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Michigan Chronicle

Black Lives Matter Vol. 84 – No. 22 | February 3-9, 2021

A Global Movement for the Liberation of All

Black People By Donald James

Special to the Chronicle

lack History Month is a time to celebrate and commemorate the contributions of African Americans to society. Celebrated starting February 1, this month-long observance highlights key historical and present-day figures and their importance. In 1915, historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, often referred to as the Father of Black History, started a movement to acknowledge and celebrate the unacknowledged contributions of African Americans. Eleven years later, the second week of February was designated as Negro History Week to acknowledge the birth dates of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and president Abraham Lincoln. Although Negro History Week lasted a decade, the celebration would fizzle out and go decades before being recognized again. Providing learning materials to aid in educating the community about Black History, Woodson’s vision was realized. The popularity of Negro History Week spread and soon, demand outgrew supply. Dying in 1950, Woodson did not live to see the once weekly event evolve into a month-long exploration of Black excellence.

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lack Lives Matter

– the organization, philosophy and movement - has been in the bright spotlights of the media, the nation and international locales since its inception in 2013. What started as a response to the shocking and deadly 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager in Sanford, Fla., and the subsequent acquittal of his killer community watch volunteer George Zimmerman, Black Lives Matter (BLM) has strategically become a new-age political, social, freedom-seeking and modern civil rights machine. Its mission is to sound a clarion call to the world through effective messaging, actionable strategies and sustained social platforms loudly proclaiming that the lives of Black people everywhere really matter! When the verdict came that acquitted Zimmerman, Alicia Garza, a Black political organizer living in Northern California, expressed her disdain on Facebook. Through a series of posts titled, “A Love Letter to Black People,” Garza wrote, “I continue to be surprised as how little Black lives matter…stop giving up on Black life. Black people, I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” Teaming up with two other Black women, Los Angeles-based social activist Patrisse Cullors and immigration activist Opal Tometi, #Black Lives Matter sprouted wings. Through social media platforms, the messaging from Garza, Cullors and Tometi was received by tens of millions of people. The message: stop systemic racism, bring an end to police brutal-

ity and fight for the total equality of all Black people everywhere, every day because…Black Lives Matter. While Black Lives Matter’s genesis was rooted in Trayvon Martin’s murder and the aftermath acquittal of his killer, for many people Black Lives Matter – the movement – placed its “coming-of-age” footprints on the grounds of Ferguson, Mo., after a white police officer fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager. BLM’s ability to mobilize tens of thousands of people produced huge protests in Ferguson and other cities across America. After Ferguson, BLM became the “poster group” for how individuals and organizations could strategically and impactfully assemble people of all ethnicities to champion that the lives of Black people mattered. Before and since Ferguson, there have been dozens and dozens of deadly shootings of unarmed African Americans, many of which have been captured by cellphone videos and social media transmissions to millions of eyes and minds around the globe. Among the list of Black victims is Jonathan Ferrell, John Crawford, Ezell Ford, Laquan McDonald, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Samuel DuBose, Alton Sterling, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, and many more. Yet, the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., in 2020, and the murder of George Floyd caused by a Minneapolis, Minn., police officer kneeling on the handcuffed Black man’s neck, struck people of all ethnicities in a horrifying, but powerful way. See BLACK LIVES MATTER page A2

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Black Lives Matter From page A-1

Black Lives Matter became a more critical change agent with its uncanny ability to organize and mobilized protests and sustain “influential messaging” across America and beyond. However, to this day, Black Lives Matter – as an organization and movement – is often misunderstood by some white and Black people. The questions: Is BLM a racist and violent group that organizes out of control protests across the nation and around the world, or is BLM a peaceful movement that fights for freedom, liberation and justice for all Black people? While there have been spurts of violence and looting at some Black Lives Matter’s protests, Time magazine reported in 2020 that more than 93 percent of Black Lives Matter protests were peaceful. Where violence and looting have occurred has been linked to outsiders with an agenda far different than the vision and mission of BLM organizers, said the magazine. And to add credence to Time magazine’s assessment, Black Lives Matter was nominated recently for a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. “To carry forward a movement of racial justice and to spread that to other countries is very, very important,” said Norwegian parliament member Petter Eide who nominated Black Lives Matter for the award. “Black Lives Matter is the strongest force today doing this not only in the U.S., but also in Europe and in Asia.” Time also selected BLM’s co-founders - Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi – for its list of the 100 “Most Influential People of 2020,” calling the women “Icons.” So what is Black Lives Matter? “Black Lives Matter is an organization and movement that represents the next iteration and extension of the Civil Rights Movement,” said John Sloan, III, who, along with Curtis Renee co-leads and co-organizes BLMDetroit. “It’s a call to an idea that we, as Black people, know that our lives are important and have value. And the reason that we must proclaim it is because of the system that we live in doesn’t.” When asked why some people counter the Black Lives Matter movement with All Lives Matter, Sloan responded. “When someone says, all lives matter, it’s obvious and clear that all lives don’t matter to this system in America. So we are not saying that Black Lives Matter more than other lives, we’re saying that Black Lives Matter, too.” Nevertheless, regardless of any negative perceptions, Black Lives Matter has morphed into a global phenomenon, with ultra-active chapters throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. There’s a strong international following and support in Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, and Japan. Sloan, who lives in Detroit, said BLMDetroit has the autonomy to make decisions about how best to operate in the Motor City. “The basic premise is that I live in Detroit and Curtis Renee lives in Detroit,” Sloan explained. “We know Detroit’s needs better than someone who lives in New York, L.A., Atlanta or somewhere else. It’s the same for other Black Lives Matter chapters.” According to Sloan, BLMDetroit crafted a Detroiters’ Bill of Rights and is asking the City’s Charter Commission to adhere to the Bill. The Bill includes such conditions as Detroit’s citizens having the right to be free from discrimination, right to water, right to safety and the right to health among other rights. Sloan said they are working with a coalition of activists and public servants like City Council President Pro Tem Mary Sheffield and Councilwoman Rachel Castaneda-Lopez to advance the Bill. To make significant changes to any-

thing, Sloan knows, there must be powerful policymaking strategies. The art of policymaking is an area that Dr. Tiah McKinney, co-founder of The Equity Institute and co-founder and executive director of The McKinney Foundation, feels that her two Detroit-based non-profit organizations can help Black Lives Matter locally, nationally and internationally. “It’s critically important to work with Black Lives Matter, arm-inarm,” said McKinney, whose Ph.D. is in education policy and nonprofit management. “Through The Equity Institute’s advanced and relevant research, evidence-based policy making and engagement in advocacy, such efforts best support underserved and disproportionate impacted communities. There is research that has created and really shows proven strategies, best practices, lessons learned and processes to reach outcomes that Black Lives Matter desires.” BLMDetroit, according to Sloan, continues to advocate and seek changes in policy that will better protect Black people from the systemic racist practice of police brutality in Detroit and beyond. “BLMDetroit chooses to directly support those impacted by state-sanctioned violence,” said Sloan. “We choose to use our platform for justice support, and to uplift long-standing activists by providing avenues for political education, social economics, and food and nutrition.” Educating Black children in Detroit, a city where the Black population is north of 80 percent, is important to BLMDetroit, said Sloan. Last June, Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, spoke at a rally in downtown Detroit where hundreds of people peacefully gathered, many holding Black Lives Matter signs. The overwhelming consensus of Vitti and other stakeholders – such as BLMDetroit – is that students attending Detroit Public Schools deserve the same education that students in the suburbs receive. “If you talk about Black Lives Matter in education, it’s not about equality, it’s about equity,” Vitti said at the rally. “Our kids don’t need the same. Our kids need more.” Vitti is not the only high-profile leader of a large organization in Detroit to show solidarity with and for the Black Lives Matter movement. Henry Ford Hospital System, in partnership with Health Alliance Plan and other healthcare professionals, demonstrated solidarity with Black Lives Matter last summer when much of the nation and world protested the highly watched murder of George Floyd. “Henry Ford’s arms are open to embrace the community,” said Wright Lassiter, III, president and CEO, Henry Ford Health System. “And to embrace our team members in a way that says that we respect you for you, and you will be treated with the utmost respect for who you are when you come into our circle.” Lassiter also joined top executives of Detroit’s nine largest corporations in rejecting all forms of racism, sexism and violence, while committing support to reforms for a fairer criminal justice system. Ken Harris, president and CEO of the 120-year-old National Business League, Inc., believes in and supports Black Lives Matter. “We have witnessed or learned about movements and extreme violence against Black people in America during slavery and through the Civil Rights Movement,” Harris said. “I ask, ‘Have we moved the needle in terms of police brutality, when we see the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many more Black men, Black women, and Black teens?’ ” Harris continued. “If any organization, including Black Lives Matter, the Detroit Urban League,

the NAACP, is in support of Black economic justice and equity and inclusion, the National Black League, the nation’s oldest and largest business and trade association, will work with them to close the economic income and wealth gap that exists in Detroit and across the nation for Black people.” Sloan recognizes the importance of historically Black organizations, many of which were born in Detroit, to include the Nation of Islam, the Shrine of the Black Madonna and the Republic of New Afrika. “Black Lives Matter Detroit is not trying to reinvent the wheel; the legacy of activism here in Detroit is historic,” Sloan said. “We ‘are not’ here saying that we are the new kids on the block and everybody else get out the way because we know how to run this. That is not who we are. We are trying to fill in where there are gaps and where we can support Black communities and Black people across Detroit.” For Rev. Dr. Steve Bland Jr., president of the historic Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, one of the nation’s largest faithbased organizations of its type, the Black Lives Matter movement has evolved exponentially since Ferguson in 2014. He initially had concerns about the organization – but not its mission to combat police brutality. “My challenge with Black Lives Matter, at that time in Ferguson, was that many felt the Black church was too quiet on issues like police brutality,” said Bland, who is also senior pastor of Liberty Temple Baptist Church in Detroit. “My initial response – at that point – was: Who was the Black church? It seems that in many ways, the organization was lumping all Black churches together, as part of the problem.” Bland has seen the evolution of BLM, which has morphed into tackling the full gamut of issues facing Black people. “I would love to talk with Black Lives Matter Detroit’s leadership, and most of the pastors that I know are open to talking,” said Bland. “Because we both will find out that we have many things in common, but we want to talk with, not be talked at. I feel conceptually and consciously that I’m already a part of Black Lives Matter. I have the Black Lives Matter sign in my church office, but it’s not just a slogan to me because I do believe Black lives really matter.” Sloan does not rule out collaborations with organizations or individuals, as long as they affirm, uplift and honor all Black people and all Black communities across Detroit. “When we say Black Lives Matter, we mean all,” Sloan said. “That means gay, straight, women, men, children, poor, rich, ex-felons, anyone with a college education, GED or is a dropout. We don’t care. if you are a Black person in Detroit or across the nation or the world, your life is valuable…your Black life matters! For more information about Black Lives Matter, log on to www. blacklivesmatter.com. For more information about Black Lives Matter Detroit, log on to www.blmdetroit. com, or send an email to info@ blmdetroit.com or leadership@ blmdetroit.com.

