executive of
After decades of students and advo cacy groups calling for debt relief from student loans, President Biden recently made a long-anticipated announcement to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of Americans.
By Rasha Almulaiki
The White House Factsheet provides details for borrowers to learn how to apply for student loan forgiveness.
The Inflation Reduction Act will go to bat against special interest lobby groups, such as the pharma ceutical industry, which has spent a reported $187 million on lobbying Congress this year alone.
parent company
ForTool.more information on eligibility, visit forgivenesswhitehouse.gov/publicserviceloan
in
by cultural marketing veteran Eric Roberts who
The Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Department of Education announced a three-part plan to assist working- and middle-class federal stu dent loan borrows transition back to re payment plans as support through the pandemic is set to wrap up.
is
serves as the company’s executive vice presi dent and brings a wealth of expe rience, having led multicultural New Name. Same Soul: Real Times Media Relaunches RTM360° as Pitch Black. Detroit! Mental Health Needs to Be Addressed Now! Sugar AmericanFactoryBrasserieOpensinDetroit City.Life.Style. B1
ing key Pitch Black Real Times Media, has led the since its inception in 2018. She joined this effort
orga nization
How to Take Advantage of Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program
health insurance costs, “5.7 million Medicare beneficiaries could see their prescription drug costs go down because of the provi sion allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs.”
bill is the succes sor of last year’s Build Back Better Act (BBB), which strove to invest $1.7 trillion in social policy pro grams by lowering the cost of educa tion and healthcare, expanding the child tax credit and funding a clean energy economy.
The U.S. Department of Education is planning to hold colleges accountable if they continue to contribute to the debt crisis. An annual watch list will be pub lished of programs with the worst debt every academic year for students to be aware before registering for classes.
The law aims to address recent estimates of the national uninsured rate which hang at “an all-time low” of 8Regardingpercent.
As millions across the country suffer under the hefty costs of infla tion, the new federal policy plans to alleviate costs in healthcare and in vestments in long-term green energy savings.TheWhite House released a “by the numbers” plan on how the new law will impact Americans.
Student Loan Relief
The Inflation Act What Does it Mean Michigan?for
By Rasha Almulaiki
What does the Inflation Reduction Act mean for Michiganders?
Other items to keep in mind, the bor rower must have a Direct Loan, if you don’t then you have until the Oct. 31 deadline to consolidate your loan.
Underprices.the
It’s critical that when we walk into a room, our customers know this…and that they can rely on our sensibilities when connect ing with Black audiences.”
Once enacted, the plan promises to provide relief to 13 million Ameri cans by providing an annual savings of $800 on health insurance premi ums.For the 50 million people with Medicare Part D, their costs at the pharmacy are capped at $2,000 per year, which the statement notes will
AmeriCorps service, National Guard duty, and military service to count toward PSLF.”
Real Times Media has re launched its cultural marketing company, formerly known as RTM360°, as Pitch Black. Under the new name, the company will continue to help clients connect with Black audiences through a mix of culturally relevant brand communication & outreach ini tiatives. It currently supports a portfolio of 15-plus clients na tionwide.“AsRTM360 we have been able to do some great work on behalf of amazing clients around the country. But it felt like with the watershed times of the past few years, that branding no longer accurately reflected the heart of who we are as an organization,” says Tanisha Leonard, president of Pitch Black. “Not that we’ve ever been anything but unapol ogetically Black, I feel the time is now for us to double down on that. I want our brand to reflect the soulful flare of the commu nities we serve, that savoir faire, the grit and resiliency of ‘you can’t outdo Black people’ energy.
Federal student loan borrowers can “get credit for payments that previ ously didn’t qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) or Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgive ness
The “broken” Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program will be fixed by proposing a rule that borrow ers who have worked at a nonprofit, in the military, or in federal, state, tribal or local government, receive appropriate credit toward loan forgiveness.
To2022.get started, you must work for a qualified employer to get PSLF credit, the waiver hasn’t changed this require ment. You will need your most recent W-2 or your employer’s Federal Employ er Identification Number to get started.
Protect future students and taxpay ers by reducing the cost of college and holding schools accountable when they hike up
Leonard, a 20-year market
See INFLATION REDUCTION ACT page A2
The(TEPSLF).”announcement has informed
current and future borrowers of the fol lowingMonthlychanges:payments will be cut in half for undergraduate loans.
Following the PSLF application, the Department of Education has proposed “allowing more payments to qualify for PSLF including partial, lump sum and late payments, and allowing certain kinds of deferments and forbearanc es, such as those for Peace Corps and
$1.00 WHAT’S INSIDE Vol. 86 – No. 2 | September 14-20, 2022 Powered by Real Times Media | michiganchronicle.com See PITCH BLACK page A2 Roots. A3
According to studentaid.gov, the moratorium on student loan repay ment has been extended for a final time until December 31, 2022, payments will resume in January 2023.
A report by the Institute for College Access and Success found that Michi gan ranks #11 in the country of high est student loan debt at an average of $31,289 being owed. An estimated 58 percent of 2017 graduates owe money on student loans.
“The Inflation Reduction Act will help Americans save money on pre scription drugs, health premiums, and much more,” said President Biden in a statement on August 4. “It will make our tax system more fair by making corporations pay a mini mumThistax.”landmark
The deadline to apply for PSLF before the temporary changes end is October 31,
PSLF waiver, borrow ers can get credit for past payments even if they didn’t make payments on time, didn’t pay the full amount due, or weren’t on the right repayment plan.
On August 16, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA 2022) into law after it was passed by Congress four days prior. The newly minted budget rec onciliation bill aims to address the rising costs of inflation by reducing the federal budget deficit, lowering prescription drug prices and invest ing in domestic clean energy produc tion.The
new federal policy came after a months-long effort by Democrats to address the rising prices across the economy which were limiting Amer icans’ ability to stretch the purchas ing power of their everyday dollar
Student loan borrowers may be eligi ble for some forgiveness up to $10,000 if they didn’t receive a Pell Grant and $20,000 if they did. The relief is limited to those who make less than $125,000 per year or married couples or heads of household earning less than $250,000.
In 2021, CollegeBoard.org released a study on the trends in college pricing and student aid. The study found that since 1980, the total cost of four-year public and private college has tripled, even after accounting for inflation.
Michigan Chronicle
Whereas Pell Grants used to cover nearly 80 percent of the cost of a degree at a public college, now the assistance lulls at only a third of the amount.
Once you verify, log into your stu dentaid.gov account to use the PSLF Help
and communications pro fessional and a
“Black people are not darkskinned white people” is a con stant refrain that Roberts has bor rowed from Tom Burrell, acknowledged as the father of Black advertising. Rob erts explains, “The point is that it isn’t language that distinguishes connectivi ty with Blacks, but the ability to understand and acknowledge the Black experience and cultural nu ances that authentically resonate. Black Americans have considerable pride in being Americans. At Pitch Black, we are protective of cultural heritage and recognize the impor tance of sustaining traditions and symbols that strengthen the com munity.”Echoing Leonard’s sentiment on why it was time for the com pany to evolve, Real Times Media CEO Hiram E. Jackson said, “The heightened sensitivity for social justice and equity resulting from the 2020 tragedies of George Floyd
A Moment in Time
“We’re not here to simply get our clients “invited to the cook out,” Leonard goes on to say. “Our mission is to create authentic en gagements and platforms mutu ally beneficial to brands and the communities they are looking to connect. Nothing we do is trans actional. Our focus is on crafting communications that demonstra bly build impact and brand dura bility for our clients among Black
Mission-based Marketing
Much of the work done at Pitch Black is rooted in storytelling, even down to why September 13 was se lected as a launch date. It is a nod to the Gloucester County Conspira cy of 1663. September 13, 1663, is often noted as the first recording of a planned slave insurrection in the country. While the planned upris ing was thwarted, Pitch Black pays homage to the date in reflection of its mission to ensure and maintain the integrity of its work. To learn more about the company, visit www.hellopitchblack.com.releasedastatement of support on the day the Inflation Reduction Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives.“Whilethis bill de livers essential lowered costs on prescription drugs and health care, some affordability on in sulin costs, and makes major investments in the clean, renewable energy we must rapidly transi tion to, I cannot take to day’s yes vote on the IRA lightly,” said Tlaib.
fying Black voices and impacting communities long before it was the comfortable thing to do. This is our superpower.”
