MC Digital Edition 1.11.23

Michigan Chronicle

Detroiters Reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King

By Sherri Kolade

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will commemorate the 28th year of the annual day of service on January 16, 2023. This day was created to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy and to inspire all Americans to volunteer in their communities.

Many still dream of one day being united and not divided.

Faye Nelson, director of Michigan Programs at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation told the Mihcigan Chronicle that racial healing sits at the very heart of and is essential to the goal of realizing Dr. King’s dream, which she reflects on especially during this time.

“It is a process for connecting, building relationships and bridging divides so that communities can work together toward a more equitable future. By starting with conversations that allow authentic stories to be told, racial healing gives us a chance to learn from each other, build trust and empathy and forge a path forward, together,” Nelson said adding that Detroiters have played an essential role in the fight for racial equity. “From its role as the final stop on the Underground Railroad, through its centrality in the Civil Rights Movement, to its leadership in today’s social justice movement.”

Nelson adds that Martin Luther King Jr. Day represents the annual commemoration of the life and death of a principled man of courage, who lived a life of service, one who possessed a vision of racial equity.

“As we honor the National Day of Racial Healing on January 17, an annual observance established by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that occurs on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we encourage people to speak openly, share their personal experiences on race and racism and learn the truth about our shared history,” she said. “Locally, I’m inspired by the work of one of our grantees, Detroit Equity Action Lab at Wayne State University, as they partner with the community in hosting their own “National Day of Healing from Racism” event. It is a wonderful example of Detroiters embracing the opportunity that the National Day of Racial Healing presents to build trust and inspire collective action toward a more just and equitable society.”

On Monday, January 20, 1986, Americans observed the first-ever Martin Luther King Day, which is the only federal holiday honoring an African-American. A “Day On, Not a Day Off,” the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is observed annually on the third Monday in January thanks to a 1994 congressional proclamation that made the occasion a national day of service.

In order to end racial oppression, Dr. King promoted nonviolent opposition to injustice. He enacted change through

“I Have a Dream”

Is Dr. King’s Iconic Speech Still Relevant to Black America?

By Donald James Senior Writer,

As America celebrates the birthday, life, contributions, and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday known as MLK Day, held this year on Jan. 16, 2023, many will center their attention on the civil rights legend’s iconic speech, “I Have a Dream.” Presented on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963, during the famed March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, King’s speech has been called perhaps the greatest ever delivered by anyone of any ethnicity in the history of the United States of America.

King delivered his speech in

front of approximately 250,000 people, the overwhelming majority of which were Black men, women, and children. King’s “I Have a Dream” oratory masterpiece was a powerful and epic rallying cry for Black Americans to definitively know and understand that they were equal to White Americans and constitutionally promised the same fair and equal rights across every sector of society. The 17minute speech was interwoven with King’s continuous phrase “I have a dream” and his vision for racial harmony and an end to racism in America.

“For many African Americans in communities across the nation, Dr. King’s dream has become a nightmare when it comes to

“And we are not doing the things that we need to do to help our communities and our people realize Dr. King’s dream. We are silent about so many things that we need to speak out on and be more proactive to spark change.”

Holley said Black churches have been lulled to sleep and have not done what’s needed to help Black communities live up to King’s dream.

“I’m disappointed in the lead-

LGBTQ Equality Within the Civil Rights Movement

By Rasha Almulaiki

Over 50 years since civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. galvanized millions across the country toward a dream of equality and integration, we are still fighting for what it means to have equity and across a spectrum of further marginalized identities.

What does it mean to be Black and queer in today’s reality? The Michigan Chronicle interviewed A. Nzere Kwabena, executive director of LGBT Detroit on the hallmarks of progress and how far we still have to go.

“We have lived with the HIV virus scare since 1980s,” said Kwabena. “Also, the flu and now with covid, another health crisis has been compounded on the others. We are here to participate in solutions, so we’re not done. COVID exposed a number

of health disparities that needs to be addressed and have impacted a number of us losing family, friends and a sense of safety.”

Even before the COIVD pandemic hit, LGBTQ youth had a far higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts, partly because they experienced more victimization. The minority stress model contends that repeated encounters with stigma, aggression, rejection, and prejudice can have a detrimental effect on mental health.

Additionally, LGBTQ kids already experience far higher than

average rates of unemployment and homelessness. The pandemic caused mental stress, physical alienation, and financial stress have the potential to intensify these worries and give rise to new issues for many LGBTQ kids.

Founded in 1994, LGBT Detroit is a nonprofit organization focused on increasing public awareness and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals across the racial, cultural, and socio-economic spectrum.

The nonprofit centers their work on creating a sense of com-

munity for anyone who has been discriminated against based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. LGBT Detroit’s services include several educational campaigns launched statewide, including “Togethr”, a podcast dedicated to ending the stigma and misinformation of HIV and AIDS; and “Brother To Brother Lockdown” is an video podcast for safe sex and HIV education and prevention program.

Also, the organization hosts an LGBT Detroit Leadership Academy for Mentors and Protégés, a program for mentoring kids and young adults now in its 10th year. The LGBT Detroit Leadership Academy (The Academy) creates a transparent and long-lasting road map to find and cultivate future leaders in the LGBT+ community.

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Faye Nelson

A. Nzere Kwabena is the executive director of LGBT Detroit. Photo courtesy of LGBT Detroit.

Rev. Dr. Jim Holley retired senior pastor of Little Rock Baptist Church

Real Times Media

Black people receiving equality in the areas of employment, education, business, housing, and civil rights,” said Rev. Dr. Jim Holley, civil rights leader and retired senior pastor of the Historic Little Rock Baptist Church in Detroit.

Portia Roberson, CEO of Focus: Hope

Dr. Kenneth L. Harris, president & CEO of National Business League

DEI Commitment Outlook at Wayne State University

ership and the followership in many areas, but more than anything else, I’m really disappointed in the roles of our churches,” said Holley, who was heavily influenced by King’s way of bringing about systemic changes in the face of opposition and racism. “The churches have not done the job of transforming our communities and transforming our children.”

Interestingly, in a May 8, 1967, interview, King – a little less than four years after delivering his iconic speech in Washington, D.C., and 11 months before his assassination, told NBC correspondent Sander Vanocur that his “I Have a Dream” speech in some ways had become a nightmare.

“I must confess that the dream that I had that day has, at many points, turned into a nightmare,” King said. “Now, I’m not one to lose hope. I keep on hoping. I still have faith in the future. But I’ve had to analyze many things over the last few years. I’ve gone through a lot of soul-searching and agonizing moments. And I’ve come to see that we have many more difficult days ahead, and some of the old optimism was a little superficial and now it must be tempered with

a solid realism.”

Nevertheless, Wayne County Commission Chair Alisha Bell said that it’s vitally important that King’s dreams are celebrated and never forgotten.