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Black History Month From page A-1 Fast forward to the 1960s when Black colleges and universities banded together to ensure that African Americans secured their rightful place in history, the movement for a formal acknowledgement again gained momentum. First celebrated in 1970 at Ohio’s Kent State University, Black History Month soon spread to other colleges and universities. Some city officials were celebrating Black History Month in their own confines, but it was not until later when it became a national event. In 1976, President Gerald Ford became the first president to recognize the formalize the observance. With every president after following suit, Black History Month became a permanent staple in American history. Other countries across the globe have their own celebrations. Now, Black History Month not only serves as a time to spread awareness of Black historical figures, but to celebrate the accomplishments of Black people in the present. As America witnesses the attempted erasure of Black bodies, rights and civil liberties, it becomes even more important to ensure the continued success of the celebration of accomplishments. In an effort to specifically recognize Black women who made a contribution to society, President Bill Clinton signed the Presidential Proclamation 6863. Highlighting individuals such as Sojourner Truth and Mary McLeod Bethune, the proclamation was the first of its kind. Since then, each president annually issues a decree during Black History Month to honor Black achievement in specific areas. During his 2016 remarks for the Black History Month Reception, President Barack Obama said that he hopes to use Black history celebrations to serve as a reminder of progression. “It’s about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America. It’s about taking an unvarnished look at the past so we can create a better future. It’s a reminder of where we as a country have been so that we know where we need to go,” President Obama said. In 2019, former president Donald Trump issued a proclamation, Black Migrations, to shed light on African Americans who left the rural south for other parts of the country. In 2020, the 150th anniversary of the 15th amendment, former President Trump’s proclamation was African Americans and Vote. In schools, Black History Month gives students the opportunity to explore pivotal Black moments. For some students, February is the only time contributions of the Black community are identified and discussed. Companies are also doing their part to celebrate Black History Month. Most recently, tech giant Apple announced during February, customers will be able to visit the App Store and see a specially curated hub highlighting Black-owned businesses, games, social justice apps and entertainment. In its arsenal of celebrations across its multiple platforms, Apple will also feature Black-focused content for Apple Books, a celebration of Black music for the Apple Music app and a limited-edition Apple Watch designed under the Black Unity Collection. A celebration that should be year-round, African Americans continue adding a sense of luxury to American history through the prism of Blackness. From the first Black president, vice president and First Lady, to scores of Black athletes and prominent Black figures, Black History Month will continue to provide a space of recognition and celebration.

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Get Tested: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is February 7 By Sherri Kolade Get tested, and not just for COVID-19 -- get tested for HIV and AIDS, too. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is observed annually on February 7. This year’s theme is “We’re in This Together” to increase awareness, create discussion and feature the work being done to limit HIV in Black communities in the United States and to encourage people with HIV in these communities. Raising awareness of HIV within Black communities and providing information on access to care could include something as simple as using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign resources found on https://www.cdc.gov/. “Even when we are physically apart, we all have a role to play in ending HIV,” the campaign encourages. Let’s Stop HIV Together hopes to empower communities, partners and healthcare providers to reduce HIV stigma and promote prevention, testing and treatment among all people in the United States, according to the campaign website. Campaign resources abound for partners and other organizations that want to strategically play a role in preventing HIV and helping people with HIV stay healthy.

36th District Court Judge Donald Coleman and his daughter, 32A District Court Judge Rebekah R. Coleman, are powerhouses with a great love for family and justice.

A Legacy Of Law:

Local Father-Daughter Judges Bring Justice on and off the Bench

For those looking to share the campaign’s HIV prevention and education posts and images on social media, tag #NBHAAD and #StopHIVTogether leading up to NBHAAD and on the day of the observance, February 7. Locally, the reported HIV cases in 2018 per a 2019 Michigan Department of Health and Human Services report show that the city has a 33.7 percent diagnosis rate per 100,000 residents. The figure is several times higher than Michigan’s Lenawee County with 9.1 new cases per 100,000.” Black men between the ages of 15 and 29 who have sex with other men typically experienced the newest cases of HIV, the report added. The Detroit Health Department has two programs to assist people living with HIV in Southeastern Michigan. The Ryan White Program provides medical and support services, and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program helps with housing. For further assistance, contact a Linkage to Care Specialist at any one of the following agencies: • Carefirst Community Health Services (313) 846-5020 • Community Health Awareness Group (313) 963-3434 • Health Emergency Lifeline Program (313) 832-3300 or (888) 4356555 • Matrix Human Services (877) 9313248 • Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (248) 209-2626 or (248) 876-2949 • Unified (formerly AIDS Partnership Michigan) (313) 446-9800 or (800) 872-2437

By Sherri Kolade

It’s all in the hashtags: #HistoryWasMade. #ItsTimeForAChange. #1stFemaleJudgeOfHarperWoods. #1stAfricanAmericanJudgeOfHarperWoods. History was indeed made through Rebekah R. Coleman’s hashtags that she posted on Facebook last November after her historical win twice over in the race to become the next 32A District Court judge in Harper Woods. And now, as the first Black and first female judge in the city of about 14,000, she continues breaking barriers. Coleman celebrated her November 3 wins with the help of her family and supporters who voted her in against the incumbent. Coleman, in her journey to becoming a judge, is standing on the shoulders of many people who inspired her including her “devoted” grandmothers who both had, as she said, “deep Southern roots, amazing leadership capabilities and were prayer warriors.” “(They) instilled in me the importance of the family unit,” she said of them. “I know that you both are proud beyond my greatest expectations. It is without a shadow of a doubt that my mother, attorney April Howard Coleman, is standing with them beaming with pride and shouting for joy before the bragging begins.” Near the end of her post, she wrote to her late mother that she “got it done” and will continue to live the life that she helped prepare her for before she left.

Coleman also thanked her father and told him that there is “another judge in the family.” Her father is 36th District Court Judge Donald Coleman (who has served since 1992). Coleman told The Michigan Chronicle that her road to becoming a judge started with her being in private practice for 10 years, where she handled cases in many different areas of law including criminal, civil, bankruptcy and probate.

“I ran for judge in 2016 for Wayne County Circuit Court and was unsuccessful but tried again in this past election for 32A District Court and was successful. I saw there was a need for change and I believed that I was the right person to bring those changes. So, I put my name in the race,” she said. “I walked the neighborhoods and presented my thoughts and ideas for the Court and how I planned to bring it into the 21st century and gained the trust and support of my community.” Coleman said that she is grateful to have been mentored by her father, who she said has served honorably on the District Court in the city of Detroit for most of her life. “(Through) him and other mentors, I have learned practical lessons of wisdom, empathy and how to view the ‘common man’s’ perspective when applying the law,” she said. She added that her parents’ tireless community outreach and involvement helped her to understand that her own involvement in educational ventures, youth programs, women’s empowerment programs and other efforts

would be a vital asset “understanding the life challenges of those who come before me.” When Coleman is not behind the bench, in her spare time she listens to audiobooks, does jigsaw puzzles, runs half marathons (primarily pre-COVID-19), bakes cakes and has mini-concerts with her son. She said that as the first female and first Black judge in the city of Harper Woods, her general judicial philosophy is none other than fairness. “My goal is to bring the 32A District Court into the 21st century by enhancing the technology of the court so that the website is more user friendly for the residents and lawyers,” she said, adding that she will bring more programs to the court such as literacy programs, drug treatment, and other alternative sentencing programs that address the underlying issues and/or contributing factors to crimes. “(This is) so that we can help people actually become productive members of society and not repeat offenders.” She wants to also bring competent legal aid to the court so everyone can have legal representation and “not just those facing criminal matters,” she said, adding that she will aggressively go after grants, among other funding opportunities, available for the needed Court programs. Coleman added that she has a very close relationship with her father. “I used to sit in his courtroom almost every day after I finished my cases in the

See THE COLEMANS page A-4

Activism In Black: From the Pew to Municipal Spaces, These Local Change Agents March on for the Cause By Sherri Kolade

it all” when it comes to fighting the good fight against social injustice and inequality.

His bold, witty, and kind nature draws you in first. Then his astute, on-the-money observations regarding Black matters locally and nationally keep you there, enveloped in warm but sharp-tongued conversation on his work and Godly calling in a movement he’s helping sustain in his corner of the world. It’s a movement of bettering Black lives around the time people knew with certainty that “Black is beautiful” and well before the conversation took place on whether our lives mattered or not. Pro tip: They’ve always mattered. Black was always beautiful to Inkster resident Father Ellis Clifton Jr., 68. There was no other thinking for the retired priest from St. Clement’s Episcopal Church. Inkster grew up against the backdrop of the Black Panthers, beatniks, hippies, the NAACP, and social activism from the 1960s to now.

The retired Episcopal priest who spent the last 13 years of his service to the Inkster church would tell you that it’s the Lord’s calling and him being raised around, and shaped by, priests. “I was blessed to grow up and be shaped by priests who were outspoken about civil rights and Black liberation,” he said.

Inkster resident Father Ellis Clifton Jr. believes activism starts with self-acceptance and from the heart. – Photo provided by Ellis Clifton “That kind of stuck and it shaped me,” he said. Clifton has been extremely active in promoting Black rights and attended Black Lives Matter protests. He was also

D. Julia Kapilango, CEO of Authority, Downtown Development Authority – East Dearborn, wants to encourage Black arts and Black voices to occupy spaces in Dearborn. – Photo provided by D. Julia K apilango vocal regarding the 2015 Inkster police brutality incident against Floyd Dent. Some described him as having “seen

Clifton added that ever since he was a child, he knew that he wanted to be a priest when other boys wanted to be cowboys and the like. He added that the Black Lives Matter movement has a faith component to him and is almost “kind of sacramental in its nature.” He explained that the Orthodox Christian churches define a sacrament as an outward and spiritual sign of God’s inward grace.

