Ken Coleman on Twitter: @HistoryLivesDet Ken Coleman is on Facebook HERE. Ken Coleman’s work at Michigan Advance can be found HERE. BOOKS MENTIONED DURING THE POD: The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit by Thomas Sugrue The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy by William Julius Wilson Chris Savage can be […]

As news of Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers finally certifying Michigan’s 2020 election results sinks in, it’s worth drawing attention to the antics of hyper-partisan Board member Norman Shinkle in the process. While his Republican colleague Aaron Van Langevelde acted honorably, following Michigan’s law that requires the Board of State Canvassers to certify the election and voting YES to certify, […]

All eyes have been on Wayne County, Michigan for the past week as we waited for their Board of Canvassers to certify the election. Last evening, the election board — which is comprised of two Democrats and two Republicans — met to certify the county’s election. However, in a shocking and quite possibly illegal move, the two Republican members, Monica […]

As classes began this week in the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), teachers learned they are beginning the year with the sort of austerity and inadequate supplies that has become the tragic hallmark of this neglected school system. A teacher at one of the high schools in the DPSCD sent me an email received by all of the teachers […]

In 2013, Michigan governor Rick Snyder imposed an Emergency Manager on the city of Detroit. With that move 49% of the African Americans in Michigan were without a democratically-elected local government. His appointed Emergency Manager was given full control over the city. This past week, Gov. Snyder continued his disenfranchisement of Detroiters when he chose the date of the special […]

At 8:36 a.m. on Thursday morning, the Twitter account for the Women’s March tweeted out a USA Today article titled, “Bernie Sanders to deliver opening-night speech at Women’s Convention”: We are so excited to have @SenSanders join us at the #WomensConvention October 27-29th in Detroit! https://t.co/UssiTSe2IN — Women's March (@womensmarch) October 12, 2017 The Detroit Free Press published the same […]

I am a social justice organizer who enjoys introducing conferences and other social justice initiatives to my great city, Detroit. However, it’s more than just organizing. It’s a responsibility that I find as difficult as I find rewarding. Detroit is a city that is over 80% black. It is a city that was disinvested in for many decades and, in […]

The 22nd Annual Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed Conference (PTO) will be held in Detroit, Michigan from June 1st – 4th and Detroiters can attend the entire conference for just $30! The PTO conference will be in Detroit commemorating the 50th Anniversary of 1967 Detroit Rebellion and Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech, Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence – […]

The following guest post was written by Dennis L. Green, a retired certified Professional Engineer from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). Dennis graduated from Cass Technical High School’s Electrical program in 1963 and received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lawrence Tech in 1969. After graduation, Dennis went to work for the Detroit Water Department, Engineering […]

Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to join nearly 400,000 people in New York City for what has been called the “largest climate-change demonstration in history.” I was in NYC with water warrior, Monica Lewis Patrick of We the People of Detroit to attend the climate march and facilitate a workshop on water at the Church Center for the […]

It’s been a bit difficult for me to blog these past few weeks with everything going on in the world. Fortunately, the poet in me has regained her inspiration to create. April is one of my favorite months of the year. It’s a month that encourages me to celebrate poetry every day. It’s a month where poetry isn’t just an add-on, […]