The report found Mich igan residents are affect ed by the high cost of prescription drugs more than other states, citing 2019 data from the IQVIA Nation Prescription Audit ranking Michigan as the 14th among 50 states and D.C. with $1,914 per capita prescription drug spending.TheMichigan Chron icle spoke with Wally Abdallah, PharmD, phar macist at the newest PharMor store on De troit’s westside, one of the 20 stores of the inde pendently-owned chain in the metro Detroit area.
qualify for Medicare and Medicaid, so they don’t have that much of a [pre scription] copay,” said Abdallah.“Butthose who don’t qualify for Medicaid, that definitely will help. And for those who qualify for Medicare, they have a gap, they call it, so you have to pay sometimes hundreds of dollars before Medicare starts covering the whole thing. So, this [law] will definitely help, because some people are already paying $300 to $400 for a prescription.”
efforts for national brands such as McDonald’s, Amtrak, and Hartford Financial Services Group.
The IRA 2022 is the largest investment in climate change in U.S. history, amounting to be tween $40 to $60 billion.
These savings include eligible rebates for lowand
Combatting Climate Change
“Black people are not a mono lith. Yes, there is an underpinning of collective culture. But messag ing that not only resonates but activates goes beyond that sur face. Our strategies fiercely represent the culture and strike the delicate balance between the emotional & rational, but we aim to find the nuance, that “one thing” that motivates an audience,” says Leonard.
The White House re leased details of how the law will deliver affordable clean energy in every state.In the policy plan for Michigan, the IRA 2022 is geared to “make it more affordable for Mich igan families to purchase energy efficient applianc es when they need to, make repairs around their homes and save money on their utility bills each month.”
“Most people here
and Breonna Taylor renewed focus for companies around effective communications for Black commu nities. “The unfortunate by-product of this is that now everyone claims to be an expert on connecting with Black people. That’s not what you get with Pitch Black. Its legacy is rooted in a century-long history of being a part of the Black Press. We have been advocates of ampli
Rashidalikeandemissionspollutioncles,tomorefyingintransportationbusinesses,clude2021.facturingjobsployedigantiesemploymentfrastructuresustainablehomeowner’singsinenergyadoptwillandprojects.andinstallingpairsenergynewhouseholdsmoderate-incomeforinstallingelectricappliances,efficienthomereandtaxcreditsforsinglefamilycommunitysolarGrantstohelpstatelocalgovernmentsalsobeprovidedtothelatestbuildingcodes,resultinga10.7percentcostsavtotheaveragenewutilitybill.Theinvestmentinenergyinwillexpandopportunitothe119,853Michworkersalreadyemincleanenergyand583,700manuworkersasofOtherincentivesintaxcreditsforsmallsupportforprojectsthefaceof“intensiextremeweather,”affordableoptionspurchaseelectricvehiandeffortstoreducebyloweringgasandfundlocalstategreenbanks,MichiganSaves.CongresswomanTlaib(MI-13)
communities.”Shefurther notes that her team prides itself on being intentional about the language of Black Com munity versus Black Communities.
Page A-2 | September 14-20, 2022 | michiganchronicle.com LONGWORTH M. QUINN Publisher-Emeritus 1909-1989 Michigan Chronicle A Real Times Media Newspaper SAMUEL LOGAN Publisher 1933-2011 JOHN H. SENGSTACKE Chairman-Emeritus 1912-1997 CONTACT US 1452 Randolph • Detroit, MI 48226 • (313) 963-8100 • e-mail: newsdesk@michronicle.com HIRAM E. JACKSON Publisher | AJ WILLIAMS Managing Editor THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY ADVERTISING DEADLINE Classified: 3 p.m Friday Copy, corrections and cancellations, preceding the Wednesday publication. Display: 12 p.m. Friday preceding the Wednesday publication. For all news and calendar items: Deadline is two weeks prior to event. Weeks that contain holidays, deadline is Thursday prior to publication date. OFFICE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Closed Sat. and Sun. The Michigan Chronicle is published every Wednesday. Periodical Postage, paid at Detroit, MI. Price $1.00 and other post office. MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION POSTMASTER — Send address changes to: MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • 1452 Randolph • DETROIT, MI 48226 1452 Randolph • Detroit, MI 48226 • Phone: (313) 963-8100 Publication No.: USPS 344-820 From page A-1 michiganchronicle.com | DQE Michigan Chronicle DIGITAL DAILY Keeping InformedYouAtAllTimesOfTheDayFrom page A-1 Inflation Reduction Act Pitch Black Michigan Chronicle Get your weekly home delivery of the Subscribe Today! Call (313) 963-8100 033223864710 8532065183032 57 59 61 17 37 PICKS 060972 905591 463722 7420 6163 WEEK’S BEST LOTTERY WAYNE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT DOWNTOWN CAMPUS 1001 W. Fort St. - Room 262 Detroit, MI 48226 Gabriela Santiago-Romero City Council Member, District 6 Hosted by: The City of Detroit is seeking companies looking for an exciting opportunity for growth and success. If your company is based and/or headquartered in Detroit and specializes in the following areas, please attend this outreach. Supply Schedule Topics: Grounds Maintenance Janitorial Security Moving Services Medical Supplies PATTON PARK AND RECREATIONAL CENTER GYM 2301 Woodmere Street, Detroit 48209 IN-PERSON EVENT REGISTER AT BIT.LY/DSSCO3 Detroit OpportunitiesContractScheduleSupply SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 | 5:30-7:30 PM RisingOpportunity MARY SHEFFIELD SANTIAGO-ROMEROGABRIELATONI LIMMITT DANASIA NEAL Mary Sheffield City Council President, District 5 Toni Stewart-Limmitt Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, Office of Contracting and Procurement PRESENTERS Plus speakers from Ground Services, Demolition and various city departments Danasia Neal Business Opportunity Manager, Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity Department Register by Sept. 21 for translation services Ad Number: PP-MSHDA-22451C Trim: 5"x5.25" PerichJobNo: 22451 Bleed: NA Colors: 4/C Live: NA Format: 1/4 Pagel Version: 03.21.22 To apply: 844-756-4423 or Michigan.gov/MIHAF This project MIHAF is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number HAF0031 awarded to the State of Michigan by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. WE CAN HELP YOU MORTGAGEYOURPAY. With up to $25,000. MIHAF – the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund – is for homeowners with financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It can help pay delinquent: • condo/homeowners’mortgage/escrow fees • property taxes • utilities • internet Scan to apply Purchasing or Refinancing a Home? With the My Home Reward Program, eligible applicants in select neighborhoods could pay ZERO closing costs!* Maximum qualifying annual income of $100,000. ENJOY THESE EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS: • No closing costs • Reward can be used with most mortgage programs • Eligible for select neighborhoods *Visit IndependentBank.com/zeroclosingcosts for details. Taxes and insurance required. Joe Lockwood Senior Residential Loan Officer NMLS ID: 139312 P: 248.918.5961 E: JLockwood@ibcp.com Troy | 201 W. Big Beaver, Suite 201 IndependentBank.com/mortgage/jlockwood Contact me today to learn more! directly benefit 1.4 mil lion beneficiaries each year.In 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Pre scription Drug Taskforce released a report stating, “Prices for the most com monly prescribed drugs for older patients have increased at more than 10 times the rate of in flation within five years, and the average cost of prescription drugs in creased nearly 60 percent between 2012 and 2017, while Michiganders’ in comes have increased only 11 percent.”
The Arts Alleys project will build on work already being done by community groups and neighborhood associations that have activated alleys in their neigh
Black adults (10.6 percent) were more likely than Hispanic/Latinx adults (4.5 percent) and white adults (3.6 percent) to report having experienced this type of discrimination or unfair judgment.
Detroit Blight Busters meets every Saturday at Java House and has since 1988 under the leadership of John George, president of Blight Busters in Detroit.Over the past 15 years, Blight Bust ers has invested over $300,000 in facil ity improvements. Today it is located nearby in a 6,000-square-foot entertain ment and shopping complex with five commercial tenants, three residential tenants and two 750-square-foot office spaces.Through the known, consistent work George and a host of others have done to help improve the city home by home and block by block, the City of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit ACE recently announced major plans to activate neighborhood Arts Alleys around the city – starting with the alley behind Lahser Road.
“The pandemic has also changed the statistics about drug and sub stance abuse in America,” Cabrera continued. “Data has shown an in crease in alcohol and opioid con sumption in young people, who are also experiencing a lot more over doses because of their consump tion of fentanyl in the drugs that are used,” she said in the article.
Just over half of respondents reporting this type
of discrimination or unfair judgment in the past 12 months indicated there were multiple reasons for it.
When Tracie Bland, 64, of Romulus, received a stomach cancer diagnosis several years ago she knew she was in the fight of her life – one that started with having to challenge healthcare disparities and inequi ties that kept her from receiving a proper diagnosis in the first place. She is still fighting now with a second battle with cancer after overcoming the first one.
By Sherri Kolade
Michelle Cabrera, executive direc tor of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, spoke in an other NNPA article about the health needs of minority youth. She noted that around the nation — and partic ularly in California — young people are suffering from a mental health problem, explaining the rising num bers of suicides and high levels of anxiety in schools.