See ACTIVISM IN BLACK page A-4

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February 3-9, 2021

Activism in Black

The Colemans From page A-3

From page A-3

morning and before I started my afternoon cases,” she said. “I am able to talk to my father about anything and he is always ready and willing to give advice and instructions on any subject. Our family is a very tight-knit family so my son and I spend a lot of time at my dad’s home, especially when he cooks, which is very often,” she said, adding that her family was overjoyed when they found out that she won the election. “My family was very involved in the entire campaign process. My brothers, along with many others, walked the neighborhoods and knocked on doors daily for months.”

“To us, as Black folk, we are created by Him and He loves us,” he said of God’s love being an inward sign and the BLM activities being outward and visible signs. “(Of) letting everybody know that God loves us and we are deserving of fair treatment, equal treatment, just treatment.”

Donald Coleman said that his late wife, attorney April Howard Coleman, was the first lawyer in their family and she supported and encouraged him on his own journey. “While I was in my final year of law school Rebekah, our firstborn arrived. She changed our lives forever and was born right in the heart of our legal journey,” he told The Michigan Chronicle. “Rebekah’s ascension to the Court has been simply breathtaking. I have laughed, cried, reflected, and cried again.” He added that he is “filled with

Clifton added that internalized oppression by Blacks is just as big an enemy as racist people and external oppression. He added that it is important for non-Black people to say that Black lives matter, too. deep gratitude and appreciation at her commitment to fairness, equality and public service.” “I am thankful for the trust and confidence placed in her by the citizens of her city. My only regret is that her mother is not here to appreciate the (beauty) of this moment, knowing that she started all of this,” he said. Donald Coleman added that the role of a judge is to guard, defend, protect and execute the public’s trust in the administration of justice.

“It is a role that requires an abiding commitment to serving the public with competence, honor and integrity,” he said. “There is no greater work than to accept the charge of your fellow citizens to wisely and faithfully discharge the responsibility of deciding their disputes. … God has blessed us to offer our training, skills, and integrity to the community in the form of public service. For this, we are incredibly humbled and we only hope that others will be inspired to do the same.”

Black History Facts of the Week February 1, 1865 - The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which abolished slavery was adopted by the 38th Congress. February 1, 1902 - Langston Hughes, a famous poet, was born on this day in Joplin, Missouri. February 2, 1915 - Ernest Just, a genetic biologist, won the first NAACP Spingarn Medal. He was recognized for his outstanding research in cell division and fertilization. February 4, 1971 - National Guard mobilized to stop rioting in Wilmington, N.C. Two people were killed. February 5, 1958 - Clifton R. Wharton Sr. was made a minister to Rumania (now spelled Romania). This career diplomat was the first Black to head a U.S. embassy in Europe. The 1920s was the decade of the “New Negro,” the Post World War I generation with growing racial pride and consciousness. William Loren Katz, an Afri-

can-American history scholar and author of the book “The Black West,” says in the Smithsonian Magazine that after the Civil War, being a cowboy was one of the few jobs open to men of color who didn’t want to serve as elevator operators or delivery boys or similar jobs. The United Kingdom celebrates Black History Month in October. Josiah Henson fled slavery in Maryland in 1830 and later founded a settlement in Ontario, Canada, for other Black people who escaped to freedom. Alexa Canady was the first female African American neurosurgeon in the United States. In 2013, three Black women organizers, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, started a Black-centered movement called Black Lives Matter with a social media hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter. This came after the acquittal of George

Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Black Lives Matter has organized demonstrations worldwide protesting police brutality, more recently after George Floyd’s death in 2020. Onesimus was enslaved during the 17th century in Boston and told a Puritan church minister, Cotton Mather, about the old practice of inoculation in Africa. By taking material from an infected person and scratching it into the skin of a non-infected person, one could purposefully introduce smallpox to a healthy person making them immune. His traditional African practice was utilized to inoculate American soldiers during the Revolutionary War and the concept was introduced to the United States. Information provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, https://library.law.howard.edu/, http://www.pbs.org/, and https:// workplacediversity.com/.

“If a Black person is able to say with any type of pride and dignity and conviction that Black Lives Matter, that is one step of overcoming some of the internalized oppression that we suffered under,” he said, adding the movement is a system that promotes inclusivity, which he can get behind. “I want justice right now; I want justice today.” D. Julia Kapilango, CEO of Authority, Downtown Development Authority – East Dearborn, is using her platform to bring artistic Black voices to Dearborn, a city that has been well-known for not being the most welcome to Black people. The Downtown Development Authority - East Dearborn recently announced its newest initiative, “Art of Courage: Black Lives Matter 360 Exhibition,” February 8, 2021 – February 8, 2022, in the Connector at City Hall Artspace, 13615 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn. This exhibition is inviting Michigan artists to give their visual voices to the matters of police violence and racial injustice and unrest in African American communities across the nation that was sparked by the Black Lives Matter Movement, according to its website. This was created as part of the organization’s events to discuss the broad impact of systemic

racism in cities like Dearborn, where Black people are not the majority population. Kapilango said that she is a Black person taking action in spaces of the arts and culture. “From a professional standpoint, educational standpoint and municipal standpoint, you can be an activist to change policy [by] programming events,” she said adding that the goal is to “creatively transform” how she and other Black residents (and Black people) experience Dearborn. This exhibition will be presented both virtually and inside the Connector at City Hall Artspace including its public outdoor grounds in Dearborn, according to the city website. It will comprise more than 30 works from a variety of visual art mediums along with a series of artists talks and lectures. “Art of Courage: Black Lives Matter 360 Exhibition” is just one in a series of events on issues of racial justice and equality that will be presented by the Downtown Development Authority – East Dearborn,” Kapilango said online. “I enjoy seeing artists of all mediums teaming up to produce such innovative and transformational experiences that match what our nation is feeling and thinking. I am grateful for our board’s support and leadership.” She told The Michigan Chronicle that eventually, what is sown will be reaped. “I have come to learn over my experience and professional experience that if you plant a seed and it’s watered it will grow,” she said. “This has been planted since 2016 and emerged to this point where we are now.” For more information contact Rozenia Johnson, Curator of Art and Exhibitions, MDUBA Associates rozeniajmduba@gmail. com.

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3 Tips to Own Your Financial Outcome in 2021 (StatePoint) 2020 was more than just a health crisis, it had ripple effects on nearly every aspect of our lives, including our long-term financial plans. Research from Lincoln Financial Group shows that personal finance concerns have intensified over the past year. Nearly half of Americans say they are preparing for the 2020 election’s impact on their investments and retirement accounts, and a vast majority have expressed a need for financial education to help them be better prepared for the future. As uncertainty continues amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Americans’ hopes of a comfortable retirement are at risk. “If you are nearing your retirement years, the events of this past year may have been especially concerning, and if you are rethinking your retirement plans altogether in light of 2020, you’re not alone,” says John Kennedy, head of Retirement Solutions Distribution at Lincoln Financial Group. “The good news is that with some smart steps and proper planning, you can set yourself up to feel more in control of your finances in the year ahead and for years to come.”

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Kennedy offers the following tips to pandemic-proof and own your financial outcome in 2021: 1. Talk with a financial professional. If you’re not already, consider talking to a financial professional about your goals, roadblocks and concerns, especially given today’s circumstances. Lincoln’s research shows that nearly a third of Americans agree that now is a good time to talk with one. They are well-positioned to help you consider a broad range of solutions that best address your individual needs and situation. 2. Protect your income. Your advisor may suggest diversifying your portfolio to include an annuity, which is a financial product that can provide you with protected income in retirement. Solutions like an annuity can help you feel better prepared to navigate volatility, protect the retirement savings you’ve worked hard for, as well as provide a legacy for loved ones. “With annuities, you have options for both protected growth and income that can help you feel more secure that you can maintain your lifestyle in a down market,” added Kennedy. 3. Stay the course. New research shows that an unpredictable market concerns more people than actual investment losses. But while market twists and turns may take you for a ride, it’s important to resist the temptation to jump off altogether. By proofing your portfolio to weather market ups and downs, you can guard against market losses, while keeping your money invested for growth. For more resources and tips, visit www.lfg.com.

Black Bottom: Then and Now By Megan Kirk

curator for the Detroit Historical Society, says.

Detroit’s historic Black Bottom neighborhood was home to thriving Black businesses and growing Black families. Running from I-75 on the north, to Jefferson Avenue on the south, Grand Trunk railroad and Brush Street to the east and west, respectively, Black Bottom, near the city’s east side, was erased from Detroit history. Plans of community redevelopment and expansion arguably laid the foundation for Detroit’s economics and relationship with its Black citizens.

Demolished in the 1960s, the Black Bottom neighborhood was replaced by what is now known as Lafayette Park and I-375 highway. Sitting amongst another historically Black community to its north, Paradise Valley, separate from Black Bottom, would be yet another neighborhood destroyed by white commercialism.

Getting its name from the black rich soil in the area, Black Bottom residents were mostly renters but had a space to call their own. Not just the homes in the community but local businesses were also exclusively Black creating a network of self-sustainability and independence. Despite its strong African American presence, the neighborhood was also home to early immigrants before becoming exclusively Black. “It was a first stop for a lot of immigrants coming in. A lot of Jewish people lived in the neighborhood, Eastern European people lived in the neighborhood, Italians. It wasn’t until the 20th century where it becomes primarily a Black community, primarily the 1920s and 30s,” William Winkel, assistant

Black Bottom, a section of the city already laden with blight, would soon see its residents and businesses forcibly relocated and the community destroyed. Already suffering the economic effects and racial discrimination in Detroit, homes in the community were not equipped with modern amenities. “Even going into the 1950s, some homes didn’t have bathrooms, they had outhouses,” Winkel says. The African American population in Black Bottom surged during the 1920s and 1930s. During World War II, Black Bottom was hit especially hard as the auto industry took a dip causing workers to lose their wages. Before its demise, Black Bottom saw the likes of jazz legends such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. With music in its DNA, Detroit’s small all-Black community acted as a backdrop for thriving clubs and

bars. With about 350 businesses in Black Bottom, it was dubbed Detroit’s Black Wall Street. “If you needed anything, you could get it on Hastings Street, which was the primary artery that businesses were on,” Winkel says. “There were bakeries, insurance companies, doctors, tailors, dentists and it was all wiped away by 75.”

