MC Digital Edition 12.30.2020

Detroit Prepares to Ring In the

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Vol. 84 – No. 17 | Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

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Senate Majority Leader McConnell Blocks Senate Democrats’ to Approve $2,000 Coronavirus Checks

By Sherri Kolade Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on December 29 shot down a Democratic request to fulfill President Donald Trump’s ask for increased direct coronavirus payments to Americans from $600 to $2,000, according to published reports. Though, the measure’s final fate in the GOP-controlled chamber is unclear, the report added.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., moved to pass the bill unanimously, which means it would advance if other senators did not object. But McConnell objected to the measure.

The House of Representatives recently approved the CASH Act, a proposal to increase stimulus checks to $2,000. The Act was moved to the US Senate, according to a published report. This comes one day after President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion stimulus bill into law, the House of Representatives voted to increase direct payments to eligible Americans from $600 to $2,000 per person.

The vote won the Democratic caucus by a 231-2 margin; Republicans voted 44-130, and independents voted 0-2.

The legislation will now go to the US Senate, where they make their next move. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who primarily oversees what legislation gets to the floor, has been quiet on whether he’ll allow the CASH Act to get a vote.

On December 27, President Donald Trump signed the stimulus bill into law, which released $900 billion in emergency relief funds and averting a Tuesday government shutdown, according to a Washington Post article.

White House officials didn’t say precisely why Trump changed his mind of not wanting to sign the bill, which he called earlier a “disgrace,” but those hardest hit financially by the pandemic are glad for it. According to the Washington Post, Trump signed the bill during his vacation in Florida and on a weekend when he had allowed unemployment benefits for 14 million Americans to expire.

According to the Economic Policy Institute [EPI] article, in the first quarter of 2020, Black workers had the highest unemployment rate nationally, at 6.3%, following by Hispanic workers (at 4.8%), white workers (at 3.1%), and Asian workers (at 2.9%), per the EPI article.

According to EPI, the Black unemployment rate was at or below its pre-recession level in 17 states (these data are available for 21 states and the District of Columbia).

Trump had demanded changes to the stimulus and spending package for a week, implying he would refuse to sign it unless Congress met his demands. His actions concerned lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over the weekend, which they worried about what the implications of a government shutdown during a pandemic could mean, according to the article.

After Trump signed the bill into law, Democrats criticized him and said his decision to drag the process out for days was not good for the many Americans relying on it.

“The President’s pointless delay in approving the relief legislation cost millions of Americans a week’s worth of pandemic-related unemployment

See STIMULUS

CHECKS page A6

WHAT’S INSIDE Touching Communities. Touching Lives.™ A PUBLICATION OF MGM GRAND DETROIT

December • 2020

Through all of life’s seasons, CAYF prepares Detroit students for greatness!

By Scott Talley Special to the Michigan Chronicle It has been said that all progress begins with education and that is one of the primary reasons why the Coleman A. Young Foundation (CAYF) is deserving of our community’s support.

Founded by Coleman Alexander Young, Detroit’s longest serving mayor, CAYF has devoted its resources and energy to producing leaders among Detroit’s youth since 1982 through education, specifically by awarding four-year college scholarships to deserving students from our city.

But scholarships are just one piece of the CAYF story. The scholarship recipients also receive mentoring and access to additional resources and as the result of this holistic approach, “CAYF Scholars”—as they are known—have maintained a 91 percent college graduation rate for United for education: MGM Grand Detroit is a proud longtime roughly the past quarter-century, far exceeding supporter of the Coleman A. Young Foundation (CAYF), which provides national graduation rates for all students. deserving Detroit students with four-year college scholarships and To ensure that a CAYF scholarship remains a more. Please see our cover story to learn about an upcoming CAYF life-changing opportunity for Detroit students initiative supported by MGM Grand Detroit.

Inside This Issue

during the pandemic, the Foundation’s leadership is preparing to launch an initiative that will address some of the mental health challenges that many college students have been experiencing.

“To provide other support where needed, that’s the other part of our mission that goes beyond paying for college,” said Khary Turner, CAYF’s executive director. “This is a different year. We have students going to college from their bedrooms and this has affected students in our program. Technically they are in college, but some are feeling very much like high school students, and with that comes dejection and depression, along with grief and loneliness. We realize that what our students need most right now is moral support.”

In seeking funding for this vitally important effort, Turner reached out to a longtime CAYF supporter—MGM Grand Detroit—through a phone call to Dee Dee McKinney Odom, MGM Grand Detroit’s director of Workforce Management.

Continue on page 3

• Moral support is on the way for Detroit college students thanks to partnership between the Coleman A. Young Foundation and MGM Grand Detroit; • Black Family Development, Inc. remains focused on lifting up our community in a variety of ways; • Local veterans are never forgotten with the help of two MGM Grand Detroit community partners And, more!

By Whitney Gresham Not since the Detroit rebellion of 1967 or perhaps the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a year later in 1968, has Michigan and Detroit in particular, experienced such a year of collective trauma in the lives of all its citizens.

Even those tragic events pale in comparison to the death and carnage the state and city were put through by the out-of-control COVID-19 pandemic which we are still grappling. Or the daily shock and assaults from living under the presidency of a literal autocrat who is profoundly racist, incompetent, with no respect for the law and whose obsession with our state and governor were particularly cruel and possibly deadly.

The proof is the fact that according to the Michigan De-

Making matters worse is that it did not have to get this bad.

Due to the sheer incompetence and later cruel indifference to all the deaths by Republican President Donald Trump, the disease spread wildly out of control as he selfishly sought to play down its seriousness so as not to jeopardize his re-election chances.

And yet, at the same time when looking back on 2020, it was also a year of triumph where Detroiters played a critical role in the U.S. Presidential Election by providing the margin of victory in Michigan to bring down the

See 2020 page A2

Winter During COVID-19: How To Push Through During 2020 we’ve seen some things that rattled us to the core, and [should have] defeated us.

ue to elevate their mental health to continue to survive despite grieving, quarantining, and more.

But like so many Detroiters have learned from enduring other hardships, we get up from that place of despair and forge ahead. During COVID-19 we’ve seen and experienced first-hand what this pandemic has done to communities, businesses and families here and around the world.

Here’s how:

But how will winter and COVID-19 mix? What could economic relief look like for this season especially with an increase in the number of businesses shut down during the recent 12-day extension? Will these vaccines on the horizon solve the answers [and will people be ready to take it]? And how do we keep mentally afloat during a time already known for seasonal depression, particularly when everyone is socially distanced?

Things might be looking dismal but some are pushing through from a place of optimism and hope.

A Mental Moment

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partment of Health and Human Services by the end of the year COVID-19; a disease unknown to the U.S. before January of this year, became the No. 3 cause of death in Michigan, behind heart disease and cancer.

Detroit-based counselor Patrece M.

Lucas said that when it comes to mental health, the Black community, typically, bears the brunt of things.

“African/Black Americans globally suffer at a higher rate than non-Blacks on good days and on bad days,” Lucas said. “When white people catch a cold, Black people get pneumonia. What this speaks to is the greater impacts on our community because of how our community is already suffering in oppressive conditions.”

Lucas said that as a result the Black community at-large will need to contin-

■ Acknowledge what is presently impacting your health.

■ Hydrate.

■ Eat nutritionally dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, lean meats, whole grains, etc.)

■ Exercise (in fun and easy ways like walking or dancing).

■ Rest/relax by getting adequate sleep, doing breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, stretching or praying.

■ Connect with others via social media, calling/texting, joining online support groups, writing letters to friends and family.

Find Lucas on Facebook for more tips.

A Vaccine on the Way On Dec. 10 Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-193 enacting the bipartisan Protect Michigan

See WINTER

DURING COVID-19 page A2

Page A-2 • michiganchronicle.com •

2020 From page A-1

most dangerous incumbent president in modern U.S. history.

The state also passed a long-overdue criminal justice reform measure that makes it easier for people who have committed certain felonies and misdemeanors to have their record expunged.

And there was the passage of Proposal N, a $250 million bond sale to renovate or demolish 16,000 vacant homes in neighborhoods and grow Detroit-based demolition and rehab companies.

And there was Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s successful defense of the public health against a relentless assault from President Trump, the leadership of the state Republican Party, and white hate and militia groups who support them, for her aggressive lockdown policies to fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not far behind her was Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s heroic defense of Michigan citizens’ right to vote freely against a massive, nationwide effort by the Trump campaign and Republican Party to suppress the votes of African Americans, Hispanics, and young people to steal the U.S. Presidential election. And Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel deserves credit too for her aggressive defense of election integrity and no-nonsense pursuit of people engaged in deceptive voter suppression tactics via illegal robocalls aimed at the Black community.

Indeed, there was so much “news” made over the year that it is almost easy to forget the historical vice-presidential selection of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris as the running mate for President-elect Joe Biden.

Harris is the first African American vice president; female or male, and the first graduate of an HBCU to attain the position.

December 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

I

n this year of loss, we would be remiss if we did not note the passing of any of our country’s most beloved figures. Among them, civil rights icons and Congressmen John Lewis (D-GA) and Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD). Also, David Dinkins, who made history as New York City’s first Black mayor. Dinkins’ death, occurred just over a month after his wife Joyce’s death.

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-years-old daughter, Gigi, Black Panther star, Chadwick Boseman, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebek, actors Sean Connery, and Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, best known for his roles in The Dark Knight and the Friday film series. And country legend Charlie Pride a pioneer for Black musicians who died at the age of 86 due to complications from COVID19. Also, John ‘Ecstasy’ Fletcher of hip-hop trio Whodini and Rafer Johnson the famed Olympian who won gold and helped subdue Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin in 1968, Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, and his teammate Lou Brock. And sadly, 14-year-old Ben Watkins, a fan-favorite contestant on MasterChef Junior. He died late fall after struggling with a rare form of cancer for a year and a half. He was 14. The teen’s death comes three years after both his parents were killed in a domestic violence incident in 2017.

Locally, Michigan and Detroit experienced profound loss and sadness this year as well. Among those who left us too soon, were Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon due to complications from COVID-19, Wayne County Commissioner Jewel Ware, the legendary businessman, and funeral home director, O’Neil Swanson, former State Sen. Morris Hood III, Community Leader Marlowe Stoudamire, Otis Knapp Lee, retired Detroit restaurateur and owner of the Midtown deli called Mr. Fofo’s and who catered the late federal Judge Damon J. Keith’s Soul Food Luncheon for more than 30 years.

And Fred Westbrook Jr., the recently retired president of Detroit’s bus drivers union due to COVID-19 was among far too many of our fellow Detroiters and Michiganders taken away from us by this disease far too soon.

Or the impeachment and Senate acquittal of President Trump.

The impeachment was initiated on December 18, 2019, when the House of Representatives approved articles of impeachment on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted Trump of these charges on February 5, 2020 Trump’s impeachment followed the revelation that he tried to pressure the President of Ukraine to falsely accuse Democratic Presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, of corruption to harm Biden’s reputation in advance of the November 2020 Presidential Election. The president refused to release a desperately needed $400 million in funds allocated

by Congress to Ukraine; a U.S. ally, for their defense – Ukraine is in the middle of a hot war with Russia – if their President Volodymyr Zelensky, did not do as Trump demanded.

Zelensky resisted, and Trump’s blackmail was exposed. However, the Senate voted almost entirely along party lines to acquit Trump. Still, he became only the second U.S. President formally impeached to be put on trial in U.S. history. President Richard M. Nixon was facing impeachment when he resigned from office in Aug. 1974.

All these events, of course, occurred amid the backdrop of the rise in activity and profile of the Black Lives Matter movement. Its resurgence came on a wave of high-profile brutal extrajudicial murders

Winter During COVID-19 From page A-1 Commission within the Department of Health and Human Services to educate Michigan residents on the safety and efficacy of an approved COVID-19 vaccine to protect the health of the citizens.

“Right now, we are on the brink of great breakthroughs when it comes to a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, and we must begin to educate Michiganders about how important it is that we all get vaccinated so we can eradicate this virus once and for all. That’s what the Protect Michigan Commission is all about,” Whitmer said.

On Dec. 10, the Food and Drug Administration Panel approved the COVID19 vaccine, the Wall Street Journal reported. The recommendation would allow for the regulatory agency to approve emergency authorization soon.

Pfizer and Moderna have submitted official requests for emergency use authorization through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Both companies are looking to release their vaccines as early as this month. The two-dose vaccination will be made available first to frontline workers and employees of health agencies. Vaccinations for the general public are expected to be distributed in early spring 2021. Still, residents are urged to begin consulting with their healthcare provider and to continue doing their part in stopping the spread.

Chief Medical Executive and MDHHS Chief Deputy for Health Dr. Joneigh Khaldun agrees. “As we get closer to distributing a safe and effective vaccine, think about how you can play a role in ending this pandemic. Wear your mask now so you can prevent the spread, and avoid indoor gatherings. 2021 will be the year when Michigan beats back this pandemic, we just have to stay the course,” she said. In a recent call with the Michigan Chronicle, she expressed understanding reservations Black people might have with the vaccine, but she urges the community to take it once it becomes available. “We will be working on being as transparent as possible [providing information to] the communities so people can make good choices.

We don’t want communities of color to miss out on this tool.”

Good for Business Detroit’s economy is getting some much-needed love after Whitmer announced a nearly $100 million financial relief program to support Michigan businesses, including minority-owned businesses, through the Michigan Small Business Restart Program. Over 14,000 eligible small businesses across the state can apply for this program that is supported by federal funds.

The Michigan Small Business Restart Program was created to support small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis through $10 million in grants and nearly $10 million in loans across all 83 counties in the state.

To learn more about MEDC’s COVID19 response programs and the impact they are having on economic recovery efforts, visit michiganbusiness.org/ covid19response.

Even closer to home, Wayne County recently unveiled a ‘Shop Small’ campaign to support local businesses, especially during the holidays. The Economic Development Department announced the new initiative last month to help small and independent retailers during the pandemic.

Businesses may sign up to be a part of the Shop Small campaign on WayneCounty.com or through bit.ly/ShopWayneCounty. Once a business joins, their address, hours and other pertinent information including special promotions and contact information will be included on a sharable public database available on the County website and social media channels.

Over 100 businesses are already registered. Contact smallbusiness@waynecounty.com for more information.

In the city, a new Decked Out Detroit Campaign is creating a safe outdoor winter retreat during COVID-19.