The data released on youth mental health is being noted as a desperate plea for help, according to the arti cle. The reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention break down troubling statistics that nearly 40 percent of high school stu dents reported poor mental health during the pandemic, along with 44 percent noting “persistent sadness and hopelessness” in the last year, according to the article.
What is the state of health in America? It’s in crisis mode, accord ing to Nearlyreports.20percent of adults are facing mental illness, which equates to roughly 50 million Americans with about 4.9 percent dealing with a severe mental illness, according to Mental Health America.
Detroit’s hidden gems are right in plain sight. Alleys that crisscross neighborhoods, parking lots and path ways are at the epicenter of some re developments through federal funding, which will renovate five neighborhoods across the city. This two-part series delves into the project that will impact hundreds of thousands of residents and denizens who will benefit from this transformation. This is part two.
Unfortunately, healthcare cases like Bland’s are all too familiar. Whether it is a misdiagnosis or late diag
“While increasing awareness of maternal mental health needs has led to various national efforts to im prove maternal health care, Black mothers disproportionately face dis parities in accessing and receiving appropriate health services,” accord ing to the post. “Regardless of socio economic status, Black women have historically experienced higher rates of medical complications (e.g., hyper tension, pelvic floor issues, hemor rhaging), poorer practitioner-patient advocacy and communication and fewer postpartum mental and phys ical healthcare supports. Awareness of these risks puts Black mothers at a higher risk for perinatal and post natal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) such as depression, anxi ety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.”
Bland, a wife and mother to seven children, grand mother to 12, and a great grandmother to two, has a lot to live for and she said that for some time she was initially diagnosed with just acid reflux, which she did not believe that was the sole cause for her stomach issues.“Iwas taking the medication for acid reflux. ... I never had peace about it. And so, I pressed and pressed,” Bland added that she was then diagnosed to have a dis ease that included an ulcer and inflammation. “That particular disease can lead to stomach cancer.”
A recent report reveals that stu
The City of Detroit’s blight reme diation team oversees the execution of Duggan’s Blight to Beauty strategy, which uses enforcement, remediation and maintenance strategies to promote property maintenance standards and improve the look of properties through out the Transformationscity. of this project will include infrastructure improvements for alleys making them renewed and able to be used again.
Health Disparities Try to Discriminate But It’s a New Day See HEALTH DISPARITIES page B-2
From the old-fashioned Lahser Shoe Repair Shop holding up one end of the corner to the Redford Theatre practi cally holding up the other end of the corner – there are many nostalgic, yet still purposeful landmarks on that street in the northwest side of Detroit in the Old Redford Community.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Depart ment of Health &Human Services, Any Mental Illness (AMI) is charac terized as receiving a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional dis order that is beyond a developmental or substance use disorder.
“Those are little people. Those are 5-year-olds, basically, to about 10 years old. Half of them expressed that they felt sad, mad, worried and anxious,” Deputy Superintendent Alycia Merriweather said in the ar ticle. “Every single school there are people who dedicate their lives to take care of our kids.”
“The additional services that we have, we have across all schools. But if the parent doesn’t sign the con sent, we cannot offer the services. It is illegal,” Merriweather said in the article.Aproposal for the 2023 budget entails loan assistance to bring in behavioral health professionals and a day-long treatment program for children in the child welfare system
Race or ethnicity (cited by 3.0 percent of adults) was the most common reason reported for perceived dis crimination or unfair judgment by a health care pro vider or their staff, and 7.9 percent of Black adults re ported having experienced this type of discrimination or unfair treatment.
dents attending schools in Detroit are facing mental-health-related challenges as the pandemic contin ues on, according to WXYZ.
By Sherri Kolade
The issue is being handled local ly in therapy offices and school dis tricts, per the article, and why even more schools are choosing to enroll in the Trails Program, described as an evidence-based mental health ser vice.During the 2021 school year, roughly half of kindergarten through fifth-grade kids reported these mental health struggles, according to the article, and at least 40 percent lost a loved one.
The project is a big component of Duggan’s Blight to Beauty initiative.
who are facing issues in school and home settings, according to the ar ticle.A Detroit mother, 31-year-old Azuradee France, was recently charged in June for the murder, child abuse and torture of her threeyear-old son, whose decomposed body was eventually found in her basement freezer, WDIV reported.
Roughly 5 percent of all nonelderly adults reported having been discriminated against or judged unfairly by a doctor, other health care provider or their staff in the previous 12 months.
Roots.
Funded by $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars with support from the Ford Foundation, the project will radically transform com mercial and residential alleys in five neighborhoods across the city and turn them into local gathering spaces where residents can showcase art and so much more.
Locally, mental health is also taking a toll.
Nearby, a Roseville mother, Taylor Starks, 18, is grieving the loss of her 23-month-old son after her friend (and her son’s babysitter) Kimora Launce Hodges allegedly abused him and he eventually died from
By Sherri Kolade
When the Urban Institute’s Coronavirus Tracking Survey, a nationally representative survey of adults ages 18 to 64, addressed this issue, the organization found alarming results – that Black adults were more susceptible (than white or Hispanic/Latinx) to being discriminated against or unfairly judged by a doctor or health care provider. The organization knew it was time for a change.
Also situated along that strip is the ever-popular Motor City Java House, founded by Alicia George, and Artist Village Detroit, founded by volunteers and several area partners who brought to life the near-extinct facility saved through the Detroit Blight Busters, a non-profit organization that rescues abandoned buildings and turns them into useful habitats for residents.
nosis – even in the pandemic – shortchanging the med ical needs of Black patients is all too commonplace.
There’s something remarkable about the 17000 block of Lahser Road.
Mental illness can take shape in many forms and young, vulnerable children especially fall prey to this if their caregivers or primary caretak ers don’t seek help.
“These patterns are concerning given that health care disruptions and suboptimal quality that result from unfair treatment can lead people to delay or forgo care, to search for a new provider, and to experience adverse health consequences,” the authors wrote in theThestudy.Urban Institute’s study, part of an ongoing body of work exploring patients’ reported experiences of dis crimination and unfair treatment in health care, found:
The project, called the Arts Alley Ini tiative, is funded with $3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) approved by Detroit City Council. The Arts Alleys project is being conducted first as a pilot for possible future neigh borhood alley activations by residents in neighborhoods throughout the city, according to a press release.
According to other news outlets, France has a history of mental ill ness.According to the Anxiety & De pression Association of America, pregnancy and childbirth not only take a physical toll during pregnan cy and postpartum, but about 20 percent of women may experience mental health challenges.
“As an adult, I had to fight the healthcare system to get tests done to find out what was going on,” Bland told the Michigan Chronicle. “You learn how to read your own body and … to rely on God to walk me through my journey. … For two years [from 2015 to 2017] I was fighting to just get a test done.”
A3 | September 14-20, 2022 michiganchronicle.com See COMMUNITY page A-4 See MENTAL HEALTH page A-4
The Institute noted that immediate plans of action should include educating and training providers and other healthcare staff to acknowledge and recognize racism and the implicit, unconscious and explicit biases ingrained in the healthcare system – including how such biases harm patients.
Detroit! Mental Health Needs to Be Addressed Now!
What is WithoutDetroitAlleys?
… Our goal at Blight Busters is to save the world starting with Detroit. Any
told the Michigan Chronicle that his organization which creates safe, inhabitable spaces in Detroit is glad to be a pilot neighborhood in the Artists Village community center (at 17336 Lahser Road in Detroit), to reap tangible rewards from the project.
Because of these major issues of inequi ty, many healthcare and health-based enti ties are stepping up to the plate in a major way.Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michi gan COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Dispari ties released a 24-page interim report in De cember detailing the strides Michigan has made in protecting communities of color from the spread of COVID-19. The Task Force is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II and consists of govern ment, health care, and community leaders.
“From the beginning, our administration has listened to medical experts and taken a fact-based approach to eliminating COVID19 in our most vulnerable communities, and we have seen significant progress,” said Whitmer in a press release. “Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist and the leaders on the Task Force have been crucial in helping us dramatically reduce the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in communi ties of color by expanding testing and pro viding crucial support to community orga nizations. Our work is far from over, and cases and hospitalizations are still rising statewide, but this team remains dedicated to working with medical experts and pro tecting our communities, frontline workers and small businesses.”
his injuries. In June. After Hodges was babysitting, Starks went to pick up her son and noticed he “did not appear normal,” and he was brought to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead after emergency sur gery.Dr.
borhoods with art and creativity. It also builds on the work being done by the city to clear brush and trash from thousands of alleys across the city. Over the past two years, alleys behind nearly 2,000 residential blocks have been cleared and reclaimed.
to change regarding mental health.