“We have come a long way, which can’t be denied,” Bell said. “Politically, there was the election of America’s first Black president, and we now have more African American members of Congress than ever before. However, there are still many things for us to do to achieve Dr. King’s dream of equality in politics, business, education, and socio-economically.”

Bell said that she is a big proponent of education being a major key to King’s dream coming to fruition.

“For me, everything goes back to education,” said the three-time elected commission chair. “We have to know where we’ve come from to know where we are going and need to go. And it is so important that we educate our young people. It’s important that they know about the racial struggles in the 50s and 60s and the civil rights leaders, like Dr. King and others, who helped us get where we are today.”

people have made significant gains but have not fully realized King’s dream for equality. In Roberson’s top leadership role at Focus: Hope, she oversees workforce development programs, food distribution initiatives, and early learning endeavors to empower mainly underserved Black communities to make measurable gains in combatting racism, poverty, and injustice in ways that King envisioned.

“There is no question that we have made gains since Dr. King made his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech,” Roberson said. “However, many of the gains are being challenged every day, such as in voting rights and equality in public school education, issues Dr. King and others fought zealously for.”

Roberson said that many people today have become somewhat ambivalent or naïve about how much people are actively working to take away the gains made by Black people.

“My generation didn’t grow up in the midst of the fights that Dr. King and others fought in the 1950s and ‘60s,” Roberson said. “I think that the latter generations always imagined that the gains we received as a result of Dr. King’s efforts and fights would always be here. That has made

some people less conscious of how actively some people are fighting to take away those rights. But we must move forward to achieve and keep the things Dr. King fought for.”

Roberson, who chairs the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, said if King were living today, he would profoundly influence current civil rights issues that would still include the plight of Black people but morph to include discrimination against persons because of their religion, race, national origin, or sexual orientation.

“I think if Dr. King were living, he would have continued to grow and evolve,” Roberson said. “However, he would want us to stay engaged, knowing that his dream for equality had not been fully realized.”

Bell agreed, adding:

“If Dr. King were living today, I believe he would be proud in some instances but disappointed in others,” Bell said. “He would be disappointed in what’s happening to our voting rights, which he fought for during the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and ‘60s. However, Dr. King would be happy to see some of the gains we have made over the last 60 years in business and politics, but he would want to see more.”

Dr. Kenneth L. Harris, president & CEO of the 123-year-old National Business League founded by Dr. Booker T. Washington, said King, if he were living, would push more for economic freedom and equality for Black people.

planned sit-ins, marches, and nonviolent protests that brought inequality’s problems to light. The youngest person to ever earn the Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. King received it in 1964. He entered the ministry to become a Baptist pastor, following in the traditions of his grandfather and father. He was killed on the balcony of his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, when he was 39 years old.

to overcome someday.

One of the biggest LGBT+ events of the year is Hotter than July, a Black Pride week-long celebration.

Started in 1996 to celebrate Detroit’s Black LGBT+ community, Hotter Than July summer event is known as the world’s second oldest Black LGBT+ Pride with over 9,000 attendees noted in 2019. Organized by LGBT Detroit, the activities are curated in partnership with community leaders and supporters to offer a safe, education space to celebrate and showcase the culture in the city.

When asked what equity means for the Black LGBT+ community in Detroit, Kwabena said equity is being able to be free in who you are.

“We need to create more spaces where people don’t have to leave a space to be free. We need to make more environments more welcoming,” said Kwabena. “Most people are ignorant of our culture, and although we have seen big cultural shifts forward and I have witnessed them in my lifetime, we have also seen a way of going backward. I’ve seen progress and want to build on the acceptance and rise in allyship around us.”

Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of LGBT Detroit and Kwabena said the organization’s is working toward creating regional, statewide survey to ask what the equal rights movement looks today and what significant achievements stand out as landmarks to safeguard and build on to individuals.

“Detroit has seen a tremendous amount of progress when it comes to the downtown area,” said Kwabena. “We have rallied to have downtown show the representation of safe space for everyone and its been more welcoming. However, some other areas of the city still need attention. I’m afraid we still have only certain areas, like downtown, that we can only express ourselves here but can’t express yourself in other places.”

He said in terms of social policy, there are assets that have been hard fought that need to be protected.

“We want still for the ability of Black and Brown people, inside and outside the LGBT community to gather around resources and the power that is available to make sure the rights we do have remain. We look at how the Supreme Court reversed reproductive justice overnight and there was a rallying around the country. We are far from feeling like we are where we need to be and can be.”

“Although I can’t speak for Dr. King or assume what his thoughts would be, I believe he would want Black people to be economically free and stand against injustice, inequality, and involuntary servitude by any means necessary,” Harris said. “And in the knowledge-based, digital economy of today, we have the means to make that stand because it’s necessary for the economic survival of a historically creative and innovative race of people.”

Harris also thinks that King would rededicate his efforts to achieve the dreams of equality across broad sectors and fully realize why Black people must become more self-sufficient in their quests for advancement.

“America has shown us that Black people are on their own because the cavalry is not coming, outside of a few willing to do what’s right,” Harris said. “I suggest that Black people work with those who are committed to doing what’s right as it pertains to Black access, inclusion, and participation.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly,” Dr. King once famously wrote in his letter from Birmingham, Alabama jail, April 16, 1963.

Lifelong Detroit resident Ray Smith, who remembers growing up with pictures of Jesus Christ, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and then-President John F Kennedy on the mantle of his family’s home, said previously that the holiday is about reflection.

Smith is one of many local and Detroit men who exemplify what Dr. King spoke about carrying out the good job of advancing equality and equity for all, including those who are still hoping

Black Bottom Group (BBG) President Smith told the Michigan Chronicle that BBG started the State of Michigan History Center process that resulted in the Black Bottom Historical Marker recognizing Black Bottom Detroit as a legally recognized historical area last summer. BBG is a multipurpose media, education, and entertainment company in Detroit. The Michigan Historical Commission authorized the BBG to install a historical marker after nearly three years of work on it.

The state historical marker is at Lafayette Central Park, 1500 E. Lafayette, Detroit. The marker highlights famous Black Bottom residents such as Coleman A. Young, Joe Louis and Ralph Bunche.

“I’m part of the city of Detroit and I am a resident who keeps doing the work and turning the wheels of justice to make sure that we are doing our part,” Smith said.

Smith added that if Dr. King were here today he would look and say that, “The harvest is great but the laborers are few.”

“Whatever part you play make sure you play it [so that it] uplifts the Black community as well,” he said. “The dream still lives on -- he lives on through the work we do. … It starts with us.”

The LGBT Detroit Leadership Academy graduating class of 2022. Photo courtesy of LGBT Detroit.

Portia Roberson, CEO of Detroit-based Focus: Hope, believes Black

Roots.

Just Let Your Soul Glow

By Sherri Kolade

When the casket closes one final time and is lowered into the ground, the tears still warm as they fall down the faces of bereaved loved ones, while a common saying is heard during that sobering time.