As Black families begin to move into the neighborhood, white developers and homeowners launched a full-scale attack on Black Bottom residents. Homeowners Associations, unlike the associations of today, were used to help invoke fear to maintain home equity. “They got people fired from their jobs for selling homes to Black families, they threw bricks through windows, they stormed into homes when people weren’t there and destroyed them. It was completely aggressive, it was fear-based and they kept Black families contained to their smaller neighborhoods,” Winkel says. Once inhabited, the success of Black Bottom and its residents would be short-lived. Under the mayoral direction of Albert Cobo, a divisive and controversial leader for which the former Cobo Hall shared its name,

See BLACK

BOTTOM page A6

UpNext:

Caring for Community is at the Core of LaTrice McClendon LaTrice McClendon, a native Detroiter, has always cared for her community. After initially being employed as a District Manager for Detroit under Mayor Mike Duggan, she now serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Community Relations for TCF Bank. “I’ve always had a passion for community and helping people who need support and advocacy,” said McClendon. After gaining professional and educational experience away from Michigan, she returned to the Great Lakes State, initially outside the city limits. “I had never lived outside of Detroit. I ended up moving to Canton, and it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t stay in the suburbs. I’m a city girl. I love Detroit,” said McClendon, a proud Cass Tech graduate. “I wanted to be back in my community.

LaTrice McClendon

There was so much buzz, and I wanted to move back so that I could contribute to the success and help Detroit build.”

As part of her current role, McClendon’s contributions include overseeinsg the TCF Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations through volunteerism, and charitable sponsorships through grants. In 2019, the TCF Foundation distributed contributed $1.9 millionin donations to more than 700 charitable partners and an additional $831,000 in team member matching gifts. Additionally, TCF has made a $5 million commitment to the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood through Detroit’s Strategic Neighborhood Fund for the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood and a partnership with theDetroit mayor’s office for the Affordable Housing Leverage Ffund. “TCF Bank is a strategic neighborhood partner to Grandmont Rosedale, which was the same community I served when I worked for the mayor’s office,” said McClendon. “I had a chance to bring additional resources from the corporate perspective and help bridge the gap between neighborhoods and corporations.”

See LaTrice

McClendon page A6

Page A-6 • michiganchronicle.com • February 3-9, 2021

The WFH Vs. Return-To-Office Debate:

Black Bottom From page A-5

redevelopment plans for the city meant the once-thriving Black Bottom community would be leveled and replaced with a new road, a highway. “He ran his mayoral campaign on stopping the Black invasion of Detroit and shutting down housing projects,” Winkel says. Bulldozing an entire neighborhood and forcing its poor and impoverished citizens to relocate laid the blueprint for the Detroit of today. With the recent influx of white residents returning to the city, Black residents are being pushed out by high housing costs and economic redevelopment. “The destruction of Black Bottom was one of the really big catalysts for the making of modern Detroit,” Winkel says. Still enamored with white capitalism, modern day Detroit is now home to new businesses, gentrification and closing Black residents out of the American Dream. The once-bustling city full of Black-owned businesses is being replaced by big bank corporations and the deliberate transformation into a metropolis void of color. “There was a lot of money to be made and there was a lot of it made,” Winkel says. A city on the rise, how can Black residents fight for and maintain an exclusive space, like Black Bottom, to circulate the Black dollar? Staying just six hours in the Black community opposed to 17 days in the white community, the Black dollar accounts for $1.3 trillion dollars in gross national income according to the Black Star Project, but only two percent of that money is recycled through its community. Although 80 percent Black, Detroit accounts for just 400 Black-owned businesses in the city, according to Huffington Post.

What Employees, Bosses Should Consider

“As Detroit progresses and as this divide continues, I think it’s important to establish, foster and maintain Black businesses in the neighborhood,” Winkel says. “The age of 300 businesses on the strip is largely over, but there is a way to recreate that.” Now, there are no obvious remnants of the once thriving neighborhood. Completely buried by concrete, Black Bottom exists as only a memory to older Detroiters. Going through a constant state of reinvention, the city’s resurgence, or lack thereof, is rooted in moments like Black Bottom and the Black community’s dedication to belong. “I want more people to know the story of Black Bottom and why it’s not here anymore. Before you criticize the city, I want them to learn the story of Black Bottom and learn the fact that things were imposed on the city, that destabilized the city, are incredibly hard to overcome,” Winkel says. Standing tall, descendants of the Black Bottom neighborhood, born from displacement, are working to build a permanent space in the city and will continue to rebuild after every storm. “The fact that Detroit is one of the largest Black cities in the country is not reflective of the city being welcoming to the Black community. It’s reflective of the tenacity of the Black community in Detroit,” Winkel shares.

LaTrice McClendon From page A-5 A big part of bridging that gap includes investing in education. McClendon supported TCF Chairman Gary Torgow to facilitate a STEM lab for Cooke Elementary School. And for the past six years, TCF has also partnered with the Michigan Chronicle for the SWAG (Students Wired for Achievement and Greatness (S.W.A.G.)) Scholarship Awards and handed out $100500,000 in scholarships to Detroit high school seniorsstudents. “I’ve had the privilege to lead a lot of those initiatives,” McClendon said. “That wasIt’s absolutely amazing. This is an opportunity that I am so fortunate to have. There is never a time in my

career that I don’t want to serve my community. This is a lifelong passion.” McClendon attributes much of her success to working well with others and said teamwork is needed in Detroit. “Without partnerships and collaboration, we’re not going to be our best city. We have to work together as residents to continue to voice what it is that we want to see in our neighborhoods, in our communities, in our business districts, and we have to advocate for ourselves for equity.” For her, working together requires representation from all multiple demographicsbeing represented. “It’s going to take every

single sector in the city to help get us to the next level… The real thing is that young people are going to have to talk to old people, Black people have to talk to White people. There’s going to have to be collaboration across all sectors. No sector is exempt. We need everyone who has a role in the community to participate.” Moving forward, McClendon wants Detroit to continue attracting organizations that want to do business and hire Detroiters. She sees so much talent here and recognizes many people who have great perspectives, great education, and are ready to serve in various roles. She hopes her work continues to create opportunities. “My goal is to continue to funnel resources to communities we live in and care about.”

Many Americans have been working from home full-time for a year now since COVID-19 hit the U.S. And many prefer that arrangement to a traditional office. In a survey, 65% said they want to work remotely full-time after the pandemic. That could pose a problem for them and their employers. Given the availability of vaccines, many companies are planning to ask their employees to return to the office. But a sizable number of workers might balk – or even walk. In a survey by LiveCareer, 29% of working professionals said they would quit if they couldn’t continue working remotely. “The reality is that some jobs just don’t work remotely and some people don’t work well remotely,” says Cynthia Spraggs (www.virtira.com), a veteran of working remotely, author of How To Work From Home And Actually Get SH*T Done, and CEO of Virtira, a completely virtual company that helps other businesses work virtually. “Companies have time to plan for both – and so do employees. “Many employees now expect to be able to work flexibly. Some companies will use a hybrid approach, and others will go back to full-time in the office. But if employees are not given the choice to work from home, some will look for other employers that do offer that. Companies need to assess which jobs are best done remotely and assess their employees to understand which ones benefit the company most by either working from home or returning to the office.” Spraggs offers these thoughts for workers, business owners and managers to consider in the WFH vs. return-to-office debate: The WFH type. “At this point, it should be relatively easy to assess who is thriving and who is miserable in a WFH setting,” Spraggs says. “What we’ve found is, regardless if you’re an introvert or an extrovert, the perfect WFH employee is someone who embraces life and who has passions and interests outside of work. They work efficiently and are strong performers

because they see work as a means to fund their life.” The traditional office type. Spraggs draws a stark contrast between people who thrive working from home and those who are much happier commuting to a traditional brick-and-mortar office environment. “These individuals have strong social relationships through work and require the camaraderie that an in-office environment provides,” she says. “For many, especially those focused on the corner office, work is their life. These are the ones who pull down 80-hour weeks to move up the ladder. They stay glued to their boss, and likely are the ones who just won’t function well at home. Sadly, they are also likely your VP.” Weigh how your company thinks of you. “Although we all like to think that companies care about employees,” Spraggs says, “the harsh reality is that employees are a unit of production and companies will migrate to the setup that senior executives mandate. Do you really want to work for a company that isn’t prepared to accommodate what makes you most productive and happy? Better sharpen that CV and get ready. Plan now and work your networks.” Management realities. For many companies, even with the environmental, health and productivity advantages that remote work brings, Spraggs thinks some simply aren’t going to embrace WFH as an opportunity to streamline operations. “They are going to want to return to the ‘old normal,’” she says. “A good number of senior management people didn’t do well with the WFH environment because they view WFH through a lens of slacking-off employees, lower productivity and lower ROI. So it’s likely these companies are not going to make the investments in training, homebased bandwidth, VPNs and tools to make it work.” “There’s coming tension in many companies between what will work best for management and what will work best for the employees,” Spraggs says. “We may see a big migration in workers going to fully virtual companies.”

1 in 8

PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV ARE UNAWARE OF THEIR STATUS.

Change the numbers. Change your future. There are a lot of statistics surrounding HIV. Like this one: Did you know early detection, intervention and treatment can reduce the risk of transmission by 93%? Learn about HIV and where to get tested at Michigan.gov/HIVSTD.