“We met with architects, business owners, the community – everybody wants us to continue and expand, not only with restoration and beautifica tion of the alley but with Blight Bust ers and ... they want us to run proj ects and programs,” George said of various local events. “There is going to be some significant improvements.
“The tumors are not operative [and doc tors are] going to do targeted radiation,” she said adding that she has relied on God and the “kindness and love and faithfulness” of people who have kept her, or she would not have been able to go forward. “I would not have made it -- the first six rounds of chemo were so brutal that I lost almost 50 pounds.… Only the Lord kept me and sus tained me and the prayers of the righteous.”
“Blightlife.Busters’
George’s wife, Alicia George, found er of the Java House, told the Michigan Chronicle that the ARPA project for the alleys is the “right thing.”
“I feel like we have progressed and evolved to this point. You know, we’ve been around for a long time. Trying to hold everything down in every way possible. So, it is always helpful when the city, the state, and the neighbors and other businesses … join in with you and see the vision that you have for your neighborhood.”
Njia Kai, a well-known Detroit cul tural ambassador, told the Michigan Chronicle that as a mother, grand mother and with deep roots in the city that it’s obvious that something needs
“People are not held in bondage and brutalized and terrorized for hundreds of years and just released and told to be pulled up by the bootstraps and be OK,” she said. “There is a lot that needs to be healed in our community. … We need it and I hope that in some small way the things we’re doing is moving [us] in that direction.”
On that particular day the bright, sunny weather matched the buoyant and bubbly energy felt by all around in that Northwest corner of Detroit where residents looked out for each other and their city.
For more information visit https://www. michigan.gov/.
Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent, contributed to this report.
Health Disparities
Page A-4 | September 14-20, 2022 | michiganchronicle.com From page A-3
From page A-3
“To fully ameliorate racial and ethnic in equities in health outcomes, policymakers and the health care system will need to con front and address the adverse experiences patients have when seeking health care and hold payers, providers and their staff ac countable for discriminatory practices and unfair treatment,” the authors wrote in the study.Bland, a lifelong educator, who choos es positivity each day, told the Michigan Chronicle that even after a secondary cancer diagnosis (in 2021) that “returned with a vengeance” she chooses to live life positively day by day, knowing that she will keep striving for a greater, healthier tomor row through proper treatment today.
“After any sort of trauma, we often can’t do the same things we once did,” according to Frederick. “Give yourself time to mourn, heal and find a way back to a new normal.”
In late August, the Michigan Chron icle met up with George and talked about the community up close and personal, which is clearly his heart beat. During a walking tour interview, George discussed the passion behind his and others’ work and without missing a step he began picking up trash and litter along the way, ever thoughtful about how his neighbor hood should look.
“I am continually grateful for each task force member’s willingness to serve and create meaningful and lasting change,” said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.
And what a vision.
“I hope and I pray that we could all do something and give back to this community,” he said. “It is good to give back to this. The place that we love,Sidewalkreally.”
For more information, visit detroit mi.gov/ace and detroitblightbusters. org/.
Mental Health
role in all of this is to stabilize and clean up the commu nity,” George said. “When you come into a neighborhood if you got broken windows and trash everywhere people are just going to keep driving.”
OnDetroit.thatday he was found painting a sunflower patch behind Artist Village.
Joanne Frederick, a licensed mental health counselor in Washing ton, D.C., (who wrote an anthology that covers how to deal with grief and loss) said recently that once enduring a traumatic event, “there is no right or wrong way to feel.”
Local artist Chazz Miller is one of those residents who has helped turn his city upside down with a paint brush and a heart for his own. Miller is responsible for the many colorful murals (including on the Obama build ing) that express his heart that beats for
Detroit, a Detroit-based, Black-owned company, is currently working with the city to conduct the community engagement phase of the design process. After the design pro cess for each alley is completed this fall, ACE will issue an RFP for gener al contractors in early 2023, with im provements to begin later in the year.
Community From page A-3
George and his team of just as ded icated people have helped transform their alleys and neighborhoods that were not stabilized, but through Blight Busters, buildings like the now wellknown Obama Building and others came to
“One of the things that has been apparent since the emancipation of African American people here in the United States has been the need for a specific focus-directed healing pro cess to restore ... our people back to their greatness,” Kai said, adding that slavery still is making an impact.
thing that anyone can do to help us to that end excites me. We believe Detroit is [on the cusp of a] greater comeback story in the nation’s history. You have to remember how far we feel and where we were at and where we’re poised to go. I’m optimistic [about that future].”
ACE will collaborate with resi dents in these areas, their neighbors and other stakeholders through the summer and fall to develop designs to overhaul an alley in each neighbor hood.George
Suheil Kashou is also another brilliant character helping bring the vision together and is the “sole” of the neighborhood as the longtime owner of the Lahser Shoe Repair Shop.
“My passion just comes from being an artist and a person who wants to make a difference and just using the tools that I have,” he said.
Jefferson Chalmers, Old Redford, Schulze, NW Goldberg and Sprin gwells
“Alleys in our city for years have been havens for illegal dumping and overgrowth and we’re steadily chang ing that,” said Duggan. “Activating neighborhood alleys in this creative way is going to help turn them into real community assets and attrac tions.”The Detroit Arts, Culture, & Entre preneurship Office will execute com munity engagement throughout key areas in the city. The five pilot Arts Alleys will be in:
Also, when facing loss and grief it is important to go through the process in one’s own “Sometimestime. we must commem orate and preserve the memory of a loved one,” Frederick said. “We can do so by planting a tree or keeping some thing that reminds us of them.”
The City’s Arts & Culture Director Rochelle Riley said that beautified alleys will add to residents’ quality of life.“The COVID-19 pandemic showed us the importance of safe, accessible green spaces in our neighborhoods,” said Riley. “We want to help communi ties create their own spaces for activi ties and enjoyment.”
He told the Michigan Chronicle that he is a proud business owner thankful for the opportunity to work and make a difference in how and what he does.
The Black Economic Freedom Move ment campaign was announced na tionally from the campus of Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. The HBCU was founded in 1881 by Dr. Book er T. Washington. More specifically, the announcement festivities took place on the front porch of the historic home on the campus where Washington lived for
Property Is Power! YourUnderstandingFICOScore
“As we pivot toward a post-pandemic economy, on the cusp of extreme Black racial injustice, the National Business League has jumped with both feet into the digital age,” said Harris. “For Black businesses globally, the revolution won’t be televised: it shall be digitized. This will not only allow Black businesses to move into the future but also allow them to aim toward true Black economic free dom without the constraints, barriers, and institutional, systematic and struc tural issues that have plagued Black communities and Black businesses across the United States and around the globe for so many years.”
“Maria is one of the most dedicated employees I have had the pleasure of working with at Comcast,” said Craig D’Agos tini, vice president of External Affairs for Comcast’s Heartland Region, in a press release. “Her passion for community impact has been a tremendous asset to this company and the commu nities we serve.”
Comcast’s Long-time Direc tor of Community Impact, Ma ria Holmes, recently retired and during her tenure in the field helped pave the way for count less coming after her in indeli ble ways throughout metro De troit and Holmes,beyond.who developed re lationships with over 300 non profits during her 40-year ca reer in the telecommunications industry, officially announced her retirement from the compa ny in mid-August.
her team will also cultivate partnerships with non-profit organizations across the region to develop and execute impact ful programs like Project UP, which will reach many with the skills, opportunities and re sources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
derstanding and your finances, here’s what you need to know about small mistakes and your FICO score.
Local Telecommunications Industry Titian Maria Holmes Retires
“We will digitize the National Busi ness League so that we will be able to facilitate the Black Economic Freedom Movement throughout all 50 states,” said Harris. “And we will relaunch all our chapters into our new digital platform so that all of our members can communi cate and take advantage of these digital tools.”NBL, said Harris, has 120,000 mem bers nationwide with chapters in every state and internationally throughout the African Diaspora. Founded by Dr. Book er T. Washington 122 years ago, the or
Indiana to the older adults at the St. Patrick Senior Center in Detroit,” said Holmes. “Moving forward, my goal is to continue positively impacting the lives of people around me in any way I can.”The Heartland Region in cludes Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan, and is headquartered in Plymouth.Comcast Corporation is a global media and technology company that connects “people to moments that matter.”
It might seem like the best possible option for avoiding credit issues is to avoid using credit altogether, but your credit history constitutes 15 percent of your FICO score. This means that you should have at least one credit card in your possession so that you can use it to build a history of lending success. While you won’t want to use more than 30 percent of your credit limit, it’s important to show proven experience in paying back your lenders. Many people think that bad credit is the result of overspending and huge debt amounts, but your FICO score is largely determined by your pay ment history and your available credit. If you’re trying to buy a home in the near future, contact your mortgage broker profession al for more information.