“Rest in peace.”

While that expression is heartfelt and meaningful to the ears of those who hear it, what does it really mean?

Where does the soul go after one dies?

While there are many different answers, the Michigan Chronicle touched on a few responses from local spiritual leaders who shared their insight into their thoughts on the afterlife.

In Buddhism, the thought is that life and death are a continuum, with the belief that consciousness (the spirit) continues after a person dies and may be reborn.

Superstar Tina Turner, a longtime Buddhist, told hbr.org that when she began practicing decades ago it helped her with facing challenges.

“I realized that my hardships could give me a mission—a purpose,” she said in the article. “I saw that by overcoming my obstacles, I could build indestructible happiness and inspire others to do the same.”

In the Islam faith, Muslims believe that life and death are following Allah’s will and that each person’s death has a predetermined time frame. After death, one enters the Hereafter, the final destination.

Ice Cube, who converted to Islam in the early 1990s, said in previous interviews when asked about his faith talked about what it is all about.

“I mean, what I call myself is a natural Muslim because it’s just me and God.”

The majority of Hindus think that people experience a cycle of death and rebirth known as samsara. An individual’s atman (soul) is reborn after death in a different body. Some people think that rebirth occurs immediately after death, while others think that an atman might exist in other worlds, according to reports.

Benny J Tillman, the first African American president of a major Hindu-based organization, Vedic Friends Association, told indiacurrents.com that the key Hindu/Vedic philosophy is the idea that people are not these material bodies but that they are eternal spiritual beings, temporarily inhabiting these material bodies.

“So, whether we identify as an Af-

The Charles H. Wright Museum And All That Jazz

By Donald James Senior Writer Real Times Media

These days, there’s a bit of jazz in the air at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, or better said, a bit of jazz on the walls at The Wright. One of the world’s oldest independent African American museums, The Wright proudly presents two riveting jazz exhibits running through Black History Month (Feb.28, 2023).

One exhibit is “Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection.” The collection features 31 photographs of legendary jazz singers and musicians who brought jazz to national and international ears, minds, and hearts through recordings and live performances. The pure work of 14 photographers, the images were taken from the 1920s to the 1980s, capturing

jazz icons such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Detroiter Alice Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Eric Dolphy, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie. The black-and-white photos define key moments of cultural transformation in America across social, economic, and political realms.

Among the prolific photographers whose work is on display is the late Chuck Stewart, an African American who gained notoriety for his hundreds of thousands of photographs taken of jazz artists on and off the stage for more than six decades. Stewart, who died in 2017 at 89, was famous for photographing jazz album covers, the interior and exterior of jazz clubs, and recording studios. Reliable sources in jazz circles said Stewart’s photography appeared on at least 2,000 album covers.

The Jazz Greats exhibit is made pos-

sible by the Bank of America’s Art in Our Communities initiative. The initiative is believed to be the only corporate program in the nation that allows museums and nonprofit galleries to borrow art exhibits, such as jazz, at no cost.

“Bank of America believes in the power of the arts to help economies thrive, educate and enrich societies, and create greater cultural understanding,” said Matt Elliott, President, Bank of America Michigan. “Furthering our partnership with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History not only provides an opportunity for Detroiters to celebrate jazz as a unique American art form but deepens the bank’s overall commitment to the arts.”

“The Wright Museum is proud to partner with our longtime support-

Lewis Foundation Reacts to John Lewis Stamp Announcement

By Donald James Senior Writer, Real Times Media

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced recently that it would honor John Lewis, the late Georgia Congressman, civil rights legend and champion for voting rights, with a new stamp in 2023. The stamp is derived from a photo taken of Lewis by Time magazine photographer Marco Grob in 2013.

In a written statement, the Postal Service said, “Lewis spent more than 30 years in Congress steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he had help achieve in the 1960s. Even in the face of hatred and violence, as well as some 45 arrests, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call ‘good trouble.’”

USPS’s announcement is “good news” for the Atlanta-based John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation. After all, the selection capped a two-and-ahalf year campaign facilitated by the

Foundation to persuade USPS to approve and release the forever stamp on a fast-track.

“The Foundation reached out to the postal service a couple of weeks after Lewis’ passing in July 2020 because we saw it as an appropriate and great honor to place John Lewis on a commemorative forever stamp,” Linda Earley Chastang, president and CEO of the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation, told the Michigan Chronicle. “We sought the assistance of Congressman Sanford Dixon Bishop from Georgia, asking him and a Georgia delegation to weigh in on our request. We also reached out to the senators from Georgia and to the late Con-

gressman’s fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, which launched and sustained a successful national letter-writing campaign.”

Chastang, a former Chief of Staff and Counsel to Lewis in Congress, said a definite date for the release of the stamp has not been revealed to the foundation or the general public. Yet, she believes the stamp will be made available in the summer of 2023. Chastang added that the official release date will be announced by USPS and not the foundation. Regardless, she is excited about the approval.

“The fact that the stamp is scheduled to be released this summer is amazing because by the USPS’s own rules,

the commemorative stamp committee doesn’t typically consider requests to honor someone on a commemorative stamp within three years of that person’s passing,” Chastang said, adding “ but the Postal Service agreed with us that John Lewis was a special person, who stood for so much that the sooner the stamp could get out there the better it would be.”

Calling John Lewis a special person is perhaps an understatement. Lewis’s public service career spanned 60 years. While in his late teens, he learned about nonviolent protests and organized lunch-counter sit-ins before becoming an original member of the Freedom Riders in 1961.

In his early 20s, Lewis was the youngest speaker at the iconic March on Washington in 1963. On March 7, 1965, Lewis, along with hundreds of other marchers attempted to cross the

Pastor David John of Impact Metro Detroit talks about the soul.

er Bank of America, to present the Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection,” said Neil A. Barclay, President and CEO of The Wright Museum. “Bank of America understands the importance of bringing these photographs to our community given its long legacy of producing some of the greatest jazz artists of our time.”

In addition to Jazz Greats, The Wright Museum is displaying “Detroit Jazz: The Legacy Continues.” The exhibit highlights Detroit jazz musicians who have made valuable contributions to broadening the jazz scene locally, nationally, and internationally. The exhibit also highlights some of Detroit’s many venues that put the city on the jazz map with genres such as ragtime, swing, boogie-woogie, bebop, and big band music. While Detroit is typically known for the creation of the Motown Sound, built by Berry Gordy in the 1950s, jazz in the city had deep roots dating back to the early 1920s. Many of Motown’s top musicians were first jazz stars and recruited by Gordy to play on Motown’s hundreds of hits records or at live performances.

”As a companion to the exhibition Jazz Greats, The Wright curatorial staff has augmented the exhibition with images focusing on the Detroit jazz artists who have lived and worked among us. ” said Barclay.