Bedrock, Detroit’s largest commercial real estate company, announced on Dec. 10 the initiative in partnership with the Rocket Community Fund. The fourmonth plan will support businesses and the community during Michigan’s coldest months by providing memorable and safe shopping, dining and entertainment experiences in downtown Detroit, according to a press release.

Starting Dec. 18, downtown restaurants will feature heated open-air pergolas for safe outdoor dining, and downtown parking will be complimentary at Bedrock lots and garages, with validation. Other large-scale, family-friendly activities will be announced later this winter. To stay up-to-date on the latest news visit deckedoutdetroit.com.

“Despite the pandemic, many businesses in downtown Detroit have shown incredible resilience and continued to support the local community with innovative new programs. Decked Out Detroit is designed to build on that momentum by creating safe ways for the public to mask up, get outside and enjoy their city,” said Kofi Bonner, CEO of Bedrock.

Staff Writer Megan Kirk contributed to this report.

and shootings including the killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the shooting of Jacob Blake, an African American man in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was an unarmed man shot four times in the back by a Kenosha police officer after leaving his girlfriend’s house following a domestic dispute and while leaning into his SUV. He is expected to survive but is paralyzed from the waist down.

The police shooting was followed by nationwide protests, including in Detroit and around Michigan, as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. It also was another catalyst for the growing Defund the Police movement which sought to reallocate money spent on policing into social programs, crisis intervention efforts, and community building and poverty alleviating projects as more constructive and effective alternative crime control efforts.

Still, even with all those major news events occurring in Detroit and Michigan on an almost daily basis, the story of the year without a doubt is the devastating impact the pandemic has had on our city and state.

Nationwide, by the end of 2020, there have been more than 19 million cases and more than 324,805 deaths caused by the disease. In Michigan, the state was closing in on almost 500,000 cases of Covid-19 with nearly 12,000 state resident’s dead in less than a single year due to the disease.

And for most of that time, the brunt of the disease was felt by Black Michiganders in the metro Detroit region and disproportionately by Black communities in urban areas further outstate.

Indeed, in an article in Bridge Magazine by Mike Wilkinson he noted that at one point during the pandemic Black Michiganders accounted for nearly 40 percent of all COVID19 deaths in the state although they only constitute about 14 percent of the population. https:// www.bridgemi.com/ michigan-health-watch/ nearly-12k-deaths-covidbe-no-3-cause-deathmichigan-2020 By comparison, heart disease kills, on average, nearly 500 Michiganders a week and cancer another 400. In some weeks, COVID-19 killed more than 900 state residents.

By the end of the year, African Americans accounted for 25 percent of all COVID-19 deaths statewide. White residents made up 64 percent although they are about 75 percent of the population.

Yes, there were notable, meaningful, triumphs in 2020 that all Michiganders should take pride in. But nothing will ever erase the trauma from the memories of all those who died so unnecessarily from a horrible disease that altered all our lives forever.

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Stimulus Checks From page A-1 assistance that they desperately need,” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) said in the Washington Post article.

“His stalling only intensified anxiety and hardship for workers and families who are collateral damage in his political games.

Now, people will need to wait even longer for direct payments and other vital assistance to arrive.”

The government would have shut down on Tuesday if Trump hadn’t acted.

In addition to containing money to fund government operations, the spending package also includes emergency relief money that finances a new round of stimulus checks, unemployment aid, and small-business financial assistance, among other things.

Before he signed the bill, Trump released a video on Tuesday demanding changes, including that the legislation should authorize stimulus checks of $2,000 per person instead of the $600 payments. Trump also wanted spending cuts to be included in the package, a concern he hadn’t raised until after Congress passed the bill, per the article.

The consequences of not signing the bill into law would have been felt virtually everywhere in America. If the President didn’t sign the bill into law by Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of federal employees would have been sent home without pay, per the article. And even the many federal employees who would have continued to work because they are deemed “essential,” such as military members, would not have been paid until a new funding bill is created. If a government shutdown on Tuesday is not bad enough, eviction protections for millions of Americans would have ended later this week;

more than 14 million people would be losing unemployment benefits; and no stimulus checks would be issued, per the article. Failing to sign the bill into law would have also frozen new money for vaccine distribution, small-business aid, the ailing airline industry, and school aid, among other things.

Millions of American families who have lost their jobs during the pandemic and are still struggling didn’t have much of an option on waiting for Trump’s call. Deseree and Matthew Cox have had almost zero income since August, when Matthew Cox, 38, was let go from his management job in pest control. His application for unemployment benefits from the state of Florida has never made it through the system’s line.

According to the article, the $300 per week Matthew Cox scrapes together driving for DoorDash hardly makes a dent covering bills, rent, and food for themselves and their two children with special needs. The Coxes have emptied their savings and moved from South Florida to the Indianapolis area for a cheaper cost of living and near family who could help with the children. But they say they need the extended unemployment benefits, rental assistance, extended eviction moratoriums, and direct payments promised by the stimulus package.

At one point, Deseree Cox, 37, said she couldn’t afford a medication her son needs “just for him to be able to function.”

“People will die without this money,” Deseree Cox said in the report. “People will get evicted. People will not be able to get their medication. To [lawmakers], $600 or $2,000, it seems so little. But to the American people right now, it’s just everything.”

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Roots.

| Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

michiganchronicle.com

AG Nessel, School Leaders Warn Parents and Students to Beware of “Sextortion”

By Sherri Kolade Young people are spending even more time at home and online, and the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators [MASA] are encouraging parents and teens to be on high alert for predators exploiting that opportunity.

Predators who are trying to trick teens into exposing themselves online in a method dubbed “sextortion.” This occurs when the predator befriends a teen, manipulates the teen into exposing themselves by sending photos or videos, and the predator then threatens to share the material if the teen doesn’t send money or more inappropriate images.

Two male high school students in an Allegan County school district were recent victims of sextortion—a form of online sexual exploitation that typically occurs against kids ages 10 – 17. The teens were lured into a private video chat by a young girl and later blackmailed via email with demands of payment via Western Union or PayPal, according to a press release.

According to reports, Black women and girls are trafficked at higher rates according to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, which also reports through a two-year review that 40% of sex trafficking victims were Black women. Also, according to the FBI, nearly 60% of all juvenile prostitution arrests are Black children.

“Technology continues to be a crucial tool as we work to stay connected throughout the pandemic, but it’s important to remember that any child allowed to use the internet in any capacity should be educated on how to protect themselves from predators,” said Attorney General Nessel. “I am grateful to the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators for raising awareness of this important message and I implore parents and guardians to remain actively engaged in their children’s online activities. I encourage anyone who may be a victim of sextortion to notify law enforcement immediately.”

According to the FBI, offenders can gain information from the online presence of potential victims by reviewing posts and friend lists. They then act as an acquaintance, a student from the victim’s school or one in the area, or even as a stranger with similar likes and hobbies. A predator may then look at their friend list and seek out additional victims once the sextortion process happens. This type of abuse can last for years and has the potential to cause the victim to harm themselves.

With approximately 77% of sexual solicitations of young people being made online, watch a video on how predators lure in teens is available here.

With virtual school fueling heightened online activity for so many, officials with MASA are stressing the importance of talking to teens and ensuring they’re aware of the warning signs. Most importantly though, officials are urging parents to monitor online activity and make certain their kids know to notify them immediately if they’ve been approached by anyone they do not know online. While an interaction may seem innocent in the beginning, it can quickly lead to a compromising position, the release added.

“In addition to remote learning, students are spending even more time online these days for fun, which makes this recent rise in sextortion cases especially concerning,” said Dr. Tina Kerr, Executive Director of MASA. “We’re hearing from district leaders across the state about it happening to students they know and we want to do every-

See SEXTORTION page A-4

Detroit’s Cultural Center Set to Install Free, Outdoor Public Wi-Fi in 2021

By Sherri Kolade Detroit’s Cultural Center Planning Initiative [CCPI] was awarded a oneyear $500,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to help create a comprehensive digital strategy, including installing free, outdoor public Wi-Fi in 2021 throughout the Cultural Center. The Knight Foundation grant also supports capacity building and the development of infrastructure and technological uses inside the Cultural Center.

“Not only will this grant support the installation of free, public Wi-Fi in the district, it will also support collaboration, risk-taking, and experimentation within Detroit’s Cultural Center for place-based, digital transformation,” Sue Mosey, executive director of Midtown Detroit, Inc. [MDI], who has been leading the CCPI over the last 18 months, said in a press release.

In a partnership with Wayne State University’s [WSU] Computing and Information Technology Department [WSU C&IT] and rootoftwo, free outdoor wireless will be offered in Detroit’s Cultural Center—an area that includes CCPI stakeholder institutions: The Carr Center, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, College for Creative Studies, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Public Library, Hellenic Museum of Michigan, International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan Science Center, The Scarab Club, University of Michigan and Wayne State University, the press release added.

The wireless system will be an ex-

tension of WSU’s existing campus system. It will help attract visitors to the district and boost outdoor programming while providing accessible public Wi-Fi for audiences throughout the area’s outdoor spaces. According to the release, additional funding to support this system was provided by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

The Knight Foundation grant also supports the development of digital capacity workshops focused on creating new digital experiences. It will work alongside small grants for the stakeholder institutions to test ideas.

Cézanne Charles, partner at rootoftwo, a hybrid design studio, said in the press release, “We are excited to lead on the digital strategy for the Cultural Center Planning Initiative. The pandemic-related closures accelerated the way institutions were experimenting with digital technologies to engage audiences. This grant allows us to build on those successes to develop additional capacity for the CCPI organizations while piloting compelling digital forms of creative expression, storytelling, and audience experiences in 2021 and beyond.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 state of emergency, Midtown Detroit, Inc. and the 12 stakeholder institutions worked together on their collective re-opening this past July with guidance from NSF International. The district developed shared protocols while helping institutions deliver their core missions. “The COVID-19 crisis has created a moment of opportunity for digital transformation,” Mosey added.

“As we try to reimagine ourselves digitally, we are also trying to reimagine the Cultural Center physically to create more welcoming spaces designed for outdoor programming and that further connect our institutions.

It is MDI’s hope that the digital and the physical can complement each other and be deemed equally important. We are well aware that we are in difficult economic times. Our CCPI strategy is one that is meant to span over the next 10-15 years and is designed to be implemented in phases as funds become available and as institutional will is emboldened.”

The grant from the Knight Foundation will support: • Digital Infrastructure • Extend WSU wireless system to the Cultural Center.

• Develop pop-up video screens tied to institutional programming to consider the district’s future placement of permanent screens.

• Digital Capacity • Develop a series of workshops for stakeholder institutions focused on creating new digital experiences that will be accompanied by small grants to test ideas.

• Digital Visitor Experiences • Develop a new brand and website for the Cultural Center that reinforces it as a significant destination, online and offline.

• Showcase the value of these technology enhancements at the Dlectricity festival in 2021.

Behavioral Health Pilot Program With DPD Aimed to Provide Additional Mental Health Resources

By Sherri Kolade Reimagining how residents face their mental health challenges, and how that intersects with the Detroit Police Department, is something local leaders discussed recently, resulting in a unique partnership between local entities in a behavioral health pilot program.

Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network [DWIHN] and city of Detroit officials announced last week a new partnership to bring additional behavioral health support to police officers, 911 call takers, and homeless outreach workers when they encounter citizens dealing with mental health issues.

DWIHN will be providing Detroit police officers and 911 call takers crisis intervention team training, according to a press release. DWIHN will also be providing behavioral health staff at the 911 call center and in police and homelessness community response. The new co-response model is thought to create more positive outcomes and offers those in distress pathways to support services.

The partnership was announced by DWIHN President & CEO Willie Brooks, Police Chief James Craig, and Mayor Mike Duggan.

A recent press conference took place to discuss the partnership between the Detroit Police Department and the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network. Photo provided by Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network “The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network is looking forward to the new year and this opportunity to partner with the Detroit Police department and the city of Detroit to eliminate the stigma that surrounds mental health services,” said DWIHN President & CEO Willie Brooks in a quote to the Michigan Chronicle. “We know this pilot program

will reduce overall incarceration and hospitalization costs and provide better treatment options to the people we serve. Our hope is to expand this to all of Wayne County once we have proven it to be an effective and efficient way of helping people receive the treatment they need.”

“This is the kind of program that has

been badly needed and talked about for years but never implemented by anyone until now,” according to Mayor Mike Duggan. “I’m so proud of the work that has been put into this from DWIHN, DPD, and our Housing & Revitalization Department [HRD]. Because of the lack

See MENTAL HEALTH page A-4

Page A-4 • michiganchronicle.com •

Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

Mental Health

with a mental health nexus, according to the press release. The CIT’s co-response services will expand to the 9th Precinct in January 2021.

of institutional mental health support, police officers have been put into the position of being mental health responders. Now, thanks to this partnership, they will have better training and the embedded support of behavioral health specialists for the safety of our officers and the public.”

“We understand that interactions with people with mental illness is a regular occurrence in our city,” said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. “We can only succeed in addressing this issue by working with organizations and leaders across our community. This is not a problem we can arrest our way out of, nor is jail the proper treatment facility for people suffering with mental illness.

With the continued partnership with DWIHN and HRD, we can stay proactive in recognizing and responding effectively to individuals with mental illness.”

From page A-3

The collaboration between the organizations through this Behavioral Health Pilot Program will improve police and community relationships along with addressing the mental health needs of the people in the City of Detroit.

The pilot partnership goals include: • Pilot a 911 mental health crisis call diversion and response staff • Increase police officer access to mental health supports • Develop adequate places to house individuals in need of crisis services

Krisilyn Tony Frazier directed the film Justice in Motion – Photo provided by Juanita • Evaluate and expand Crisis IntervenAnderson

Resistance and Resilience:

The Carr Center, Local Filmmakers Address Black Injustices for a Better Tomorrow

By Sherri Kolade It took over four minutes.

In those four minutes and 14 seconds short film The Call, directed by Chris Jakob, Aja Salakastar Dier, and Costa K. Sirdenis, delves into the use of ritual, movement, poetry, and vibration to link the Black community's past and its ancestral lines to heal and evolve in today.

The film was showcased in a "Resistance and Resilience" film series [debuted recently] through the Carr Center that will be available again at the end of January.

"We created this piece as a response to Detroit Narrative Agency's call for films that addressed living with the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and systemic racism," Dier told the Michigan Chronicle.