“Theenvironment.”cityofTuskegee is proud to cohost the National Business League for the 122nd anniversary celebration and historic Black Economic Freedom an nouncement,” said Tuskegee Mayor Law rence F. Haygood, Jr. “The NBL and the city in partnership through the National Business League Tuskegee Chapter look forward to continuing a long tradition of supporting and being a historical beacon for local Black businesses in Tuskegee while also being an intricate part of the league’s national movement.”
Harris further explained that once NBL is fully digitalized, it will launch the Black Economic Freedom Movement in mid-January 2023 to the top 50 cities across the nation where there are large demographics of Black business owners or a large population that will support Black businesses. The Movement, ac cording to Harris, will ultimately unveil its digital-ready online assessment tool to gauge members’ digital readiness in the marketplace while making a concert ed effort to connect technology and mo bility resources to help close the digital divide for Black businesses and startups. And NBL, said Harris, will deploy online resources to help Black business es and professional entrepreneurs go digital over the next five years by provid ing members with a digital marketplace to help educate, hire, promote, and grow in cities and chapters across the nation.
Anthony O. Kellum
“NBL and I are in full campaign mode to aggressively advance the Black Eco nomic Freedom Movement to digitize 1 million Black businesses,” said Harris. “We have been preparing for this for the last two years. This five-year campaign will be catered toward small Black busi ness owners. We know that out of 3.2 million Black businesses in this coun try, 98% of those businesses are homebased, sole proprietors, or professionals with a side business. That being said, we’ve built this Movement for the small companies looking to grow, and we are excited about helping them move into the new digital economy.”
In this role, Dulin will over see national and local philan thropic programs and initia tives in Heartland communities that Comcast serves. These initiatives make a difference through volunteerism and ad vancing digital equity. She and
Applying For New Credit
As the long-time director of Community Impact for its Heartland Region, she told the Michigan Chronicle that her de cision to leave the telecommu nications industry better than she found it was not easy, but she left it in more than capable hands.“The most fulfilling aspect of my career is knowing that my work made a tangible difference in the lives of so many people – from youth at the Boys and Girls Clubs in Michigan and
Forgetting Credit Altogether
By Donald James
Maria Holmes, former Comcast community impact director, is retiring after an incredibly suc cessful 40-year career in the telecommunications industry.
By Anthony O. Kellum CEO Kellum Mortgage, LLC
Money.A5 | September 14-20, 2022 michiganchronicle.com See MARIA HOLMES page A6
In late August, Comcast an nounced that Shannon Dulin was promoted to director of Community Impact for Com cast’s Heartland Region.
Holmes began her career in 1983 as a programming ex ecutive producer at Omnicom Cable, in Canton, Mich. She quickly advanced to Communi ty Affairs and Program director where she led the operations of two production studios that served nine counties. Since 1996, Holmes has served in various external affairs leader ship roles for Media One and Comcast, including serving as a Government Affairs liaison for the cable industry for over 10 years. In these positions, she negotiated contracts, devel
The due date on your bills might seem like an advisory, but whether we’re talking about a student loan, a credit card payment or your telephone bill, late payments can add up. Your payment history constitutes 35 percent of your total FICO score, which means that even a cou ple of late payments can have a marked impact on your overall credit. Instead of leaving this to chance, set aside a day each month before your bills are due to ensure they’re all paid off.
It’s often the case that a store will offer special deals if you sign up for their own in-house credit card, but this can cost you big since the amounts you owe make up 30 percent of your credit score. Also, because lenders will often assume that you’ve run out of credit if you apply for a new card, applying for new credit can be a red mark against your FICO score.
Dulin said that Holmes’ work over the years is beyond admirable.“Maria is a legend within Comcast -- she has led with integrity and compassion over the last 40 years and is so wellloved by our organization and community partners,” she said, adding that their working rela tionship is bonded by time and genuine friendship. “Although I won’t let her off the hook -- I will be calling her.”
Dulin, who celebrates 18 years with the company this fall, told the Michigan Chron icle that she has “super big shoes to “Shannonfill.” brings a wealth of experience to her new role,” said D’Agostini. “This is a well-deserved opportunity for her to grow within the compa ny. We look forward to Shannon putting her unique touch on our community impact strate gy.”Dulin was formerly the Ex ternal Affairs Manager for Com cast serving the City of Detroit and several surrounding com munities. She has served Com cast for 17 years in community and government affairs roles in Michigan and Georgia.
By Sherri Kolade
Ken L. Harris, NBL’s president and CEO, industry research has shown that 40% of Black-owned businesses permanently closed their doors or were in dire conditions during the COVID pandemic. He points out that in addition to the lack of financial solu tions for Black business owners, their inability to access technology and mo bility demands slowed or prevented con sumers from purchasing commodities, goods, products, and services online.
ganization is the first and largest non profit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian Black business and professional trade associa tion in the United States.
many years. The event also honored the National Business League on its 122nd anniversary.“WhenTuskegee Founder Booker T. Washington envisioned the National Business League, he wanted to create opportunities for economic empower ment for Black businesses through col laboration,” said Dr. Charlotte Morris, president of Tuskegee University. “We are honored to be a part of an anniver sary celebration marking 122 impactful years to ensure that our community has the tools to advance in an ever-changing digital
For Harris, walking on the hallowed grounds of Tuskegee University and standing on the front porch of Washing ton’s historic home – called The Oaksfurther invigorated him as he prepares for the critical work ahead to digitize Black-owned businesses.
Many people all over the world are dealing with issues involving debt or poor credit history, but most aren’t necessarily aware of what exactly makes up their credit score. Unfortunately, it might seem like it’s the big stuff that counts when it comes to credit, but little things can have yourimprovelookingIfcialyourimpactsignificantaonfinanhealth.you’retoun
Black Economic Movement National Business League Program Aims to Help Black Businesses
The three-point focus of the Black Economic Freedom Movement campaign will begin with the major digitalization of NBL’s regional offices in Detroit, Atlanta, and Los Angeles and the organization’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C., to the tune of $1.3 million in tech nology infrastructure upgrade. This will include a reimagined website, an online chapter portal, a mobile app, virtual meeting and webinar tools, social media platforms, a resource marketplace, and an LMS (Learning Management System).
The storied National Business League (NBL) recently announced its plans to launch a nationwide campaign to help 1 million Black-owned businesses tran sition into the digital economy by 2028. Slated to start in January 2023, the bold five-year initiative, the Black Economic Freedom Movement, will significantly boost Black-business growth to thrive in a digitizedAccordingworld.toDr.
Making Late Payments
oped and facilitated programs, as well as fostered long-term relationships with more than 300 nonprofit organizations delivering results for national commu nity impact initiatives with these local partners.Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder appointed Holmes to the Mich igan Community Service Commission in 2015, and she served two three-year terms helping lead the state’s agency on volunteerism.“Mariawas not only a wonderful person to work with, but she was also a tremendous advocate for service and volunteerism both in her role as a com missioner and her position at Com cast,” said Michigan Community Service Commission Executive Director Ginna Holmes (no relation). “She served as an incredibly positive force who inspired all she worked with to do more, to care more, and to give more. Maria brought a deep understanding of the importance of this work and a desire to bring forth solutions to community challenges. It is our hope that she experiences as much joy in retirement as she brought to oth ers during her service for the state of Michigan.”
(StatePoint) As infla tion continues to put a strain on budgets, talk of an upcoming reces sion has Americans wor ried about their finances.
She will also continue her volunteer service in the community including con tributing to Washtenaw Literacy, Per Scholas (Detroit), Detroit Connect313, Habitat for Humanity of Macomb, Women in Cable and Telecommunica tions (WICT), National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), as well as working with se niors, youth and many others. Maria’s administrative and compassionate work at Abundant Harvest Church of Belleville will also remain a personal priority, ac cording to a press release.
Consumers should check their credit report and credit score regular ly to know exactly where they stand in the event that they need to apply for credit, or simply to be better informed as they prepare to pay down their debt ahead of an eco nomic decline. They can get a free credit report and credit score from Experian (Spanish-lan guage credit reports are also available) as well as access to free financial tools, an auto insurance shopping service and credit card marketplace.
increasing their credit score can sign up for Ex perian Boost. This free feature enables consum ers to add their monthly payments for cell phone bills, utility bills, rent and video streaming services to their credit history to potentially increase their FICO Score instantly. To learn more, visit experian. com/boost.“Inflation and reces sion fears are putting pressure on consumer’s finances, but proactive ly planning for the worst can help consumers make it through potential challenges. Many con sumers are already taking great steps to prepare, like creating a budget and paying down their debt, and we encourage them to utilize other available resources and tools to help,” says Rod Griffin, senior director of Public Education and Advocacy at Experian.