“Both exhibits are captivating,” said native Detroiter Alfred C. Marlton. “If you love jazz or are just curious about learning more about jazz and its pioneering legends, both exhibits are must-see. And it’s difficult to experience the true footprints of jazz without appreciating the pathways made possible by so many Detroiters for more than 100 years. The Detroit exhibit can’t feature all of this city’s jazz greats because there are hundreds, but the Charles H. Wright Museum features captivating images and contributions of some of the jazz musicians, who at one time or another called Detroit home.”

For more information about the two jazz exhibitions or other displays, upcoming events and programs at the Charles H. Wright Museum, log on to www. thewright.org

rican American, Hindu American, Asian American, white American, or an American of color, we are all spiritual beings equal in the eyes of the Supreme Lord,” he said in the article.

Judaism does not particularly hold a fundamental belief in life after death. Jews believe that how they live their lives on Earth is more significant than any potential afterlife.

Singer Lenny Kravitz, who identifies as a Christian in a religious sense who is culturally Jewish, said in other reports, “Through choice ... I’m

also a Jew, it’s all the same to me”.

In Christianity, Christians believe that there is only one voyage through this world, and it finishes with death. By God’s grace, this life may be lived in accordance with God and His promise of resurrection after death in the certain hope of heaven through faith and repentance.

Pastor David John of Impact Metro Detroit told the Michigan Chronicle that he had an immediate death in his family with the passing of his father last April, and that it’s one thing to preach about life and death but it’s another to experience it.

“What the scripture says

about the soul living on or the afterlife and that kind of thing it’s really interesting,” he said of the highly-debated subject. “Even in Jesus’ time … there’s a group of Jews [the Sadducees] that challenges … if there is such a thing as the soul living after death and Jesus’s response to them actually really encouraged me and gave me hopes about my dad.”

John said that he was comforted by the fact that God presented himself as alive and being the God of those in the past and present among other things with the takeaway being that there is an afterlife where the soul goes in either one of two places: Heaven or Hell.

“I just think that’s really cool if we have any confidence

Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., enroute to the state capitol of Montgomery to call for equal voting rights for Black people. What started as a peaceful protest turned violently ugly when Alabama State Troopers viciously attacked the non-violent marchers on the bridge, hurting several dozen demonstrators. Lewis suffered a cracked skull. The halted march infamously became known as “Bloody Sunday.”

Two days later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led approximately 3.000 people back to the bridge before turning the marchers around, choosing to obey a court order not to make the full 54-mile march. A third Selma to Montgomery March in late March proved successful.

After serving on the Atlanta City Council, Lewis was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he spent more than 30 years representing the Atlanta area. Lewis passed on July 17, 2020.

While the onus of when the John Lewis stamp will be released is up to the USPS, Chastang said when happens the stamp will generate excitement and have other positive effects on the public.

“What’s so exciting about the stamp is John Lewis’ face is really the face of voting rights,” Chastang told the Chronicle. “And when you have him on a stamp, people will be reminded every time that they see the stamp that voting rights and voting participation are critically important. They will be reminded of the importance of civic engagement and getting into ‘good trouble.’”

in Jesus [it is] that…the soul lives on after and that those of us that are righteous that we can look forward to the best kind of life after this one’s over,” he said, adding that Hell is not being present with God. “That’s how the Bible describes death itself and…I think people choose to reject them.”

He added that living right for God to escape Hell is a “bad motivation” for becoming a Christian.

“It’s just my experience with that,” he said of the figurative carrot on the end of the stick. “Knowing the right thing to do and being motivated to do the right thing for the right reasons is…way better.”

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Restoring Black Prosperity

By Sherri Kolade

“Good habits happen over several generations,” Inclusion and Economic Development Curator Tylene Henry told the Michigan Chronicle previously.

Those good habits can include developing a pathway to create generational wealth that outpaces poverty and financial insecurity. “A majority of our counterparts didn’t get to where they were [it took] several generations.”

While advancing toward higher economic growth is key, another reality still exists – systemic racism that seeps into many facets of life. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2019 survey of consumer finances, the median wealth of white families is $188,200 compared to $24,100 for Black families.

Omari Hall, a learning experience designer at GreenPath Financial Wellness, said that millennials have over $1 trillion in debt, the most of any generation in U.S. history.

“Centuries of racism and structural inequalities in the U.S. have contributed to this wealth gap,” he said, adding that “there is essential work that needs to be done to empower Black families, overcome systemic barriers and gain access to the knowledge needed to change this trend.”

DEI

at Wayne State University

By Rasha Almulaiki

This is the second installment of a three-part series highlighting the racial equity commitments of three community non-profits, higher education and media organizations based in Detroit.

Universities and colleges are one of the largest mixing grounds for thousands of people from varied backgrounds to come together.

“That’s

highly encourage people to reach out to trusted organizations like GreenPath so that we can look at your entire financial picture and help devise a personalized plan,” Hall added. “When building generational wealth, we encourage individuals and households to look at how they are managing debt and liabilities, how you approach spending, managing assets and homeownership. A home is not just a place to live, it’s also a valuable asset to your financial portfolio and gives you more financial freedom in both the short- and long-term.”

The pandemic, despite subsequent effects of job loss, a shaky economy and health issues, birthed many entrepreneurial ambitions and dreams.

According to pewresearch.org, the impact of COVID-19 hit Black Americans differently based on their education level and age group as older individuals fared a bit better off than those with lower levels of education and younger Black adults.

Lewis Matthews hit his stride in 2018 and grew in 2020 as the CEO and founder of Lumatt Enterprises, LLC, dba New Wave Products, Matthews is an accomplished patented inventor who has over 25 years of experience in sales.

He told the Michigan Chronicle recently that in addition to his company, which sells serving trays and other items, he brought food into the mix by adding cornbread, Brussels sprouts, and macaroni and cheese.

“I love to cook and she had a great recipe for cornbread and … [people] loved it,” he said adding that entering into the food industry locally during the pandemic was a journey.

With his product line soon to be in the

As either students, staff or faculty, the stomping ground for higher education is often a concentrated flex of multiculturalism and an opportunity for diversity, equity and inclusion discussions to take root and be put into daily practice.

The Michigan Chronicle spoke to Marquita Chamblee, Wayne State University’s (WSU) first associate provost for diversity and inclusion and a member of the president’s cabinet as the chief diversity officer.

Previously, Chamblee worked as the director of the office of diversity, inclusion and multicultural education at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., and has worked to carry that experience in supporting a welcoming space in higher education.

“We certainly, like so many institutions and organizations, had a kind of resurgence of our efforts after George Floyd was murdered in 2020. But that wasn’t the genesis of the work that we began, that’s a much older history,” said Chambers.

“We’ve done a lot of DEI work more broadly and racial justice has probably been more in the central university, but the Damon Keith Center for Civil Rights has done a lot of racial equity work over the last several years as part of the university.”

