C
O
M
E
R
I
C
A
HOMEFRONT Roots. A3
Comerica’s Prom Dress Drive donates over 900 dresses to Hope Closet in support of southeast Michigan teens
Michigan Chronicle
Vol. 85 – No. 37 | May 18-24, 2022
Powered by Real Times Media | michiganchronicle.com
Black Leadership Advisory Council's report to build a stronger Michigan The Black Leadership Advisory Council (BLAC) appointed by Governor Whitmer made 11 policy recommendations to close racial equity gaps and build a stronger, more inclusive Michigan. The recommendations are centered on the kitchen-table issues, proposing investments, initiatives, and policy changes in education, community safety, justice, small business growth, and health to advance racial equity in Michigan. “The Black Leadership Advisory Council recommendations are a step in the right direction to create a more inclusive, equitable Michigan,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “We are committed to working together and enacting these recommendations as we build a more inclusive state and continue delivering on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to working families and communities of color including great schools, good jobs, clean water, safe roads, and so much more.” Convened by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in late 2020, the mission of the Black Leadership Advisory Council (BLAC) is to identify barriers in the Black community in education, community safety, health, and business leadership. “The Council has been diligent throughout the year to create recommendations that will help Michigan be more equitable for Black communities throughout the state and tackle issues that have plagued Black communities for far too long,” said Robert Womack, a Kent County Commissioner who also serves as the council’s co-chair. Over the past year, subject experts have presented to BLAC on various issues. Based on those presentations and other forms of research and analysis, BLAC has offered 11 policy recommendations to Gov. Whitmer: Support the CROWN Act: Legislation that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and other opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles such as braids, locs, twists or Bantu knots. Support a Michigan payday loan interest rate cap: Urging Michigan legislature to adopt and Gov. Whitmer to sign legislation that would cap interest rates for payday loans at 36% APR. Include Black businesses in Michigan’s $10 billion federal infrastructure projects: Asking the Gov. Whitmer administration to work closely with business organizations that serve Black business owners to help Black entrepreneurs get the resources, credit and training they need to be able to participate in a meaningful way in contracting opportunities presented by the federal infrastructure investments that are coming to Michigan. Support diversity on corporate boards and in c-suites: Requesting Michigan legislature to hold hearings on HB 597, which encourages corporate boards to have more diverse representation and pass the legislation. Better collection and analy-
WCCCD’s Chancellor Curtis L. Ivery honored with AACC’s first-ever
“CEO of the Year Award”
By Donald James
Senior Writer, Real Times Media
At the prestigious American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) annual Awards of Excellence ceremony held recently in New York City, Dr. Curtis L. Ivery, Chancellor of Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD), was feted with the first-ever “CEO of the Year Award.” According to the AACC, the national inaugural award recognizes Ivery’s achievements and transformational leadership at WCCCD. The honor speaks to Ivery’s incredible accomplishments and professional contributions to the community college field and for modeling innovative and successful ways colleges can create meaningful impacts in individuals’ lives. The AACC, founded in 1920, is known as “the voice of America’s community colleges.” The Washington, D.C. - based association represents and advocates for nearly 1,200 associate-degree granting institutions enrolling more than 12 million students. “I am honored to be the first recipient of the CEO of the Year Award,” said Ivery. “It is always gratifying to be recognized by your peers, but for me, the CEO of the Year award provided important validation for my entire leadership team. For the past several years, the shared vision and mission of our team have kept us moving forward through the fog of the pandemic and the real hardship experienced by many of our students.”