Holmes, though retired, didn’t hang up her hat yet. She will soon be minted as a trustee with a local university.
As recession worries grow, more Americans are sizing up their finances to see where they stand. Only 48% are confident that they can financially handle a recession, and two in five believe that they’ll need to rely on credit to cover essential and unexpected expens es over the next three months. In fact, 27% have already increased their credit card debt within the past three months. This trend is accompanied by additional anxieties: two in three survey respon dents are concerned to some degree that their credit score will negative ly affect their ability to access credit in the next three
While these are effec tive actions, there are other steps consumers can take to understand their credit history and safeguard their credit.
Beingmonths.proactive is key to weathering financial storms, yet less than half of consumers have prepared for a recession when it comes to their fi nances and credit. Those who have are finding dif ferent ways to do so: 49%
“You’re working with non-profits to bridge that gap,” she said of helping peo ple who want to volunteer and keeping employees engaged with the community. “I am really fortunate that my passion is service and giving and I had a unique op portunity that my passion has been my profession. Many people wake up every day and they don’t know if they’re going to make a difference … when I wake up, I make a difference in the community.”
Holmes told the Michigan Chronicle that her job revolved around philan thropic work and volunteerism.
Experian survey found that two in three U.S. adults are con cerned about a recession occurring in the United States. Consumers are most worried about the affordability of routine expenses, with 73% con cerned that the price of everyday items like gas, groceries and rent will continue to rise to a level they can’t afford. Mean while, 55% harbor sup ply chain concerns and 38% are stressed about the affordability of big, planned purchases such as a home or a car.
Page A-6 | September 14-20, 2022 | michiganchronicle.com Call (313)Subscribe963-5522Today! Get your weekly home deliveryof the Michigan Chronicle
Those who need help
have cut non-essential expenses like entertain ment and vacations, 45% have created a budget and 40% have paid down debt.
Prices on everyday items continue to rise and con sumers are trying to find ways to make their dol lar stretch further while safeguarding their money against the potential chal lenges a recession may bring. The future may be difficult to predict, but preparing now can help consumers protect their financial health during a recession.Arecent
For more information visit comcast corporation.com
Is Your Wallet Recession-Proof?
michiganchronicle.com | September 14-20, 2022 | Page A-7
Page A-8 | September 14-20, 2022 | michiganchronicle.com DAILY 4 STRAIGHT AND WHEELED BETS ARE EXCLUDED. Daily 3 odds: Straight: 1 in 1,000; 3-Way Box: 1 in 333; 6-Way Box: 1 in 167; 1-O Straight: 1 in 1,000; 1-O One Digit: 1 in 167. Daily 4 odds: Straight: 1 in 10,000; 4-Way Box: 1 in 2,500; 6-Way Box: 1 in 1,666; 12-Way Box: 1 in 833; 24-Way Box: 1 in 416; 1-O Straight: 1 in 10,000; 1-O One Digit: 1 in 1,250. Knowing your limits is always the best bet. Call the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline for confidential help at 1-800-270-7117.
Sugar AmericanFactoryBrasserieOpensinDetroit
Sugar Factory’s Celebration Pancake. Photo credit: Sugar Factory
Sugar Factory’s Blueberry Mojito Photo credit: Sugar Factory
Take a Flight
is an artist who’s been in the industry for more than 20 years. Her experience includes celebrity, editorial, film, fashion and bridal artist ry. Hargress believes makeup should be fun and versatile, ac cording to her website.
Summer Sips
Host BackyardSummers'aEndingParty
should be clean and classic.
• To stand up to the richness and in many cases, sharpness of aged cheeses full of rich, fatty and sa vory flavor, choose old, bold and rich wines with good tannins that leave a tacky feeling on your tongue.
C ity. L ife . Style .
“I say that all the time, ‘Boy Bye.’ Something that flies out of my mouth normally and [my product] just so happens to be one of my favorite glosses … my favorite color, a peachy neutral. ... It came through as the names of all the statement
The best wines for summer are refreshing and feature high acidi ty, a light-to-medium body, and a dry flavor leading to a crisp finish. Think whites, rosés and light-bod ied reds. To invigorate your guests and enhance the subtle tasting notes of these wines, serve them at a slight chill. Be sure to consid er your glassware, too. “Stemmed glassware keeps warm hands off cold wines and helps maintain the right temperature for longer,” says Welch.
WOO Cosmetics Launches in Detroit
Her company, established in 2015-2016, was a dream long in the works for almost two de cades.The
Her lip glosses, ranging around $20, have spunky names like, “Must Be Nice,” “Do You,” “Why Not,” “It’s A Vibe,” “Boy Bye,” and more.
Anyone who has enjoyed a thoughtful wine flight knows that variety is the spice of life. Whether you’re throwing the party yourself or need the perfect hostess gift, con sider In Good Taste’s flights, which are offered at every price point in the brand’s patented 187 milliliter mini bottles, giving hosts the abil ity to put eight different wines on ice. Really delivering on those light, summery vibes is their California Wine Mixer tasting flight, which includes all the greats, including Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and Char donnay, along with some surprises. The brand makes snacks easy for hosts too, offering a premium selec
cosmetic service and product-based makeup line offers lip looks including lip glosses, lipsticks and lip liners for“I’mnow.starting here but I am branching out with brows, which I am known,” Hargress said, adding that she will even tually tap into a whole line.
As the president and CEO of her own makeup company, Woo Cosmetics, she is all about that life when it comes to giving people in the Metro Detroit area a newWoolook.Cosmetics is described as a leading cosmetic brand offering quality products with quality and class, according to theHargresswebsite.
(StatePoint) It’s the time of year for backyard bashes with friends and family. The best part about be ing the host? Creating relaxing sum mer vibes with great food and wine.
Farmington Hills resident Shalonda A. Hargress marches to her own “beat” literally.
“It was an idea of a very close friend of mine who actu ally got me into makeup,” she said. “She told me I was going to start a cosmetic line and this was what the name was going to be.”Hargress said that her com pany name comes from her maiden last name, “Wooten,”
By Sherri Kolade
“No client should have to buy unnecessary items to achieve an everyday look.”
Sugar Factory Amer ican Brasserie, located downtown at 45 Mon roe St., recently opened its doors – and already with as much colorful pomp and circumstance that the candy-laced, Building.Onegustopenedzil,awayDetroit.ingtime,tovibe,topknownrestaurantstagrammable-worthyIndeserves.Thefamouseatery,foritsover-the-eatsandcelebratoryisbeingwelcomedMichiganforthefirstandisalreadymakitshomeindowntownJustastone’sthrowfromTexasdeBratherestaurant,whichonMonday,Au29,islocatedintheCampusMartiusItinvitesgueststo
and her makeup represents something bold. “Woo Cosmet ics is a statement -- the tagline is, ‘A statement that will woo.’”
phrases and things that we say all the time.”
sit back and enjoy a unique din ing experience where huge entrees, world-famous desserts and Sugar Factory’s celebrity-endorsed smoking candy gob
Hargress said that along the way she was meant to be doing what she is doing now – even others saw it.
Where
Her soft glam makeup line is a passion especially when she’s putting complementary prod ucts on women of color.
The Angus Filet and Lobster Surf and Turf at the Sugar Factory.
“I love bringing out features that women don’t know they have,” she said. “I think that every face has something dif ferent about them. A number
When pairing wine and cheese, an easy place to start is by looking for cheese from the same region where the grape first originated. While this works in most cases, these quick, additional rules that look at age, depth and complexity can help you take pairing a step further:
Sugar Factory’s 24K Gold Meal. Photo credit: Sugar Factory
Get your sweet tooth ready Detroiters and denizens, the latest sugary sensational restaurant is open in the city.
Joe Welch and Zach Feinberg, good friends and co-founders of In Good Taste, a new kind of winery on a mission to make wine more acces sible and less intimidating for the everyday drinker, offer these back yard party tips for warm weather fun:
Pairing Tricks
She also believes makeup
• Salty cheeses pair especially well with sweet wines, as the saltiness brings out the sweetness even more.
Photo credit: Sugar Factory
Lip liners range from around $15.And while she is living in her dream right now, starting her business of beauty began right after a devastating situation, her divorce in 2016.
“It was forced [evolution],” she said, adding that she has always wanted to do it full time. “It was what pushed me through the door.”
By Sherri Kolade
City Meets Life and Life Meets Style michiganchronicle.comB1 | September 14-20, 2022 See HOSTING TIPS Page B-2 See WOO COSMETICS Page B-2 See SUGAR FACTORY Page B-2
Woo Cosmetics features lipsticks, lip glosses and more.