Chamblee said much credit goes to WSU President Dr. M. Roy Wilson who immediately put out a statement after the murder of Floyd and the protests had erupted, in support of the systemic change and brought staff together to make tangible changes in the university.

While the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement (OMSE) at WSU focuses on promoting a safe and racially equitable campus for impacted

students that have been historically underrepresented, Chamber’s office is focused on creating that culture among the staff and faculty members.

In February 2015, Chambers became the first chief diversity officer at Wayne State University. Her work involves responding to requests for training, workshops or an intervention around DEI that needs to be responded to in the department.

Chambers said many requests come internally for implicit bias trainings because the university’s different schools require it for licensed health professions to complete. This includes the college of medicine, social work and pharmacy students.

Last June, Governor Whitmer and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) announced a new policy requirement to improve equity and address health care racial disparities across Michigan’s health care system.

For the last six months, the officer hired an intercultural training director to hone in on creating and expanding staff training and education programs.

Conversations focus on identifying and implementing understandings of implicit bias, microaggressions and learning how to challenge yourself based on your identity to be more intentional about navigating other people around you.

“We, each of us, need to look at our own implicit biases and what to do about them. The workshop on this is probably the one I get the most requests for. I think it’s because microaggressions are happening and people are aware that they’re happening and, whether it’s in a given department or generally at the university, people want to bring it awareness. What is the microaggression? What does it look like and how do we interrupt it?”

In June 2020, a working group at Wayne State University came together as the Social Justice Action Committee (SJAC). The committee was tasked with first, examining internal policies, procedures and practices to identify bias on campus that may disproportionately disadvantage historically marginalized people.

Second, SJAC provided recommendations for specific actions for consideration of immediate, medium-term and long-term implementation.

The committee evaluated the university in working group split among the following criterion: hiring and retention of faculty and staff, student access and success, policing, intercultural education and training, campus climate and DEI initiatives across the university.

In a full report released in March 2021, SJAC found some common themes that emerged in the recommendations from the working groups included enhancing accountability, infrastructural changes, enhanced engagement to increase participation by underrepresented groups and collaboration with the university’s communities, objective guidelines and DEI training.

In addition, the report included recommendations meant to recognize students are more likely to succeed when the university critically examines and eradicates unnecessary barriers (e.g., overemphasis on standardized testing, unnecessarily difficult gateway courses) and provides the data, helpful information and supports and monitoring to address problems.

Other recommendations include, “some infrastructural changes included establishing a centralized DEI incident reporting office, the development

By Rasha Almulaiki

The Hudson-Webber Foundation announced that it is making a $2.1 million investment in the Detroit Arts Support Program (DAS). In addition, the foundation is committing $1,582,000 to advance community safety and policing initiatives, provide relief for Detroiters experiencing property foreclosure and workforce development goals.

With a total of over $2.1 million pledged across the 2022–24 cycle, the 29 organizations receiving assistance from the DAS Program will receive a combined total of $702,500 from the Hudson–Webber Foundation for the grant’s first year.

“The grant will be used directly for arts support, so anything art related,” said Augusta Morrison, senior program strategist at Sidewalk Detroit, one of Detroit Arts Support Program’s 29 grantees.

“This includes all of our arts programming, commissions, as well as

our festival. That grant is going to help us with our general operations with anything related to what we’re doing in 2023.”

Sidewalk Detroit is a community-based non-profit committed to advancing public life and social infrastructure through art, culture and collaborative engagement with residents on the design and ethos of public art. The organization has worked on space-making and art programming, including conceptual infrastructure work at Eliza Howell Park and the annual Sidewalk Festival hosted throughout the city.

This year is Sidewalk Detroit’s 10th anniversary and they will be working on a new artist residency project in collaboration with community partners to unveil an installation at Joy Southfield Farmers Market later this summer, as well as the return of the Sidewalk Festival.

For over 80 years, the Detroit-based

why we

Marquita Chamblee is the associate provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Wayne State University. Photo courtesy of Wayne State University.

From page A-5

of a DEI Council, additional ODI/OMSE staff and the creation of Learning and Development Communities.”

“Through institutional support, we’re going to diversify our faculty pretty significantly,” said Chamblee. “It’s going to be big because we have a fairly significant African American student population and students of color and we want to make sure that as best we can we have some faculty that reflect our student body.”

Chamblee said hiring more diverse staff and faculty is one of her priorities to ensure those working at the university reflect the diverse demographics of students. The university was awarded a $6 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to support the equitable hiring and the construction of a Center for Black Studies on campus. The infrastructure is still a work in progress and will likely materialize over the next couple of years.

“The diversity, equity and inclusion of our campus community is beneficial to everyone,” said Chamblee. “That is what we continue to support, people’s process to buy-in [to] the conversations we are having…the procedures and practices we have, we need to institutionalize them so we don’t need to keep reinventing the wheel.”

Looking ahead, Chamblee said the DEI work is meant to be sustainable and she hopes to see it continue to be embedded into the university’s vision into the future.

“There is a lot that’s happening and I’m optimistic about the future. As we are in the process right now of searching for a new president, and it’s a bit unnerving to try to replace President Wilson because he was such a strong advocate for DEI in the time he’s been here. It’ll be important as we transition to a new leader that the person we select continues to build on the momentum that President Wilson laid out for us.”

Investment

From page A-5

Hudson-Webber Foundation invested more than $200 million in grants to Detroit nonprofit organizations toward initiatives focused on safe and just communities and economic development, public spaces and facilities, and arts and culture.

In 2019, the Hudson-Webber Foundation unveiled a $3.1 million commitment in grants for research, community development and the expansion of the Detroit Riverfront. The grants supported a coalition of organizations in a holistic effort toward cultural inclusion and sustainability, including Global Detroit, Midtown Detroit, Inc., the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Building the Engine of Community Development of Detroit.

Additionally, the DAS grant beneficiaries were chosen after a thorough screening procedure that includes community review panels and financial analyses of each group. The funds are given as flexible operational assistance grants.

“We are excited that this grant will help us support all of the energy and effort that it takes to curate and commission artwork in the city that will last for years to come,” said Morrison.

“We hope this will provide inspiration for other communi-

Black Prosperity

From page A-5

Rivertown Meijer Market, Fresh Thyme in Farmington, and on tap for other places, Matthews said that he has come a long way after a brief incarceration stint (for petty crimes) when he was in his late teens and early adulthood.

Matthews said that after his sentencing he found some issues finding work and establishing his own company was the answer. He encourages others who faced long prison sentences and need work, they should consider working for themselves and creating their own jobs.

“A job is really not the answer for prosperity,” he said.

ties and neighborhoods to see the importance of art and how it impacts people’s whole lives and how they think about their neighborhood…joyful, exciting and that people care,” she added.

