Cash and Prizes Up for Grabs in 2019 Contest

alternatives to opium farming for the Afghan people. In the year since they took home the grand prize in the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest, Rumi Spice has used their winnings to greatly improve their supply chain logistics, as they transport the saffron out of Afghanistan and bring it to Chicago where it is then packaged and sent to Michelin star restaurants and consumers all over the US.

FedEx announced the launch of its seventh annual Small Business Grant Contest. This year, the contest offers grants and services to ten U.S. based small businesses, distributing a collective prize pool of $220,500—the largest sum since the contest was established in 2012. In addition to the grants, winners will also receive an additional dollar amount in credit to use towards FedEx Office print and business services to help run their businesses, as well as packages designed to help them with website optimization, design thinking, social media, and print expertise. Specifically, the 2019 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest prize packages include: Grand prize: One (1) winner of $50,000, plus $7,500 in FedEx Office® print and business services Silver prize: One (1) winner of $30,000, plus $5,000 in FedEx Office print and business services Bronze prize: Eight (8) winners of $15,000, plus $1,000 in FedEx Office

Over the past seven years, 24,000 businesses have entered the contest in the United States alone. The contest has now grown from one country to eleven countries and the grant pool for the US contest has grown from $50,000 to $220,500 in total cash prizes. print and business services “We know it’s difficult for even the most promising of small businesses to grow and scale, especially at the beginning of their lifecycle” said Scott Harkins, senior vice president, Customer Channel Marketing at FedEx. “That’s why we are proud to offer our top ten winners so much more than just the funds to help them grow their businesses. This year, our winners will receive much needed expertise and advice on some of the most fundamental and critical aspects of building a viable and sus-

tainable business – and we will stay on with them as a trusted advisor as they take their businesses to the next level.”

The 2018 contest garnered nearly 665,000 votes and attracted more than 7,800 candidates from across the United States. Grand Prize winner Rumi Spice, a small Chicago- based business that sources and brings to market premier saffron from the fields of Afghanistan, was founded by former Army officer Keith Alaniz and two friends who, while serving in the war-torn country, realized the need to provide economic

The 2019 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest is open to U.S.-based for-profit small businesses that have less than 99 employees and have been operating for six months or more. To enter, participants must visit www.fedex. com/grantcontest and enter their contact information, write a short profile about their business and upload four photos of their business or product, including their logo. While not required, participants also have the option of submitting a 90-second “elevator speech”

See CONTEST page B6

Page B-6 • michiganchronicle.com • Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

Credit score

Seeking capital

From page B-5

One way to learn your credit score is to apply for a loan.

In most cases, the lender will tell you your score when you apply. It surprises many people to learn that each of the three credit bureaus must provide a copy of your credit report upon request once per year, free of charge.

From page B-5

nesses in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.

Other resources, such as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s microloan program, are available but do not provide a significant number of loans at the microloan level that reach a significant number of businesses in those cities.

However, this will not include your FICO score. That will be available for purchase when you request a copy of your report. A good place to go to request your credit report is through this page.

What factors impact my credit score?

The most important factor that affects your credit score is your payment history. That accounts for 35% of your FICO score. You should always make sure to make your payments on time.

If you feel like you might fall behind and a late payment starts to look like a possibility, you should call your lender and try to work something out. You may be surprised at how willing they might be to work with you.

They might be able to help you avoid a late payment on your credit report.

It’s worth noting that one or two late payments is not going to sink your credit score. If you have an otherwise long credit history with no blemishes, it won’t have too much of an impact. However, if you are just starting out and you have a late payment or two right out of the gate, it might be quite damaging and may take a while to recover.

The next most critical factor

help to improve your score.

The remainder of your FICO equation is spread between: Length of credit history Credit mix New accounts The length of credit history can help your score if you’ve been borrowing for a long time.

Conversely, your score will be lower if you are a relatively new borrower.

Your credit mix relates to whether or not you have a healthy balance of accounts.

That balance should include credit cards, secured loans like mortgages or car loans, and retail accounts.

Lenders will also deem you to be riskier if you have an unusually high amount of new loans or credit cards open.

That is especially if you haven’t been borrowing for very long.

What is life like with bad credit?

is the amounts you owe. That includes “sub-factors” like credit utilization and how many accounts have balances.

Do you have a lot of maxed out credit cards or new installment loans that you just started making payments on? That will likely have a negative impact on your credit score. Conversely, if you don’t owe much money and you have lots of available credit on open credit lines, that would

Contest From page B-5

video to supplement their entry.

The contest entry period is open from February 19 to March 25, 2019, with voting to take place from February 27 to April 1, 2019. Following a judging period, winners will be announced on April 29, 2019 at www.fedex.com/grantcontest.

FedEx. Solutions that Matter.® Helping Small Businesses.

The FedEx portfolio of services enables small businesses to gain access to the global marketplace and to shipping, logistics and printing solutions, offering up multiple possibilities for growth. For more information on how FedEx helps small businesses, please visit the FedEx Small Business Center at fedex. com/smallbusiness.

most obvious.

There are several reasons bad credit can hurt your dayto-day life. One drawback is

The lower your credit score, the less likely you are to qualify for a loan or line of credit. A car loan or mortgage is likely a pipe dream if you have a score in the 400’s or even 500’s.

A bad credit score can also be costly. If you have a score that’s high enough to qualify for a loan, but not high enough to qualify for a competitive interest rate, you might wind up

paying thousands more in fees and interest that you otherwise would have if you had a higher credit score when you originally applied for the loan.

If you have any unpaid judgments or liens, you should pay them as soon as possible. The sooner you pay them in full, the sooner your score will improve.

There are some lesser known pitfalls that often accompany bad credit as well. For example, prospective employers might want to check your credit as part of a background check.

If your score is so low that it’s hard to even qualify for a traditional loan, which could therefore hinder your ability to rebuild your credit history, you may want to consider a secured loan or credit card.

A bad score could cause them to see you as a “risky investment” just as a lender would. A bankruptcy could prohibit you from obtaining a security clearance. That could be a huge obstacle if you are trying to get a job working for the government, as either an employee or a contractor.

Most local banks and lenders will work with you to lend you money that’s secured by a deposit in a savings account.

The bank may then help you out by agreeing to report your timely payments to the credit bureaus.

Landlords often pull credit reports as a part of a background check when you apply to live somewhere. A bad credit report can hurt your chances of securing a mortgage or lease.

Therefore, bad credit can make it awfully hard to find a place to live.

How can I improve my credit score?

Fortunately, there are many ways to improve your credit score. If you’re looking to improve your score, you can take proactive and passive measures to get your score into the ‘good’ range.

The first thing you should do is examine your credit reports carefully, and try to locate any mistakes. If you do find any mistakes, or even something that might be a mistake, you should dispute it and ask for the entry to be removed from your record.

This forces the bureaus to go through a series of verifications and validations, and at least creates an opportunity for removal.

A secured credit card is a special type of credit card that is also backed by a deposit you pay upfront. The credit limit on a secured card is usually equal to the amount of the deposit you paid. You can use it to mend your credit until you become eligible for a better, unsecured card.

Again, you should make sure they report to all three credit bureaus because you want to make sure they reward you for your successful record of payments.

There are several strategies that you can implement to improve your credit score, but sometimes it can be hard to figure out where to start. You may want to consider seeking the help of a reputable credit repair company, as they are typically staffed with experts who know how to best attack any given situation.

They can identify items to dispute, and dispute them for you. They can help you decide which secured loans or lines of credit make the most sense for you. This option obviously costs money, but it may save you big in the long run.

“Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park are chock-full of talented, motivated entrepreneurs who wouldn’t otherwise have access to capital if it weren’t for the vigorous network of micro-lenders serving our business community,” said Matthew Bihun, a senior loan officer at ProsperUS Detroit. “Prosper US, Michigan Women Forward, and Detroit Development fund have demonstrated successful lending models that are predicated on a high tolerance for risk combined with creative technical assistance, intensive relationship-building, and the ability to be flexible in areas where traditional lenders may not.”

The Capital Access report identifies several opportunities for future research to improve the lending landscape for new and established entrepreneurs in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.

“Access to capital continues to be the most limiting factors for minority entrepreneurs when it comes to starting a business,” said Ted Archer, head of Small Business Forward, JPMorgan Chase.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our neighborhood economies which is why we continue to support efforts that help pinpoint barriers to economic opportunity and offer creative solutions to bring entrepreneurs the resources they need to be successful.”

“For those who come from neighborhoods or communities that have historically lacked access to money or networks of people who can serve as mentors, there are additional layers of awareness, trust, systems navigation, community-building and institutional bias that must be considered and provided to realize the full force of entrepreneurship,’’ said Barbara Eckblad. “Money alone will not address the resource needs of the underserved in these areas.’’

The full Capital Access report, which was commissioned by the New Economy Initiative (NEI) and JP Morgan Chase, is available online at https://neweconomyinitiative. org/

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B7

| Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

Faith.

michiganchronicle.com

William Crawley started with the James India Ramsey is a mortician and funeral E. Robert Royster has been in the fu- Jackie Arthur has been driving limouH. Cole Home for Funerals when he director at the James H. Cole Home for neral business since 1969 and with the sines for the James H. Cole Home for was 16.

Funerals.

James H. Cole Home for Funerals since Funerals for 14 years 1991.

Cole Centennial Part IV: A company is only as good as its employees

By Branden Hunter E. Robert Royster has seen just about everything in his 50 years as a funeral director, 28 of which has been with the James H. Cole Home for Funerals. He began working for the funeral home in September 1991, around the same time James H. Cole Jr. (1928-1991) unexpectedly passed away.

In fact, he was offered the job at Cole’s funeral.

The James H. Cole Home for Funerals is celebrating its centennial this year and is currently operated by a third and fourth generation of Coles, president Karla M. Cole-Green and her two sons, Antonio and Brice Green.

“As I sat at his funeral, the old retirees had come, and I sat between them at the service and they posed the question as to whether I would like to come to James H. Cole to work,” said Royster, who is 72. “I was working at another firm at the time and contemplating leaving. The next day, we were at a second funeral and we sat together again.

We had a discussion and it happened.

“When Mr. Cole passed, it left a void because Karla was in the street training newer directors and at his sudden death, she had to come in and they needed someone with experience to direct funerals. I eventually came over to see Karla and she hired me.”

James H. Cole Jr. initially wanted to hire Royster when he graduated from mortuary school,

but they were not hiring at the time. He finally joined the Cole family business, with 21 years of experience already, responsible for directing services and promoting the Cole name, which is still his primary function to this day.

“I am not a person that wants to sit inside,” said Royster. “I like working with families and minsters. And I share with people, if I have five funerals a week at the same church, same cemetery, every day I can hear a different sermon, different song, meet different people, and take different routes to the cemetery.

That’s always exciting.”

For Royster, working with bereaving families at the James H. Cole Home for Funerals is the best part of his job. But for Jackie Arthur, who has been driving limousines for the business for 14 years, it is not always the easiest job.

She recalled attending the funeral services of a child who was innocently murdered in Detroit a few years ago and how the deceased child’s mother would constantly walk up to the casket to talk to the child and took the death really hard during the service. Situations like that and the death of her own mother and father has allowed her to understand how to cope with bereaving families.

“I kind of let them lead,” Arthur said of families she meets riding in her limos. “Some people want to be left alone and quietness. But if they start talking to me, as

we’re driving to the funeral service, then I’ll communicate back with them.

I always try to give them my condolences first and let them know I am there for them.”

Unlike Royster and Arthur, who have worked for other funeral homes in Detroit, William Crawley, has been with the James H. Cole Home for Funerals more than half of his life. The 35-yearold turned a high school job shadowing project at Clintondale High School into a full-time career.

“The funeral homes in my area didn’t have enough business for me to do the proper training and get enough hours for my class,” said Crawley, who grew up in Clinton Township. “So, my mom said she knew of a funeral home that’s always busy.

I came in one Saturday to meet them and began working the following week.”

Crawley began working at the funeral home just sweeping and cleaning up because he was only 16. He eventually graduated into driving company vehicles and attending services. Today, he is a funeral and family service coordinator, making sure all paperwork is signed, payments are up to date prior to the funeral service, and attending funeral services. He left briefly to work at a corporate law firm, but still worked on the weekends. He did not like his new job and wanted to return full-time with the funeral home. He had a talk with Karla Cole and she welcomed him back

with open arms.

“She is very humble,” Crawley said. “You wouldn’t think that a person of her caliber would be so helpful. She’s a people person and if you can’t make it to work, Ms. Cole will call you and be at your front door or send a car to get you. Not many bosses will do that. She cares about us, she’s in our corner, she watched me grow up, and is like another mom.”

One of the younger employees of the James H. Cole Home for Funerals is 29-year-old India Ramsey.

She is a mortician and funeral director and started in 2015 while as a student at Wayne State University majoring in Mortuary Science. The same school James H. Cole Jr. and Brice Green both graduated from. Her grandfather, Fred Ramsey, was a mortician and owner of Ramsey Memorial Chapel on Dexter. His dedication to serving families inspired her to pursue the family business and now she is a part of one the premiere black-owned family businesses in Detroit.

“Cole is a brand and a company that Detroit can be proud of,” said Ramsey. “I’m a native of Detroit and it was always known as a family-owned funeral home, dedicated to the community and serving. I’ve had loved ones that have been here and to see the compassion and care that they provide, that’s something that I knew I wanted to be a part of. James H. Cole is the best.”

The James H. Cole

Home for Funerals prides itself on its service to families in need and those who provide it. They have employed the black community for 100 years, providing an adequate living for their employees. They also have one of the largest number of licensed funeral directors in the state on staff, with 13.

“We can’t be everywhere, so you have to have people who are like an extension of you and that’s what they are,” Karla Cole said of her employees. “Our drivers sometimes have more

dealings with the families than we do because they are with them longer, at the chapel or cemetery.

So you have to have capable help and we’ve been blessed to have that.”

To mark its centennial, the James H. Cole Home for Funerals will have several events throughout the year, including a Legacy Breakfast at the Northwest Activities Center April 18, a family festival July 21 at the West Grand Boulevard location, and a gala at the Detroit Roostertail September 14.

