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www.bestinblackdetroit.com POWERED BY REAL TIMES MEDIA

Volume 80 – Number 52

michiganchronicle.com

September 6-12, 2017

Real Times Media's Hiram E. Jackson tapped for keynote address Michigan Chonicle reports

Black Owned Media Alliance has tapped Hiram E. Jackson, publisher of the Michigan Chronicle, and Chief Executive Officer of Real Times Media, to deliver the keynote at the 3rd Annual Get to Know Black Media: A Symposium on Effective Strategies for Advertising, Digital and Social Media Marketing. On Sept.14, symposium attendees will convene at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County – Carnival Studio Theater located in Miami for the pestigious event.

The focus of the symposium has expanded to embrace the foundational aspects of Black media from coverage to advertisement. This premise will be the essence of the luncheon with key-note speaker Hiram Jackson.

“It's with a great deal of pleasure to have Hiram Jackson, the CEO of Real Time Media, as our key note speaker,” explained Dexter Bridgeman, BOMA President. “Real Time Media is the country's largest conglomerate of Blackown media, with notable entities such as the legendary Chicago Defender and the historical Pittsburgh Courier.

They continue to be relevant and prospering under the leadership and direction of Hiram Jackson."

Tyrone Manning, Marketing Director for the Adrienne Arsht Center, has been feverously working with BOMA to bring the event to life. “As a convener for our community’s most important events, the Arsht Center is proud to welcome the Black Owned Media Alliance and their guests. We look forward to the thoughtful discussion that Dexter Bridgeman and the various business leaders and members of BOMA will engender through this very special business and community event.”

The symposium has evolved from a one panel discussion to this year’s day-long, five-panel discussion. Last year, the symposium’s main focus was to provide statistics to educate the mostly advertising executive audience on the spending power of African Americans in hopes of educating their clients. Since 2015, the symposium has enlightened advertisers and agencies on African American consumption habits.

Past attendees have been The Wow Factor, RBB, Sonshine

See JACKSON page A-4

Michigan made, Detroit built: The new Little Caesar’s Arena officially opens its doors

By Alisha Dixon Tuseday, Chris Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Gov. Rick Snyder, Mayor Mike Duggan and other officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official grand opening of the new Little Caesar’s Arena.

“This is such an important moment for our community, our organization and thousands of people who have put their hearts, hands and souls into this project.

Developments like Little Caesar’s Arena and the District Detroit are rare, perhaps, once in a lifetime. When they are done well and when they are done right, they can create incredible pride and change lives across our community. We believe we have created something truly spectacular for the people of our city, our region, and our state. Little Caesar’s Arena and the District Detroit are transforming our city’s landscape in positive ways. More importantly, they are positively transforming lives,” Ilitch said emphatically to the large crowd.

“I’m incredibly excited and driven to build upon my parents’ vision even further by continuing to develop the District Detroit. Opening the doors to Little Caesar’s Arena today is a massive accomplishment. And yet, we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible in this 50-plusblock development… Done? We’re just getting started!”

With the opening of LCA, all eyes are on Detroit as the city becomes the first in the country to have all four sports teams,

Chris Illitch with Detroit City Councilmebers Janee Ayers, Gabe Leland, Council president Brenda Jones, Mayor Mike Duggan and Scott Benson and soon, maybe a fifth, in walking distance within the city’s growing entertainment district, the District Detroit. LCA promises to bring a different kind of entertainment experience. From having the largest scoreboard in the NHL to an outdoor plaza that can accommodate up to 4,000 fans where even sold out games can be viewed on a large LED screen. While the arena alone is an impressive fete, development in the 50-plus-block District

“More than 60 retail concepts are in discussion and planning with a mix of national, local, minority-owned business-

See NEW

ARENA page A4

Detroit’s own Kevin Ryan to lead Ford Foundation efforts to revitalize hometown

WHAT’S INSIDE

By Keith A. Owens Senior Editor

One way or another, Kevin Ryan has had it on his mind ever since his college days at the University of Michigan that he was going to make a difference for his hometown of Detroit. A big difference.

Best in Black: Tommey Walker, Detroit Vs Everybody

Today, approximately one month after beginning his tenure as director of the Ford Foundation’s Detroit office – the first time the organization has had an office in the city since 1953 – Ryan is already swimming in the deep end of the pool as he begins designing strategies for how the foundation can best utilize its massive resources to assist Detroit in being a comeback city for all of its citizens, not just a privileged few.

See Page D1

“How can we contribute to that kind of Detroit that we want to envision and that we want to see. That inclusive Detroit where everybody is supported and everybody has opportunity, whether it’s work or education,” he said.

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Detroit promises to have a positive economic impact on the city and the region with residential units (20% affordable), retail and office space and diverse food and restaurant options, all within blocks of LCA, Ford Field and Comerica Park.

Kevin Ryan – Keith A. Owens photo

Currently Ryan is in the process of meeting with as many community groups as possible “to really hear from them

about where is Detroit now, where do they see Detroit going, and how can Ford help to support an inclusive and accessible recovery, and not just recovery but help people thrive in the city of Detroit.