The DAS grant laid criteria factored in for funding, including each organization’s capacity to support the strength of the nonprofit arts and culture sector, to deliver high-quality programming that reflects Detroit, and to act as a window through which Detroiters can experience arts and culture from around the country and the world. All grantees must show a commitment toward advancing opportunities for low-income people and people of color to participate in the production or curation of arts and culture

A Host of People (AHOP), a multi-racial and -disciplinary Detroit-based theater and performance company, is one of the grantees of the 2022-24 DAS grant.

Co-founder and co-director, Sherrine Azab, told the Michigan Chronicle she is excited about the investment in supporting locally based artists and creatives.

“It’s really exciting that they’re supporting smaller arts companies,” said Azab. “That’s where the artists of the city live and where most of them find work.”

She said the pandemic was especially hard on artists and theater productions that rely

“It’s definitely not the answer to even help the community and you, the urban community.”

He said over the years with the racism he has faced, the answer is entrepreneurship – having your own.

According to brookings.edu, nationally, per the most recent Census data release, there are roughly 3.12 million Blackowned businesses in the United States generating $206 billion in annual revenue and supporting 3.56 million U.S. jobs.

“Owning your own business is the answer especially if you have a record,” Matthews, who is in good company, said. “You’re controlling your own destiny per se and not depending on someone else to get you a paycheck.”

on an in-person audiences and artistic experiences.

“Last year, it was all about reorganizing and fulfilling plans that were derailed by the pandemic. This year, we are finally working on plans that had not pivoted but we must also adjust to a new reality. We are in a changed world and needed to adapt to the delayed projects and how they were originally conceived.”

AHOP’s grant will go toward general operating support and the production of the next ensemble created show. The theater piece will be a multi-media show that is made possible

through the DAS funds for what is needed in development and content creation.

“The theater community is really growing in an exciting way; it’s moving forward, and small arts orgs are supporting each other to come up in the city in a more visible way,” said Azab.

“From the opening of the Detroit Public Theater building to the city-wide work of groups like Sidewalk Detroit, more and more of that can keep happening. Now, people can get back to creating things and show the talent and creation being done in the last three years.”

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With degree programs driven by the demands of the real world, taught by faculty who are leaders in their fields, and students who are career ready — because for 155 years, that’s been central to our curriculum.

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Complete your application for admission at wayne.edu/apply. Use the code WSU2023 to have your application fee waived.

Academic excellence isn’t a goal at Wayne State: It’s a tradition. And just one more part of being Warrior Strong. Schedule

First-year students: Your scholarship deadline is Feb. 1.

Transfer students: Your scholarship deadline is June 1.

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How is Your Emotional IQ?

By Sherri Kolade

Are you emotionally intelligent?

Defined as the ability to identify, understand and manage emotions, emotional intelligence helps people in achieving their goals and improving their performance.

It is also described as a person’s personality, emotions and conduct, which are evaluated using their emotional intelligence. It helps from a business perspective, too, in determining its workforce’s needs for training and development. Additionally, it facilitates improved workplace collaboration and a decrease in stress.

According to statistics, Emotional Intelligence (EI) is also responsible for 58 percent of job performance. Also, 75 percent of the Fortune 500 use EI training reports add, noting, too, that emotionally intelligent people earn $29,000 more on average.

New research from The University of Toledo revealed during the pandemic just how important EI is for leaders as a study found that individuals with higher levels of Emotional Intelligence experienced lower levels of concern for leading remotely during the crisis.

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Where City Meets Life and Life Meets Style

“Prior to the global pandemic, most leaders did not have any formal training or on-the-job learning experiences related to leading remotely in a crisis situation,” said Dr. Jenell Wittmer, associate professor of management in UToledo’s John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation and an industrial and organizational psychologist. “The results of our analysis confirm how effectively perceiving and managing one’s emotions contribute to effectively dealing with the challenges of leading remotely in crisis situations.”

Emotional intelligence encompasses many elements including self-perception and stress tolerance and beyond.

“What leaders need especially during this type of crisis is not only a predefined response plan but more importantly behaviors and mindsets that will assist them in looking towards the future,” Dr. Margaret Hopkins, professor of management and co-author of the “Leading Remotely in a Time of Crisis: Relationships with Emotional Intelligence” published research, noted.

There are five components to emotional intelligence:

• Self-perception, which gauges emotional self-awareness.

• Self-expression or being proactive about adequately expressing feelings.

• Interpersonal, which assesses a person’s capacity for building strong interpersonal connections.

• Making decisions, which gauges one’s capacity for problem-solving and reality testing.

• Stress management, or the capacity to manage stress.

“Leaders with a high degree of self-perception will be more likely

Detroit Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King

By Andre Ash

There will be no shortage of activities and events planned to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the annual national holiday. The iconic figure will be remembered in song, informative history sessions, and parades across metro Detroit and the state of Michigan.

Henry Ford Museum plans to celebrate the life of Dr. King by offering a day of inspiration at its American Innovation on January 16. The museum will also feature several exhibits, events and programs.

Visitors will be able to hear the words of Dr. King as he presented a call to the nation during the 1963 March on Washington. The memorable speech called on Americans to reflect on the meaning of justice in Letter from the Birmingham Jail and encouraged people to consider the possibility of creating a lasting “beloved community” together.

Some of the featured exhibits include, “With Liberty and Justice for All. The exhibit explores the evolution of American freedom from the Revolutionary War to the fight for civil rights.

The day-long event will include hands-on activities, workshops focused on Dr. King’s work “Into Practice, special screenings, and so much more.

The event is free and according to the museum’s website at henryford.org, reservations are not required at this time.

Detroit’s gathering place for all things Black history will also commemorate the MLK Day. The Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History will host its annual Day event breakfast, exhibitions, and programming.

Visited can visit the Wright museum for an MLK prayer buffet breakfast featuring an invocation from Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, Senior Pastor of West Side Unity Church, and a keynote from Dr. Melba Joyce Boyd. Dr. Boyd is a Distinguished Professor in African American Studies at Wayne State University.

The prayer breakfast is a ticketed event, however the museum will also feature free educational workshops and family-friendly programming.

Some of the programming includes a “Restore the Dream” and “What’s Your Dream” workshop led by poet Tawana Petty.

As one would expect, MLK Day celebrations will take place across the state, including on the campus of East Lansing at Michigan State University. Starting Thursday, January 12 through Friday, January 20 – students and faculty will be involved in a variety of events including:

Jan 12: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Unity Dinner brings together hundreds in the MSU and East Lansing community to enjoy remarks, performances and student recognition.

Jan. 13: MLK Student Leadership Conference supports student leadership development and provides a platform to elevate student voices to build community.

Jan: 15: Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest Concert is free and open to the public, featuring MSU Jazz Orchestras and special guests.

Jan 16: MLK Commemorative March brings together student organizations and is open to the public.

“The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration at MSU is an important occasion for the campus community to recognize Dr. King’s incredible impact on civil rights and social justice, said Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D.

“As Spartans, we work to advance his message and manifest it in all we do. With Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day now a fully recognized university holiday, we have an even greater opportunity to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and connect with our community.”