The 25th Annual Lucille Hill’s Women’s Workshop

Mrs. Lucille Hill & Dr. Cullian Hill Dr. Cullian Hill and The Greater Concord Missionary Baptist Church proudly invites you to the Silver Twenty- Fifth Annual Lucille Hill Women’s Workshop on Friday, March 8th, 2019, refreshments will be served at 6pm and the program will start promptly at 7pm. On March 9th, 2019, there will be a luncheon at 10am held at the Cullian W. Hill Activity and Educational Complex with Dr. Cullian Hill as the lecturer. Both programs will be held at the Greater Concord Baptist Church located 4500 East Davison, Detroit, MI. If you need additional information, please call (313) 891-6800.

DIRECTOR/ORGANIST

PEOPLE’S COMMUNITY CHURCH For chancel choir whose repertoire includes classical, spiritual, hymns, etc. Choir sings only the 1st Sunday of each month. Rehearsals Wednesday evening. Church has a 3-manual moller pipe organ and other instruments.Extensive exp. or academic degree in church music and choral directing.Send application with salary requirements, 2 letters of reference and a curriculum vitae to:

People’s Community Church 8601 Woodward Ave./Detroit, MI 48202 Attention: Music Committee Chair

Are you

hosting a concert or faith-friendly event?

Are you celebrating an anniversary or special occasion?

PICTURED: The Sunday Morning Radio Team-La Toya Sanders, Michael Van Tull, Henrietta Ivey and founder Missionary Hattie Humphrey

Missionary Humphrey and Team Prepare for 91st Birthday The Friends of Missionary Hattie Humphrey are preparing for her 91st Birthday Banquet on Saturday March 16th at 6pm at the St. Regis Hotel 3071 W. Grand Blvd. Detroit 48202. The 2019 Birthday Committee is being lead by Chairman the Hon. Kenneth King of 36th District Court and Co-Chair Hon. Tracy Green of Wayne County Circuit Court.

The Musical Celebration will be held Sunday March 17th at 4pm at Mayflower Church 2270 W. Grand Blvd at Linwood. Missionary Humphrey’s popular radio program Community Highlights is every Sunday morning at 7:30 on The Detroit Praise Network (93.5, 98.3. 99.9) For ticket information call 248.516.8300.

PROMOTE IT HERE!

FAITH

Contact us at: 313.963.5522

Page B-8

• michiganchronicle.com •

Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

Dr. O’Neil D. Swanson, Sr receives Richard Allen Trailblazer Award From the Historic Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church

City. Life. Style.

C1 | Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

Where City Meets Life and Life Meets Style

michiganchronicle.com

The New Black? Happiness.

By AJ Williams – City.Life.Style. Editor It’s in vogue and it’s a need, a desire and a drug in itself that can bankrupt our finances and even our souls in its pursuit. But here’s a wild and wonderful thought: what if the natural human default position was happiness?

It’s right here, right now, this very second, grinning away beneath the obsessive dissatisfied chatter that runs like ticker tape through our minds. We can’t always see its inner glow and good-

ness because it is clouded with anxiety, sadness, busyness, stress, loneliness, sickness, fatigue, fear and sheer ennui; psychic dust sheets that keep our joy shrouded in shadows which block out its light.

What is happiness to you? It helps to know what does make you happy. We can all do our what we don’t-like lists as pain is easy to notice and label, but know what lights you up and you can plug into

See HAPPINESS Page C-2

Signs You’re In A

By AJ Williams – City.Life.Style. Editor

downs and criticisms should not be accepted. Your partner is there to elevate you and make you the best person you can be, not the opposite. If you are constantly being criticized and not complimented, it may be time for you to leave.

feel valued and listened to. If your partner is not listening to your concerns, talking over you, or not valuing your desires and needs, it’s time for you to call out your partner on your issues with the relationship.

Coercive control – part of being in a secure relationship is being able to feel free and enjoy you.

You always aim to please – while you should aim to make your partner happy, it shouldn’t take over your relationship. If you’re spending all of your time trying to be perfect and being afraid of making mistakes, it could be a sign that the relationship is toxic.

You are never alone – with social media and instant messaging, it is now easier than ever to know where your partner is. While this can offer peace of mind, it can also lead to control and manipulation. If your partner is constantly checking where you, how long you will be and doubting everything that you say, it could be a sign that they are becoming too controlling.

You are constantly criticized – bickering and arguing are part of any relationship, but constant put-

Your needs are not being met – relationships work both ways, so it’s important that both of you

We are constantly told that being in a relationship is something that we should all aspire to achieve.

While it’s true that when you are in a loving, safe and secure relationship, it can be hard to imagine anything better; for some people, relationships are toxic and can end up being harmful and dangerous.

Is It Good?

By AJ Williams – Single Black Chick For many people, sex is one of the most important parts of a relationship, often considered one of those ‘make it or break it’ situations. But, if you are in the dating scene, how can you tell that a man is good in bed without actually sleeping with them?

Characteristics – if a guy is generous with his attention, engages in conversation and listens to his partner that suggests that he may be the same between the sheets. However, if he is more concerned about himself and constantly looking around to see if anybody has noticed him or is more focused on issues other than you, he’s probably only looking for a brief unfulfilling fling to ease his lonely existence.

Body language – a man who is comfortable in his body will be comfortable in the bed. Drawn

shoulders, puppy postures or even over-confidence are signs that he is not sure of himself, a trait you don’t want in a partner. While the guns may be impressive and the teeth pearly white, make sure that he’s cool, calm and collected without overdoing it or retreating into his shell.

Behavior – a good lover knows that there are boundaries to be met and gently explored in your own time. Check to see if your date is conscientious and able to be attentive in a safe and solid space. If he has nervous tics, an unpredictable nature, or a manic grin, it may be an indicator that he may leap from one thing to another rather than focusing on pleasing you. Also, check his hygiene levels and habits - a man who can’t look after himself, won’t be able to look after you.

Other relationships – the dangers of a man with a lot of friends is that he may be one of the lads. Young bucks are still finding them-

See IS IT GOOD? Page C-2

However, if you are in a toxic relationship, this liberty may have been taken away from you. A red flag to look out for is whether your partner allows you to handle your own money and allow you to have financial security. If they handle the cash and only give it to you when you ask, warning signs should begin to flash.

Page C-2 • michiganchronicle.com • Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

Happiness From page C-1

its source. Now here’s another radical thought: what if happiness wasn’t over there but right here right now, your birth-right and as easy to access as it is to breath?

You don’t have to have a reason to be happy as this can cause misery if the source is taken away. Be happy for no reason. Be happy because when you are, you energise the world, dreams start to fall into alignment and people want to stick to you like Velcro. Your happiness is your gift to the world. Happiness is ever present. It never turns its face away from us, but we turn away from it.

Get your weekly home delivery of the

Michigan Chronicle Subscribe Today!

Call (313) 963-5522

1. Seek the silver linings in your life – they are always there you just have to start appreciating them and stop taking them for granted.

2. Smile more – smile at strangers, smile at your boss, smile at your colleagues, smile at the bus driver, and smile even when you feel like frowning.

3. Spend time in nature – find awe and magnificence in everyday things. Our world is pretty special take a few minutes out of your day to look at the blue sky, touch the flowers and stand still in the breeze.

4. Do something kind or generous for someone else – give compliments freely, check in on your loved ones more often and put more of an effort in with new starters at work, make them feel welcome.

5. Don’t rush things – enjoy your food, enjoy your commute to work, enjoy the little things in life

Is It Good?

From page C-1

selves and they may not be up for an emotional relationship just yet. A man with few, but deep friends will be more self-assured and won’t suffer fools.

These men are likely to be better relationship material and are much more likely to listen to you and meet your needs, both physically and mentally.

Dating profile – in the world of online dating, a lot can be drawn from someone’s dating profile. If all sentences begin with ‘I’, he may be self-absorbed and that will come out in the bed. Similarly, does his profile photos suggest that he is over-confident and that he believes himself to be too sexy for his own good?

If he’s flashing the cash and taking some seriously posed selfies, he may be covering up the emptiness on the inside.

Look for a man with a sense of humors and a mature, concise profile.

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C3

| Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

Game.

michiganchronicle.com

Meet Cynthia Marshall, the first African American Woman CEO of an NBA Team

By BOTWC Staff Despite a slow improvement in diversity numbers, reports show that many front-office executive seats in the NBA are still filled with an overwhelming amount of white men. But, breaking the glass ceiling in a male-dominated industry is Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall.

Marshall, who stepped into her position last year, is the first Black woman to serve as the CEO of an NBA team.

She was tapped by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to help the organization turn its culture around after facing several allegations of sexual harassment and abuse under its former CEO Terdema Ussery.

In a recent sit down interview with TODAY’s Craig Melvin, Marshall, a former longtime executive at AT&T, said that when she first stepped into her role she initially couldn’t believe that she was actually making history.

“It was 2018,” she told Melvin. “I shouldn’t be the first of anything in 2018.”

2019 McDonald’s All-American Rickea Jackson (middle) accepts her game jersey. Left to right: Caryn Jackson (mother), Joni Thrower-Davis, Marla Thrower, Jim Thrower.

Rickea Jackson,

first girls McDonald’s All-American from Detroit

By Branden Hunter

Cynthia Marshall She admits that when she first joined the Mavericks organization, she found the team’s front-office culture to be an unfriendly environment for both women and people of color. With a determination to bring about massive change, Marshall has already increased the team’s diversity numbers to now include nearly 50 percent of women in management roles.

“Diversity is being invited to the party, but inclusion is being asked to dance,” said the University of California, Berkeley graduate. “You can be at the table, but if you aren’t being asked to talk and people aren’t including you then so what.”

When asked what being a part of Black History truly means to her, Marshall responded, “I truly believe sometimes you can’t be it if you can’t see it, and you want people to see it.”

Because Of Them We Can (BOTWC) is a platform delivering Black history and excellence through uplifting content, ad-free. For the last five years we’ve traveled the country, engaging thousands of children, visiting elementary schools and educating kids on trailblazers known and unknown. We realized that Black history was only being taught in February, if at all, and when it was, the subjects were the same cast of historical figures. After receiving requests from educators and parents for innovative tools and seeing young people expand their aspirations after exposing them to a broader range of history makers, it was clear that we needed to create something that would engage children on a larger scale with consistent content curated just for them.

Enter the BOTWC Box. If everyone reading this considered a BOTWC Box for a child you know, we can maintain our independence, educate more children and continue our tradition of producing uplifting content for the culture.www. becauseofthemwecan.com

Since 2002, when the McDonald’s All-American basketball game was first instituted for high school girls, there has not been a player from Detroit to make the prestigious All-American team. Detroit Edison senior forward Rickea Jackson changed all that when she made the roster for the west team this year.

The game, which features 24 of the top senior girls basketball players in the country, will take place March 27 in Atlanta.

The 6-foot-2 Jackson is the No.1 player in the state of Michigan, on the No.1 team in the state. Jackson was given her McDonald’s All-American jersey during a home game against Detroit Renaissance, but had no idea she was receiving it.

“This was a very big surprise,” said Jackson, who signed with Mississippi State. “I’ve been on social media seeing everyone else get their jersey, but I never asked about mine. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know it was going to be this big.”

“It means everything to make history in my own city and I’ll always give back to Detroit.”

Jackson was destined to play in the game ever since she stepped into high

school. As a freshman, she was on ESPN’s National Watchlist for girls basketball players. When she was a sophomore, she was ranked the No. 9 best player in her class

by EPSN and led Edison to its first ever state title in any sport. By the time she was a junior, she was known all around the country, and was named Player of the Year by Gatorade, the Detroit Free Press, the Associated Press, the Black Athlete, and MLive, among others. She also led the Pioneers to back-to-back state titles.

Now a senior, Jackson is eyeing more accolades, including Naismith High School Player of the Year and Michigan Miss Basketball.

“Just to have all of these awards and accolades under my belt is so meaningful to me,” said Jackson. “My teammates helped me get to where I am today and I’m overall blessed.”

Representatives from McDonald’s, including the prominent Thrower family, who own a number of restaurants in the Detroit area, Jackson’s family and friends, and the local media gathered at halftime for her to receive her jersey in a glass frame.

“Rickea, congratulations on making your dream come true of being a McDonald’s All-American,” said Joni Thrower, whose parents built the McDonald’s near

Jackson’s school on Mack and I-75. “On behalf of McDonald’s, we would like to thank everyone who joined Rickea for this ceremony and we encourage everyone to watch her on March 27 in Atlanta as she competes against the best basketball talent in the country.”

The entire nation knows about Jackson’s prowess on the hardwood. She is Edison’s all-time leading rebounder, has led her team in scoring all four years, and has them ranked as one of the best teams in the country. But she is much more than that. She has a 3.2 overall GPA and does a lot of community service.

For the last two years, Jackson has been the leader of the “Brown Bag Project,” recruiting a group of her peers to assist her in providing brown bag lunches to the homeless. Younger students decorated the brown bags to create a sense of happiness and the older students bagged and distributed the bags.

She also participated in a community service project called “Steps in the Right Direction,” providing shoes for underserved children.

“I always wanted to give back,” said Jackson. “I have been fortunate to have the things that I have and not everyone is in the position that I am in. So just to give back means a lot.”

Detroit Edison defeated Detroit Renaissance 67-26 during Rickea Jackson’s McDonald’s All-American Game jersey ceremony.

Classified

Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2019

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Page C-4

PERSONAL SERVICES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HELP WANTED

Help is here you have tried the rest now it’s time to try the Best

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Highland Park Housing Commission Board of Commissioners seeks a professional property management company.

The Highland Park Housing Commission Board of Commissioners seeks an Executive Director.

My Work Is GUARANTEED you will see RESULTS within 72 Hours

For a copy of the RFQ E-mail: aknoch@pck-law.com; Subject Line: HPHC PM RFQ 2019.

Stop Suffering and Start Living A Better Life Louisiana Rootman Bro Harris will tell you everything without you telling me anything

REQUEST FOR QUOTE

Better HEALTH, MONEY, LOVE, PEACE, and HAPPINESS will be yours

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQs for Hi-Lo Forklift Maintenance and Repair Service, Control No. 19-2870. RFQ forms may be obtained beginning February 19, 2019 from http://www.mitn.info.

BLESSED BE. Get the HELP you Need TODAY Call (313)341-0145 or Write Bro Harris P.O. Box 21765 Detriot, MI 48221

RFQs are due by 3:00FOR PM ET,QUOTE March 8, 2019.

REQUEST

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQs for Concrete Repair Service Control No. 19-2863. RFQ forms may be obtained beginning February 25, 2019 from http://www.mitn.info.

ANNOUNCEMENTS MIKE DUGGAN MAYOR, CITY OF DETROIT

ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR BIDS TO SUPPLY AND INSTALL OFFICE WORKSTATIONS FOR 100 MACK AND 100 ELLIOT DETROIT, MI 48201 Written responses are requested from interested respondents (“Respondents”) to this request for bids. The purpose of this request is to supply and install office workstations for 100 Mack and 100 Elliot, Detroit Michigan 48201, as more fully described in the Request for Bids (RFB).

The DBA will receive the responses, as herein set forth, in the offices of the Detroit Building Authority, Attention: Marc Tirikian, 1301 Third Street, Suite 328, Detroit, Michigan 48226. Proposals shall be endorsed “Supply and Install Office Workstations” and submitted not later than 1:00 P.M., Detroit time, on Thursday, March 7, 2019, and will subsequently be evaluated to select a candidate for a service agreement. A processing fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), cashier’s check or money order, payable to the Detroit Building Authority must be paid prior to the submission of qualifications.

A mandatory pre-submittal meeting and site tour will take place at 100 Mack, Detroit, MI 48201, beginning at 1:30 P.M., Detroit time, on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

The Respondent may only submit one response to this Request for Bids. Participation in more than one submittal team will result in rejection of all responses by that Respondent.

Respondents submitting qualifications may be required to make an oral presentation(s) to designated City representatives. The issuing office, if required, will schedule such oral presentation(s).

The Respondent must pay any travel costs incurred for such presentations.

The Respondent must agree to comply with the requirements of the City of Detroit’s Ordinances and Human Rights Department.

No response to this Request for Qualifications/Proposals may be withdrawn for at least 120 days after the actual opening of the qualifications/proposals. The DBA reserves the right to waive any irregularity in any qualifications/proposals, and to reject any or all qualifications/proposals, should it be deemed in its best interest. If additional information is needed regarding this RFB, please contact Marc Tirikian of the DBA at (313) 628-0903.

Tyrone Clifton, Director Detroit Building Authority 1301 Third Street, Suite 328 Detroit, MI 48226

“I think people who have faults are a lot more interesting than people who are perfect”

RFQs are due by 3:00 PM ET, March 18, 2019.

February is National Cancer Prevention Month

For a copy of the RFQ E-mail: aknoch@pck-law.com; Subject Line: HPHC ED RFQ 2019.

EOE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQs for Concrete Bus Pads for Shelters Control No. 19-2864. RFQ forms may be obtained beginning February 27, 2019 from http://www.mitn.info.

RFQs are due by 3:00 PM ET, March 18, 2019.

LEGAL NOTICE Jalen Rose Leadership Academy 15000 Trojan St, Detroit, MI 48235 313-397-3333, UPDATED NOTICE - Applications for 2019-2020 school year for grades 9-12 are being accepted from March 6 - March 31. Should applications exceed available space a random selection drawing will be held on April 11, 2019 at 5:30pm at Jalen Rose Leadership Academy. Applications are available online at www.jrladetroit.com and in the main office.

ANNOUNCEMENTS DETROIT WATER AND SEWERAGE DEPARTMENT NOTICE PUBLIC HEARING FOR WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT FY20 DRINKING WATER REVOLVING FUND (DWRF) PROJECT The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) announces a Public Hearing regarding its Project Plan for the proposed Water Main Replacement in the city of Detroit. DWSD will be seeking low-interest Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) loan assistance for FY2020.

The project is comprised of replacing aging water mains in multiple areas located within the city of Detroit. Construction will include excavation of existing water mains, installation of new pipes, replacement of lead service lines between the water main and the water meter, pressure testing, backfill, and right-of-way. The impact of the project will be improved customer satisfaction and safe, reliable service delivery of potable water to customers. The temporary impact of construction activities will be minimized through mitigation measures specified in the contract documents. Adverse impacts on historical, archaeological, geographic, or cultural areas are not expected. This project is necessary to ensure that DWSD will consistently and reliably provide high quality potable water to residents. The Project Plan consists of four (4) different projects that are in critical need of water main replacement or rehabilitation. The total cost of these four (4) projects is currently estimated at $57,300,000, which is being sought through the DWRF program. The Water Main Replacement project is eligible for participating under the State of Michigan low-interest DWRF loan program.

The Public Hearing will present a description of the recommended project, estimated costs, as well as the cost per household impact for customers. The typical residential customer bill in the City of Detroit is expected to increase by approximately 2.48% assuming that low-interest loans can be obtained through the DWRF loan program. The purpose of the hearing is not only to inform, but to seek and gather input from people that will be affected. Comments and viewpoints from the public are encouraged.

THE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON: DATE: Wednesday, April 3, 2019 PLACE: Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Water Board Building 735 Randolph, 5th Floor, Board Room Detroit, Michigan 48226 TIME: 1:00 p.m.

Information on the Project Plan will be available at the following locations: City Website: detroitmi.gov/dwsd OR Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Water Board Building 735 Randolph, First Floor Detroit, Michigan 48226 If you have questions or want to submit written statements for the Public Hearing Record, call or write: (313) 964-9269 Monica Daniels Detroit Water and Sewerage Department 735 Randolph, 7th Floor Detroit, MI 48226 Written comments will be accepted at the above address if received prior to 1:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, April 3, 2019 City of Detroit, Water and Sewerage Department Gary Brown, Director

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

- SPIKE LEE

Please visit our website for more classified ads.

Seeking

Seeking

OFFICE ASSISTANT III AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

OFFICE ASSISTANT III AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

Provide specialized office assistance, coordinating procedural business or service activities for a complex program area involving processing, implementing, advising on, and reporting specialized subject matter. Minimum Qualifications: High school graduation or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Four years progressively responsible office experience, including direct experience in office coordination, prioritizing work assignments and maintaining work flow to meet deadlines.

This is a full time, clerical-technical position.

Salary is $42,861.00 annually.

See online posting for additional position requirements. First consideration will be given to those who apply by March 8, 2019.

Must apply on line to: https://jobs.oakland.edu

To coordinate the clerical processing for a specialized function by performing a variety of multi-step processes according to a specified framework of procedures, regulations and precedents; and to serve as an informational source. Minimum Qualifications: High school graduation or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Four years progressively responsible office experience, including direct experience in office coordination, i.e., prioritizing work assignments, maintaining work flow to meet deadlines. This is a full time, clerical-technical position. Salary is $42,861.00 annually.

See online posting for additional position requirements. First consideration will be given to those who apply by March 8, 2019.

Must apply on line to: https://jobs.oakland.edu

Office of Research Administration

POLICE SERVICE AIDE The Eastpointe Police Department is seeking applicants for a part-time Police Service Aide position up to 30 hours per week at $13.50/hour. Job description, minimum qualifications, and instructions to apply for the position are posted on our website at cityofeastpointe.net.

School of Medicine

Joseph M. Sobota, MPA City Manager/Director of Personnel

FIREFIGHTERS CITY OF FERNDALE Department: Fire Department Location: Fire House Salary Range: $46,618 to $63,302 + 6.5% FLSA Status: Non-exempt Employment Type: Full Time The City of Ferndale is seeking firefighters - aka superheroes, lifesavers, educators, and general doers of awesome things!

Firefighters serve and protect the community.

Our firefighters are first responders, combating and extinguishing fires; performing rescues, hazmat responses, and life support functions; and engaging in other specialized duties under emergency conditions, frequently involving personal hazard and/or severe weather conditions.

Must have completed the written firefighter test with EMPCO and have a valid CPAT. Preference will be given to those applicants with a paramedic license, valid in the state of Michigan. Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, FSA, and Retirement Plans are available. For a full list of qualifications and to apply, go to https://www.ferndalemi.gov/jobs SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING IN SALINE, MI Orion Systems, Inc. has an available position of Senior Director of Engineering in Saline, MI. Although the Senior Director of Engineering will work in Saline, MI, the Senior Director of Engineering will be required to travel 20% of working time to subsidiary in Costa Rica as well as to various customer sites throughout the United States. Position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering & 48 months experience as a Software Engineer. Position also requires: Exp. must include 48 mos. exp. designing & testing software for medical applications.

Job duties: Allocate engineering resources to company projects. Lead engineers in designing & testing software for medical applications. Recommend to the President the appropriate staffing levels for the engineering pools as well as the appropriate skill sets & experience levels. Manage the coordination & overall integration of engineering projects. Monitor & ensure the successful completion of all engineering projects. Manage the engineering pool to ensure full utilization of all engineering assets. Manage & coordinate in-house sales with existing customers. Manage & direct the Directors of Engineering at Orion Systems, Inc. as well as at CriTech Research, Ltd. in Costa Rica. Also manage & direct 3 Staff Consultants & the Director of Systems Administration at Orion Systems, Inc. Qualified candidates should send resume & verification of reqs. to Patricia A. Warner, VP Legal Affairs, Orion Systems, Inc., 1705 Woodland Drive, Suite 100, Saline, MI, 48176.

Seeking

PACE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY Strategic Programs

Assist the PACE Director in leading campus efforts to deliver fee-based programs throughout the year including summer courses (degree and non-degree, stand-alone and program-related), executive programs, developmental and preparatory programs, programs for special student cohorts (i.e., High School Pre-College program, international students, transfer students, first generation students), and certificate programs. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and/ or experience. Five years’ experience in higher education, preferably in program development in a revenue-based setting with progressively higher management responsibility. Broad knowledge of the higher education environment and policies and strategies to deliver educational programs to diverse audiences including youth programs.

This is a full-time administrative professional position with a salary commensurate with education and experience.

See online positing for additional position requirements. First consideration will be given to those who apply by March 7, 2019.

Must apply on line to: https://jobs.oakland.edu

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2019

Leaders to Neighborhood Plans for create their Own opment Devel Neighborhood an

By Trevor W.

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read the the stories, s: You’ve seen the announcement rhood heard headlines, coming to a neighbo milts to $6 $35 million neighKresge Commi near you. rejuvenate Detroit’s ons of lion to help even bold predicti g Or ance followin borhood. rhood renaiss another a neighbo breaking for yet the ground wn mega-development. downto pronew all the grand DeYet, despite obvious signs of and wn and nouncements ck in the downto ts troit’s comeba for many city residen as to g doubts midtown areas, lingerin s revieralded there remain s much-h neighwhether Detroit’ touch every will truly talization promised. borhood as display res were on Those concern nity forum hosted in the a commu cently at s of the Messiah on Detroit’ by the Church neighborhoodto Belle Isle. It Islandview the the bridge Detroit and east side near red by One l television prowas sponso Black Journa American gram on DPTV.

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BERG EL BLOOM many U.S. t MICHA said far too draw a contrasof a damn” Bloomberg race and “seem to give and those to address ns politicians don’t of gun violence. own views between their approach to questio victims about the event as Biden, Trump, whose has sparked criticism he at the same ns care more Speaking groups since of racial justice politicia saving e minority d he said many re-elected than from multipl commemorate efforts to Americans both about “getting Democratic took office. ers, of his own millions As Jr., King g He spoke atic contend out across Martin Luther What Democrin the race and those lives.” gun violence, includinspent suphopefuls fanned rights y he’s Monday reduce presidential to honor the civil The Coe fortune that on those officiallcampaigns, said own es. well-dehis heard : of lves the country control initiativ still mulling ting the King holiday have received make themse porting gun policies he City officials es from high profile leader and stage. while celebra focused on l leading mayor, , used the nationa served accolad l leaders for era of His speech New York’s nationa Harris, D-Calif. ntial JOE BIDEN in the pas- championed while to improve schools state and ptcy into an l staSen. Kamala launch a preside for his role n. of bankru financia to would Biden atonedbill that imposed stiffer such as his efforts rhood pollutio Detroit out ic growth, rates. Howthe holiday successful, zed neighbo crack if econom crime of the a ed apologi that, of robust crime and reduce convict how he were campaign the first woman andpres- sage declining for those that has highlighted Bell, a black man bility and at the forum sentences s to become ion — a lawthe black And he make her members of Sean York the progres candidate Biden cocaine possess ever, panel to the fiancee to death by New the second black Vice President Joe sanguine about tely affected ect bein shot much less claiming a disconn middisproportiona hours before who was for his part ident. Former wn and 2006, just time Bloomberg responsibility legislation that community. with some y police in accepted “always gotten reality of downto g. 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Classified HELP WANTED

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

FINANCIAL AID ADVISER AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY Financial Aid Department

Provide counseling and advice to students and parents about financial services, financial aid, financial literacy, student account and billing, payment plans and student employment.

Process financial aid applications, including budgeting, packaging of awards, revising award, verification, and resolving conflicting information.

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree required. Superior customer service skills. Minimum one year experience in higher education financial aid advising and processing. Working knowledge of current financial assistance programs and financial service operations. This is a full time position, occasional evening and weekend hours required. Salary is commensurate with education and experience.

Refer to online posting for additional requirements. First consideration will be given to those who apply by March 6, 2019.

Must apply on line to: https://jobs.oakland.edu

Seeking

CUSTODIAN I/FACILITIES AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY Campus Cleaning Department

Perform cleaning activities and maintain assigned areas in various campus classroom and office buildings and on an emergency basis, perform Grounds related tasks.

High school graduation or an equivalent combination of education and experience, ability to use and/or mix various cleaning chemicals, perform physically active work, requires frequent lifting of up to 60 lbs., may work in various weather conditions with extremes heat & cold, also may require a MI driver’s license acceptable to the University’s insurance carrier. Salary is $12.23 per hour probationary, $12.48 per hour upon successful 90 days. Full time position working midnight shift: Monday-Thursday: 9:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. – Friday: 6:00 p.m. – 2:30 a.m.

See online postings for additional position requirements. First consideration will be given to those who apply by March 8, 2019.