Viewpoint Michigan Chronicle

A Real Times Media Newspaper

February 3-9, 2021 | Page A-7

HIRAM E. JACKSON Publisher SAMUEL LOGAN Publisher 1933-2011

AJ WILLIAMS Managing Editor

JOHN H. SENGSTACKE Chairman-Emeritus 1912-1997

LONGWORTH M. QUINN Publisher-Emeritus 1909-1989

There’s A Lot Left To Be Done By Ben Jealous February is Black History Month – and Black people just made a whole lot of history. Joe Biden is our president and Donald Trump is not because Black organizers and voters decided that they would not be denied their right as American citizens to be heard at the ballot box. Kamala Harris is our history-making vice president, a Black and Southeast Asian woman and the daughter of immigrants, thanks to the millions of Black people who encouraged family, friends, and neighbors to vote. Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are senators because Black people and their allies in Georgia turned out in November, Ben Jealous and again in January, to signal a new day in the heart of the Old South. All this makes me grateful that Black History Month comes in February. It encourages us to think about those who made these historic moments possible. I’m thinking about the freedom fighters and voting rights activists – and the courageous ordinary people whose names don’t show up in history books, but who showed up to fight against injustice. They often faced violence and brutality that was fueled by the racist power structure’s desire to maintain power at all costs. Does that sound familiar? Just a few weeks ago, we saw our democracy challenged by that same kind of poison. We watched a president incite his supporters to violence by denying the legitimacy of Black people’s votes. The rage among Trump’s followers was stoked by endless repetitions of the lie that so-called real Americans had reelected him in a landslide, and that the election was stolen from them by corrupt big-city machines— read Black officials and voters—and their communist allies. Black History Month is a good time to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement he led were also smeared as communists out to destroy America. And you don’t have to be a historian to have noticed the Confederate flags and the lynching noose brought to the Capi-

tol on January 6 by the mob that claimed they were taking back the election and the country. In 2013, conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, which has long been considered the crown jewel of the civil rights movement. Immediately, state legislators, especially in the old Confederate states, took advantage of the federal government’s forced retreat from justice. They passed all kinds of new restrictions on voting. People in the civil rights and voting rights movements did not give up in despair after that devastating setback. They knew that every bit of progress is met with resistance. And the greater the progress, the greater the backlash. Right-wing politicians are already responding to Black voters’ turnout and the victories they made possible by preparing new plans to restrict voting. Some Pennsylvania Republicans who were supporters of voting by mail just a couple years ago are now trying to end it. We must defeat these efforts. As we welcome the Biden-Harris administration and encourage them to govern boldly to advance equality, justice, and opportunity, I think back to 2009, when Barack Obama made history as our first Black president. That year, I participated in a Story Corps conversation with my mother and grandmother about their own histories of civil rights activism. My grandmother—who is still with us today at age 104—sent me off with a message that is just as true today: “There’s a lot left to be done.” There are many ways to think about the stubborn resistance to the full inclusion of Black people in this country. Right now, I want to focus on this: The civil rights movement’s victories were especially amazing given the intensity of the opposition. Our recent election wins are even more impressive when you consider that they were won in the face of powerful political forces working to make it harder for people to vote. Our optimism and hope are grounded in our history of overcoming. Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation. Jealous has decades of experience as a leader, coalition builder, campaigner for social justice and seasoned nonprofit executive. In 2008, he was chosen as the youngest-ever president and CEO of the NAACP. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and he has taught at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

Stay Connected. Keep Informed. michiganchronicle.com

COMMUNITY ENERGY CENTER

WELCOME

TO OUR NEW SITE

CommunityEnergyCenter.org will Educate the Public about Energy Empowerment among Diverse Communities Diverse communities not only will be shaped by an evolving energy sector, they will shape it. Our new website – CommunityEnergyCenter.org – welcomes perspectives from commentators and journalists from publications in diverse communities to promote a deeper understanding of how energy and economic matters play a role in daily life. This new content hub will educate diverse communities to explore job opportunities and participate in the energy sector’s growth and vitality.

Visit www.communityenergycenter.org to learn more.

The Community Energy Center, a cooperative with the National Newspaper Publishers Association and National Association of Hispanic Publications Media, will provide information and perspectives on the integral role of the energy sector in daily life for American families in a wide range of communities.

Page A-8 • michiganchronicle.com •

February 3-9, 2021

Taking care of teammates

In a year unlike any other, our company and teammates were called upon to address unprecedented challenges and headwinds in the broader environment, working in support of each other, our clients and the communities where we work and live. In appreciation of these outstanding efforts, we are recognizing eligible employees with Delivering Together compensation awards. A cash bonus of $750 or additional stock award is the latest step our company has taken to invest in our employees during the health crisis. We’ve also significantly invested in industry-leading solutions and resources. To help many of our teammates balancing family and work, we provided an enhanced benefit of up to $100 per day for in-home childcare — funding nearly 3 million days of support. And in 2020, we accelerated the move of our U.S. minimum hourly rate of pay to $20, more than a year earlier than originally planned. Here in Detroit, my teammates and I are here to help. We’re proud of this community and remain committed to making it a better place for us all.

For the fourth time since 2017, Bank of America is recognizing teammates with a special award in cash or restricted stock. This year, approximately 97% of teammates will receive a Delivering Together award.

These awards are in addition to any regular annual incentives that eligible employees may receive.

Matt Elliott Detroit Market President

To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community

Black Lifestyle Matters B1 | February 3-9, 2021

Where City Meets Life and Life Meets Style

michiganchronicle.com

Black

Black Entertainment Matters: How Creatives Are Getting in on the Fun

Art

Matters:

By Megan Kirk With social distancing and stayat-home measures in place for the last year due to a pandemic, families are continually looking for creative ways to stay entertained. Detroit, known for its Motown sound and natural hustle, has a heavy arsenal of talent but television and mainstream music can become repetitive. Black talent continues to evolve with the times and entertainment and is in every paint stroke, screen swipe and violin chord.

How Activism and Black Art Have Influenced History Art is an expression that transcends barriers. Used in a way that penetrates race, gender, sex or nationality, art can relay unspoken messages to the masses. The intersection of Black expressions of art and activism have long since been a mirror society used to reflect issues of that time. Dating back to the Harlem Renaissance African Americans have used art to penetrate the soul while telling a story of Black experience. Today, there is a resurgence of Black creatives through literature, music and artwork who shine a light on social injustice of today.

Move over Painting with A Twist. For residents looking to get familiar with an easel and acrylic paints, Paint Party Detroit offers everything needed to go from finger painting to Picasso. Offering mobile paint and sip parties, Paint Party Detroit has pre-drawn prints for the entire family. “Paint Party allows me to help people find the fun in art. Painting is relaxing and it can even be a confidence booster,” Candace Dove, owner and founder of Paint Party Detroit says.

Acting as gatekeepers of history, artists use their media to keep an accurate account of modern-day struggles. For one artist, the enjoyment of the talent sometimes cannot compare to the responsibility it carries.

Art has been a fixture for Dove since childhood, however, it was not until college that the native Detroiter began taking painting to a new level. And she is now gaining recognition for her work from the City of Detroit.

Tiff Massey PHOTO: Joe Gall

“I didn’t actually start painting until the end of my sophomore year at Michigan State in 2011. I switched my major from pre-dental to studio art and never looked back,” Dove says. “Michigan State definitely gave me my start and revealed my love for painting to me.”

“We are the tellers of the time, whether you’re a visual artist, or a writer, or a musician, especially if you’re Black or of color, period. I feel like we don’t have the luxury of doing things just because we enjoy doing them,” Sydney James, a local Detroit muralist says. “I have the burden, or the duty, to really tell these stories. If we

See BLACK ART MATTERS Page B-2

Pulling inspiration from Blackness, the acrylics painter uses a rich history of culture as the driving force behind her work. “I am inspired by African American culture, Hip Hop and women. Most of my pieces include one of the three. I believe my culture is absolutely beautiful and whenever I can capture a glimpse of that in my work, I am overjoyed. I often use Hip Hop artists and African American influencers in my work to pay homage to phenomenal people that look like me.” Aside from bringing paint kits to homes across the city, Dove also offers commissioned pieces and personal works. The artist uses the opportunity to create depictions of loved ones, painting on blank canvas walls in homes, creating custom pieces for baby’s room and more. “I believe what sets my artistry apart from other painters in the city is my creativity,” Dove says. “I don’t just recreate images, I give the image a new life, creative background and new details that make it a oneof-one.” Screen time has shifted from the television to cellular phone and tab-

See BLACK ENTERTAINMENT Page B-2

Tylonn Sawyer

Sydney James

Mario Moore

Black Art Matters:

Rochelle Riley, Knight Foundation, MOCAD, Others Bring Cultural Touch to the “Paris of the Midwest” By Sherri Kolade Art is their why. Their reasoning behind promoting it and why visionaries are inspired by it. Art in Detroit, in particular Black art, is an evolving, timeless movement that includes homegrown painter LeRoy Foster, born in 1925, to the poets and artists of various media of today holding it down in their own artistic right, painting political and cultural murals, inspiring works of oil and words, and more. That is why during Black History Month, Black art, while still cel- Rochelle Riley ebrated the other 11 months, is especially looked upon and admired with a bevy of events, causes and exhibitions on tap around the city.

Leni Sinclair, Public display of poem by Medgar Evers. B&W photograph, undated. Image: Courtesy of the artist and MOCAD. – Photo provided by MOCAD

Director of Arts and Culture for the city of Detroit Rochelle Riley told The Michigan Chronicle about what’s on tap this month and throughout 2021.

Recently, Kresge Arts in Detroit donated $176,000 in operating funds to support Detroit ACE (Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship) programming. The year-long partnership is aptly titled, “Undefeated: A Year of Celebrating Detroit Arts, Culture and Detroit’s Contributions to American Excellence.” The programming kicks off this month featuring how the pandemic has impacted children through artistic projects, monthly showcases and beyond. “The thing that is happening right now with Detroit is it is making an amazing recovery from a time where it literally went into bankruptcy, came out Nathaniel Wallace on the other side of bankruptcy, and is whole again. While everybody has been focused on the finances, I want to make sure we stay whole culturally and artistically,” Riley said, adding that the roughly 80 percent Black city is continuing to grow and she wants to ensure the arts and the artists receive all the shine they deserve.