MSU will also host a Community Unity Dinner. The dinner will highlight Department of African American and African Studies Associate Professor LeConté Dill as the keynote speaker, and will including recognize student recipients of the Martin Luther King Jr. Endowed Scholarship.

LOVE: Tatianna Merritt Encourages Others in “Devotions of Love” Book

By Sherri Kolade

“You are not alone.”

That is the message that Metro Detroit preacher and social media celebrity Tatianna Merritt asserts. She offers readers advice on how to quiet the chaos in their lives and find their inner calm to face 2023 with confidence in her first devotional book, “Devotions of Love.”

“No matter what life brings, there is no need to face it alone,” Merritt said in a press release about her intimate book, which takes readers through the steps necessary to allow God’s love to enter those vacant spaces. “I am a true testament that nothing you face in life can keep you from the love of God.”

Merritt is urging readers to find peace and solace in their faith at a time when people are looking for change and fulfillment as they get ready to start a new year. The influential person, who is now an author, guides readers on a daily voyage of discovery to overcome life’s chal-

lenges by acknowledging God’s love in every situation.

Merritt is a strong believer in the influence of living a genuine Christian lifestyle. She is committed to educating her audience about the value of prioritizing faith and themselves through the creation of inspirational, persuasive and motivating material. She is an example of how one may live the life one wishes through faith, and she currently has 100,000 followers, a number which is increasing.

Merritt is not new to her encouraging role in helping women to put themselves first amid their hectic life. When she isn’t producing content for the beauty, fashion, faith and fitness industries, she is passionate about sharing what fuels her fire.

She recently sat down and spoke with the Michigan Chronicle about the inspiration behind writing the book, which was birthed from a place of pain.

Two years ago, she and her husband,

“I mean, divorce came up. It was really bad,” she said, adding that as a woman of faith (and mother of four) going through a difficult time helped her reach higher heights in God. “The Lord always says… tribulation is going to come. Like your life is not just going to be peaceful. But keep me...in the forefront, keep me as your foundation and I will help you through this.”

That is exactly what He did for Merritt as she said that He told her to wake up early before everyone else and pray.

“It seemed too simple,” she said at first, adding that spending quiet time with the Lord produced some fruits that shocked her world and changed her marriage. “I got a notepad…and every single day…. starting from there I just started

Linda R. Taliaferro

Shannon Cohen

Pastor Jonathan Merritt of Straight Gate International Church, were going through what she described as a difficult time in their lives.

Metro Detroit preacher and social media celebrity Tatianna Merritt.

The Wright museum’s MLK program also includes a special film screening of “Who Are We: A Chronicle on Racism in America”.

Its programming will conclude with a lecture series which includes a curated selection of profound speakers chosen the museum’s president, Neil A. Barclay. The first lecture features Charles M. Blow, an American journalist, commentator and op-ed columnist for The New York Times and current political analyst for MSNBC, according to the museum’s website.

Linda R. Taliaferro, founder of The TEE - The Extra Effort, which helps Black and Brown women strengthen their emotional intelligence (and level up in their careers) told the Michigan Chronicle recently that Emotional Intelligence is “critical”, especially for Black and Brown women in the workplace.

“I think it’s extremely important for us to be focused and to really stretch ourselves with regard to preparation around our Emotional Intelligence,” Taliaferro, who began her career in the 1980s, said, adding that she started out in the workforce not placing high rank on her EI. “I really just worked hard on just being good at what I did. So, I wasn’t focused on how I showed up from that perspective because I thought, you know, my work product was enough.”

Taliaferro said that she had to learn to control how she shows up and what EI represents holistically and knowing is more than half the battle but the “price of entry” to have a seat at the table.

Her advice to others on their quest toward Emotional Intelligence? Peel back the onion and then learn to “show up.”

“Who you are personally is who you are professionally,” she said, adding that once she realized who she was personally many doors began to open for her in the managerial and executive spaces. “I understood that things that...were af-

fecting me and my upbringing in my earlier years really shaped [my] work.”

Shannon Cohen, principal at Shannon Cohen Inc., makes it her business to get into the business of other movers and shakers looking to build business strategies around EI and more.

Described as an Emotional Intelligence leader, writer, keynote speaker and more, Cohen told the Michigan Chronicle that in the post-COVID reality people are living in there is an abundance of employee disengagement – coinciding with higher figures of people looking for more than “just a paycheck.”

“They are looking for work environments that invite them to be holistically well,” Cohen said. “As a result of that those companies wanting to be visible, vocal and attract high talent need to have leaders that understand ... and lead from a place of Emotional Intelligence,” Cohen said.

She said EI is the 2.0 version of a knowledge-based economy where people have stood on a soap box harping on the need to lead with empathy and not prioritizing it. Now, many companies are changing the narrative by hiring wellbeing-based positions to help their employees for the “pulse of the people.”

Cohen added that it’s time to “debunk the myth” that emotions are bad.

“Emotions are indicators and in a world of business we’re always measuring indicators,” she said, adding that a person wouldn’t yell at their phone if its battery is low – the same concept would apply if a person needed a recharge.

“Emotional Intelligence starts with self-awareness.”

For more information visit lindataliaferro.com and/or shannoncohen.com.

to have more peace.... God just gave me like a release to let every feeling that I have just be let out to Him....And I realized like at that moment, like God is love, like no matter what you’re going through, He loves you no matter what.”

From feelings of hopelessness to joy, she took her notes and formed them into a book.

“I was journaling, everything like that God says about us in His Word,” she said, adding that it was all positive and

she wants others to know they too are loved by God. “I have a lot of young women or even just women in general who come to me for prayer that you know, don’t know how to pray or don’t know how to start, or don’t know what to pray for. … I wanted to create a tool for other people.”

She adds that her book, with reflections for the day and night, helps people to learn to lean on God throughout the day, and she looks forward to the next chapter in her life, and the lives of her readers.

“Obviously, when you put something new out there and you’re attached to it, not sure how it’s going to be received. But I mean, from my family, from friends from strangers – people I don’t even know – they’re messaging me on Instagram or resharing and just saying how it’s inspired them and … so to me, that’s an honor really, that I’m able to help. That God’s using me.”

For more information on the devotional visit facebook.com/TatiannaMerritt or tatiannamerritt.com.

As we reflect on the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., may we honor his vision and sacrifice with actions that create a more equitable, civil and just Oakland County.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

For many people who wish to work toward a healthier weight, one of the greatest obstacles is figuring out where to begin. These tips from SlimFast consultant and registered dietitian Maryann Walsh show it doesn’t take a drastic lifestyle overhaul to make an impact.

Eat Mindfully

Many people who struggle with their weight benefit from being more conscious about what they’re eating and why. For example, consider your eating habits, such as eating even when you’re not hungry whether that’s because it’s mealtime and you think you should eat, you’re satisfying a craving or using a tasty snack to cope with stress.