"We are primarily theatre-makers and obviously our live performances have been canceled so we were thrilled that we were able to create and perform while taking the proper health and safety measures."

Dier said that the piece is about how one "deals with trauma, anxiety, fear, illness, depression, confusion and uncertainty."

"Another main theme is the juxtaposition between the desire to stay connected and the need to unplug," Dier added. "The weight of living in a Black body in the US, this year especially, at times felt nearly unbearable."

According to a press release, the Carr Center's involvement with Michigan-based filmmakers bringing awareness to injustice for the Black community is in line with their vision to use the essence of the Black cultural experience to inspire, entertain, challenge, and educate. The Carr Center is where artists across all disciplines and communities come together.

Their film lineup includes works that address the pandemic, racism, and more.

risings and being fed up with police brutality and racism and anti-Blackness, I return to my Breath as rest and resistance. My wellness matters. Our wellness matters.

• Solidarity: First Your Liberation And Then Mine, created by Inside Southwest Detroit In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, this film is a document of people and community coming together through protest, performance, relationship, marching, education, and photographic art to the beat of intersectional solidarity on July 4th, 2020.

• Burning, written and directed by z.c.

Cunningham A poetic manifesto on African Americans' current state of affairs in the United States of America.

The film is narrated from the POV of a millennial Black man who's trying to make sense of it all while uplifting his people.

• Omiero, directed by Ifayomi Omiero, explores the connectivity between water's bond with descendants of enslaved people and how water has been used as a conduit of healing and messaging in the womb, in ritual, baptism, spiritual bathing, and across Diasporic identities and practices. In this film, water is seen as a living entity that can be summoned for healing.

Carr Center Resident Media Artist Juanita Anderson said that part of her role is to bring the films throughout the African world to the Carr Center to be presented to a broader public. And given the more virtual landscape these days [where people can have access to more creative works], now was the time to bring these films together at the Carr Center.

"One of the reasons for the Resistance and Resilience program is we really wanted to take a look at the role that Detroit-based artists were playing," Anderson said, adding that Black people experienced "dual pandemics."

Dier agrees.

• Presence and Permission for Sadness, written and directed by Violeta Donawa In an early morning reflection, Violeta Dowawa shares her poem "Presence," an outgrowth of communing with Spirit.

"We experienced emotional, psychological, spiritual, and physical exhaustion," Dier said of the film project. "In the film, we find the ritual of connecting with nature in order to bring us back to our center and our stillness. We also discover the need to connect with the wisdom of our ancestors. This film came from the truth of our hearts and we are thrilled that more people will be able to enjoy the piece in January. This film series is so beautifully curated and we love how our piece flows with the other films in the series."

• Return to Breath, directed by Aleesa Searcy In this time of COVID and up-

For more information, visit the Carr Center https://thecarrcenter.org/.

Sextortion

Parents should review and approve apps downloaded to smartphones and mobile devices and monitor activity on those devices;

thing we can to help combat it. MASA is glad to be teaming up with the Attorney General’s office and OK2SAY to share this important information throughout our school communities and, hopefully, ensure that more Michigan students aren’t innocent victims.”

Ensure an adult is present and engaged when children communicate via webcam; and

Other films include: • Justice in Motion, directed by Krisilyn Tony Frazier In the fight for justice, dancers, visual artists, and MC's join together to create an artistic response to systematic oppression and police brutality.

From page A-3

Michigan’s OK2SAY student safety program allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at school students, school employees, and schools. OK2SAY is available to help via phone, text, email, or mobile app.

The FBI recommends the following measures to help educate and prevent children from becoming victims of this type of sexual exploitation: Make children aware that anything done online may be available to others; Make sure children’s apps and social networking sites’ privacy settings are set to the strictest level possible; Anyone who asks a child to engage in sexually explicit activity online should be reported to a parent, guardian, or law enforcement immediately; Victims should not be afraid to tell law enforcement if they are being sexually exploited because it is not a crime for a child to send sexually explicit images to someone if they are compelled to do so; Parents should put personal computers in a central location in the home;

tion Team (CIT) training of police officers and 911 staff

“These efforts should reduce overall incarceration and hospitalization costs and provide better treatment options to the people we serve. Jail diversion and homeless outreach lead to connections to treatment. This pilot is more than just training, it is a culture and community shift that bridges the gap between the law enforcement and behavioral health sectors.” Brooks said.

The new partnership has three primary components geared to support police officers and housing department employees in the areas they are most likely to encounter someone experiencing mental health challenges: At the 911 Call Center, during a police response, and when working with an individual experiencing homelessness.

The City and DWIHN have partnered to develop partnerships in each of those areas: Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Co-Response DPD and DWIHN have established a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) co-response partnership, which currently operates in downtown Detroit. This team of behavioral health specialists from DWIHN’s providers and CIT-trained DPD officers patrols hot-spot locations, provides outreach services to those experiencing mental health and/or substance use issues, and helps connect individuals to supportive services in addition to co-responding to police runs

911 Integrated Response Beginning in January 2021, the 911 Integrated Response will have embedded DWIHN clinicians in Detroit’s 911 Call Center. They will directly connect callers who are experiencing behavioral health emergencies to support services and assign calls for service to the CIT Co-response units when needed. When not responding to incoming crisis calls, the clinicians will make follow-up calls to callers identified as high utilizers of 911 and connect them to mental health and other needed services. Trained call takers will also be able to better classify calls involving mental health crises and transfer them to DWIHN crisis lines as needed.

Detroit Homeless Outreach Team The Detroit Homeless Outreach Team (DHOT) is also in a partnership between DWIHN, DPD, and HRD. This team will consist of a DWIHN behavioral health clinician and street outreach provider who will conduct preventative outreach to connect unsheltered residents with mental health services, coordinating with a DPD Neighborhood Police Officer (NPO) when needed, the release added.

Extensive, ongoing training staff for each area of the pilot project will be provided and conducted by DWIHN. Approximately 300 DPD officers are trained annually in Mental Health First Aid and suicide prevention, among other elements. Additionally, 20% of DPD’s responding officers will be certified in CIT skills, which is a 40-hour training that teaches a community-based approach to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Currently, DPD has over 50 officers trained in CIT. Another 90 911 call takers and dispatchers have received 16-hour CIT training. All of the pilot’s participating behavioral health specialists, homeless advocates, 911 call-takers, and co-responding officers will be trained in CIT.

Voice Voice ofof the the Community Community your atat your fingertips fingertips.

Discuss internet safety with children before they engage in any online activity and maintain those discussions as children become teenagers.

If you’re unsure of what to do if you or someone you know might be a victim of sextortion: Contact OK2SAY, your local law enforcement agency, your local FBI field office, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Do not delete anything before law enforcement can review it; and Ensure that you tell law enforcement everything about the encounters you or someone you know had online. The information you provide will be crucial to their investigation.

“Cybercriminals and scammers will continue to find ways to prey on unsuspecting victims, and it’s critically important that we remain vigilant,” Nessel said. “Parents can monitor their children’s online activity and discuss with them the potential threats that exist in the digital world, and if anyone finds themselves in a position where they may have become the victim of a sextortion crime, I again encourage you to file a report with authorities so we can take the appropriate measures.”

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| Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

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4 Tips For Ambitious Young Women At The Dawn Of Their Careers The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a double whammy for young women eager to launch their careers.

Young people in general have had their job searches stymied by the recession. Meanwhile, women of all ages have seen their careers impacted negatively more than men by the events of 2020.

But despite the challenges, there is hope for ambitious young women just starting out who want to make a mark, even in male-centric industries, says Deborah Fairchild, president of Nashville-based VEVA Sound (www. vevasound.com), which verifies and archives projects for clients in the music industry.

“That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy,” she says. “But if you can avoid becoming discouraged, and can face the world with firm determination, the opportunities will be there.”

Fairchild, who started her career with VEVA Sound as an archival engineer in 2004 and rose to lead the company in all facets of the business, has succeeded in an industry in which women are still underrepresented.

Just as an example, a study released in 2019 by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative looked at 700 popular songs and found that women accounted for only 21.7% of artists, 12.5% of songwriters, and 2.7% of producers.

Fairchild understands the challenges today’s young women face, and she offers a few tips for those who are just now launching their careers and hope to move up in their organizations: Be prepared to clean toilets. This could be viewed metaphorically, but in Fairchild’s case it was also literal.

“When I started as an intern at a studio, I did everything they asked – even clean toilets,” she says. “To pursue a professional career in the music industry, you have to be prepared to pay your dues, starting at the bottom and working your way up. I imagine that’s true for a lot of other industries as well.”

Learn from everyone. Formal education is great, and it’s wonderful to have a college degree, but once you’re on the job you will discover how much more there is to learn from watching and listening to other people, Fairchild says.

Just about anyone in an organization – from the lowest-paid employee to the CEO – has skills or knowledge they can share with you that will prove useful in your career journey. “Whenever you meet someone,” she says, “always assume they have something to teach you until they prove they don’t.”

Networking is a key, but not the key. Who you know is important. So is what you know. “A strong network will give you opportunities,” Fairchild says, “but your knowledge and capabilities will be what give you a long-lasting career.”

Know when to pivot. At every stage of your career, stay sensitive to when it’s time to pivot, Fairchild says. “The interesting thing about the music industry is that some things take generations to change, while others change on a dime,” she says. “The ability to discern when to move on or when to double down will set you apart.”

“The pandemic has made things tough for those just trying to launch a career, which means it’s more important than ever to stay positive and persevere,” Fairchild says. “Grab the opportunities that are there, and then make the most of them.”

Creating Economic Opportunity:

Nicole Sherard-Freeman Looks Ahead to Engage More Detroiters

By Sherri Kolade Born and raised in Detroit, it isn’t hard for Nicole Sherard-Freeman to see herself in the lives of other Detroiters. These are the same residents she is passionate about helping find better employment opportunities and resources.

As the executive director of Detroit at Work and Workforce Development for the city, she wears a lot of hats and wears them quite well. And she is looking forward to her new appointment come next year. In October 2020, Mayor Mike Duggan designated her as the group executive of Jobs, Economy, and Detroit At Work, and she will assume her new role in January 2021.

Sherard-Freeman joined the City of Detroit as executive director of Workforce Development in August 2019.

She will play a key role in staffing major employers in Detroit, and bringing them to the city based on the strength of the city’s workforce, according to the city’s website, https://detroitmi.gov.

No stranger to major staffing programs, she was the force behind ensuring that over 4,000 Detroiters were hired for the FCA assembly plant. She said she and her team “worked through some really difficult dynamics’’

with FCA ensuring every aspect was fleshed out beforehand. And she says it is not only good economically but “looks good and feels good to the community.”

She is currently responsible for overseeing the strategy and the fundraising and the operations for the Detroit at Work career center systems, Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, an employment agency, and other career technical platforms and programs.

Sherard-Freeman said that she has a “fantastic team” that happens to be an all-Black female leadership team that helps her in a variety of capacities.

“That, in and of itself, is a story we feel pretty badass about that -- at least two of us are Renaissance [High School] graduates … that is really how this all works; I have a phenomenal team,” she said.

Earlier this year, Duggan also had Sherard-Freeman oversee the operations for Community Health Corps, a new city initiative led by Deputy Mayor Conrad Mallett, Jr. that will offer direct outreach and case management to many of the city’s lowest-income residents to help connect them with the services and support they most need to improve their quality of life, health and eco-

See ECONOMIC

OPPORTUNITY page A6

Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails Gets A New Look With Outdoor Seating

By Megan Kirk As the economy continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses across the country have suffered devastating financial loss.

The restaurant industry is struggling to survive. With social distancing orders in place to contain the virus, restaurants have to find new and creative ways to serve the public while keeping their staff and customers safe.

Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails, located in Detroit’s East Village neighborhood, first opened its doors in December 2019. Just three months later, COVID-19 forced them to close. Now, owner Nya Marshall has revamped her restaurant seating, hoping to keep doors open through the pandemic and winter season.

“We’ve done a lot of preparation for the winter months. One of the biggest things we’ve done is built an entire outdoor enclosure that allows us to have outdoor seating,” Marshall says. “Unfortunately, the winter months, we’ve been shut down with no indoor dining. Ninety percent of our revenue is indoor dining.

Complete with heating lamps, the outdoor seating is also accompanied by a new winter menu. Introducing some new options and their restaurant classics, the entrepreneur is hoping to increase business through winter.

“We’re adding, just more heartier options for the winter months as well as additional salads,” Marshall says. “We are adding the short rib stroganoff, that is a classic favorite of ours.”

Just before Thanksgiving, indoor dining took another hit. While restaurants were allowed to have indoor dining, the spike in cases caused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to close indoor seating in an attempt to contain the virus and slow the spread. Initially expected to run from November 18 until December 8, the restriction continues to be extended, causing restaurant owners, like Marshall, to pivot their business.

“December is supposed to be one of our largest months because December carries restaurants through January and February, which are the slower months,”

See IVY

KITCHEN page A6

Page A-6 • michiganchronicle.com • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

Economic Opportunity From page A-5 nomic standing. The first CHC workers graduated in November and are slated to begin their outreach soon.

Mallett said in an email that Sherard-Freeman’s elevation to head of economic development is an “historic first.”

“Not only is she responsible for all the City of Detroit’s economic development activity she is also in charge of the city’s talent agency. Combining economic development with job creation/training/opportunity programming makes Nicole’s role singular in the country,” Mallett said. “The fact that the leader of this extremely important effort is an African American woman could only take place in the City of Detroit under a Mayor like Mike Duggan. Nicole is a proven leader and an extremely talented program manager. This is a great opportunity for the City of Detroit and Nicole.”

Sherard-Freeman said that what she is most looking forward to day one next year is connecting the dots with employers and future employees who need these job and career opportunities.

“I am most looking forward to working with employers who want to locate in Detroit; developers who want to build in Detroit and civic and business leaders who want to step forward and have a greater impact in Detroit,” Sherard-Freeman said. “I am looking forward to lining up all those possibilities into a future that Detroiters can’t even imagine.”

She added that while 2021 is going to be a “tough year” she also thinks that 2021 is going to be the year that “the rest of the nation pauses and looks at Detroit as a model for what’s possible in other communities.”

Sherard-Freeman said that while “a rising tide lifts all boats” a targeted focus is geared toward fixing racial injustice when it comes to building strat-

egies for Detroiters, especially when it comes to Black and Brown communities in the city “if we are serious about evening out the playing field.”