While Ivery gives credit to his entire leadership team, the facts bear out that under Curtis’ leadership, WCCCD has grown exponentially. Since Ivery accepted WCCCD’s top executive position in 1995, WCCCD has morphed from 7,000 students to a multicampus cornerstone institution of higher education that serves more than 70,000 students annually across 32 cities and townships in Wayne County. As the largest urban community college district in Michigan, Ivery has transformed WCCCD into an institution that provides more than 120 career and academic programs to its students and is a regional leader in workforce development and healthcare fields. WCCCD, founded in 1967, currently has six campuses. In addition to the Curtis L. Ivery Downtown Campus, other locations include the Downriver Campus, Eastern Campus, Northwest Campus, Ted Scott Campus, and the Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center. “I am proud that we have grown to be a national example of a thriving college that is also deeply invested and interested in the success of our entire region,” Ivery said. “I am deeply proud that we have been able to create a strategic vision and plan that allowed our students, staff, and faculty, along with area partners and organizations, to see that we had everything here to be a vital institution that could make lives better.” When Ivery began his tenure at WCCCD in 1995, he admits that he didn’t
think 27 years later, he would still be its chancellor.
“I think the saying is, “when we make plans, God laughs,” Ivery said. “When I first arrived in Detroit, I did not know that I would be here nearly three decades later. But I knew that I could create positive change and that change was needed. What I felt then was excited, challenged, and completely intellectually and emotionally engaged with the college, with my team, and with the people that we serve. I still feel that today. So while I didn’t count the years, there has not been a time since arriving in Detroit when I haven’t felt that this was where I wanted to be. I’m blessed to have my wife, Ola, and my family, who have supported me every step of the way.” When asked to reflect on how Detroit has evolved since arriving in the Motor City 27 years ago, Ivery said, “Detroit is one of the most remarkable cities in this nation. It has always been a bellwether for what is happening in other cities and metro areas. I think, too, there is a certain pragmatic grit that is associated with Detroiters – a resilience and “can do” spirit that persists through everything.” For Ivery and WCCCD, the beat goes on to provide the best, most diverse, and highest levels of education while emphasizing occupational and career programs. AACC calls Ivery a transformational leader in higher education, which
See DR.
CUIRTIS IVERY page A2
See REPORT page A2
WHAT’S INSIDE
My Body, My Choice – The Fight for Abortions By Megan Kirk
Inflation:
The Financial Strain of a Post-Pandemic Economy
Money. A5
$1.00
The right for a woman to choose is under attack and the United States Supreme Court may overturn a decades-old decision that could cause reproductive shockwaves for all women. The historic Roe v. Wade case laid the groundwork for abortion rights. Now, almost 50 years after the case was decided, women find themselves at the mercy of the highest court in the land yet again. In January 1973, the United States Supreme Court ruled over a case that would subsequently change abortion laws for women across the country. Striking down a Texas statute banning abortions, the Supreme Court determined a woman’s right to choose was protected under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Now, the Supreme Court may be looking to reverse the decision, impacting more than 26 states and millions of women across the country. Norma McCorvey, who was known as Jane Roe in the legal court filings, enlisted the
help of two Texas attorneys who wanted to challenge the state’s law against abortion. Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington filed a lawsuit against the district attorney of Dallas County Henry Wade leading to a 7-2 decision against Texas by the Supreme Court. Since, then women have had the liberty to choose their course of action when considering pregnancy. However, for many states, including Michigan, the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade will have legal impacts that may be felt for years.
“If the SCOTUS opinion we saw this week is the final decision of the court, Michigan’s 1931 felony abortion ban could go back into effect, meaning nearly 2.2 million women in Michigan – and countless pregnant-capable people – will immediately lose access to legal abortion,” said Angela Vasquez Giroux, vice president of communications and marketing for Planned Parenthood of Michigan (PPMI). Michigan’s trigger ban on abortions, a law set in 1931, would be back in effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Under this statute, anyone who facilitates or engages in an abortion will be found guilty of a felony unless in the case of saving the mother’s life. Michigan advocacy groups are working to fight to uphold Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose her own fate. Planned Parenthood has been a fixture for women’s reproductive health for generations. As one of the organizations leading the charge to keep reproductive rights intact, Planned Parenthood of Michigan has steadily worked to ensure
See RIGHT
TO CHOOSE page A2