Black leaders say threats to undermine US democracy appear aimed at their community
Some of the nationโs most influential Black leaders say many of the threats to democratic institutions in the U.S. appear to be aimed squarely at their community, including efforts to make voting more difficult, censor lessons around race and weaken social safeguards such as affirmative action.
African American art exhibit opens in Southfield
During this final weekend of Black History Month, events are still taking place throughout the area including in Southfield, where a new art exhibit is opening. The โVisionsโ art exhibition will feature artworks by local African American artists on display in the main lobby of the Southfield City Hall. An opening reception is Friday, February 24, and the exhibit runs through April 28.
Black history class revised by College Board after criticism
The official curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies was released Wednesday downplays some components that had drawn criticism from conservatives including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said the class would be outlawed in his state.
โA traffic stop should never be a death sentenceโ: Protesters demand action in deadly Grand Rapids police shooting
Hundreds of protesters were gathered outside the Grand Rapids Police Department Wednesday (April 13) afternoon, demanding justice in the case of an officer who shot and killed 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya.
Michigan court denies Black lawmakersโ challenge to new congressional maps
The Michigan Supreme Court has denied Black lawmakersโ challenge to new congressional and legislative maps, saying they showed no grounds to question the state redistricting commissionโs decision to slash the number of majority-African American seats.
Biden to nominate 3 federal prosecutors for New York offices
FILE - In this March 17, 2021 photo, President Joe Biden speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Biden intends to nominate three African American prosecutors to run the U.S. attorneys offices in New York, including the first Black man to run the Southern District of New York. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ President Joe Biden is expected to nominate three prosecutors to run the U.S. attorneyโs offices in New York state, including the first Black man to run the Southern District of New York in Manhattan and the first Black woman to head the Western District in Buffalo. Ross, a longtime federal prosecutor, is expected to run the office in the Buffalo-based Western District. Brooklyn federal prosecutors have been examining the stateโs handling of COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes in a probe that drew public attention after a top aide to New York Gov.
Detroit nonprofit makes a difference for less fortunate
DETROIT โ Love Only is a nonprofit that has been working to feed the homeless for over a decade. The ones behind the organization have started a life goal to help those who are less fortunate especially in the African American community. โIt makes me happy to feed people. My mom kind of showed me that and it made her really happy to do it and it makes me happy,โ said Love Only founder, Ivory Graves. Graves has been working to feed the homeless for 13 years and is widely known as Tree.
Granddaughter of Tuskegee Experiment victim urges Black Americans to get COVID-19 vaccine
As many people are searching for a chance to get their COVID-19 vaccine, a substantial number of Black Americans remain reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine. It stems from the Tuskegee Experiment, in which 600 black men were lured into a study with the promises of free health care. AdREAD: Medical community works to rebuild trust among people of color as COVID-19 vaccine gets approvalThe granddaughter of one of those individuals who were abused is speaking out to help others overcome their doubt about the COVID-19 vaccine. READ: Amid coronavirus pandemic, black mistrust of medicine loomsShe said her grandfather was denied treatment that could have extended his life. In Michigan, White residents are twice as likely to have received a COVID-19 vaccine as a Black resident.
Historic Dunbar Hospital: Detroitโs first for Black residents
DETROIT โ Black doctors needed to establish their own hospitals in 20th-century Detroit due to segregation. Dunbar Hospital was the first of its kind in the city. The house that was once this hospital still stands at 580 Frederick Street. Hereโs its story -- watch the video above. To learn more go here: BlackScrollNetworkMore: Black History Month sectionRelated: Work underway to restore Underground Railroad safe house in Walled Lake
Underground Railroad in Detroit: Important people, sites you might not know
DETROIT โ Have you ever learned about George DeBaptiste? How about William Lambert? Hereโs a look at some Detroiters who played big roles in the Underground Railroad, and the historic sites in the city (and just across the Detroit River in Canada) that you may never have noticed. Watch the full story above to learn all about it. More: Black History Month section
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History celebrates Black history year-round
DETROIT โ Black History Month is just one of the 12 months a year when Black history is celebrated at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. Learn more about the museum in the video above. If you would like to visit, find more information here: www.thewright.orgMore: Black History Month stories
New museum traces history of Black music across genres
People walk to the entrance of the National Museum of African American Music, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)NASHVILLE, Tenn. โ A new museum two decades in the making is telling the interconnected story of Black musical genres through the lens of American history. Even as Nashville has long celebrated its role in the history of music, the new museum fills a gap by telling an important and often overlooked story about the roots of American popular music, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B and hip-hop. โMost music museums deal with a label, a genre or an artist,โ said H. Beecher Hicks III, the museumโs president and CEO. She noted that the museum put gospel music in context with how it inspired social change, especially during the civil rights era.
Biden's pick for UN post calls China 'a strategic adversary'
United States Ambassador to the United Nations nominee Linda Thomas-Greenfield testifies during for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. Johnson asked her why she had said the United States is not in a new Cold War with China. โThis speech is cheerleading for the Chinese Communist Partyโ and makes no mention of Chinaโs human rights violations, he said. Johnson asked her what the stronger language and tougher tactics would be toward China. โAnd yet, I had an extraordinary 35-year career, that culminated as the assistant secretary of state of African affairs,โ Thomas-Greenfield said.
Michigan task force addressing racial disparities amid pandemic sees signs of progress
A Michigan task force has been conducting research and implementing new protocols to help improve conditions for minority communities who have been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic -- and they have seen some notable progress so far. Gretchen Whitmer established the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities to address issues leading to the disproportionate havoc the pandemic has wreaked on communities of color compared to white communities. Since the task force was created, more than 20 โNeighborhood Testing sitesโ have been established in previously-underserved communities throughout Michigan, the state reports. Moving forward, the group intends to close the โdigital divideโ by ensuring minority communities have better access to internet, telehealth services and virtual learning. โItโs clear that the work of this task force ... has made significant progress in protecting families, frontline workers, and small businesses in communities of color,โ said Celeste Sanchez Lloyd, task force member and community program manager for Strong Beginnings at Spectrum Health.
Newer breast cancer screening guidelines put Black women at disadvantage
Researcher Dr. Murray Rebner said the later guidelines are putting Black women at a disadvantage by ignoring some very key facts about their risk. While Black women are slightly less likely to get breast cancer, theyโre significantly more likely to die from it. Studies find 23 percent of breast cancers in Black women are diagnosed before age 50 compared to 16 percent of all breast cancers in White women. Triple negative breast cancer makes up 21 percent of the cases in Black women compared to 10 percent in White women. READ: Study indicates that exercise can reduce risk of breast cancer returningRebner says the BRCA2 genetic mutation which dramatically raises the risk of breast cancer is also more common in Black women than White women who arenโt of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
JPMorgan puts $30B toward fixing banking's 'systemic racism'
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ JPMorgan Chase said Thursday it will extend billions in loans to Black and Latino homebuyers and small business owners in an expanded effort toward fixing what the bank calls โsystemic racismโ in the countryโs economic system. โSystemic racism is a tragic part of Americaโs history,โ said JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon in a statement. Citigroup announced last month it is committing $1 billion toward closing โthe racial wealth gapโ in the United States, including $550 million toward homeownership programs for racial minorities. He noted that thereโs a 30% gap between Black and white homeownership, amounting to about 4.5 million households. JPMorgan was one of 27 major New York-based companies that joined a program to recruit 100,000 workers from the city's low-income, predominately Black, Latino and Asian communities over the next 10 years.
This world famous ballet dancer got her start in this program
Copeland joined the show today alongside Boys and Girls Clubsโ Youth of the Year Josias Reynoso to talk about the impact the program has had on their lives. Copeland joined the Boys & Girls Clubs at 11. โIt has given me an understanding of what it means to be a leaderโ Copeland said. Josias Reynoso was chosen from more than 4 million club members to become the Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year. He says the Boys & Girls Clubs developed him into a leader rather than a follower, and he hopes to be able to help other kids find their potential.
Black singer of regional Mexican music sparks buzz, emotion
Sarah Palafox, an African American woman who sings regional Mexican music, poses in Moreno Valley, Calif., in this undated photo. Palafox, an African American woman raised by a Mexican immigrant family, has generated excitement online with her versions of regional Mexican music. Other videos of her singing banda โ another form of regional music from Mexicoโs southwest coast โ also have been shared thousands of times. She would only say the music will be different and sheโs not listening to critics who tell her sheโs shouldnโt be singing regional Mexican music. โI was told you canโt wear braids, you canโt wear your Afro and go on stage and sing Mexican music,โ Palafox said.
Michigan says racial disparities of virus have diminished
Garlin Gilchrist II chairs a state task force that is addressing virus-related racial disparities. "But thanks to the state of Michigan paying attention to this issue, prioritizing this issue โ we have the most muscular response to racial disparities in the country โ we can say that those disparities have flattened. In the most recent two-week period, the rate of new cases for Black people was about half that for white residents. The death rates for Black and white residents were about the same over those weeks. The rest were linked to universities and colleges, including Michigan State (1,295 cases) and Grand Valley State (811 cases.)
Black voters in Detroit key for Biden, but are they engaged?
Black voters across Michigan will be pivotal in deciding who will win the battleground state in November. Biden visited Detroit earlier this month, and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, was spending time in Flint and Detroit on Tuesday. In an interview this month with longtime Detroit radio host Mildred Gaddis, Biden noted that Michigan, and its Black voters in Detroit, are โcritically important." Democratic state leaders said they learned hard lessons and that the party has worked to connect with Black voters. But challenges remain in connecting with apathetic voters and with younger Black voters who might have more progressive leanings โ key demographics that Branden Snyder, the executive director of Detroit Action, said his organization is trying to reach.
Detroit activist and former judge says time has come to end racial inequality
DETROIT โ Adam Shakoor is a distinguished and rare longtime leader in the Motor City. He has always been a leader in the City of Detroit, once serving as chief judge of the 36th District Court, and even executive deputy mayor under former Mayor Coleman Young. As far as Detroit, the eyes of the world are on the Motor City. And Shakoor applauds the work of Detroit Police Chief James Craig. He says he specifically remembers when the chief was a rookie and heโs proud of the work thatโs been done.
WATCH: Dads speak on raising Black sons in America
DETROIT โ Itโs difficult watching whatโs happened to Black men in our country. Many young Black men are taught by their parents how some people in the world might view them and the things they should do in hopes of staying safe. We sat down with three Black fathers about how and when they have this difficult conversation with their sons. They all spoke candidly about the challenges or differences raising black or biracial young men in todayโs climate compared to their white counterparts. The conversations about race started when their sons began asking questions or as certain incidents, like George Floyd, have made headlines.
How Tux & Chucks is helping black-owned charities in Detroit
DETROIT โ Jason Appling is walking the walk, literally. He co-founded the annual event Tux & Chucks, which raises thousands every year for Metro Detroit non profits. We sat down with him -- and his cute son -- to talk about the important work he is doing. Watch the interview above. For more information on Tux & Chucks, and CoolSmart Inc., go here.
Kaiser Permanente CEO Tyson dies unexpectedly at 60
Health care provider Kaiser Permanente said Sunday its chairman and CEO, Bernard J. Tyson, has died unexpectedly at the age of 60. Tyson was the first African American to head Kaiser Permanente as CEO when he took that position in 2013 after filling a number of roles over three decades at the company. He added that the board "has full confidence in Greg Adams' ability to lead Kaiser Permanente through this unexpected transition." A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Tyson received a bachelor's degree in health service management and an MBA in health service administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. While at Kaiser Permanente, he was a member of the Bay Area Council, a business-led public policy organization advocating for a strong economy for area residents.
Eastpointe voters elect Monique Owens, citys first black mayor
EASTPOINTE, Mich. "I was the first African American councilwoman here and now Im the first African American mayor, said Eastpointe mayor-elect Monique Owens. Voters chose Owens as the citys next mayor during Tuesdays elections. I want people to own their own homes, be proud of where they live at and invest more into the city, Owens said. But first, she wants to thank those who helped her with such a big accomplishment. "I want to say thank you to the city of Eastpointe for believing in me, even people outside Eastpointe, in Detroit and other parts of Michigan, Owens said.
Watch Local 4 News at Noon -- Nov. 4, 2019
DETROIT โ Hereโs whatโs coming up on Local 4 News at Noon:Funeral service held for former Rep. John ConyersA funeral service is being held Monday for former Rep. John Conyers, who died Oct. 27 at age 90. Conyers spent more than 50 years in Congress and was its longest-service African American member. The funeral is being held at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.
Mississippi Emmett Till memorial sign protected by bulletproof glass
Allan Hammons via CNNSUMNER, Mississippi (CNN) - A memorial sign marking Emmett Till's death that was riddled with bullet holes earlier this year was rededicated Saturday -- this time with bulletproof glass. Patrick Weems, executive director of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission, said more than 100 people, including members of Till's family from Chicago, attended a ceremony near Sumner, Mississippi, rededicating the new and improved sign. Weems said the sign, which cost more than $10,000, weighs more than 500 pounds and is surrounded by security cameras. The sign appeared to be riddled with bullet holes in the photo, which was first published by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting and ProPublica. When the marker was replaced, it was riddled with bullet holes.
African American guard's N-word request gets him fired
MADISON, Wisconsin (CNN) - An African American security guard told a student to stop calling him the N-word. Marlon Anderson was a security guard at Madison West High School in Wisconsin. Anderson is represented by a union, which filed a grievance with the school district this week on his behalf. He has two sons who attended Madison West High School. One is a current senior and the other is a graduate of the high school.
A night of masquerade to support the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
The Charles H Wright Museum is one of the largest African American museums in the nation, and now you can support all they do in the community by attending the at The Wright Gala Masquerade Ball. Chef Mandell Crawford from A Touch of Class Catering will be serving various meals that include lamb chops, salmon, carved beef tenderloin, dessert, and a potato bar. He will also serve vegan and vegetarian meals and sides. Ed Foxworth, Director of External Affairs says The Wright Gala is the premier fundraiser for education, literacy and public programs at the Charles H. Wright Museum. The Wright Gala is on Saturday, October 5, at 6 p.m. You can purchase tickets online.
Thousands gather to commemorate 400 years since slavery began
CNN VideoHAMPTON, Virginia (CNN) - Four-hundred years ago, a ship carrying enslaved Africans arrived in Point Comfort on the shores of Virginia. The landing marked the beginning of slavery in British North America, forever transforming the modern world. They whispered prayers for the enslaved Africans on that ship and for those who did not survive the voyage, and sent flower petals floating out into the Chesapeake Bay. She said one of her ancestors was enslaved at a plantation in South Carolina and could be traced back to Cameroon in the 1700s. "400 years ago my ancestors started a passage to America.
New Emmett Till memorial will be bulletproof
Three University of Mississippi students were suspended from their fraternity after a photo showing them posing with guns in front of a sign memorializing Emmett Till surfaced. (CNN) - A bullet-riddled memorial sign for Emmett Till at the center of a photo showing three white University of Mississippi students posing with guns is now gone. Patrick Weems, the executive director of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission, said the group began to mark every site that was part of Emmett's story after community leaders offered his family an apology for the first time about 10 years ago. "For 50 years our community didn't want to talk about Emmett Till, they just wanted to forget it," Weems said. "That Emmett Till did not die in vain.
Students suspended after posing with guns at Emmett Till memorial
Three University of Mississippi students were suspended from their fraternity after a photo showing them posing with guns in front of a sign memorializing Emmett Till surfaced. - Three white University of Mississippi students have been suspended from their fraternity after a photo showing them posing with guns in front of a sign memorializing Emmett Till surfaced earlier this week. Deborah Watts, Emmett's cousin and co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, said she saw the photo Thursday and doesn't know who may have vandalized the sign. A bulletproof sign will be installedThe sign has been vandalized on multiple occasions, and stolen at least once, according to the Emmett Till Memorial Commission -- the group responsible for the sign. What happened to Emmett Till?
We Run 313 founders presented with Spirit of Detroit award
DETROIT - The founders of "We Run 313" recently received the "Spirit of Detroit" award. READ: We Run 313 connects African American runners in DetroitLance Woods and Joe Robinson started the club to spread the health benefits of running and to grow running in the African American community. This is a big deal for me because I know some of things I come from. So to be here receiving one of the highest honors in the city, just means everything to me, Joe Robinson said. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.