Sherard-Freeman said that her focus is for Detroiters and the economic opportunities available for Detroiters who are saying that they are making ends meet working two to three part-time jobs.

“I see more and more [of the] landscape of Detroiters eager to understand what is ahead,” she said, adding that she wants to help create opportunities for residents in an impactful way, especially on day one.

Sherard-Freeman said that she worked to create opportunities for herself, even if some came later on.

“I didn’t get my bachelor’s degree until much later in my life -- I didn’t start working on my masters until a little later after that. I’m not the conventional graduate from high school straight to college” coming back home with the “right relationships” to jump-start her career. “I was on the grind trying to prove that an unconventional pathway to education [was possible].

I worked long and hard; my path works.”

Sherard-Freeman has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and has completed graduate studies in Organizational Management and Development at Fielding Graduate University.

She holds a credential in Global Human Capital Trends from Columbia University School of Professional Studies.

She added that she understands that so many Detroiters don’t have the funding or family support to take traditional routes, but routine doesn’t always mean it’s the only right way.

“That is one way my background has significantly shaped the work I do,” Sherard-Freeman said.

How The Economic ‘Reset’ Can Work In Your Favor While news of vaccines on the horizon signal hope, some analysts think a sizable chunk of the U.S. economy has been damaged permanently by COVID-19, with more layoffs and business closures still to come in 2021.

But to others, the future of a “new economy” in the post-COVID world is bright, opening doors for entrepreneurs, working professionals and small-to-medium business owners, says Rod Robertson, Managing Partner of Briggs Capital (www.briggscapital.com), international entrepreneur, and author of Winning at Entrepreneurship: Insider’s Tips on Buying, Building, and Selling Your Own Business.

“While about 40 percent of the American economy has been turned into debris, the playing field has been cleared, and the whole business environment has gone through a reset,” Robertson says.

“At the same time, people who upgrade their skill-sets and broaden their thinking won’t be left behind. So instead of people saying, ‘How lost I am, how crushed I am, woe is me,’ this is an exciting time, especially for young people, who don’t have to wait 10, 20 or 30 years for their turn to be a business leader. They can make a generational jump by stepping up and embracing technology, and by understanding in the rubble and chaos what kernels of business are sprouting up.”

Robertson says these points are worth considering when planning for success in a changing U.S. economy: • Don’t buy the theory that COVID will destroy entrepreneurship. “It’s a great time to invest in or buy a business because the playing field has been reset,” Robertson says.

“There is going to be a whole new generation of fortunes made in the next three to five years. These are small businesses, companies that are nimble and can shift easily.”

• Investment in tech is trending.

Robertson notes that over $50B has been spent by private equity on tech deals in 2020. “This fact dwarfs the issues that have swamped legacy or regular businesses that have seen a huge retraction in investments,” Robertson says. “The pivot to tech has accelerated, and beware those firms that cling to their old ways of doing business.”

• Make the necessary cuts and stay streamlined. “Seismic shifts are coming in 2021 as companies prepare for the new world economy,” Robertson says. “Some businesses must make drastic cuts and changes in directions. Pivot quickly and don’t be among the last firms to embrace change; it could be your demise. It is more important than ever to streamline operations and create an implicit trust with employees to ensure your ­ business

thrives world.”

in

the

post-pandemic

• Remote workers can’t afford to coast. A report on remote work productivity during the pandemic found that global productivity among employees working from home due to COVID-19 has dropped. “U.S. employees are leading the pack both in terms of the amount still working remotely, and productivity declines,” Robertson says. “Salespeople without direct supervision aren’t producing like they used to. Remote workers who are coasting need to get in tune with their organizations to keep their jobs.”

• Going solo isn’t a bad thing for boomers. Robertson says older workers who may get displaced can make the most of opportunities to fly solo. “The people over 50 and 60 are not grasping technology,” Robertson says, “and a lot of them are going to be pushed off the playing field. How do they switch to being an independent contractor, and stretch out their working years to 70-72? It’s time to reinvent and reinvigorate themselves.”

“Businesses and their best workers must shift with the times or invite extinction,” Robertson says. “The good news is, the reset opens great new opportunities, and people can take the blessing coming from all this chaos and turn it into business success.”

Need Mortgage Relief Due to COVID-19? Here’s What to Know (StatePoint) As the pandemic continues to affect Americans across the country, many are facing financial hardship.

Ivy Kitchen From page A-5

Marshall explains. “But, essentially, because we’ve been shut down since before Thanksgiving, I don’t know what we’re going to do come January and February.”

Upon purchasing the building that now houses Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails, renovations and upgrades were entirely self-funded

by Marshall. In a similar stance, the winterization of the outdoor seating has once again been funded solely by the owner.

“We applied for the weatherization grant, we did not win it,” Marshall shares. “They only had limited funding for so many people and some people were able to get it and some weren’t. Unfortunately, with that specific one, we were on the end where we didn’t get it.”

As the small Black woman-led business continues to find new ways to keep the doors open and staff employed, the restaurant continues to show its resilience. Tak-

ing the time to impact the community she serves, Marshall used a slower period to work on the business model, feed essential workers, and the homeless population.

“During that downtime, we did feed the frontlines, we fed the homeless, we fed the youth; the Alternative Living for Girls,” Marshall explains. “I won the Neighborhood Heroes Award from the City of Detroit for those efforts.”

Receiving clearance from The City of Detroit, an enclosed outdoor seating area is now available at Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails. Guests are required to make a reservation and adhere to mask protocol.

“We obviously will be practicing all the social distancing rules set forth by the mandate,” Marshall explains. “Masks are not required while you’re eating, but the moment you get up, we will require you to wear a mask.”

To make a reservation or to order carry out, please visit the restaurant online at www.ivykc. com. The restaurant is available for brunch and dinner options.

For homeowners with a Freddie Mac loan, COVID-19 mortgage assistance is available in the form of “forbearance,” which temporarily suspends or reduces your mortgage payment without penalty so you can get back on your feet.

Here is how forbearance works and what happens when it ends: How do I request forbearance? To request forbearance, you must contact your loan servicer (the company listed on your mortgage statement) who will help you understand your options. Forbearance is available for up to a year, though servicers will typically start you on a shorter forbearance plan and reassess to see if your financial situation has changed.

What happens when forbearance ends? It’s important to remember mortgage forbearance is not the same as mortgage forgiveness and you will have to repay your missed payments. About 30 days before the forbearance plan is scheduled to end, you and your servicer will determine next steps.

This could include additional forbearance or a workout option to make up the missed payments.

Just remember, you are never required to pay back missed payments in a lump sum if your loan is owned by Freddie Mac.

How does repayment work? Even though you must pay back payments that were missed during forbearance, you have several options for doing so. Additionally, you won’t accrue additional fees, penalties or interest beyond the amounts already scheduled or calculated based on the terms of your mortgage. For example, let’s say you enter into a forbearance agreement of three months. If your monthly mortgage payment is $1,000, you will owe about $3,000 in missed mortgage payments at the end of your forbearance term. Your servicer can help you determine the workout option that works best for you, including: • Full repayment, where you pay back the missed payments all at once.

• Repayment plans, which allow you to catch up gradually while you are paying your regular monthly payment.

• Payment deferral, which allows you to resume making your normal monthly payment.

Your servicer can work with you to leverage alternative ways for you to pay back the missed payments from your forbearance period at a later date and in a manner that is affordable.

• Modification of the loan, which changes the terms of your loan, usually to reduce your original monthly payment amount. Your servicer can help with a modification that might suit your new circumstances.

Additional Information: To stay on track with paying down your

loan balance and less interest over the life of the loan, it’s important that you resume your payments as soon as you’re financially able. Keep in mind that while you’re not charged “extra” interest, you won’t be paying down your principal, and the interest will continue to accrue on your unpaid mortgage balance.

For information on forbearance and how to get help with your mortgage, visit My Home by Freddie Mac at myhome.freddiemac.com.

Remember, contacting your servicer is the first step in getting help with your mortgage payments if you are facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 or for other reasons. They can explore available options with you and determine what works best for your circumstances.

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HIRAM E. JACKSON Publisher SAMUEL LOGAN Publisher 1933-2011

Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021 | Page A-7

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CONTACT US 1452 Randolph • Detroit, MI 48226 • (313) 963-8100 e-mail: newsdesk@michronicle.com

Property is Power Police Reform: Between The Increasing Black Home Ownership Baton And The Bullet

By J. Pharoah Doss For New Pittsburgh Courier

Recently, former President Barack Obama said, “I guess you can use a snappy slogan like defund the police, but you lost a big audience the minute you say it …If you instead say let’s reform the police department so that everybody’s being treated fairly …Suddenly a whole bunch of folks who might not otherwise listen to you are listening to you.”

Obama’s comments didn’t discourage proponents of defunding the police; it disappointed them.

Proponents of defunding the police know police departments have undergone reform for decades, but unarmed Black people are still being killed by J. Pharoah Doss the police at disproportional rates. The demand to defund the police comes from activists abandoning “police reform” for punitive measures against police departments.

Decades ago, police reformers wanted to reduce baton beatings like the Rodney King incident. Today, proponents of defunding the police want to stop police shootings. (If you’re thinking George Floyd wasn’t shot by the police, maybe you didn’t notice activists were shouting “defund the police” since Michael Brown.) However, in between reforming the baton and reducing the bullet, there’s been an extreme problem that barely gets attention.

A decade ago, a writer for Police Magazine explained, experts felt the use of batons contributed to them becoming obsolete. “If you asked most Americans

to draw a portrait of ‘police brutality,’ odds are it would show a cop with a baton or some other club.”

Defenders of the baton claimed the weapon filled a necessary use-of-force gap between “fisticuffs and firearms.”

However, since nothing looked worse on video than footage of a police officer hitting someone with a club, tasers were recommended to replace them.

Three years ago, Reuters reported there have been 1,005 incidents in the United States in which people died after police stunned them with tasers since 2000. Many of the casualties were among society’s most vulnerable. A quarter of the people that died were suffering from a mental health breakdown or neurological disorders. In 9 of every 10 incidents, the deceased was unarmed. More than 100 of the fatal encounters began with a 911 call for help during a medical emergency. Most independent researchers agree deaths are rare when tasers are used properly, but the probability of dying from a taser shock in a police encounter may be incalculable due to a lack of official data. No government agency tracks fatalities in police incidents where tasers are used.

A former police officer turned criminal justice professor and advocate for abolishing prisons wrote a book called: “In Defense of Flogging.” The ex-cop wrote, “The problem—and our shame— is that prisons, though never designed for this purpose, have become the only way we punish. In an ironic twist we designed the prison system to replace flogging. The penitentiary was supposed to be a kinder and gentler sentence.”

Image-conscious police reformers expected tasers to be a “kinder and gentler” weapon that would rid the public mind of police brutality performed with a baton.

But, in an ironic twist, the replacement has become worse than its predecessor.

Health Care, Voting Rights And Pandemic Recovery At Stake In Georgia’s Runoff Election

By Marc Morial (TriceEdneyWire.com)—“Support for the majority-vote plan reinforced the moderate segregationist position. It did not remove anyone’s right to cast a ballot, but it was commonly regarded as hampering African Americans—the stigmatized bloc voters— from making their votes count more effectively at the polls. In similar fashion, especially following passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, southern white politicians devised electoral techniques to offset the rising power of Black ballots.”—Civil Rights in America: Racial Voting Rights, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2007

They will also choose between incumbent David Purdue, a businessman first elected to the seat in 2014, and challenger Jon Ossoff.

The results will determine which party controls the Senate for the next two years. If the challengers win, the Senate will be split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast a tie-breaking vote.

In other words, the election will determine whether the Biden agenda will receive a fair hearing, or face a level of obstructionism unprecedented until Barack Obama’s presidency.

The outcome of these elections will determine whether Congress passes In most states, the wina coronavirus stimulus bill Marc Morial ner of an election is deterthat provide more aid for mined by a plurality—the candidate struggling businesses, jobless workwith the highest number of votes ers or cities and states facing massive wins, regardless of whether that num- layoffs of frontline workers like pober is a majority of votes. lice, firefighters, healthcare workers In Georgia, however, if no candidate and teachers. wins a majority, the top two vote-getPresident-elect Biden’s proposed ters face one another in a runoff. In COVID-19 response plan calls for ex1962, the Supreme Court struck down panding coronavirus testing resourcGeorgia’s old “county-unit system, a es and increasing the country’s ca“kind of a poor man’s Electoral Col- pacity to make personal protective lege” that had been created 45 years equipment by leveraging the Defense prior to amplify rural voters’ power Production Act. He has also backed while disadvantaging Black voters. legislation that would create a sepaThe runoff was instituted to un- rate COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disdermine the influence of Black vot- parities Task Force. ers. The segregationist state repreThe outcome of these elections will sentative who proposed it, Denmark determine the future of the Affordable Groover, had been defeated in an earli- Care Act. At risk is the insurance cover race and blamed his loss on “Negro erage for 20 million Americans who bloc voting.” In 1990, the Department have gained coverage either through of Justice sued to overturn the runoff the exchanges or through the expansystem, saying it has had “a demon- sion of Medicaid. Millions more are strably chilling effect on the ability of facing the loss of coverage because Blacks to become candidates for pub- of preexisting conditions—including, lic office,” and calling it “an electoral possibly, the more than 13 million steroid for White candidates.” The De- who have been infected with coronapartment cited elections in more than virus.

20 Georgia counties “where at least 35 These elections could determine Black candidates won the most votes in their initial primaries, but then lost the future of the Voting Rights Act. in runoffs as voters coalesced around It has been almost a year since the House passed the Voting Rights Resa White opponent.” toration Act, which would reinstate Now, almost 60 years later, a voting the parts of the act that were stripped system that was designed to dilute the out by the Supreme Court in 2013.

Black vote could result in the elec- The bill has been stranded in the Sention state’s first Black U.S. Senator. ate.

On Jan. 5, two runoff elections for Also stranded in the Senate has Senate will take place in Georgia. Neither candidate in either race earned been the George Floyd Justice in Pomore than 50 percent of the vote in licing Act, a plan to hold police accountable, change the culture of law the November 3 General Election. enforcement and build trust between Voters there will choose between law enforcement and the communiincumbent Kelly Loeffler, who was apties they serve by addressing systemic pointed to her seat by Governor Brian racism and bias.