Recognizing why you’re eating is an important step toward correcting destructive eating patterns, but so is paying attention to the other details of the eating experience, including what you eat and how it makes you feel. Ultimately, this may allow you to choose healthier foods that nourish your body for the long-term, rather than the brief satisfaction that comes with less nutritious choices.

Consider Intermittent Fasting

One weight-loss method many people find success using is intermittent fasting, which involves abstaining from all food and beverages for a specified time period each day or week. While going too long without food can sometimes lead to excess hunger then overeating later, in shorter, controlled fasting timeframes one can often more easily achieve a caloric deficit, which is required for weight loss.

Prepare for your fasting phase by choosing foods that support satiety. Options like SlimFast’s Intermittent Fasting line of meal bars and protein shakes can help avoid a sense of deprivation with tasty flavors like the Vanilla Cupcake Snack Shake Mix and Vanilla Almond Crunch Complete Meal Bar. The shake mixes

deliver 15 grams of slow-digesting protein, compared to whey protein, to help curb hunger, along with more than 20 vitamins and minerals. The meal bars clock in with 15 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber.

Manage Stress

When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol, which also raises insulin and can drive hunger and trigger cravings for comfort foods. In fact, that’s the very reason people tend to overeat when they’re under pressure. Light exercise and meditative practices can help you manage your mental strain. You might also consider talk therapy with a friend or professional or spend time unwinding with a book or music.

Get Proper Sleep

Poor sleep habits affect your weight in numerous ways. One is that when you’re feeling tired, your hunger and satiety hormones, ghrelin and leptin, can be affected, leading to an increase in caloric intake and subsequent weight gain. Additionally, when you’re tired, you’re more likely to take shortcuts like skipping workouts or opting for unhealthy convenience foods. All are reasons to make better rest a bigger priority.

Track Eating and Exercise

When you’re not paying attention to what you eat and how you move, you may not even realize how your habits are affecting your health. Logging what you eat, especially if you use a tool like an app that helps you see the nutrition breakdown, may give you a clearer idea of the quality and quantity of your intake. Similarly, when you’re specifically writing down the time you’re committing to physical activity, you’ll find it easier to identify patterns and pinpoint where you can make adjustments to increase your exercise.

Visit SlimFast.com to find more resources on weight management and intermittent fasting.

3 Tips for Intermittent Fasting

If you’re new to the idea of intermittent fasting, these tips can help you find greater success so you can see results.

1. Pace yourself. Make a gradual transition so your body gets used to going without food for shorter periods of time before you work up to extended fasting periods.

2. Stay hydrated. Avoid confusing thirst for hunger by upping your fluid intake. Staying hydrated and energized while you fast helps keep fatigue and brain fog at bay.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFPs for Lake Erie Transit Concrete Drives and Parking Area Replacement, Control No. 23-3748.  RFP forms may be obtained beginning January 11, 2023, from http://www.mitn.info.  RFPs are due by 3:00 PM ET, February 17, 2023.

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Madeline Irene Cheeks Hardgest

Madeline Irene Cheeks Hardgest, a Detroiter who was fiercely devoted to her family and the Black community, passed away on December 8, 2022.

Ms. Hardgest was born in Detroit on September 5, 1942, the eldest of five children born to Marvell and Willa Mae Henry Cheeks. As a child, she was an active member of St. Stephens AME Church. Later in life, she returned to her AME roots as a member of Oak Grove AME Church, under the spiritual leadership of Dr. Robert Brumfield. After graduating from Central High School, she earned a degree from Western Michigan University.

She spent her career in service in various roles in state and city government and Lakeshore Engineering.

Ms. Hardest was deeply engaged in the work of Black liberation and used her voice and life to celebrate and amplify Black culture. As a founding and former member of the Shrine of the Black Madonna, she adopted the Swahili name “Naima,” meaning graceful. She was a commanding presence, known for wearing vibrant African garb and unique jewelry and for creating a home that celebrated Black culture through eclectic art, rare books, family mementos and Black music. Her commitment to God, family and the Black community never wavered.

She was a consistent and nurturing presence in the lives of her sons and granddaughter. She also took her role as her family’s eldest child seriously, using her lively personality to contribute to a rich family life filled with laughter and love.

Madeline Hardgest (Naima) leaves to cherish her memory and celebrate her life her two sons, Kendall Hardgest and Malik Riley; her granddaughter, Kandace Tolbert; her sisters, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and Marsha Cheeks; sisters-in-law Ann Cheeks and Geri Niyonu Cheeks; several nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers Raymond (Nkosane) and Marvell (Eusi).

A funeral service for Ms. Hardgest was celebrated on December 23, 2022 at Greater Rose of Sharon Church of God in Christ in Detroit.

Pareto,

w/ Tier 2/3 suppliers. Master, Mechanical, Industrial or Automotive Engrg, or related. 12 mos exp as Engineer, using Design for DFM/A, DFSS tools, to identify psgr vehicle systems design root cause, track IPTV, &providing technical solutions for warranty claims, or related. Mail resume to Ref#14064, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

CAE Body Structure Engineer Warren, MI, General Motors. Design &analyze early stage psgr vehicle body structure architecture concepts through concept modeling &optimization. Engineer, perform &execute FEA of full vehicle conventional ICE psgr vehicle &Battery Electric Vehicle in adherence with U.S. &global N&V, durability &fatigue performance of BIW Body Frame Integral &Body on Frame light weight/high strength steel structures &provide design recommendations to satisfy load case metrics at virtual assessment gates. Use ANSA, MetaPost, HyperWorks, OptiStruct, NASTRAN, LS-DYNA, Primer, &MeshWorks for Finite Element (FE) simulations of full vehicle body structures. Use advanced CAE modeling &anlys procedures to model, analyze &optimize battery structures, electric drive unit structures, battery control unit structures of electric vehicles in compliance w/ EV performance &safety reqmts & FMVSS standards. Master, Mechanical, Automotive, or Aerospace Engrg. 12 mos exp as Engineer, using CAE SW such as ANSA, HyperWorks, OptiStruct, LSDYNA, &Primer for FE simulations of full vehicle body structures, or related. Mail resume to Ref#1084, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Detroit, MI 48265.

(Cpk), Process Performance (Ppk) &Design of Experiments (DOE) analysis, &regression analysis, to identify &solve root causes of problems. Master, Industrial, Mechanical, or Automotive Engrg. 6 mos exp as Engineer, engineering &improving mfg processes, applying QA techniques to reduce failure rates during production at mfg plant, &applying DMAIC methodology, based on Cpk, Ppk &DOE analysis, to solve root causes of problems, or related. Mail resume to Ref#1602, Brose, Human Resources, 3933 Automation Ave, Auburn Hills, MI 48326.

James Williams and Mavis Loving are the proud parents of a baby girl, Danisha Lynn Williams born February 17, 1973 at 6:30 PM

We Honor the Life And Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr