From the Editor

There’s a lot of passion in this month’s issue, and not just the romantic kind — this February issue highlights several people whose passion for their work is making our community better.

We are thrilled to feature Michelle Johnson in our cover story. Johnson is a historian, activist, public scholar, writer and disc jockey who brings her passion for history and social justice to everything she does, and she is doing a lot. She is simultaneously involved in many different projects, from establishing the Institute for Public Scholarship to working on an effort to develop markers throughout the city to tell the stories of Kalamazoo history that highlight Black, Latino and Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Potawatomi people to writing essays, screenplays and novels about the Black experience. While most of her efforts are local or Michigan-focused, she is gaining national attention and grant support for her work.

Another individual whose passion drives her work is Sara Jacobs, director of Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care (CoC), whom we feature in this month’s Back Story. CoC coordinates local agencies’ efforts to solve homelessness in Kalamazoo, and Jacobs, who was homeless as a teen, works hard to “bring the right people into the room” to address the myriad issues of homelessness in our community.

Lest you think we have missed the romantic aspects of February, we’ve got stories that highlight the two best things about the month of love: couples and chocolate. Historian Lynn Houghton highlights five couples from Kalamazoo’s past whose contributions have had long-term impacts on our community. And writer Jacquelyn Vincenta introduces us to Cherri Emery, whose love for art and chocolate has been a winning — and delicious — recipe for the success of her downtown Kalamazoo shop, Cherri’s Chocol’art.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue and thank you for reading Encore.

From left to right: Michael D. Holmes, William B. Millard, Morgan L. Rogalke, Michele C. Marquardt, Charles S. Ofstein, Tyler J. Stewart

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February 2021 Southwest Michigan’s Magazine

Michelle Johnson Her passion for history and social justice will change Kalamazoo

Publisher encore publications, inc. Editor marie lee

Designer alexis stubelt

Photographer brian k. powers

Contributing Writers marion starling boyer, jordan bradley, lynn houghton, chris killian, marie lee, jacquelyn vincenta

Copy Editor/ Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark janet gover krieg lee

Distribution gregory macleery

Office Coordinator kelly burcroff

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2021, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to: www.encorekalamazoo.com 117 W. Cedar St. Suite A, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Telephone: (269) 383-4433 Fax: (269) 383-9767 Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com

The staff at Encore welcomes written comment from readers, and articles and poems for submission with no obligation to print or return them. To learn more about us or to comment, visit encorekalamazoo.com. Encore subscription rates: one year $36, two years $70. Current single issue and newsstand $4, $10 by mail. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request. Closing date for space is 28 days prior to publication date. Final date for print-ready copy is 21 days prior to publication date. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by those interviewed and published here do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Encore Magazine or the official policies, owners or employees of Encore Publications.