Kemp last year, and challenger Rev. For more information about the Raphael Warnock, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Martin Luther King Georgia runoff election, including key Jr.’s former congregation. dates, visit www.ReclaimYourVote.org.

By Anthony O. Kellum

As we end one year and quickly approach another… it is a great time to revisit the gap between Black and white home ownership and what we can do to close it. This has been an ongoing debate for far too many years and as we broach upon a new administration, new year, new challenges and hope for a brighter future the debate continues.

In previous articles it has been my goal to bring awareness and impose the importance of homeownership and how owning a home can build long lasting generational wealth.

This article aims to continue the Anthony O. Kellum trend.

With all of the strides made within the Black community the disparities of home ownership within our community are still staggering. Closing the Blackwhite home ownership gap is an essential gauge of whether we are on course to be a fair, just society with equal access to everyone (Article: Urban Institute, Reducing the Racial Home Ownership Gap.) As a quick re-visit to the most recent economic and housing downturn from 2008, the Black community was hit harder than other racial groups. At the peak of the bubble, Black homebuyers disproportionately bought homes at higher rates than their white and Asian counterparts.

In addition, they were also the victims of predators offering sub-prime loans (a loan offered above prime to people who do not qualify for a prime loan) even for people who actually qualified for prime loans. Also, Black homeowners were aggressively sought after for unsafe re-

finance products which eliminated their equity and fueled the home foreclosure crises the country experienced at large...

(Article: Urban Institute, Reducing the Racial Home Ownership Gap.) Fast forward to today and how we can stop the proverbial bleeding? Below are three ways to lessen the gap.

Outreach and Education: Lenders should continue to improve outreach programs, providing education on the down payment requirements and also explaining the misconceptions about the importance of down payments. Potential home buyers should seek out assistance programs ~ there are funds available that go unused because people are not aware of the programs available.

Loan Officer Diversity Inclusion: It sounds like a cliché but enhancing diversity within the lending industry.

Borrowers should seek lenders with a diverse pool to choose from. Minorities are expected to be the majority by 2025 and the lending industry should reflect the changing demographic. This will also build trust and inclusivity.

Supply and Demand: Affordability and accessibility are at the forefront of creating a more equally yoked buying process. States should implement their own fair housing rules and regulations.

Buyers should also do their own research to determine what programs are available and seek lenders who embrace the changing demographics.

Reforms are needed across the spectrum to ensure the millions of people who are creditworthy gain access to fair, stable, affordable and safe home ownership opportunities.

“The Time is Always Right To Do What is Right.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anthony O. Kellum - President of Kellum Mortgage, LLC - www.facebook. com/propertyispower. Empowering the Black community through homeownership is my life mission.

Black Voters Should See Themselves In Congressional Staff

By Dr. LaShonda Brenson (NNPA)—As the new Congress prepares to take office and members of the U.S. House and Senate make key staff hires, it’s time for careful scrutiny of the diversity reflected within the ranks of congressional staff. This is particularly true following an election in which Black voters were critical to its outcome.

More than 70 civil rights groups, including African American Mayors Association, Black Futures Lab, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), have formally called Dr. LaShonda Brenson on new members of Congress to increase the numbers of staff of color within the mid-level and senior ranks of congressional offices. Our advocacy is particularly important right now, in the period between Election Day and the formal start of the new Congress when most key staff are hired.

While we saw marginal improvement in senior staff diversity after the election in 2018, the lack of diversity among senior congressional staff of both parties is longstanding.

The data is sobering, if not surprising.

People of color account for nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population.

Yet, Joint Center research found that people of color account for just 11 percent of Washington, D.C.-based senior staff in Senate personal offices. These include positions like chief of staff, legislative director, and communications director – the most influential staff positions in Congress.

Unfortunately, our 2018 report also found that the House was only narrowly more representative with staffers of color comprising just 13.7 percent of senior roles.

And this inequity remains true for Republicans who represent large numbers of Black voters and for Democratic members who often depend on Black voters as a critical component of their electorate.

There’s not a single Black senior staff member in the personal offices of the Republican Senators who represent Mississippi and Louisiana, despite the fact that African Americans account for a third or more of the population in

these states.

Similarly, though Black voters made up 37 percent of Democratic voters in Virginia in 2016, and 47 percent of Democratic voters in Maryland, there’s not a single Black person holding a senior staff position within the offices of the Democratic Senators who represent these states.

Meanwhile, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is leading by example among congressional Democrats, with Black staff representing just over 53 percent of CBC top staff—compared to just 2.1 percent of the senior staff of White Democratic members of the U.S. House.

Only 35 percent of African Americans in the United States live in districts represented by CBC Members, but 78.5 percent of the Black top staff in the U.S. House are employed by CBC Members.

This data is particularly troubling at a time when we desperately need more, not fewer, Black staff who can advise Members of Congress in better understanding and responding robustly to structural inequality, racism, and anti-Blackness.

Yet, there is an opportunity for change.

There will soon be at least 60 new members of the U.S. House and there could be as many as nine new Senators.

With each appointing a chief of staff, legislative director, and communications director, that amounts to 207 senior positions. Far more of them should be filled by talented African Americans.

Continued progress will require that congressional leadership bring real resources to bear. More Congressional offices should formalize diversity and inclusion plans and measure progress. And all offices should focus on diversifying mid-level positions like press secretary and legislative assistant to further bolster the pool of talent that can eventually step into top positions.

Without question, some members can rightfully point to Black staff serving as state or district directors, or to improvements in the diversity of non-senior staff.

But at a time when the pandemic and economic turmoil has fallen disproportionally on Black people, robust representation of Black Americans in senior roles matters now more than ever.

Real progress is possible, but it will require that Members of Congress choose action over the status quo. And it demands that we hold them accountable for doing so.

(Dr. LaShonda Brenson is the Senior Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.)

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Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

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Our Time of Reckoning Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Savage” wasn’t the only beastly thing to come out this year. And much like the song you either loved or hated this year called 2020.

Where City Meets Life and Life Meets Style

michiganchronicle.com

Detroit Prepares to Ring In the

2020 was a year that many of us found ourselves collectively beaten down and disproportionately impacted -- by COVID-19 and other elements.

And especially in our community, when Black people thought we reached our breaking point [sadly some of us did], more unspeakable things were lurking in wing that challenged us, brought us out and at the forefront of a movement where our voices mattered -- our lives matter.

However, this year was not the worst; it was just, well, 2020 -- a standalone description in its own right. And thankfully, there were moments of power and strength through these trying times that captured our hearts and kept us going. Many of us conquered this year like never before with new jobs, achieving new goals, raking in more money with various streams of income. Some of our quarantine babies have even been born.

Cheers! This list below captures a few snippets of what we loved and hated about this fascinating year.

2021, you’re up next.

1. We mourned the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, who both died in January in a helicopter crash.

We remember their lives and the impact of their contributions made in and outside of the NBA. They were gone too soon, yet, little did we know that their deaths would be one of many shocking things about the year still up ahead.

2. The grievous blow of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder in February left many shaken and hurt as his death sent shockwaves throughout the nation and even the world.

Another Black man has gone too soon at the hands of merciless killers hunting down an innocent person seemingly for sport. Justice will be served.

3. Many people recall specific moments in mid-March when everything went left.

Schools closed. Businesses shuttered.

We stayed home. What was supposed to be a few weeks of sheltering in place turned into more than eight months of chaos, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing hundreds of thousands of reported deaths, positive cases, and feelings of overall exhaustion from social distancing, mask-wearing, and more. We’re still in semi-shutdown mode, and hopefully, all are continuing to stay safe. We’re getting out of this together better than before.

4. When April hit, we were a month in sheltering in place and a giving mood.

COVID-19 didn’t strip away our spirit of resilience, and many of us got creative and made homemade masks [and other PPE when supplies were running low]; supported local merchants, blessed healthcare and frontline workers by buying them lunch, among other selfless acts.

We showed up in a big way and are still showing out.

5. George Floyd is a name we all learned this year. He was tragically killed on May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a police officer. His death sparked an already growing protesting movement for those

By Megan Kirk

nye-ghost-to-go.square.site.

New Year’s Eve celebrations will look vastly different this holiday season. With social distancing orders still in effect, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs are banned from holding their traditional ball dropping events.

Despite COVID, Detroit is yet gearing up to welcome 2021. Detroit Restaurants are offering high-end take-home options complete with customary champagne to ring in the new year.

Oak and Reel, a contemporary Italian restaurant in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood, offers meals to feed up to six. Guests can choose from Lobster Thermidor, Black Truffle Potato Salad, and shrimp cocktail.

Oak and Reel are also offering champagne and additional a la carte options on their site https://www.oakandreel. com/provisions/New-Years-Eve-Holiday-Dinner-p264692454. Dinners can be picked up curbside on December 30 or December 31.

The Apparatus Room, located in the Detroit Foundation Hotel, offers a special menu for the new year. Available for takeout, the menu includes filets, shrimp and crab bisque, and, for an extra charge, champagne and caviar. Patrons are encouraged to order early via phone or email at mweirich@ detroitfoundationhotel.com.

Also offering a New Year’s Eve spread is Midtown’s Grey Ghost. Offering items such as build-a-burger kits, cheese fondue, and deviled eggs.

Serving as a one-stop-shop, the bar is also providing cocktail and Bloody Mary kits. All items are to-go and must be scheduled for curbside pick up by December 30 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Visitors can place orders https://

For Detroiters looking to have the party experience, several virtual celebrations live streaming or broadcasting to living rooms across the city.

The iconic televised event, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve, hosted live from Times Square in New York City, will take on a new look this COVID season. Although there will be no live audience, the show will still showcase a lineup of industry giants.

Headlining this year’s show will be singer Andra Day. The show will also feature live performances from Jennifer Lopez, Machine Gun Kelly, Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper, and many more.

Dogg is also hosting a live virtual concert to ring in the New Year. The westcoast rapper is hosting the event from his home in partnership with TBS, where the show will be broadcasted.

Fans can also dance to the sounds of famed DJ Cassidy, DJ Battlecat, and Fredwreck. Viewers will also get a chance to take a virtual tour of Snoop’s estate and have a sneak peek of The Go-Big Show. Hosted by Snoop Dogg alongside a panel of judges, TBS’s newest competition show will feature huge talents and their chance at taking home the $100,000-dollar grand prize.

Famed 1980’s group New Edition will also perform a free concert via Facebook. Footage from their 2014 All Six concert will be shown in its entirety. Presented by Concert Daily, as a part of their quarantine concert series, the media company is streaming archived full-length concerts to viewers. The New Edition concert will air on January 1 at 8 p.m. Viewers can watch the performance via Facebook.

Although New Year’s Eve celebrations will look different for 2021, Detroit residents are

Grammy-nominated rapper Snoop

See 2020 Page B-2

Celebrity Chef Max Hardy Opens New Pizzeria in Detroit

By Megan Kirk Chef Maxcel Hardy, known for serving A-list clientele and culinary ventures, has opened a new restaurant in Detroit. JED’s Detroit, located on Seven Mile and I-75, serves pizza and wings with a unique flair. With the first location being within the city, the chef hopes to introduce Detroit to a new wave.

Opened in mid-December, JED’s Detroit was birthed from a franchise out of Toledo, Ohio, that the chef bought out. Despite being a part of a larger family, the chef customized a few menu items for Detroiters to create an individual taste.

“We changed a few things to add more pizzaz, but we’re working under the same business plan,” Hardy says.

The Black-owned restaurant, which serves Artisan-style pizzas, features a menu full of fan favorites, including hamburgers and split wings. However, most notably, the restaurant specializes in chicken fireballs, which feature ten varieties.

“We’re known for fireballs which have different toppings served on top of chicken

chunks,” Hardy shares.

In addition, the pizzeria also serves a different cut for its wings. Showcasing over 21 different flavors, the chef is offering a variety of spice levels for every lover.

“We have everything from Asian Zing to Jerk Barbeque,” Chef Hardy says. “We do split wings versus the standard chicken wings. It’s a different vibe.”

Also featured on the menu, the Get Big pizza is noted as the chef’s personal favorite. Made with fresh lobster and shrimp and served on a creamy alfredo sauce, the specialty pizza is unlike any other seafood pizza. To ensure its quality, the ingredients to create each pizza is delivered fresh to the restaurant from local Detroit businesses.

“The pizza is not Detroit or Chicago style. We use all fresh ingredients. Most of our stuff comes from the Eastern Market and we utilize urban farms. We get our spinach from Oakland Avenue Urban Farm,” Hardy shares.

While the restaurant industry continues to

See NEW PIZZERIA Page B-2

Page B-2 • michiganchronicle.com • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

Big Sean Teams Up With McDonald’s for Mentoring Program

By Megan Kirk Up-and-coming Michigan rapper Nyla Lewis has been paired with Big Sean and had the opportunity to ask him industry-leading questions. Lewis, who began rapping at age 13, was surprised by the Detroit rapper with a Zoom call, a computer with professional music editing software and three recording session with Roc Nation.

Jody Watley’s Secret to a Happy Home: New Home Fragrance, Candle and Good Music

“Candles have always been a mainstay for me - home, on tour in hotel rooms, dressing rooms, green rooms.. you name it. Creating peaceful spaces that also smell good - this is a natural new step for me to expand into the home and wellness marketplace.” – Jody Watley Singer and entrepreneur Jody Watley believes in the power of surrounding yourself with a relaxing scent and good music.

The iconic superstar is expanding her signature brand line with the release of home fragrance and candle, just in time for the holidays.

Now that November is here, we’re all just biding our time until the official start to the holiday season. And what better way to get yourself in the spirit than with a delicious smelling candle and home fragrance spray that smell like the tastiest of winter treats from the Jody Watley signature home line.

The Grammy winning and always fab-

ulous trendsetter welcomes “Sanctuary” luxury soy candle and room fragrance spray with its comforting notes of green tea, lemon and vanilla limited-edition to her collection, now available exclusively at jodywatleyshop.com I wanted to include a home line assortment, pieces essential to creating a home and speak to the Jody Watley aesthetic,” she said of her “Sanctuary” line, which includes candle ($25) and home fragrance ($45).

“I love putting them in the focal point of my favorite rooms and letting the scents fill the space,” she added.

Her brand extension emphasizes wellness and self-care with a touch of affordable luxury offering the experience quality products at its best from the ever-evolving singer and songwriter.