Must apply on line to: https://jobs.oakland.edu

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED Vehicle Software Integration Engineer

Warren, MI, General Motors. Dvlp &validate real time controls simulation Plant models for dSPACE simulators using MATLAB, Simulink &Stateflow for psgr vehicle integrated ECUs in Engine (ECM)/ Transmission (TCM)/ Brake Control Modules. Integrate plant models with HIL test bench for networked ECUs using dSPACE tools. Train &support Validation Engrs on HIL &test setups &automated procedures for feature &functions. Dvlp &adapt vehicle dynamics sim. models &improve vehicle sim. methods using automotive sim. models for vehicle dynamics (ASM-VD) &Carsim to support realtime testing of integrated controllers on test bench. Design sim. &testing methods using dSPACE tools incldg Model/Motion/Control desk for ADAS features &for Dedicated Short Range Communications based V2V features. Adapt &integrate Chassis, Active Safety &Powertrain controllers with HIL bench to emulate vehicle under test. Master, Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engrg. 12 mos exp as Engineer, dvlpg or validating real time controls simulation Plant models for dSPACE simulators using MATLAB, Simulink &Stateflow for psgr vehicle or off highway vehicle ECUs in ECM &TCM. Mail resume to Ref#2438-204-2, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Designer Warren, MI, General Motors. Design, engr, &dvlp solutions for psgr vehicle front &rear bumper fascia &grille systems (BFG) incldg fascias, lower fascias, molding skid plates, appliques, &brackets, using UGNX, Teamcenter, &Vismockup tools, in concept, performance &production vehicles. Ensure strict adherence to U.S., Europe, Latin America, &Asia reg. &safety reqmts (FMVSS, UNECE, Brazil Contran, Decree Argentina, Decree Uruguai &China CCC). Verify packages &component &lighting temperatures, analyze clearances, &construct &analyze kinematics, to check clearance of components according to design reqmts, engrg criteria &best practices. Design &provide safety recom. to program reqmts &integrate new compnts &sys for U.S., global &emerging market reqmts. Apply GD&T in dvlpmt of 2D/3D drawings. Work closely with supplier, Adv. Engrg, Studio &Mfg Engrg members. Integrate dvlpmt among GM &suppliers during all phases (studies, math data, technical issues, tooling anlys &Engrg &Studio reqmts).

Bachelor, Mechanical or Automotive Engrg. 24 mos exp as Design Engineer, Designer, or Engineer, designing psgr vehicle front &rear bumper fascia &grille systems (BFG) incldg fascias, lower fascias, molding skid plates, appliques, &brackets, using UGNX, Teamcenter, &Vismockup tools, in concept, performance &production vehicles. Mail resume to Ref#1440, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

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Page C-5

Must-Know health tips for faster flu recovery

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED Control Systems Engineer

Seeking

Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2019

(StatePoint) With last year’s flu season having been associated with 80,000 deaths -- one of the deadliest in decades -- focusing on immune health is important.

There are essentially three stages of the flu: incubation -- the development of the virus within your body; infection -- when most symptoms are strongest; and convalescence -- as your body recuperates from the virus.

“Most people are familiar with vaccines to prevent the flu and remedies to relieve symptoms.

There is less awareness about the recovery stage, when your body is weakened by the virus and at risk for other ailments,” says Dr. Fred Pescatore, renowned natural health physician.

Last year, a study found adult patients had higher risk of heart attack after an influenza diagnosis.

To ensure proper recovery, Dr. Pescatore is offering the following tips.

Increase Air Moisture Adding moisture to the air can help reduce congestion and soothe the throat while recovering from the flu. Using a humidifier in dry rooms can ease symptoms. Also, try a face steam. Begin by boiling a pot of water. Remove it from the heat and bring your face close while draping a towel over your head to breathe in the steam. This is an easy at-home remedy that you can put your own spin on by adding herbs and oils. Dr. Pescatore recommends drops of peppermint to open up the nasal passages even more.

Get Rest You may be feeling better, but you’re still recovering. Even when symptoms ease, your body and immune system are in a weakened state. It’s

tempting to jump right back into your routine, but you still need extra rest and hydration.

Drink Herbal Tea Drinking herbal tea is one of the easiest ways to soothe lingering symptoms.

“Licorice tea makes for a great-tasting recovery tool. It has a sweet flavor without the sugar of other sweet teas. In addition, licorice supports immunity, which is what you need at this stage of the flu,” says Dr. Pescatore.

Add a Super-Antioxidant A new peer-reviewed study shows that supplementing with the natural super-antioxidant Robuvit (Ro-boo-vit), French oak wood extract, supports flu recuperation.

Participants in the study took 300 mg of Robuvit daily for three weeks once their flu symptoms ended.

Researchers found that after 10 days, participants who supplemented with Robuvit experienced increased post-flu strength, enhanced attention and concentration and better sleep quality.

“There are few products on the market that support your immune system during the recovery period, yet it is one of the most vulnerable health periods, particularly for seniors. This is exciting news for anyone looking for a safe, natural way to recover faster from the flu,” says Dr. Pescatore.

Robuvit is backed by more than a dozen studies showing its benefits for natural energy, flu recovery, detox and sports performance. For more information, visit www.robuvit.com.

“The body is under stress during a bout of flu.

Inflammation is up and oxygen levels and blood pressure can drop. Helping your body recover fully is important,” says Dr. Pescatore.

Warren, MI, General Motors. Validate, integrate, &test global conventional &semi-autonomous psgr vehicle embedded ECUs in Communication Gateway/Video Processing Modules, Electrical Powering Steering, Body Control / Center Stack / Electronic Brake Control/ Engine Control (ECM)/ Transmission Control &Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Modules, using SPR, DPS, VehicleSpy, Neo-VI Fire, NGFTT, &SharePoint tools.

Troubleshoot electrical &SW-related issues during Integration Vehicle Build event &Design Integration Test in vehicle electrical architecture for modules &write lab check instructions. Verify vehicle diagnostic content such as PID &CPID to ensure feature functionality. Verify GMLAN execution in CAN bus vehicle. Use Neo-VI Fire hardware &VehicleSpy cptr tools to save information from CAN bus for anlys &root cause of full vehicle functionality issues. Master, Electrical, Mechanical, or Mechatronic Engrg. 12 mos exp as Engineer, validating, integrating, &testing global psgr vehicle, or off-road truck, or construction equipment, or related, embedded ECUs in ECM &DEF Module. Mail resume to Ref#2868, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

SharePoint Coordinator General Motors, Detroit, MI. Dvlp, configure, debug, &maintain document libraries, enterprise lists &site collections using SharePoint 2013 &2015, Nintex, PowerB1 &workday tools. Analyze &map current global business services reqmts &deliverables using SharePoint. Dvlp templates using .Net, &work flows using VB tools. Ensure uniform navigation throughout internal sites &portals &follow best practices as established by the GM SharePoint Governance Plan. Collaborate with site content owner to improve requested site usability &compliance with governance standards. Establish &maintain end-user access policy &permissions. Delegate permissions authority to other end users &site owners. Bachelor, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related. 24 mos exp as Developer, Technology Analyst, SharePoint Administrator or Developer, Software Engineer, or related, experiencing working with Lotus Notes or SharePoint tool, such as dvlpg or migrating software or tools, or related. Mail resume to Ref#37335, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Senior Designer Warren, MI, General Motors. Design, engr, releasing 3D math data &2D drawings &dvlp virtual vehicle integration solutions, for psgr vehicle (car, truck, SUV &autonomous vehicle), cooling sysss incldg water/TOC/CAC hoses, tubes, condensers, radiators, cooling fan modules (CRFM), surge tanks; A/C systems incldg hoses, tubes, brackets, heaters, blowers &ducting; &AC (HVAC) interior airflow systems incldg HVAC modules, foam seals, brackets, defrost/psgr/foot/&rear ducts, using UGNX, Teamcenter, &Vismockup tools, in concept &production vehicles. Perform package verification, clearance/air flow anlys, to check best practices/engine roll anlys for packaging &behavior of components, according to engrg criteria. Change structural components to assure fixation of interface components incldg hoses.