• Young and soft cheeses with silky textures and creamy body pair es pecially well with young and lively wines full of fruit, good acidity and spirited aromas.
book her spot at the Sug ar Factory and said she will keep trying until she gets in -- but she doesn’t mind.“It’s totally worth the ride there, and the wait,” sheSugarsaid. Factory Detroit is located at 45 Monroe Street and will be open Monday - Thursday from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Friday from 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.12 a.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.
We put care in health insurance.
“They’re really going to enjoy the atmosphere,” she said, adding that she loved the different orders she placed, and in Chi cago she ordered a giant milkshake. “They’re huge -- really yummy and they come with actual pas tries. So, if you order the one with a donut you get a donut. ... It’s a lot of food and fun to order.”
and cheese with Antonelli’s Cheese Shop’s carefully curated Cheese Meats Treats tray. To shop flights and gifts, book a virtual or in-person wine tasting with an expert, or for additional wine 101, visit ingooodtaste.com.
of things come into play [with makeup] like the outfit that the client needs their makeup done for and how willing they are to do something new.”
From
the Tie-Dye Milkshake -there is never a dull mo ment when it comes to wondering what to eat.
“You don’t need to be a sommelier to get wine right at your backyard gather ings and other events,” says Feinberg. “Wine is for anybody who enjoys it, and with a little bit of know-how, this as pect of summer hosting can be fun, not stressful.”
“The lip line products easily match my skin tone and stands out,” she said. “It’s important to me that I support a Black makeup artist because it makes me feel good to pour back into my com munity.”Hargress advises new makeup artists to practice, practice, practice.
“Werelease.are excited to bring our decadent dish es, sweets and treats, which have been enjoyed by guests around the world for over a decade, to the Detroit commu nity,” shares Sugar Fac tory Partner Larry Ru dolph. “The energy and atmosphere of downtown and the One Campus Martius building is the perfect place for Sugar Factory’s
From
Sandra Smith-Johnson celebrated her 16th birthday at TPC of Michigan the summer of 2022. She is a member of the AKATeens of Detroit, Girl Scouts, The Co-Ette Club, and Mensa. Sandra recently received College Board’s National African American Recognition Award.
page B-1 Sugar Factory For J.D. Power 2022 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at MIBluesPerspectives.com/ReadyToHelp Ranked #1 in Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in Michigan Get the care you need, when you need it, with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network. From the largest network of doctors and hospitals in Michigan to coverage for mental health resources, healthy recipes and free resources to keep you healthy, Blue Cross is always ready to help.
Sugar Factory’s 223seat space will also fea ture an outdoor patio din ing. With brunch, lunch and dinner options, pa trons can try out iconic dishes like the Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed Waf fle -- a warm waffle stuffed with strawberries and New York Cheesecake, and topped with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and strawberry sauce -- or the 24K Gold Burger meal featuring a burger dripping in 24k gold leaves and served with gold-dusted French fries and a 24K Gold Milk shake made with Ferrero Rocher golden truffles and topped with a golddraped chocolate glazed donut.There is also the Flam ing HOT Cheetos Burger, an eight-ounce Angus burger topped with Flam ing Hot Cheetos-crusted pepper jack cheese, pick les, shredded lettuce and chipotle mayo and served on a Hot Cheetos-crusted bun among other tempt ing
Happy 16th Birthday
Page B-2 | September 14-20, 2022 | michiganchronicle.com From page B-1
For more information go to woomake
She added that it’s great to see Detroit grow ing even more.
movies, bridal and commercials. I don’t believe in being boxed in. If this is what you truly love never have a plan B. Do something in the beauty field that will keep you inspired until you can make makeup your career.”
Woo Cosmetics
let drinks take the main stage. Customers can also enjoy the photo-wor thy decor and the brand’s signature retail store with floor-to-ceiling candy walls and countless can dy options, according to a press
and reels of course.”
The brand will expand into more U.S. markets in the next year includ ing Houston; Cherry Hill, NJ; Jacksonville, Fla.; Honolulu, Hawaii; and many more. The brand reaches internationally with restaurants in Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas; Dubai at Festival City Mall and CityWalk; as well as The Mall World Trade Center in Abu Dhabi.
Metro Detroit resident and client Jes sica Sain loves Woo makeup because it is “smooth and long-lasting.”
ing“It’llsugarylovebefranchise,lookingaChronicleie,whobloggerperience.”family-friendlyhigh-energy,diningexDetroit-basedfoodLaurenGillon,runsElle,theFoodtoldtheMichiganthatitwillbefuntreatforresidentsforagoodtime.“I’mfamiliarwiththeIthinkit’llgreatforpeoplewhoaestheticsandcutedrinks,”shesaid.definitelybetrendforInstagrampictures
For more information visit cation/detroit/.sugarfactory.com/lo
“I think it’s nice to see that Detroit is becoming a place where people want to actually visit,” Ander son said. “It’s nice to see the development and the environment is welcom ing to people from all dif ferentAnderson,places.” who lives about 30 minutes from the restaurant, tried to
Fromofferings.the Sugar Fac tory’s Insane Milkshakes like the Campfire Spiked S’Mores Milkshake to
page B-1
Hosting Tips
Detroit resident Shir ley Anderson, who has been to two Sugar Facto ry restaurants in Las Ve gas and Chicago, told the Michigan Chronicle that she is looking forward to eating at the Detroit restaurant, and she en courages other people to come with an empty belly and take in everything.
“Practice on different faces like eye shapes, different ethnicities, different complexions and different skin tex tures,” she said. “You want to know what field of the industry you’re going into … and be a well-rounded makeup artist. I can work in editorial, runway,
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michiganchronicle.com | September 14-20, 2022 | Page B-3
For kids born just before and during the pandemic, the world has been very small But now that the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for those 6 months and up … it’s about to get a whole lot bigger.
Michigan.gov/KidsCOVIDVaccine
1. Genetics.
“Black men are usually not well represented in clinical trials,” Dr. Abdollah says. “Recruitment is low, so the results of a prostate cancer clinical trial don’t necessarily apply to Black men if they weren’t represented in the clinical trial.”
Or sometimes, it’s just being able to reach a particular community to ensure they’re getting cancer screenings. “Our data shows that Black men get fewer prostate cancer screenings than white men,” Dr. Abdollah says. “We have a grant to improve gaps in access to care and prostate cancer screenings in Black men.”
When Should Black Men Start Prostate Screenings?Cancer
How Screening Works
Screening typically consists of a prostatespecific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal examination (DRE). If either test is abnormal, further testing is done with a prostate biopsy, which involves obtaining a small sample of prostate
This screening tool is also used for men with a history of prostate cancer as a part of their follow-up if a repeat PSA test shows increasing levels.
“It could be a combination of factors, from genetics to access to care,” says Firas Abdollah, M.D., a urologist with Henry Ford Health, who has published extensive research on the impact of race in prostate cancer.
■ At age 40: If you have more than one first-degree relative (father or brother) who had prostate cancer younger than age 65.
Firas Abdollah, M.D.
the diagnosis is prostate cancer, we offer prostate MRI, a newer option that is used to diagnose the extent of the disease within the prostate and lymph nodes.
“Inherited, biological factors could be a factor,” Dr. Abdollah says. “Studies have shown that prostate cancer in Black men has a different genetic profile—the mutations are different. It’s a more aggressive cancer and, at diagnosis, they present with a higher stage of cancer.”
2. Low enrollment in clinical trials.
■ At age 45: You should start screening at this age if you have no other risk factors.
Learn more about factors that may increase risk and affect treatment
The American Cancer Society recommends having a discussion with your doctor about screening as follows:
YourProstateYourHealth.Henryford.com/
Whentissue.
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“It’s so important that all men get screened, because prostate cancer is a silent disease until it spreads to other parts of the body and it can’t be cured,” Dr. Abdollah says. “The PSA screening is the alarm bell. Before you feel anything, it tells you something is wrong. It’s a simple blood test, and it’s so important. It can save lives.”
3. Access to care.
Henry Ford Health has an initiative to increase minority participation in cancer clinical trials. “The initiative is especially trying to boost clinical trial participation in breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers,” Dr. Abdollah says. These are more likely to result in death for Black people when compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
To learn more about prostate cancer screening or make an appointment with a urologist at Henry Ford Health, call 1-800-436-7936 or visit
“Black men tend to get less active treatment and less surgical treatments than other men,” Dr. Abdollah says. “This could be because of a bias in the community, a lack of trust in the healthcare system, a lack of access to health centers of excellence, not having health insurance—or a combination of these.”
Why Are Black Men at a Greater Risk for PROSTATE CANCER?
A lthough all men are at risk for prostate cancer, Black men are about twice as likely to get and die from it than white men. The reasons for this, however, are not definitively known.