Get a head start on the holidays by filling your home with Jody Watley “Sanctuary” Luxury Soy Candle and Room Fragrance.

“Being a mentee is truly grateful and I just want to thank McDonald’s for the opportunity and I respect them elevating the Black community and providing opportunities for the next generation,” Lewis says.

Always looking to give back to his community, Big Sean teamed up with McDonald’s in the hopes of sharing his industry experience and guide the next big thing through the recording process.

The added bonus came in knowing Lewis was also from Michigan.

“When they introduced me to Nyla, and I found out she was from the crib and saw what she was doing on her own already, it was like oh yeah this is the type of people, like Nyla, she’s the type of person who could really take this valuable information that I’ve been through and take it to a different place and take it further.” Big Sean says of his mentee.

McDonald’s continues its mission of celebrating Black excellence and

uplifting the community, the mentors program is a part of the company’s bigger platform Black and Positively Golden. Aimed at showcasing Blackness in a positive light, and launched in 2019, the initiative is committed uplifting the community and inspiring new leaders.

“Our Golden Mentors series allows us to continue feeding and fostering the communities we serve by elevating future leaders in pursuit of their passions,” said Elizabeth Campbell, Senior Director of Cultural Engagement, McDonald’s USA. “We know our customers are seeking valuable information to help take their dreams to the next level, which is why we are honored to offer resources and give them access to industry leaders, right at their fingertips.”

While still a mentee, Lewis is encouraging

others to follow their dreams. Sharing her take on reaching the next level, Lewis believes the key to success is staying focused and dedicated.

“Everything is possible. So, if you just honestly put the time in and work hard good things will definitely come out of that. It’ll fall into place,” Lewis says.

The McDonald’s Black and Positively Golden Mentors Program virtual series, which also features gospel artist Kierra Sheard, journalist Jamilah Lemieux and technology activist Ian Michael Brock, can be viewed on Instagram TV @wearegolden. Big Sean and Nyla Lewis will be featured on an upcoming episode airing December 16.

“I’m truly for real, for real excited and happy to be a part of it,” Big Sean shares.

Friends Win 10K in Grant Money for 2021 Juneteenth Celebration

By Sherri Kolade What started as a trip to Israel a couple of years ago for native Detroiter Mikhaella Norwood, a University of Michigan student, led to an entrepreneurship idea and later a $10,000 grant that she and several of her fellow awardees will use toward building out a 2021 Juneteenth celebration in Detroit.

New Pizzeria

From page B-1

suffer from the financial and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Max Hardy chose to open the restaurant adding to the city’s resilience. Receiving no grant funds for the business launch, JED’s Detroit is looking to weather the storm.

“Right now, it’s tough for everybody.

We’re just trying to do more marketing and get our name out,” Chef Hardy says.

Although the restaurant is carryout only, with plans of expansion, customers will soon enjoy their meals outside.

“This spring and summer, we will have outdoor seating where we will also serve beer and wine,” Chef Hardy shares.

Looking to branch out, Chef Hardy is hoping to grow its reach into Detroit’s surrounding areas. Wanting to bring individual flavor and creativity to residents across Michigan, plans to open additional restaurants are on the horizon.

2020

From page B-1 who felt they were voiceless in their deaths and were unjustly murdered. We made sure that we were heard this time, and their many names chanted out loud. We will always remember.

6. On the wave of social justice movements, the celebration of Juneteenth, the emancipation of slavery recognized on June 19, couldn’t have come at a better time. We did the thing with this cherished holiday this year [some of us for the first time] with knowledge and pride.

Those who have been celebrating welcomed us all with open arms to the party [albeit virtually for the most part]. We also felt the love of our allies, with many checking in with us and checking their privilege. We need to keep that conversation going, too. It’s far from over.

7. Sen. Kamala Harris was picked as a running mate for then-presidential nominee Joe Biden in August during the primary. She made history with her heritage and ancestry as the first African American/Indian ancestry vice presidential candidate. And she made waves with her words and actions that will come to fruition next month when she and Biden rightfully take their place at the White House. #Blackgirlmagic 8. Speaking of Black Girl Magic In September, we celebrated Black millennial women who stay at the top of their game. Women like English-Barnhill, Megan Ward, Brittni Brown, Amber Lewis, Tiff Massey, Charity Dean, Candice

“We’re looking to open in Dearborn, Southfield and other suburban cities,” Hardy says.

Outside of the kitchen, Chef Hardy also owns Chef Max Brand. Launched in 2002, the brand includes his spices, cutting boards, and chef coat line. Chef Hardy has also published cookbooks and Rohan Marley, entrepreneur and son of music legend Bob Marley, and basketball great Amar’e Stoudemire. Although Chef Hardy wears many hats, the restaurant is a venture near and dear to his heart.

“One of the cool things about this project is it’s something I really love,” Chef Hardy says. “I don’t get a chance to cook and have fun.”

As Detroit residents patronize the restaurant, JED’s Detroit’s goal is to become a family environment.

“It’s your family fun place where you can call and get your favorite takeout order,” Hardy says. “We have something for everybody to enjoy.”

Fortman, and Jaqueline Elliott are continuing to break the glass ceiling and bring others along with them. In the United States, we also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment allowing women to vote. These women, who were unable to vote just a century ago, are leaders in their industries and community as trendsetters and doers, continuing to get it done for brown girls like them everywhere.

9. In December, the tragic deaths of our own Michigan Chronicle colleague Patreice Massey, Wayne County Commissioner Jewel Ware, and Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon hit hard and too close to home. These beloved local and everyday figures gave so much and still had more to offer. We cherish the memories of them and their selfless acts of service that always stays with us today. They will be missed.

10. The 10th thing on this list wouldn’t be complete without ending on a note of love. This year has challenged and changed us in unspeakable ways. The way we’ve lived this year has been hard for many people used to a routine, and the comfort that lies within that. But we’ve pivoted [I think the word of the year should be “pivot,” btw]. We’ve gotten creative and showed our love, especially around the holidays, deeper this year and more profound. And while we may all not be together in the way we want to just yet, breathe in and out for me. We’re still here, and alive beloved, and we’ve got some living to do.

2020 was our time as Black people of reckoning and rectifying what should be. Let’s let 2021 be our time to continue to shine through it all. See you next year by God’s grace.

Norwood and her entrepreneurial group, named As In Heaven, include several other of her friends, who won the grant in a competition from the Texas-based Passages Leadership Incubator program recently. The program offers current and recent college graduates the chance to apply for the grant based on what faith and leadership skills they learned from a prior trip to Israel.

Norwood’s team, other organizers of the Juneteenth Festival, Juneteenth in the D, include Brittany Adams, Alexis Whyms, and Taylor Brown.

Norwood said that she started with Passages in 2018 and got involved because a friend asked her would she like to go to Israel.

“My instant answer was ‘yes,’” she said laughing during a phone conversation with the Michigan Chronicle. “It was really as simple as that wanting to go on an adventure that honestly at this point has taken me to [new] heights that I never thought I could reach.”

Norwood added that the trip led her to learn more about the Jewish roots of her Christian faith.

“Passages is really passionate about building up global leaders and making an impact in the communities they live in,” she said. “Seeing it go from taking trips to Israel to bringing me back as a leader, fellow, and senior fellow… and now to building out the leadership incubator … it really is a beautiful thing to set the standard and move forward as people who can set an example to follow.”

Norwood, who has vis-

The organizers of the Juneteenth Festival (from left to right) Mikhaella Norwood, Brittany Adams, and Alexis Whyms, present their idea at the Passages Leadership Incubator Summit. Photo provided by Passages ited Israel three times, said that her team is the first team to win the inaugural Leadership Incubator program.

Malcolm Fitschen, director of Alumni Engagement for Passages Israel, said that the program has been intentional over its history to take Christian college students to Israel and provide post-trip educational opportunities to develop them as leaders.

He added that Passages has been impressed with Norwood for several reasons, including the leadership skills she has exhibited on the trip to Israel, and her and her team winning the grant.

“Mikhaella stood out from the beginning; she was passionate about celebrating Juneteenth and having an event [that would] make an impact in Detroit,” he said.

Fitschen added that the Incubator program is a program that grants the participants coaching opportunities to work through their process of developing business plans. It culminates with a Shark Tank-style event in the suburbs of Dallas where the participants speak before a panel of judges to discuss their plans. The judges heard from several participants but Norwood’s team stood out.

Fitschen also said that from the beginning of Passages in 2015 the program really believed in the “intentional inclusion and diversity” element for the Black community to participate.

“And Mikhaella is one of hundreds that have come through that intentional outreach,” he said.

“We’re able to see ripple effects in communities.”

Norwood said that regarding collaboration, her group is looking forward to entering the Juneteenth space in Detroit next year and find themselves among friends in the Black community who are already heavily involved in Juneteenth work.

“We are not in competition, we want to know about your event, we want to [promote] your event; you could be a part of ours as well,” she said.

“That is something about Detroiters that they do so well coming together to collaborate as a community that is always going to make something better.”

Her and her team members are also cautious about COVID-19 potential restrictions and they will adjust to an online format if needed next year.

She also said that Passages’ contributions took a “huge chunk” of their fundraising goal in the group’s efforts to make this a community event.

“One of the things we love to say is ‘Juneteenth is not just a Black holiday but an American holiday,” she said. “We want to see people represented in our space … to really add the voice of Detroit to what it is that we are doing. We certainly are reaching out ...we want this to be as community-oriented as possible.”

For more information on Passages and the Leadership Incubator Program visit https://passagesisrael.org/leadership-incubator/.

For more information on As In Heaven and their future programming or to connect with them email 610HVN@gmail.com.

Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021 • michiganchronicle.com •

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Sherry Cherry Pork Loin Roast

FAMILY FEATURES

n what’s certain to be a holiday season unlike any other, you can transform your seasonal menu in 20 minutes of prep time or less by incorporating flavorful ingredients that make ordinary dishes extraordinary, ensuring the holidays are as special and memorable as any other year.

Stress-free holiday entertaining at home begins with ingredients like Holland House Cooking Wines that add an extra boost of flavor to recipes like Tuscan White Bean Soup. Perfect for chilly evenings, this recipe combines pantry staples and enticing seasonings for an easy-to-make soup that simmers in the slow cooker. This Sherry, Ham and Cheese Brunch Bake is another delicious and convenient recipe to feed your family on early holiday mornings. This simple, tasty brunch bake can be easily prepped the night before.

While holiday gatherings may be smaller this year, spending time with family can be made even more special when sharing a homemade, holiday-inspired meal. Sherry Cherry Pork Loin Roast, made in a time-saving slow cooker, provides an easy way to bring your family together for a flavorful holiday meal.

This festive season, Holland House Cooking Wines provide an easy way to delight your family. They’re available in four flavors – Marsala, Sherry, White and Red – made using fine grapes and blended seasonings, aged to perfection, to offer bold flavor to your holiday cooking.

Visit hollandhouseflavors.com to find more holiday-worthy dishes.

Sherry Cherry Pork Loin Roast

Recipe courtesy of Cate Meade of “Cate’s Kitchen Fit” Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 5-6 hours Servings: 8-10 7 tablespoons avocado or grapeseed oil, divided 2 large Vidalia onions, halved and thinly sliced 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 pork loin roast (4-4 1/2 pounds), trimmed and patted dry 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided

Sherry Cherry Sauce: 3/4 cup Holland House Sherry Cooking Wine 5-6 cloves garlic

1 cup frozen Bing cherries, divided 1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard powder

4 tablespoons Holland House Balsamic Vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 bunch fresh parsley, large stems removed, plus additional reserved for garnish

3 tablespoons cornstarch (optional) In large slow cooker on high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil, sliced onions and 1 teaspoon salt.

Season roast evenly on all sides with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tea­spoon pepper.

Place large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan. Sear pork loin 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer roast to slow cooker on top of onions.

Cover and cook on low 3 hours.

To make Sherry Cherry Sauce: In blender, blend sherry cooking wine, garlic, 1/2 cup cherries, mustard powder, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, parsley, remaining olive oil, remaining salt and remaining pepper until smooth; set aside.

After pork loin cooks 3 hours, add Sherry Cherry Sauce around pork roast.

Cover and cook 2-3 hours on low.

To glaze, brush roast with warm sauce 3-4 times in last hour of cooking.

Once pork reaches internal temperature of 145 F, remove and let rest 15-20 minutes before slicing.

To finish sauce, remove 1/4 cup cooking liquid and mix with cornstarch to make a slurry. Whisk slurry and remaining cherries into sauce. Cook in slow cooker on high 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slice roast 1/2-inch thick, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with Sherry Cherry Sauce and braised onions.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Sherry, Ham and Cheese Brunch Bake

Sherry, Ham and Cheese Brunch Bake Recipe courtesy of Jillian Wade of “Food, Folks & Fun” Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 1 hour, 20 minutes Servings: 10

8 tablespoons salted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing pan, divided 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 large shallots, minced 1/2 cup Holland House Sherry Cooking Wine 1 package (20 ounces) frozen hash brown potatoes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese 8 ounces precooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 8 large eggs 1 1/4 cups whole milk 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill 1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill, for garnish (optional) 2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)

Move oven rack to middle position and preheat to 400 F. Generously grease 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter; set aside.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, add olive oil and preheat pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, about 7-8 minutes.

Stir in cooking wine and cook until liquid is evaporated, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add frozen hash browns to prepared baking dish. Pour melted butter over potatoes and add salt, pepper and caramelized shallots.

Use spoon to mix well. Bake 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and some edges are beginning to brown. Remove potatoes from oven and reduce temperature to 325 F. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese evenly over potatoes followed by ham.

In large measuring cup or small bowl, vigorously whisk eggs, milk, mustard powder and dill until fully combined and eggs become frothy, about 1 minute.

Pour egg mixture evenly over potatoes, cheese and ham. Store covered in refrigerator if prepping night before.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until edges of casserole are golden brown and center of casserole is set.

Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with chopped dill and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of Jillian Wade of “Food, Folks & Fun” Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 8 hours Servings: 8 4 cups chicken stock 1 cup Holland House White Cooking Wine 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes 1 medium yellow onion, diced small 1 cup celery, diced 1 cup carrots, diced 6 large cloves garlic, minced 3 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (13 3/4 ounces) artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary 4 cups kale (about 6 ounces), cleaned, destemmed and chopped 5 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced 8 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, shaved (for garnish) Place chicken stock, white cooking wine, tomatoes, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, bay leaf, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and rosemary in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving soup, stir in kale and cover.

In 10-inch skillet over medium heat, cook pancetta until crispy, about 4 minutes. Move pancetta to paper towellined plate to drain.

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with pancetta and Parmesan cheese shavings.

Page B-4 • michiganchronicle.com • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

Special needs students navigate remote learning with better outcomes

By Roz Edwards For more than 80 million U.S. students, school will never be the same since the 2019-2020 school year was abruptly interrupted by the COVID-19 crisis. The subsequent scramble for educators and parents to establish new learning protocols in the world of special needs students and keep students engaged in remote schoolwork has been marked by controversy and criticism with some signs of enlightenment shining through.

But for the 7 million students with learning disabilities, the COVID crisis would prove especially challenged.

Each of those promising young charges deserves a quality learning experience – pandemic or not. Pre-pandemic schooling required individually tailored programs for special needs students according to an Individual Education Plan as prescribed by the Americans With Disabilities Act. Atlanta Public School mom Dominique Hill is an outspoken advocate for teen daughters, Brittany, 16, and Aiesha, 14, both of whom continue to participate exclusively in online only classes. Both girls attended Atlanta Public Schools and when the pandemic closed schools in March 2020, they like millions of other students around the nation moved to the online learning platform. And while the idea of taking classes online was at first novel, the challenges of the learning divide initially took a toll on the family.

Aiesha, who has autism and muscular dystrophy is on the rainbow of disabilities from attention deficient disorder to dyslexia and expressive language disorder to reading disability.

“Since my daughter’s first day of school I have been an advocate i.e., active parent who sat in the principal or some other administrator’s office to ensure my child’s progress,” said Hill. “But in the first week of the online learning program it appeared that we are all working through the process and figuring it out together. It was pretty much a piecemeal approach, starting with me having to purchase three laptops in a single day, not knowing that we need Chromebooks for the girls’ assignments.”

APS, at the start of the pandemic, with no idea of the depth and breadth of the pandemic, distributed 40,000 iPads and Chromebooks to households in underserved communities or those that identified with financial hardship. The Hill girls were sharing the sole home computer, which meant that one, usually Asley, could not begin her daily online classes until younger sister Aesha had been completed her school day.

And while APS provided 40,000 Chromebooks and iPads for it’s young charges in order to ensure every student had the technical tools needed, Aesha’s school issued device ceased working during the second week of classes.

“I’ve always been an advocate for my children, especially Aesha since she has learning and physical challenges.” The slender brown skinned 14-year old girl with amazingly thick eyebrows and a closed mouth smile works diligently to follow lesson plans, complete homework assignments, take tests and eek out some personal attention in her 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. school day.

“But this has been especially difficult since we were thrown into this new world of online learning without any plan or preparation. APS school officials in responding this indefinite period of learning limbo issued a 72page Parent Virtual Learning Handbook, at the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The handbook is primarily a guide to online technology, not the how-to learning guide for parents of challenged and non-challenged students we were hoping for.”

“For me the learning is pretty much the same as it was in school … if not better. At first it was daunting to tackle being a working mom and suddenly a teacher for my girls.”

Although the assurances of Individualized Learning Plans were designed to ensure that “children will not be denied quality school and educational opportunities based upon their disabilities.” But the IEP plan was developed in the time of in-school learning, a concept which requires the full participation of school boards, principals, school faculty and Americans With Disabilities Compliance Officers to achieve novel learning conditions.

New protocols for attendance, homework, tests, and personal attention in a digital environment will require modifications to fully accommodate special learners.

“Special students with learning disabilities tend to learn better in the online environment, but institutions are not doing enough to meet their needs,” according to Rob Kelly of In Online Education.

Meanwhile, Aesha, a slender brown girl with gorgeously thick eyebrows and a closed mouth smile is working her current IEP plan with the assistance of family. “But this has been especially difficult since we were thrown into this new world of online learning without any plan or preparation. We, including the teachers were just figuring things out as we went along.”

Hill, like most parents of students in special learning online classes is immersed in the age old fight for mainstream learning for Aesha and quick to make the distinction that the virtual learning her special daughter gets rivals – if not exceeds – the relatively conventional education her 16-year-old receives. Essentially her inschool learning plan mirrors her online learning. It included “Aesha’s classes required that I work side by side with her to explain and reinforce the teachers instructions and assignments, after which I would get on the phone with her teachers to clarify the assignment and discuss Aesha’s progress,” explained Hill, a working single mom and events planner for a private Atlanta country club.

“Last year she had assignments like class competitions to create a dress from toilet tissue and paint her face with kabuki style makeup. She got high marks for both, but I didn’t know how these assignments would accomplish our goal of preparing her to compete in a post-secondary world.”

Hill is positive about the education her special needs student is getting in the new school year though. She appreciates replacing the limited number of books and traditional learning tools with a digital platform, essentially crossing the great digital divide kids in underserved communities face.

“In this new school year, I am not seeing a number of improvements in the online curriculum for special needs kids. I actually think things are getting better.

They’re able to share the information they would eventually get from books in a much bigger and global way. I believe that an offshoot of the new learning environment is that she is becoming more familiar with technology. I just make sure she is in the right classroom and assess what she needs from me.”

Hill emphasizes that regular interaction with online instructors has been key to a rewarding learning experience for Aesha. “If you don’t do interact, you are doing your child a disservice.”

Black collegians are missing campus life during COVID-19

By Roz Edward

and arduous testing.

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting unprecedented pressure on Black, Brown and White college students engaged in virtual learning situations to find ways to engage and interact socially.

Post-secondary students explain that the isolation caused by the pandemic is not only disruptive to the campus life experience, many worry that the lack of socialization is impacting their emotional welfare and even their mental health.

“The worst-case scenario is that we see more black students leaving, not enrolling, dropping out or not experiencing success,” said Frank Harris III, a professor of Postsecondary Education at San Diego State University.

“I really do miss waking up and going to class way more than I thought. I miss the whole college experience because I had a normal freshman year and now it’s done a complete 180 sophomore year,” explains Prairie Dolton, a sophomore at North Carolina State University. “It was just unexpected and kind of rough with the transition to everything new,” she continued.

Homecoming, freshman icebreakers, fraternity functions and sorority soirees are more than simply an opportunity to party, they are an essential part of college campus life. Student socialization is a basic for one of the most memorable periods of a young adult’s scholastic experience. It’s also fertile ground for personal development, and in many cases helps in building long-term friendships and lifelong relationships with future colleagues.

The bottom line is that collegiate camaraderie is proving to be more than a social benefit, it is especially important to relieving anxiety and tension for post-secondary students who are already at risk of succumbing to the challenges of rigorous course work

A survey of 195 students indicated that more than 80 percent of participants report that decreased social interactions due to physical distancing and increased concerns regarding academic performance during the pandemic are leading distressed students to in some cases adopt extreme behaviors to cope with stress and anxiety including self-medicating and/ or leaving post-secondary educational pursuits altogether. Harris said the response by the Black Collegians program at Santa Monica College and other similar support programs to the financial, social, academic and emotional fallout from COVID-19 may serve as examples for other campuses to keep damage to a minimum among black students.

Findings of a study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information and published in the National Library of Medicine underscored the urgent need to develop interventions and preventive strategies to address the mental health of college students.

College students are also reporting that they are finding it harder to connect to mental health services amid the pandemic. Forty-two percent of all respondents indicated they had attempted to seek care during the pandemic. Of those, 60 percent said accessing mental health care has become “much more difficult,” or “somewhat more difficult,” according to study, conducted by the American

College Health Association and the Healthy Minds Network. The survey included 18,700 students across 14 campuses between March and May 2020.

“A student who doesn’t have a community, who’s not already connected in some way, could literally be kind of lost in the abyss right now, with no one to turn to, not sure where to go,” Harris said.

“No one is looking for them, no one is necessarily looking after them.”

The Centers for Disease Control reports that in June 40 percent of adults in the U.S. indicated that they have been struggling with mental health since the start of the pandemic. That statistic is compounded by the fact that college age is a time when many emotional and mental disorders present normally.

Experts agree it’s a hard time and students are feeling it in different ways. “College students we know for one, it is the time where a lot of anxiety and depression disorders present,” Dr. Mary Kimmel of University of NC explains.

Colleges and universities are responding and attempting to alleviate some of the pressure of virtual learning by creating online groups for students cyber celebrate accomplishments and check in with friends and classmates. “I know this is new ground for everybody, faculty and students,” admits HBCU grad Cherylynne Washington. “But the problem is that all of this is still occurring online and in a virtual environment. We need to find meaningful ways to connect and ensure that all students are getting the support they need to get over this hump and cross the line into the realm of graduation … online or in person.”

Can Schools Finish The Year Normally?

How To Keep Them Open And Safer

COVID-19 cases are surging across the U.S., a harsh reality that students, parents, teachers and staff feared would happen when many schools opened for fall sessions. As a result, schools throughout the nation have closed and shifted to remote learning in recent weeks.

What will it take to return kids to the classroom and keep schools open? Though vaccines have been approved, it may be months before children, their families, and school personnel are vaccinated.

Until then, implementing a plan that includes processes for virus detection and response is paramount, says Dr. Jonathan Spero (www.inhousephysicians.com), an expert on pandemic preparedness whose company is delivering COVID-19 testing to K-12 schools in New York City.

“The problem that schools are facing is there is still a significant prevalence of COVID in many communities,” Spero says. “Schools need to do everything they can to prevent student outbreaks; otherwise it’s going to continue shutting down schools.

“But on top of that you have to deal with a tremendous amount of anxiety. The students, parents, faculty, and staff are all on pins and needles because they are feeling insecure about their health.

The only way to address all of this is through a comprehensive health security strategy that can work when so many variables are in play.”

Spero offers these suggestions to safely open schools while navigating the continuing COVID-19 crisis:

Daily temperature checks.

“They’re not a fool-proof way to see if someone has COVID,” Spero says. “A significant number are asymptomatic, but fever is a common symptom, and because it is, temperature checks should be a fundamental daily procedure.”

Spero suggests two ways to organize the temperature-checking process at schools: designate some staff members, who can each scan 200-300 students an hour; 2) use thermal scanners, a device that can scan 400-600 per hour.

Screening for symptoms and close contacts. This starts at home, where parents can help prevent the spread at schools by keeping children home who are showing COVID-like symptoms or have been in close contact with someone with COVID. “At schools, everyone returning should be screened on a range of symptoms,” Spero says. “Those with symptoms should be sent home and referred for testing.”

COVID surveillance testing.

Though this is rarely being done

in K-12 schools, Spero says, “Frequent asymptomatic testing of the student population is a very effective way to limit the spread of the virus in the school.” Positive test results necessitate the immediate need to perform contact tracing with the goal of identifying everyone who was in close contact with the infected student.

Daily prevention protocols.

Spero says, “Prevention measures include mask-wearing by all students and staff throughout the school day, frequent disinfection of surfaces, the availability of hand sanitizers in classrooms, frequent reminders to wash hands, and as much social distancing as possible in classrooms.”

“Positivity rates in the community need to be held to a reasonable level for schools in an area to be open,” Spero says. “And when they are open, there are a lot of moving parts for school officials to deal with in order to avoid an outbreak. But if they’re not dealt with, ultimately your school could be closing again.”

Classifieds

Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021 • michiganchronicle.com • Page B-5

ANNOUNCEMENTS

5

ATTENTION QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS AND SECURITY SYSTEMS CONSULTANTS

Tips for

CNS Healthcare is seeking qualified contractors to perform construction/renovations and security system installation work at its facility located at 20303 Kelly Rd., Detroit, MI 48225. Work shall include automated egress door system; interior LED light fixtures; exterior security lighting; emergency lighting near exits; security door improvements; ADA accessible stalls in the lobby restrooms; security cameras and wiring and updated parking lot gates.

Winter Travelers

Contractors and security system companies wishing to bid shall demonstrate the following qualifications: at least 5 years in their relative trade and licensed as required by the State of Michigan and/or local law.

Insurance: General liability and automobile insurance with CNS Healthcare and the City of Detroit as additional named insureds.

Workman’s compensation insurance will also be required.

Bid packets are available via email by sending a request to Ajackson@cnshealthcare.org Contact Anthony Jackson at 248-467-4982 with questions concerning the specifications in the bid documents.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting and examination of the facility will take place on January 5, 2021 at 20303 Kelly Rd., Detroit, MI. from 1:00-2:00 pm. Masks are required and all social distancing protocols will be followed.

Sealed bids will be accepted until 3:00 pm on January 12, 2021 at 15560 Joy Rd., Detroit, MI. 48228. No bids will be accepted after this time.

All bids will be publicly opened at 3:30 pm at CNS Healthcare, 15560 Joy Rd., Detroit, MI. 48228. All interested parties are welcome to attend. CNS Healthcare will award a contract to the lowest, most responsible and responsive bidder, however, CNS Healthcare reserves the right to waive any irregularity in any bid or reject any and all bids it may deem in its best interest.

The contracts will be administered under the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund administered by the City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department-CDBG initiatives Division. The successful contractor will be required to adhere to all federal laws governing section 3 regulations, equal employment opportunity, with the prevailing wage requirements of the Federal Labor Standards Act, which also incorporates Davis-Bacon Act requirements; will have to be cleared and approved by the City of Detroit; and comply with:

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

(Family Features) Because of the pandemic, fewer Americans are taking to the skies, but a significant number likely plan to hit the roads to visit friends and family during the winter months. Whether a few towns over or a couple states away, many drivers will travel interstates, which are major logistics corridors often dominated by commercial trucks.

Executive Order No. 2016-1 which states, in part, that all City of Detroit project construction contracts shall provide that at least Fifty One percent (51%) of the workforce must be bona-fide Detroit residents.

Bidders are required to furnish a bid guarantee equal to five percent (5%) of their bid. The bid guarantee shall be in the form of a performance bond.

According to the United States Census Bureau, there are approximately 3.5 million people working as truck drivers in the U.S. From keeping grocery store shelves stocked to delivering those next-day packages, professional truck drivers impact lives with the freight they move and serve an important role in keeping the economy running.

The successful bidder is required to furnish payment (Labor and Materials) and performance bonds in an amount covering the faithful performance of the contract and the payment of all obligations arising thereunder; in an amount equal to One Hundred Percent (100%) of their contract, executed by a surety that is licensed to do business in the State of Michigan.

The contactor will be required to comply with the federal government Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Section 3 ACT (24 CFR 135). All contractors (subcontractors) shall include the Section 3 Clause found on the City of Detroit’s website, https://detroitmi.gov/departments/housing-and-revitalization-department#HUD-Programs-and-information. You will find the link near the bottom of the page.

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• Don’t follow trucks too closely. If you can’t

see a tractor trailer’s mirrors, the driver can’t see you.

• Schedule vehicle maintenance before your trip. Have your oil changed and ask the

experts to check your tire pressure and other important fluids to help assure you’re driving safely and efficiently.

• Carefully plan your route. If driving through

big cities, consider fluctuations in rush hour traffic. For more remote locations where there may not be regular food or gas, plan for when you’ll need to stop along the route.

Professional truck drivers are also ex• Stay hydrated and nourished. Before perts when it comes to planning travel.

Marchmeal 18-24, Page C-5 THE MICHIGAN From mapping out CHRONICLE a route to maintaining setting out, eat a healthy and2020 drink plenty their vehicles and even practicing a healthy of water. For the drive, pack healthy, non-perishdiet, many truck drivers are road trip exable snacks like granola, fruit PROFESSIONAL or nuts along with perts.

ANNOUNCEMENTS PROFESSIONAL bottled water.

For longer trips with kids, consider HELP WANTED Caron Comas is a professional truck HELP WANTED a small cooler for sandwiches, string cheese or driver WATER for Variant, a subsidiary of U.S. DETROIT AND SEWERAGE Xpress, one of the nation’s largest trucking yogurt.

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Dvlp test procedures Meritor Heavy Systems trucks for 17 years and her expert insight • Be overly prepared. Keep a fewVehicle blankets, a LLC &test scripts for psgr vehicle ADAS features on PUBLIC – PROPOSED RATES driver planseeks a Senior Design Engineer, in can HEARING aid the average automobile test bench &in vehicle.

Execute Fault flashlight, aInjection first-aid kit and extra pair of shoes Troy,an MI to perform engineering analysis ning For to hit theYear roads this winter.

Tests using dSPACE MicroAutoBox, to test Fiscal 2020-21 necessary for the production design,

in your car. If you experience car trouble, make

&validate fail-safe action of Active Safety (AS)

application and testing of “It’s important that average driver Notice is hereby given that the the Detroit features incldg Lane Keep Assist, Low Speed sure you can stay warm until help arrives. axle/suspension components and Collision Mitigation Braking , Lane Centering give plenty of space on the road,” Water andtrucks Sewerage Department will hold systems, among other duties.

Control, Hands-on Lane Following (HoLF), Comas said.

“People can forget we’re gena Public Hearing on Wednesday, April 15, FSRACC, Automatic Park Assist, &Collision Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical • Kusing eep in mind pandemic . CheckEng. erally handling 75 Detroit feet ofPolice tractor and Imminent trail- Braking, MATLAB, Simulink, the global 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at the and two years of experience in the job tools, &neoVI FIRE HW. Dvlp er, which weigh 80,000 pounds.INCA, WeVehicleSpyeach state’s quarantine requirements that you’lland offered or related. International Department 7th can Precinct located at 3501 scripts using ATT Suite. Dvlp test procedures for required, as needed, up can’t onDetroit, a dime like automobiles, so &upcoming Chenestop Street MI 48207. existing features such to as HoLF beAStraveling or through,domestic wear travel a mask when in to 30%. Send resume to: Sarah &Super increase distance when merging in front of Cruise. Dvlp MATLAB &Simulink models public follow for Disease Control Trautmann, Meritor, Resume using dSPACE RTI blocksetsand &interface them w/the Centers trucks and avoid slamming on your brakes.”

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the roaditsand before you travel: Announces Open Enrollment period for the 2020-2021 school year for grades K-8. Applications may be picked up at the school, 22930 Chippewa, Detroit, MI 48219, www.westondetroit.com (313)387-6038, during Open Enrollment period April 14, 2020 through April 30, 2020 during school hours as well as April 16th from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and April 18th from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

guidelines when traveling.

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Electrical, Mechanical, Automotive Engrg, or 48084. related. 12 mos expmore as Engineer, testvisit usxpress.com/news.

For traveldvlpg tips, procedures &testing scripts for psgr vehicle ADAS features on test bench &in vehicle. Mail resume to Controls Commissioning Engineer II Ref#4933, GM Global Mobility, 300 Ren. Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Michigan Chronicle ANNOUNCEMENTS

Legal Notice George Washington Carver Academy

If enrollment applications exceed the number of available spaces, a random selection drawing will be held at Weston Preparatory Academy on May 12, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.

DIGITAL DAILY Attention: Employee Leasing Companies

The George Washington Carver Academy is requesting proposals for employee leasing services.

Vendors and/or their representatives may submit proposals to:

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED

Keeping You Informed At All Times Of The Day

George Washington Carver Academy c/o Provision Business Solutions Attention: Mrs. Alma Hollins 17336 W. 12 Mile – Suite 200 Southfield, MI 48076

The George Washington Carver Academy Board of Education reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or to accept the proposal that is in the best interest of the school district.

All proposals must be submitted between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on April 1, 2020. RFPs may be requested from Alma Hollins at (248) 440-7318 or at alma@provision4solutions.com. All proposals should be delivered in a sealed envelope and addressed to George Washington Carver Academy and be clearly marked: Employee Leasing Proposal.

DETROIT WATER AND SEWERAGE DEPARTMENT NOTICE PUBLIC HEARING FOR WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT FY21 DRINKING WATER REVOLVING FUND (DWRF) PROJECT

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) announces a Public Hearing regarding its Project Plan for proposed Water Main Replacement in the City of Detroit. DWSD will be seeking low interest Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) loan assistance for FY2021. The project is comprised of replacing aging water main in the Jefferson-Chalmers area of the City of Detroit. Construction will include excavation of existing water mains, installation of new pipes, rehabilitation of pipes, replacement of lead service lines between the water main and the water meter, pressure testing, backfill, and right-of-way. The impact of the project will be improved customer satisfaction and safe, reliable service delivery of potable water to customers. The temporary impact of construction activities will be minimized through mitigation measures specified in the contract documents. Adverse impacts on historical, archaeological, geographic, or cultural areas are not expected. This project is necessary to ensure that DWSD will consistently and reliably provide high quality potable water to the residents. The Project Plan consists of a single project in critical need of water main replacement or rehabilitation. The total cost of this project is currently estimated at approximately $20.8 million; which is being sought through the DWRF program. The Water Main Replacement/Rehabilitation project is eligible for participating under the State of Michigan low interest DWRF loan program.

Senior Software Developer Connected Core Apps

General Motors, Detroit, MI. Dvlp, unit test, debug, execute, validate, &publish psgr vehicle U.S. &global mobile &in vehicle customer facing core apps in Android OS, to ensure secure app exp, &to provide services (Terms &Conditions Privacy Statements, voice recognition (VR), Bluetooth &Bluetooth Low Energy, maps, smart trailering, Smart Connect, &AppShop) &user interfaces for Android Auto &CarPlay, &improved Vehicle to Back Office &Vehicle to Mobile commun. for vehicle infotainment sys &mobile phones, in Java &Android languages, in Agile methodology, using Git, Junit, Gerrit, Bitbucket, Jenkins CI, Artifactory, Android Studio, TFS, Gherkin, MS Project Management, SONAR, Visual Studio, &Atom tools. Dvlp VR &in vehicle map apps, &implement RESTful web-services.

Dvlp SW apps using regression testing, UAT Testing &production build testing to deliver effective products. Bachelor, Computer Science, Computer Engrg, Electrical Engrg, or related. 60 mos exp as Developer, System Designer, Consultant or Engineer, gathering reqmts, designing, &dvlpg sys, working in Java &Android environments, or related. Mail resume to Ref#38372, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

ECU Flash Programming Project Engineer Warren, MI, General Motors. Design, engr, &dvlp conventional, semi-autonomous &autonomous psgr vehicle functional technical specs level reqmts &interfaces using IBM Synergy & DOORS for OTA flash programming of embedded ECUs to support vehicle infotainment &telematics syss features. Engr, analyze &improve vehicle electrical &electronic OTA capable ECU syss &update Infotainment (programming master, w/ low &high radio, Bluetooth, navigation, climate control &satellite radio syss); Central Gateway Module controlling CAN &Ethernet traffic in ECUs in Instrument Panel Clusters, Body Control Modules, Electronic Climate Control, External Control Module, &Vehicle Integration Control Module; &Telematics Control Unit, such as OnStar. Perform DFMEA on functional technical specs. Dvlp &implement HW &SW for automotive

michiganchronicle.com | DQE

The Public Hearing will present a description of the recommended project, estimated costs, as well as the cost per household impact

Team Leader - Mfg,

New Boston, MI, Brose North America. Plan, supervise &lead New Boston Plant (NBO) Mfg Technology Welding grp, incldg tools, equipment, processes, projects, programs, personnel, investment, &tooling &eqpmt suppliers, to assure high volume mfg of mechatronic seat syss (1st, 2nd, &3rd row) rails (upper &lower), side panels, base structures, pivoting recliner structures, backrests, loadthroughs, &center consoles.

Manage, supervise, lead &mentor NBO internal mfg workforce -Welding Engrs, Welding Lab Supv, Shift Leaders, technicians, toolmaker, interns/apprentices, technicians, fastening speclts, &external personnel. Plan, design, dvlp, assure plant documentation, &in charge of assuring employee training in industrial joining technologies; welding tooling &fixtures mechanical designs &concepts; mechatronics technologies; laser &standard laser welding technologies; programming of disk lasers (Yttrium, Aluminum, Garnet lasers) &diode lasers, incldg parameter configurations; ABB robotic programming, handling &remote laser welding, fiber optics programming, automated &robotic PLC; PLC &tooling simulation. 24 mos exp as Welding Technologist, Engr or Team Leader, or related, supervising, leading, or in charge of plant welding processes &eqpmt, w/ industrial joining technologies incldg laser welding syss for automotive seat or door syss for OEM customer, or related. Mail resume to Ref#41121, Human Resources, 3933 Automation Ave, Auburn Hills, MI 48326.

Senior Industrial Engineer Warren, MI, General Motors. Analyze, create workstation designs, rebalance, &coach operations using Standard Time &Data Systems (STDS) for GenV, High Feature, 10 spd transmission, &GMT-T1 Cmpnts Launch programs to improve Value-added (VA) &Nonvalue added (NVA) work content. Support powertrain plants w/ line balancing activities to meet productivity targets in NY/TN, CAN/MEX Mexico engine plants. Provide data driven metrics incldg Non-Scheduled Overtime (NSOT), Cost Per Unit (CPU), Hours Per Unit (HPU) &overtime, &plant productivity proposals to guide production department to understand opportunities to reduce CPU, HPU &NSOT assigned to plants for each calendar year. Review plant industrial engrg production data reports &perform standard time data calibration audits for 10 engine, transmission, &related cmpnts plants in U.S., Canada &Mexico. Conduct monthly Continuous Improvement Process Workshops to Group Leaders, Maintenance Skilled Trades, &plant employees, to reduce CPU, HPU &NSOT, &improve production throughput. Required travel to vehicle GM vehicle engine, transmission &cmpnts plants in U.S., Canada, &Mexico to evaluate &improve mfg processes &facilities layouts, &support launches, up to 9 Wks P/Yr. Master, Industrial Engrg, Industrial &Systems Engrg, or related. 12 mos exp as Engineer, analyzing, creating workstation designs, rebalancing, &coaching operations using STDS for engine or transmission plant to evaluate &improve VA &NVA work content, or related. Mail resume to Ref#26795, GM Global Mobility, 300

(Grand Rapids, MI), responsible for utilizing controls subsystem installation, commissioning test procedures and checklists for controls hardware and software (PLC), HMI’s and SCADA; and providing support for subsystem electrical installation, interface testing, training, and startup, among other duties. BS & 0 years exp. Education or experience must include: the design and implementation of System PLC Code, controls networks, and integrated motion controllers; and hardware and software applications for LabVIEW platforms. Domestic and international travel required 50-70% of time. Send resume to Leigh Baker (Code CCE GRMI), TGW Systems, 3001 Orchard Vista Dr. SE, Suite 300, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. No phone calls please.

EOE. Infotainment Calibration Domain Lead General Motors, Detroit, MI. Engr, dvlp, release infotainment low radio calibrations, test, &verify psgr vehicle infotainment low radio calibration domain using Calibration definition tool (CalDef), Teamcenter, VehicleSpy, IBM RTC, DPS, E2, Engrg Change Request sys tools. Determine program specific calibration reqmts using Product Program Content charts &devise infotainment (low radio) calibration strategies to fulfil vehicle packages &trim reqmts of N./S. America, &GM Int’l Region. Create calibrations using CalDef in accordance w/ Global Infotainment Standards dos, GMW Engrg standards &Corporate Guidelines incldg AM/FM frequency reqmts for each country &region. Test &verify HMI functionality w/ psgr vehicle low radios incldg touchscreen displays &button assemblies. Create calibration archives for fleet vehicles using DPS to perform calibration tests. Bachelor, Electrical, Mechanical, Automotive Engrg, or related. 12 mos exp as Engineer, releasing infotainment low radio calibrations, testing or verifying psgr vehicle infotainment low radio calibration domain using Teamcenter, VehicleSpy, RTC, &E2 sys tools, or related. Mail resume to Ref#2337-C302, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Virtual Design Development Validation Engineer Warren, MI, General Motors. Engr, plan, &execute FEA models of psgr vehicle automatic, manual, &continuously variable transmission transmissions syss incldg valve bodies, housings, pumps, sprockets, hubs, park systems, clutch packs, spring packs, pistons &dams, &electric drive units (DU) incldg structural sealing &sys deflection, to meet structural &performance (durability, sealing, thermal, mfg tolerance, stiffness, &mass) reqmts in Bills of Design (BOD) at virtual design assessment gates, using Abaqus, HyperMesh, Simlab, Fe-Safe, Inspect, Tosca, Isight, OptiStruct &UG tools. Generate &simplify L/D data for gasket modeling &dvlp name tags &pressure mapping logic for simulating various gear state loads in valve

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• michiganchronicle.com • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021

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