Design &provide safety recommendations to program reqmts &integrate new HVAC components &systems for U.S., global &emerging market conventional, hybrid, &full electric psgr vehicles. Bachelor, Mechanical, Mechatronics or Automotive Engrg, or related. 24 mos exp as Designer, Design Engineer, or Engineer, designing, releasing 3D math data &2D drawings, &dvlpg virtual vehicle integration solutions, for psgr vehicle cooling systems incldg CRFM, & AC (HVAC) interior airflow systems incldg HVAC modules, using UGNX, Teamcenter, &Vismockup tools. Mail resume to Ref#23081, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

How to save money on mobile devices (StatePoint) With the skyrocketing cost of brand-new mobile devices, it’s no wonder so many consumers wait until their smartphone or tablet is on its last leg, putting up with cracked screens, battery issues and more for months at a time before considering a replacement.

The good news is that these days, there are alternative ways to make a timely upgrade that won’t give you sticker shock.

“Savvy consumers are catching on to the fact that you can find a high-quality refurbished device easily if you look in the right places,” says David Conti, senior director of e-Commerce at MyWiT. Unfortunately, lingering myths persist about the quality of all refurbished devices, making many consumers shy away from this option. But the fact is that a large percentage of refurbished mobile phones, tablets and accessories were perfectly good devices that owners traded in for newer models, not because there was anything wrong with the device.

But buyer beware. Different sellers have their own standards, and you’ll want to stick to reputable sources where you can trust the device you purchase will be in fully functional condition and works exactly as expected.

In the case of MyWiT, a company that sells new, like-new and refurbished smartphones and tablets, every device for sale has undergone an extensive 65+ point inspection of cosmetics, functionality and connectivity to ensure optimal performance.

Tests verify every function that a customer can use (camera, audio, SIM, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.) is in 100 percent working order and

connectivity tests ensure wireless devices deliver a consistent quality of connection and do not drop available signals. What’s more, every device comes with a 90-day moneyback guarantee.

The company’s state-of-the-art repair facility is capable and approved to restore devices to manufacturer and carrier specifications. This is great news for resellers buying phones in bulk, too, who are looking to save money while ensuring a high-quality product for their own customers.

“Technology should be accessible to everyone,” says Conti. “Unfortunately, many people who are not aware of the quality of these refurbished options may feel priced out of the latest high-quality technology.”

Once you upgrade, keep in mind that you can stretch your budget even further by extending the life of your new device with proper maintenance. Use protective gear like a case, screen protector and waterproof bag, and keep your phone clean inside and out with a microfiber cloth and/or compressed air.

More information can be found at www.mywit.com.

In a world where staying connected is critical, keep in mind that getting the reliable technology you need to do just that, doesn’t need to break the bank.

Page C-6

• michiganchronicle.com •

Feb. 27 - March 5, 2019

2019 HONOREES Lysette Bailey, Chief Information Security Officer and Operational Risk Officer, Comerica Amina Bell, Events & Community Affairs Partner, MGM Grand Detroit Tonya Berry, Vice President Operations Performance, Consumers Energy Faithe Brooks, Evangelist, New St. Paul C.O.G.I.C., NE Michigan Historic 1st Jurisdiction C.O.G.I.C. Tarolyn Buckles, President & CEO, Onyx Enterprise, Inc. Tiffany Buckley-Norwood, Law Principal (Jackson Lewis P.C.) / President (D. Augustus Straker Bar Association) La Donna Combs, Founder and President, Sisters Against Abuse Society Star Crawford, Vice President of Community Relations, Bank of America Janette Davis, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Authority Health Lanie Dixon, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland – Trinity Health, Director of Performance Excellence and Patient Experience Erica D. Donerson, Director, Government & External Affairs, Wayne County Airport Authority Emma Elder-Howell, Partner , Detroit Title & Escrow Nailah Ellis-Brown, Founder & CEO, Ellis Island Tea Latina Fauconier, Managing Director , PwC Bridgett Feagin, Chief Financial Officer, Harper University Hospital Kristy Fercho, Executive Vice President, President of Mortgage , Flagstar Bank Charisse Gilbert, Senior Pastor , Detroit Worship Center Evette Griffie, Chief of Staff – Customer Service, DTE Energy Tonya Hallett, Executive Director, Global Manufacturing Human Resources, General Motors Bessie Harris, Retired Principal, Detroit Public Schools Tamara Hawkins, Owner, The Zone Dance Center Orlene Hawks, Director of LARA, State of Michigan Dr. Anita Hicks, Associate Director, Oakland University, Oakland Center Jamii J. Hitchcock, Ph.D., Director | Character Education, Diversity & Equity, Birmingham Public Schools Stephanie Hobson, Sr. Manager of Procurement, International Automotive Components Group Jacqueline Howard, Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship, Ally Financial Jehan Crump-Gibson, Partner , Great Lakes Legal Group Tracy Joshua, Vice President, Procurement Indirect, The Kellogg Company Dr. Portia Lockett, Director of Spiritual Care and Community Affairs, Detroit Medical Center Beverly Maddox, Director, Signature Events, Detroit Regional Chamber Telva McGruder, Director, Global Facilities Engineering & Manufacturing Operations Sustainable Workplaces, General Motors April Miller-Boise, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, & Corporate Secretary, Meritor, Inc Kylee Mitchell, Executive Director -SE Michigan, Ballmer Foundation Donna Murray- Brown, President & CEO, Michigan Nonprofit Association Mayowa Reynolds, Principal , Detroit School of Arts Bianca Rogers, International Rep (Special Assigned), UAW-Ford Dr. Tiffany L. Sanford, Chief Medical Officer, The Wellness Plan Medical Center Sylvia Santana, 3rd District State Senator, Michigan State Senate Joya Shepard, Personnel Director, Orion Assembly & Pontiac Stamping, General Motors Audrey Smith, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Family Medical Center of Michigan, Inc. Andrea Smith, Director, Clinical Practice Improvement, Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority Angela Terrell, IT Manager, Business Intelligence, Retired - GM, Ford and DTE Energy Dana White, Founder & CEO, Paralee Boyd Patricia Wilkerson-Uddyback, MD, MBA, Vice President of Academic & Community Affairs, Detroit Medical Center Lisa Williams, Principal, Ferndale High School Geneva Williams, CEO, Consultant Business and Personal Leadership, Dr. Geneva Speaks Lakia Wilson, Executive Vice President of Detroit Federation of Teachers, Detroit Public Schools Community District Chrystal Wilson, Assistant Superintendent, Detroit Public Schools Community District Maria Woodruff Wright, CFO, The Skillman Foundation Monique Woods, CEO & Founder, Monique Woods Agency

www.michiganchronicle.com

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