See CULTURAL TOUCH Page B-2

Page B-2 • michiganchronicle.com • February 3-9, 2021

Black Art Matters From page B-1

don’t tell our own stories, they’re going to tell them for us and we already know how that’s going to go.” With activism in his blood, Detroit artist Mario Moore began exploring political art in college. A graduate of the College of Creative Studies and Yale University, and grandson of Detroit activist Helen Moore, the visual artist believes art is the catalyst that may spark change. “What’s more effective for me is to make artwork that talks about the Black human experience, and within that I’m dealing with certain issues that only we face, repetitively. I’m giving voice for people who can take action. I don’t think my artwork can be sponsored as activism, but it might get people to think about things and make those people go out and take that action,” Moore says. Emerging to take action, the Black Arts Movement (BAM) of the 1960s and 1970s helped to promote Black pride and activism. Giving a voice to Black artists and inspiring generations to come, BAM helped to lay a concrete foundation for the movement and what activism looks like. “I think me just showing up to a space is activism,” Sydney James says. “As a Black woman, doing what I do, I think just my existence is activism.” Still relevant in their works, artists in the BAM movement used various artistic media to beautifully magnify Black pride. Through its artistry, the organization provided a space Blacks could represent their shared experiences unapologetically. “We live in a constant state of having to make other people comfortable with our presence, which is ridiculous because we’re here,” James says. For other artists, displays of activism in art manifest in a more subtle manner. Attacking the problem from multiple angles, Black creatives are not only using their works to invoke change or consciousness but taking to the community and providing spaces to learn and grow. “I think it looks different depending on what you do. I know for myself, I’m an educator, so in terms of activism, it’s important to me to equip the younger generation with intellectual weapons they can use in the world to come,” Tylonn Sawyer, artist and educator, says. In urbanized gentrified communities like Detroit,

large investors and stakeholders continue to purchase land from the hands of those who inhabit it. To take a stand and guarantee Black art would have a permanent space, a local Detroit artist uses the profits from her art to acquire land in the city.

“I took it a step further and once I saw all the new Detroiters coming in to acquire all this land, I was like I need some land because what is the future of art in Detroit? Whose face is it going to be?” Tiff Massey asks. “I was really worried about having a permanent placement in the city. Now that I have a permanent placement, I’m trying to make sure other artists have permanent placement. That’s activism.” On the heels of the Black Lives Matter movement, political art has become increasingly prevalent. For Massey, eliminating the need for protest art and deadly procedures for Black communities is what should be done. “Who cares about political art? Black people just don’t want to die for no reason,” Massey says. “If we actually had systems in place that were actually set up for everyone, there would be no activism. There would be no protest art.” Stemming from and sparking marches across the nation, the continual murders of several young Black men and women kicked activism into high gear and opened the door for a new wave of expressionism art. “With the death of Mike Brown and the rise of Black Live Matters, I started to see the rise of this racial tension. It’s not that it’s new. It’s just became more mainstream,” Sawyer says. Building more traction, the constant fight for justice and equality for communities of color is a theme likely to be repeated in various art forms. “It’s just so tiresome to respond all the time. I think that’s what us Black artists do the most is just respond because there are so many injustices that are happening on a regular basis,” Massey says. Staying true to the craft and the message, Black artists are creating a path for upcoming artist to follow. Authenticity and the correct approach are requirements to carrying the torch. “I would really hope that most of the artists that are creating work that has some kind of activist approach, whether they mean it or not, are empathetic and really mean what they’re making,” Moore says.

Costa Kazaleh Sirdenis, Salakastar, and Chris Jakob. The Call HD video still. Courtesy of the artists and Detroit Narrative Agency. – Provided by MOCAD

Cultural Touch From page B-1

“We have been known for decades as the ‘Paris of the Midwest’ because everything exists here: fine arts, fashion, theater, film, poetry,” she said. “So much of that is being done ingeniously, I mean just beautifully by African American residents, artists.” “Undefeated” will feature monthly showcases highlighting a variety of artistic genres. One of the showcases gives 10 Detroit children a chance to be paired with 10 students from the local InsideOut Detroit Youth Literary Arts program who will teach the students how to write poetry and spoken word about the pandemic. Later all 20 students will be matched with musicians from the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra to create duets. Detroit ACE will also launch Detroit A & E (previously Channel 22) with a Black Heritage Film Series featuring Black films from the 1920s to the 1960s at 7 p.m. Monday-Friday. “This celebration of Black History Month is a moment for us to celebrate that culture and that special unique thing and we will be continuing all year (to celebrate) all art of all genres,” Riley said. For more information and upcoming programming visit http:// detroitmi.gov/ace or email Riley at detroitartsandculture@gmail. com. Nathaniel Wallace, director of the Community and National Initiatives Program for Knight Foundation, is also a powerhouse on the art scene looking to bring greater awareness to local Black artists. “At Knight, it’s my mission to find those ideas, those fearless individuals who can move Detroit forward,” he told The Michigan Chronicle. “As Detroiters start to create their own vision for the city, we need Black art and its Black artists.”

Black Entertainment

From page B-1

let screens. The continued success of social media helps artists find niche ways to get in the market and make an immediate and widespread impact. TikTok, originally launched in the States in 2016, is a video-sharing app that allows users to record short clips with creative edits and share them with followers. It has also proven to be a lucrative side business, with engagement payments going out to users with big followings and major views. Alexis Morrow has over forty thousand followers on the app and is navigating her way to the top of the social media ladder. Together with her boyfriend, the self-proclaimed TikToker uploads a series of hilarious re-

lationship moments for followers, giving them an inside look into her personal life. “One day I just said what if I just post something from my camera roll? I did and it changed my life. I uploaded a video of my boyfriend playing with a mini cart that was in our Airbnb while vacationing in Houston and at the end he laughed, and one person commented and said wow he laughs like the Windex spray bottle and I needed to repost that with that caption, so I did, and it blew up within an hour. I had a million views. Today that video sits at 7.8 million views and a substantial amount of videos recreated by my new followers,” Morrow explains. The videos kept coming,

Wallace quoted American author bell hooks (spelled lowercase on purpose) by saying it is, “An artist’s job is to do more than tell it like it is, it’s to imagine what’s possible.” “Detroit doesn’t move forward without their vision and critique, and that’s why I go hard for them. With anything I’m involved in whether it be Knight, boards or advisory positions, the question will always be, ‘How do we fold our Black artist into this?’” Wallace said. “Because I truly believe in the transformative power of their work, not only for an individual or neighborhood but for an entire city.” Wallace, who is a local Black art aficionado, collects art from Black artists and has a special place in his heart for those especially from Detroit. "I am interested in the Detroiter perspective on things… we need to be more involved in storytelling … Telling stories and collecting art is important; something I champion.” One piece of art at his home, in particular, stands out to Wallace, whose backdrop during a video interview displayed warm, colorful artistic pieces, figurines and more. Offscreen, he had displayed a piece that he cherishes from a local artist called “Black Madonna.” “It just shows the grace and the poise and the importance of Black women … and their importance to the world,” he said. Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is also gearing up with its Winter 2021 exhibitions including the MOCAD Black Art Library exhibits with over 200 niche texts on Black artistry in its first museum show February 5-April 18. Founded in 1995, MOCAD has featured exhibitions and programs that delve into contemporary art, bridging Detroit with the global art world. MOCAD intends to use art to express itself to nurture social change and human understanding, reflecting the local community. The exhibitions

helping to build Morrow’s following on the app. Now, in addition to keeping followers laughing at the couple’s antics, trials and vacations, she also earns a fee from the app for curated content. “When I was finally in a happy relationship and fell in love with how he treated me and the advice he would give me I was dying to share it with the world. This love got me 10 thousand followers in about two months and that is when you are able to join the creator fund on TikTok. Later on down the line I was able to gain millions of views that paid me a decent amount of money.” The highly addictive nature of social media keeps users coming back for more. With apps like TikTok and YouTube being used for entertainment amongst millennials and generation Zers, followings and plat-

forms are continuing to grow giving influencers new insights. “My goal is to be a social and cultural contributor across my multiple social media platforms. I want to help people understand relationships and therapy, traveling on a budget, life goals and how they can use this same platform to do what I did,” Morrow says. For music lovers, classical music has proven to be a relaxing way to enjoy the day. Alex Way, creator of Alex Way Music, is a classically trained violinist, Detroit native and Wayne State University graduate. Alex played violin at the age of 12 and began singing at 19. Introducing her first studio project in 2015 and another in 2016, the inspiration for her music comes from a space filled with love. “I got my start in church.

cut across genres and media but are all “united loosely around the continued drive for social justice, racial equity and collective liberation,” according to its mission. From “Black Art Library” to “Leni Sinclair: Motor City Underground,” “Detroit Narrative Agency: Radical Remedies” and more, the programming showcases MOCAD’s commitment to exhibiting boundary-pushing, historically significant work by diverse artists across stages of their careers from Detroit and beyond, according to the museum. “Motor City Underground” will be the first solo presentation of iconic photographer Leni Sinclair’s work in a U.S. museum. Notably known as a local leftist legend and the camerawoman who captured rockstars in the early ‘60s, Sinclair is both an artist and activist. Also on tap is “Black Art Library,” the first museum exhibition of Detroit native Asmaa Walton’s public archive of books that speak to the breadth of astounding Black talent throughout art history. Beginning as a Black History Month experiment last year, Black Art Library has become a treasured resource for filling in the blind spots in often-whitewashed art history. Walton, Black Art Library founder, told The Michigan Chronicle about her thoughts on Black art. “Detroit is such a culturally rich city that it only makes sense for projects centered in art and creativity to exist here. There is art all around the city but what’s lacking is the intentional education behind it. The more arts resources that are created the more future generations will be able to discover interests and passions that they never knew they had before.” For more information visit https://mocadetroit.org/.

I started singing when I was young in the children’s choir and it’s also what influenced me to want to play the violin,” Way says. Performing with world-renowned artists such as Marcus Belgrave, Al McKenzie, and Chinelo Amen-Ra, the violinist has been a featured artist on WDIV Local 4 News, a Kresge Artist Fellow and has performed in various public spaces across the city. “My artistry has a big focus on love,” Way says. “Love plays a part in every aspect of life and plays a huge part in the music I put out.” With musical roots grounded in the city, Alex Way plans on shining a bright light on Detroit’s classical music scene. “My ultimate goal is to be internationally renowned for my music,” she says.

We believe in the power of Standing United. FOR OUR

families. OUR community. OUR future.