Buyer Beware:
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ADMINISTRATIVESeekingSECRETARYatOaklandUniversity
• Good sourcing. Where it comes from is almost as important as what’s in it. Manufacturers can cut corners by working with lower-quality global suppliers or operating in places that require little oversight. Look for products sourced and manu factured in the United States, such as NovaFer rum.
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Funeral Service: Saturday, September 24, 2022 11 a.m.
All materials used shall comply with the requirements of Safe Drinking Water Act and other Federal regulations for potable water systems as applicable.
(StatePoint) The supplement industry is boom ing, with more than four in five Americans taking vitamins or supplements, according to a recent Har ris Poll on behalf of the American Osteopathic As sociation. Despite their popularity, the FDA doesn’t test the effec tiveness, safe ty or quality ofmanufacturerrum,try,ulatedlargelynavigatedients.orsupplementsoftheiringreTohelpyouthisunregindusNovaFeraleadingironsupplements
Robert B. Blackwell Municipal Building 12050 Woodward Avenue Highland Park, Michigan 48203
Salary
Under the supervision of an assigned superior, performs a full scope of basic clerical functions including word processing, records management, data entry, customer service and similar activities.Toreview the minimum qualifications, details on the position and to apply, please visit our Employment Opportunities web page at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/eastpointemi
The scope of work involves field verification of a minimum of 335 water service lines within the City of Highland Park for identifying the material of the line. The list of addresses will be provided by the Water Department. The verification needs to be conducted by the hydro-excavation on both sides of an existing curb stop. The proposed bidder shall provide a proposal that includes:
HELP WANTED
•Project Schedule for Phase 1 (first half of excavations Fall 2022) and Phase 2 (second half of excavations Spring 2023)
for children and adults whose products have been clinically proven safe, effective and well tolerated, offers the following primer:
• Science-backed products. Don’t trust your fam ily’s health to a formula cooked up in a kitchen sink. Seek scientifically proven solutions based on years of pharmaceutical and health care ex perience and recommended by licensed medical professionals. Choose only supplements that have voluntarily undergone full-scale, multi-year clini cal trials to prove that they’re safe, effective and well-tolerated.
www.michiganchronicle.com Please visit our website for ads.classifiedmoreGet your weekly home delivery of the Call (313) 963-5522
the supervision of the Assistant Public Services Supervisor, DPWS Supervisor and/or DPWS Superintendent, performs a variety of work using various pieces of equipment in the construction, operation, repair, maintenance and replacement of city water, sewer, street and storm drainage facilities and systems. Employee will also be required to participate in an on-call rotation and overtime for emergency and/or scheduled work.
Bid documents will be made available on Friday, September 9th, 2022 and the bids must be received by 12:00 p.m. Local Time on Friday, September 23, 2022.
‘Ironing Out’ the Facts on Vitamins and Supplements
Under
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
All qualified vendors are encouraged to bid on all City of Highland Park construction projects.
Visitation: Friday, September 23, 2022 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Farewell to a long-standing Michigander: Ms. Tessie Hughes.
Engineering & Computer
To provide responsible secretarial ser vices and operational office assistance for an assistant or associate dean, chairperson, director or principle ad ministrator of a school, department, in stitute, or administrative unit. Minimum Qualifications: High school graduation or an equivalent combination of ed ucation and experience. Three years progressively responsible secretarial experience. Ability to effectively inter act with the public, students, faculty, and staff. Salary is $42,965.00 annually. See online posting for additional posi tion requirements. Must apply online to: https://jobs.oakland.edu
to apply,
The Contract Documents may be obtained by emailing procurements@metroca.net. To collect hard copies of the documents, Bidders are required to email procurements@metroca.net to coordinate pick-up free of charge for up to two (2) copies per contractor.
The City of Highland Park is seeking an experienced contractor to administer the 2021 Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant received to assist the City of Highland Park with the Distribution System Materials Inventory (DSMI) as defined in Michigan’s Lead and Copper Rule.
Robert B. Blackwell Municipal Complex Council Chambers 2nd floor 12050 Woodward Ave. Highland Park, Michigan 48203
A refundable bid deposit in the form of certified check, cash, or surety bond payable to the City of Highland Park for a sum not less than five percent (5%) of the amount of the Proposal shall be required with each Proposal. The successful bidder will be required to furnish satisfactory performance, labor, and materials and maintenance and guarantee bonds in the amount of one hundred percent {100%) of the Contract price.
Brenda Green City Clerk
michiganchronicle.com | September 14-20, 2022 | Page B-5Classifieds ANNOUNCEMENTS PROFESSIONALANNOUNCEMENTSANNOUNCEMENTSANNOUNCEMENTSHELPWANTEDHELPWANTED
Starting: $26.56/Hour
Employment Opportunity
Recommendation and Award • Monday, October 24th, 2022, 7:00 p.m. (Local Time)
• Trustworthy brands. The supplement industry has experienced a number of lawsuits and recalls for issues related to ineffectiveness and adverse reactions. Do your homework.
For more information on NovaFerrum, its iron sup plements or its clinical trial, visit novaferrum.com.
Ms. Hughes was a lifetime member of the Historical Warren Avenue Missionary Baptist Church for over 60 years.
•Unit Cost for Two (2) Hydro-Excavations Per Address
Notice is hereby given that the Highland Park City Council will hold a Public Hearing
Wilson-Akins Funeral Home East Side Chapel 527 Owen Detroit, MI 48202
TESSIE HUGHES
Peoples Missionary Baptist Church 3000 Detroit,McDougallMI48207
•Unit Cost for Restoration Per Address and provisions for the following:
CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK, WAYNE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting proposals for micro transit consultant services for RFP Control No. 23-3689 may be obtained beginning September 15, 2022 from http://www.mitn.info. Responses to RFP are due by 3:00 PM ET, October 28, 2022.
Bids (Proposals) will not be received unless made on forms furnished by the City of Highland Park and delivered to the City Clerk’s office on or before 12:00 p.m. Local Time on Friday September 23, 2022.
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is soliciting RFQs for Bird and Squirrel Removal Services, Control No. 23-3678. RFQ forms may be obtained beginning September 9, 2022, from http://www.mitn.info. RFQs are due by 3:00 PM ET, September 30, 2022
• Truthful product claims. Don’t be fooled by prod uct claims not backed by third parties. The “certi fied gluten-free” symbol on food packaging means stringent steps were followed to prevent gluten cross-contamination and that the food has been independently tested by a third party. Similarly, many products are listed as vegan, kosher and ha lal, but smart consumers know to look for those that are vegan-verified and Etimad Halal or Kosher certified.
CITY OF EASTPOINTE
• Easy ingestion. Look for infant and children’s products that actually taste good enough that they’ll take them. The pediatric drops and chew able tablets from NovaFerrum, for example, come in flavors like chocolate and raspberry grape. Also, when it comes to iron supplements, stick with for mulations that reduce iron-related gastrointesti nal side effects often experienced by people of all ages.
Monday, September 19th, 2022 7:00 p.m.
•Hydro excavation -technique to be used for locating and identifying the material of the water service line
The City of Highland Park reserves the right to waive any irregularity, to accept or reject any or all bids, and to accept the proposals that, in the City’s opinion, are in the best interest of and to the advantage of the City of Highland Park. No bidder may withdraw his bid within ninety calendar days after the date of bid opening.
Opportunities web
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
City of Highland Park Brenda Green, City Clerk
• The right ingredients. While organic is a good thing when you buy vegetables, when it comes to products that require a shelf-life, this might not be the best approach. Some popular “all-natural” supplements have been recalled due to bacterial contamination. Without some level of preserva tive, harmful bacteria can grow in liquid supple ments and make users seriously ill.
2022 Highland Park Drinking Water Asset Management Grant Inventory Project
The purpose of the hearing is to receive comments regarding FY 2023 Water Department budget & rates.
job description
City of Highland Park Customer Service Center Water Department 14110 Woodward Avenue Highland Park, Michigan 48203
REQUEST FOR QUOTES
Laborer
CITY OF EASTPOINTE Clerk
• Proper dosage. There is wide variation in the amount of active ingredients in each supplement. Some iron supplements, for example, contain only slightly more iron than a glass of tap water. Make sure you get what you’re paying for. On the other hand, taking too high a dosage can be dangerous. Know the Tolerable Upper Intake Level or UL (the maximum amount you can ingest without negative side effects) of each supplement you take.
Starting Salary: 18.68/Hour
Opportunity
Employment
To review the and please visit our Employment page at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/eastpointemi
• Doctor-approved solutions. What you put into your body impacts your health in myriad ways, so choosing a supplement is essentially making a medical decision. Don’t rely on slick advertising. Always get your doctor’s counsel.
*The service will also be live streamed online* She will truly be missed by everyone who knew her, but she will definitely be in our hearts forever.
•Reports of the field investigation and findings
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