At United Way for Southeastern Michigan, we fight for equity, we create change, and we work toward a better future — one where all households are stable and every child thrives.

Learn more at UnitedWaySEM.org/StandUnited.

February 3-9, 2021 • michiganchronicle.com •

Page B-3

A Soul-full

Summit:

Local Empathic Business Owner Wants to Baldly Inspire Others on Their Own Empath Journey By Sherri Kolade Let her adjust your crown for you. Exuberant Southfield native Ber-Henda Williams, founder and owner of B Intentional, a creative consulting service, wants to help you show up in the world more extraordinary and shine bright and right through it all. Williams, who is an empath coach, (and has a calling to especially help empaths) is hosting a free online series, Visionary Empaths Unite: Leaders of the New Earth Summit February 1-5. Williams told The Michigan Chronicle that empaths (those who can feel others’ emotions as if they were experiencing it themselves) will learn their next mindful move at the summit. “It is centered around female-identified and empathic business owners,” she said of the summit, adding that anyone can glean something from it. “We talk about things like activism. We talk about things like resilience and burnout. We talk about creative expression. We talk about the historical constructs of systemic racism and how it impacts the body. We are helping people to navigate; we talk about feminism and how to apply feminism principles to one’s business. When we look at things aligning in a more feminine way it allows us to be more holistic.”

to a leadership perspective, empaths tend to look more toward collective leadership. “Instead of a head leader you move more intuitively than intellectually,” she said, adding that it is more of an alignment between the head and heart. Also, while the bottom line is important, another big question for empaths on the job is how could the community be impacted in a greater way? The summit speakers come from all areas and range from entrepreneurs and consultants to poets and those in academia, but they all have one thing in common: they bring their empathic goodness along the way. “They are healers,” Williams said. “They all kind of touch every facet of our society. … They bring their empathic gifts with them where they go.” Williams added that more scientific data is supporting a highly sensitive personality trait that is “very discerning” and what she calls “emotional first-responders” such as teachers, nurses, midwives, creatives, non-profit leaders and more.

Southfield native and empathic leader Ber-Henda Williams. – Photo provided by Ber-Henda Williams She added that while our society doesn’t always encourage men in emotional expression, they’re still thriving and she has male clients now. Williams expressed the importance of this summit because it’s all about balance. While there are countless positive traits of the empath, the “shadow side” of that trait can manifest itself as co-dependent, anxiety-filled, and depressed. In 2021, nobody has time for that -- es-

Williams talked about how with this year’s turbulent political events, the summit is a call for “deeper empathy and compassion.”

“With the casual usage of the term and label of ‘empath’ being applied to so many people...I felt it was important to lift both the romanticizing and fetishization of ‘the bleeding heart’ off of it,” Smith said.

She also works with for-profit and nonprofit organizations to develop processes that solve social and cultural issues, her website added.

Williams said at work when it comes

“Through my summit, the attempt is to help the highly sensitive person, the empathic person embrace the gift -- really embrace the gift and address the shadow side of it,” Williams said. “Once you can get in your head and heart that you’re valuable and that you are worthy, then you show up in the world a little differently right now.”

Local artist Deidre D.S. SENSE Smith, who will speak and perform at the summit, said that it will help shine a light on empaths and their experience.

Williams has a knack for connecting others, especially empaths looking to “hone their gift, own their voice and support themselves through growing businesses that are aligned with their soul’s purpose and calling,” according to her website.

“Together we break generational bondages and provide agency for the marginalized,” she said online.

pecially people about their business of building their empathic empire.

Southfield native and empathic leader Ber-Henda Williams is hosting a summit February 1-5 to encourage empaths to show up strong in the world with their gifts on full display. – Photo provided by Ber-Henda Williams

“Being an empath tends to go far deeper than just having a hunch or notion. It is essentially the astuteness of an intuitive person. … This conference showcases varying perspectives about the responsibilities of an intuitive and I hope that it helps someone in their empathic journey,” she said. To register visit https://visionaryempathsunitenewearthsummit.com/.

Keeping You Informed Away or at Home. Independent Bank is proud to celebrate Black History Month Contact Me Today to learn how I can help with your banking and mortgage lending needs.

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Page B-4 • michiganchronicle.com • February 3-9, 2021

How to Teach Children About Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

(Family Features) Children develop their identities right alongside their abilities to crawl, walk, talk and recognize letters. There’s also a common misconception that children are “colorblind.” However, studies have found children can show signs of racial bias at an early age, with psychologists from Northwestern University finding children as young as 4 may be picking up on cues of intolerance from adults around them. Children may not understand prejudice or racial bias, but from their earliest days, they absorb and mimic attitudes that are held by the adults in their lives. “For children, differences are a way of learning about themselves and others, a way of building their sense of self and a place in their family and community,” said Dr. Elanna Yalow, KinderCare Education’s chief academic officer. “Children will naturally look to their parents and caregivers for explanations about the diversity they see in their world and what those differences can or should mean. That’s why it’s so important to help even the youngest children learn how to embrace diversity in a way that’s respectful and celebrates different cultures, backgrounds and experiences.”

Celebrate Black History Month with Events at The Wright like 13th, Hitsville, Hidden Figures, and A Wrinkle in Time.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT VIRTUAL STORYTELLING SERIES WEDNESDAYS | 6:00 PM Each week of Black History Month, the Detroit Association of Black Storytellers will present a selection of personal and historical narratives aimed at youth and families! Keep monitoring this page for viewing updates. PERFORMERS Mary Grant: Moving North and My Dad Taught Me To Read Janice Barnett: The Sword Among Lions and Wilma Rudolph, World’s Fastest Woman Sheryl Pryor: The Eagle and The Burning of Birmingham Larry Castleberry: The First African American Boxer Vickie Slaughter: A Gift For Minty’s Mother Jatu Gray: CR Patterson EXCELLENCE IN BLACK CINEMA SERIES THURSDAYS | 1:00 PM

Understanding and addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion can be challenging, which is why some parents may shy away from having these conversations with their children. Yalow offers these tips to help parents lay the foundation for honest and developmentally appropriate discussions. Start by acknowledging differences. To ignore differences among people is to ignore a part of the person. When children ask, “Why does...?” questions, rather than shy away or tell them, “We don’t ask those questions,” embrace the moment and answer in simple, direct language. For example, explaining that melanin creates different skin tones or people may use wheelchairs because their legs work differently, and they need help moving around. By answering their questions, children can learn differences aren’t bad or embarrassing - they’re what make each person unique and special. Reflect the diversity of the world within your own home. Books are an easy way to help children learn about diversity because stories are natural conversation starters. Look for books with diverse main characters who have different races, ethnicities, backgrounds and abilities, and reflect a number of family structures. As you read together, talk about the differences and similarities between the characters and your children using simple, clear language. It’s important to ensure your children see themselves in the toys, books and media around them. Children feel welcome and important when their identity and their families’ identities are represented in their world. Build empathy. Go beyond the common refrain, “put yourself in someone else’s shoes,” and ask your children why it is important to understand other people’s perspectives. Help your children think of times they learned something about someone else and how that knowledge helped them be better friends or family members. Empathy can help children comprehend the lasting, harmful impact inequality and exclusion can have and show them why it’s important for them to understand, respect and appreciate differences. “Learning about and celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion are lifelong commitments,” Yalow said. “Children have the benefit of approaching these topics with a fresh perspective and a strong sense of what’s fair and unfair - skills that will help them build a better future for everyone.” To learn more about talking with your children about differences, visit kindercare.com/dei.

Celebrate the legacy of Black films every Thursday at The Wright! Enjoy in-person screenings of films created by and about African-Americans,

YOUTH SPEAK VIRTUAL STAGE Fridays | 1:00 PM This virtual program offers kids ages 8-18 the opportunity to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings on history, justice, equality, and Afrofuturism! Each week, participants will submit videos of themselves expressing one of the themes through a range of artistic forms including song, poetry, monologue, or other forms of visual expression. The videos each week will be posted on Friday THE BLACKNESS PROJECT: IDENTITY AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY Sundays | 1:00 PM The Blackness Project is a feature-length documentary about culture and race from the perspective of African Americans and other minority residents of Buffalo, N.Y. IN VOGUE: THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE Tuesday, February 23, 2021 2:00pm to Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - 3:00pm This virtual discussion focuses on Black fashion in history during the Harlem Renaissance (1920s-30s). During this

period, African Americans began to migrate from the South to the North’s new “Black Mecca” Harlem, New York. They sought to rid themselves of the sharecropper stereotype from their past and express a newfound sophistication in music, literature, politics, art, and fashion. SPEAKERS Shawna McGee; Fashion designer, illustrator Leonard Davis; Fashion designer, artist, producer, and Black Americana collector CROWN: A LOOK AT BLACK HAIR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2021 1:00PM - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2021 - 3:00PM Since mid-2019, The CROWN Act (which bans discrimination against natural hair) and similar initiatives have been adopted in Califonia, New Jersey, York City, Virginia, Washington, and Colorado. Some states, including Michigan, are in the process of but have yet to ban discrimination based on hair texture. This upcoming virtual screening and discussion focus on this legislation. Supporting members of the CROWN coalition include Jack and Jill, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and the NAACP.

Show Your Support For Women’s Heart Health and Wear Red on Feb. 5 Despite the devastating toll of COVID-19, heart disease remains the #1 cause of death in the U.S and worldwide, and the leading cause of death among women. 1 in 3 women die of heart disease. One is too many.

with some form of cardiovascular disease. Among women age 20 and older: • About one third of non-Hispanic whites have CVD; • Nearly half of non-Hispanic blacks have CVD; and, • About one third of Hispanics have CVD. • Almost half of cardiovascular related deaths are in females.

On Friday, Feb. 5, National Wear Red Day, Michiganders will come together in February to show their support for the fight against heart disease and stroke. American Heart Month, an annual celebration in February that began in 1964, urges Americans to join the battle against heart disease. Across the state and the nation, millions of people will wear red attire to raise awareness of heart disease in women. Part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, Wear Red Day focuses the nation’s attention on heart disease, the number one killer of women in America. Women and men throughout the country will be wearing red sweaters, red dresses, red ties or red dress pins to show their support of this movement to save women’s lives.

3 women each year. • Cardiovascular diseases kill about one woman every 80 seconds and about 80% of cardiovascular diseases may be preventable.

Heart statistics:

• Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women, taking more lives than all forms of cancer combined.

• Cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 1 in

• More than one in three women is living

Across the state and the nation, millions of people will wear red attire to raise awareness of heart disease in women. Part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, Wear Red Day focuses the nation’s attention on heart disease, the number one killer of women in America. Women and men throughout the country will be wearing red sweaters, red dresses, red ties or red dress pins to show their support of this movement to save women’s lives and sharing photos of themselves on their social media sites, with the hashtag #GoRed or #WearRedDay. For more information or to donate visit GoRedforWomen.org

4 Ways Black Women Can Prioritize Self-Care for Improved Heart Health (StatePoint) High blood pressure -- the leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke -- continues to disproportionately affect communities of color. Addressing this health inequity is especially important right now, as people with hypertension and serious heart conditions are at an increased risk for more severe outcomes if they acquire COVID-19. According to the American Heart Association, the prevalence of high blood pressure among Black adults in the U.S. is among the highest in the world, with the prevalence of high blood pressure in Black women nearly 40 percent higher than white women in the U.S. While many long-standing inequities and stressors produced by structural racism have created and continue to exacerbate these conditions, there are steps individuals can take to prioritize self-care for improved blood pressure. This is why the American Medical Association (AMA), the AMA Foundation, Associ-

ation of Black Cardiologists, American Heart Association, Minority Health Institute and National Medical Association have launched the “Release the Pressure” campaign with ESSENCE. The campaign is aimed at partnering with Black women to help improve their heart health and be part of a movement for healthy blood pressure, with a shared goal of engaging more than 300,000 Black women. As part of the campaign, the AMA and this coalition of national health care organizations encourages Black women to take a pledge to be part of a healthy blood pressure movement at ReleaseThePressure.org. Specifically, the pledge encourages Black women to take the following four steps: 1. Set a blood pressure goal: Schedule an appointment with your physician or other health care professional, in-person or virtually, to work in partnership on understanding your blood pressure numbers and knowing your goal for optimal blood pressure.

PHOTO SOURCE: (c) yacobchuk / iStock via Getty Images Plus

2. Monitor blood pressure numbers at home: Once you learn your blood pressure numbers, take and keep regular records of your blood pressure. 3. Activate a personalized wellness plan: Identify specific goals for fitness and heart healthy eating and connect virtually with family members and friends from your “squad” to keep you on track. 4. Make regular check-ins with your “squad”: Lean on

your family and friends to help you achieve your heart health goals by checking in with them on a daily basis. “Preventive care is vital to breaking the devastating impact of high blood pressure within the Black community, particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” says Patrice A. Harris, M.D., MA, president of the AMA. “It starts with understanding blood pressure numbers and taking action to manage blood pressure.”

Classifieds

February 3-9, 2021 • michiganchronicle.com • Page B-5

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Industrial Engineer

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFP for No. 21-3321 for Automated Passenger Counting System (APC) and Software. RFP forms may be obtained beginning January 29, 2021 from http://www.mitn.info. RFP is due by 3:00 PM ET, February 24, 2021.

New Boston, MI, Brose North America. Plan, engr, &improve New Boston Plant productivity, product throughput, &worker safety using PFMEA, FMEA, Six Sigma, 8Ds, 5S Method, Fishbone Diagram, &AutoCAD tools, to continuously improve processes &plant facilities; analyze Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE); design Value Stream; &implement Lessons Learned &best practices, during production of Brose automotive mechatronic seat syss incldg 2, 4-, 6-, 8-way seats, cushion extensions, in a high volume seat syss mfg plant environment. Dvlp &maintain production &process documentation - Work Instructions, PFMEA, Process Flow, process parameter sheets, Bill of Material, Rate routings &Production Versions. Perform MTM SD &MTM 1, video anlys &stopwatch cycle time studies to determine production rate for current &future programs, engrg changes &ratio improvements using Ticon tool. 24 mos exp as Industrial Engineer, planning &improving plant productivity, product throughput, &worker safety using PFMEA, FMEA, Six Sigma, &AutoCAD tool, to improve processes &plant facilities; analyze OEE; design Value Stream; &implement Lessons Learned, during production of automotive mechatronic syss in high volume mfg plant environment, or related. Mail resume to Ref#40501, Brose, Human Resources, 3933 Automation Ave, Auburn Hills, MI 48326.

REQUEST FOR QUOTE The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQs for Electrical Supplies, Control No. 20-3110A. RFQ forms may be obtained beginning February 2, 2021, from http://www.mitn.info. RFQs are due by 3:00 PM ET, February 26, 2021.

REQUEST FOR QUOTE The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQs for Stertil Koni Lifts or Approved Equal, Control No. 21-3217. RFQ forms may be obtained beginning February 3, 2021, from http://www.mitn.info. RFQs are due by 3:00 PM ET, February 26, 2021.

Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan – RFP Notice is hereby given that the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA) is accepting proposals for RTA Master Plan Communication Services (RFP # 2021-01). This RFP is available on the RTA’s procurement website at www.bidnetdirect. com/mitn. Detailed specifications are available by contacting Virginia Lickliter, Executive Administrator, at (313) 402-1020 or vlickliter@rtamichigan.org. All proposals must be submitted in accordance with requirements set forth in the RFP and be received on or before February 26, 2021. The RTA reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals, to re-advertise for proposals and to waive any informality in any proposal and to determine the most responsive proposal by its own criteria, as described within the RFP.

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Detroit Diesel Corporation seeks Powertrain Engineer – Aftertreatment On-Board Diagnostics in Detroit, MI. This position is responsible for designing & developing catalyst kit as well as aftertreatment controls & diagnostics, among other duties. Requires Bach’s in Mech. Eng. or Chem. Eng. Position also requires 36 months of exp in job offered/related position, which must include exp in: performing data analysis & simulations to verify OBD design and aid in development; developing & validating OBD monitor design for new product development; developing & integrating diesel engine on-board diagnostic monitors; fundamental understanding of diesel engine & aftertreatment operation; identifying & solving root cause of complex problems; applying relevant engineering concepts to aid in development of diagnostic monitors; knowledge of thermodynamics, physics and chemistry. Email resume to Camille Bowie at camille.bowie@daimler.com; reference job number DAI0000D1Q.

Virtual care, or telemedicine, can span a wide range of services to address a family’s health needs without going to a doctor’s office and provides easy access to experts and specialists via phone and video. Plus, telemedicine services are covered by most insurance providers.

From care for specific illnesses to managing ongoing concerns, learn how accessing telemedicine might be a good fit for your family’s health care needs. Everyday Illnesses In the past, if your doctor’s office couldn’t get you in to help treat conditions like allergies, sinus infections or other common illnesses, urgent care was one of your few remaining options. Now, virtual care can be increasingly relied upon to conveniently address non-emergency needs and everyday illnesses in place of urgent care. Specialty Care Even with a referral, it can take weeks or months to get an appointment with some specialists. One example is dermatology. Instead of waiting months to be seen by a dermatologist, with a virtual provider, you can seek and receive treatment a matter of hours.

As a result of the pandemic and related social implications, many organizations are reporting substantial upticks in requests for mental health support and anticipate telemedicine will outlive the pandemic. In fact, phone and video visits for mental health have been shown to be as effective as in-person treatment, according to the Telemental Health Institute.

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED

Powertrain Engineer – Aftertreatment On-Board Diagnostics in Detroit

(Family Features) If there is a silver lining to the challenges the past year created for families, it may be the growth, availability and affordability of virtual care for medical and mental health needs. The ability to see a doctor from home, with little notice, offers a level of flexibility in accessing health care that was historically quite rare.

Mental Health

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Detroit Reman Engineer Detroit Diesel Corporation seeks Detroit Reman Engineer in Detroit, MI. This position is responsible for applying engineering principles & disciplines in development & validation of remanufactured solutions for powertrain and chassis components, among other duties. Requires Bach’s in mech. eng., production eng., powertrain eng., or related field. Position also requires 36 months of exp in job offered/related position, which must include exp in: Siemens NX 3D modeling; powertrain engineering validation; basic engineering processes such as fea and dvp&r; working knowledge of I.C. engines, transmission, and driveline components. Email resume to Camille Bowie at camille.bowie@daimler.com; reference job number DAI0000D21.

Take Advantage of Telemedicine for Better Health

“Telemedicine is a safe and practical way to access health care for the entire family,” said Dr. Desreen N. Dudley, a clinical psychologist and behavioral health quality consultant for Teladoc. “For example, Teladoc has thousands of care providers across all 50 states that let members quickly connect with a doctor or specialist who can provide peace of mind any hour of the day or night.”

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Wellness Care Most people think of their health needs in terms of reactive care for known problems, but it can also be useful for wellness care, such as nutrition. With more families cooking meals at home during the pandemic, registered dietitians can provide virtual consultations to help ensure everyone, including family members with special dietary needs, receives proper nutrients. Expert Advice

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If you’re unsure about a diagnosis, need help choosing treatment, have medical questions or concerns, or want an expert’s advice or second opinion, some virtual care providers can connect you with leading specialists to give you the answers and confidence you need to make informed decisions about your family’s health. Learn more about how virtual care may work for your family at Teladoc.com.

Take Charge of Your Mental Health Between virtual school, safe playdates and working from home, lives have been interrupted in countless ways by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those is the impact on mental health. These tips from Dudley can help make your mental health a priority. Engage in self-care. Self-care should be prioritized along with your work or family priorities. Make time to reconnect with family and friends by phone or video chat and allow kids to do the same. Remember asking for help, including seeking mental health counseling, is a form of self-care, too. Change expectations. Give yourself and your family grace, embrace flexibility and let go of your pursuit of perfection. Be patient and give yourself a “timeout” when challenges arise. For example, wait to address kids’ negative behaviors until you are less frustrated and stop apologizing for things like children making noise in the background of calls.

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Keep a structured routine. Even if your regular schedule is off due to virtual school or other factors, maintaining routines like regular bedtimes allows for more time to get things done and unwind. Similarly, focus on your responsibilities during the day then catch up with kids and non-essential activities after work hours.

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â€˘ michiganchronicle.com â€˘ February 3-9, 2021

Keeping You Informed Away or at Home.

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