“To me what success would look like in a year is we at Ford would have a deeper knowledge and understanding of the relationships and networks and activity that exists here in Detroit that’s aimed at creating this new vision for Detroit. And that our grant making reflects these values around inclusiveness and around accessibility.”

Born and raised in Detroit, Ryan said his family lived in several different locations around the city, including near 6 Mile and Fenmore “right near the Southfield Freeway,” and also 7 Mile and Schaeffer, before his family decided to relocate to Southfield when Ryan was 11 years old. The move was mostly for educational reasons, but there were other reasons as well.

Specifically, Ryan’s parents found out that Southfield “was an intentionally integrated community, which was one of

See RYAN page A-4

news

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

September 6-12, 2017

Page A-2

Oak Park: Blake Farms offers $1 per bushel to Forgotten Harvest for Hunger Blake Farms recently announced, as part of its longstanding partnership with Oak Park-based food rescue organization Forgotten Harvest, that it will donate $1 per every bushel picked by guests to Forgotten Harvest the entire month of September in support of Hunger Action Month.

“Community partners like the Blake family are vital to the sustainability of our mission,” stated Forgotten Harvest

“We look forward to our community coming together to help those who are less fortunate – to come out here, bring the family, buy apples and we’ll donate $1 for every bushel. It’s that easy,” said Paul Blake, co-owner of Blake Farms.

Blake Farms has three locations, including:

Four years ago, the Blake family started the Forgotten Harvest Orchard of Hope program by donating two acres of land at its Big Apple

Michigan Historic Preservation Network loans awarded to three rehabilitation projects In July, 2017, the Michigan Historic Preservation Network awarded its first three predevelopment loans to assist three historic building rehabilitation projects in Michigan: Thompson Block in Ypsilanti, 1108 Water Street in Bay City, and Casa Del Ray Apartments in Pontiac.

Predevelopment funds are often the most critical for a project. MHPN’s loan fund covers reasonable third-party costs that are necessary in getting a historic project going, such as architectural and consultant costs, feasibility studies, marketing studies, and acquisition.

“The goal of MHPN’s predevelopment loan is to help make projects happen,” said Nancy Finegood, Executive Director of MHPN. “The predevelopment money is usually the riskiest, so it is difficult to get from commercial lenders, but critical to making the project a reality. MHPN’s program allows us to fill this gap and help get the projects started.”

The Thompson Block is located at the corner of N. River Street and E. Cross Street with two street-facing façades. It suffered a significant fire in 2009 and a partial collapse in 2015. “The rehabilitation of Thompson Block will be transformational to Depot Town in Ypsilanti. The Thompson

Block is the oldest commercial structure in town.

The residents and local businesses have had to endure this sad structure for too long. We want to bring it back to its glory,” said Jon Carlson, developer of Thompson Block and 1108 Water Street.

“The restaurant scene is growing and vibrant in Ypsilanti. Lofts are being rented immediately, as they come to market.

With this loan program, MHPN is kick-starting these historic projects and encouraging downtown revitalization.”

John Hambrick, Casa Del Ray Apartments project consultant, said “The redevelopment of Casa Del Ray Apartments will rehabilitate the only vacant structure in the area.

The project will provide needed quality, affordable housing for seniors in the Pontiac area, helping to create an even more vibrant community. The MHPN predevelopment loan is helping us on the path to accomplish these goals.”

The MHPN Predevelopment Loan Fund provides financial support for projects rehabilitating historic buildings in Michigan.

The loan fund covers reasonable costs that occur in the early stages of development planning and are essential to making the project happen.

Another loan program that MHPN offers is the

Proposed County Commission Pension Plan Initiative unveiled A plan to more rapidly reduce the county retirement system’s unfunded liability was introduced today by Wayne County Commission Chairman Gary Woronchak and Commission Fiscal Director Mark Abbo.

In a presentation before the Commission’s Ways & Means Committee, Abbo, who developed the Commission Pension Plan Initiative, said the proposal could result in up to $50 million in additional contributions to the pension system beyond the legally required annual required contribution (ARC). The required contribution is about $55 million for fiscal year 2017-18.

Woronchak, D-Dearborn, observed that “it is crucial for the county to substantially increase and accelerate the funding of the retirement system, which currently is only 54 percent funded. This proposal would not only contribute to the county’s continuing financial recovery, but would keep faith with the county’s retirees by making the pension fund more secure.”

As described by Abbo, by voluntary agreement with the Wayne County Employees’ Retirement System (WCERS), the county would utilize a portion of the county’s pooled cash reserves to fund an additional contribution in an amount to be determined. The county

would retain the flexibility to use the additional payment as a credit to reduce the ARC in future years, if financial necessity requires it.

“In addition to the principal amount of the additional contribution, investment of that amount would earn the retirement system’s rate of return, which has been about 9.5 percent over the past five years, instead of at the limited rate earned on the county’s pooled cash funds,” Abbo said.

“To illustrate, a $50 million additional payment yielding even 7.25 percent instead of the less than 1 percent historically returned by the pooled cash investment, could earn $3,625,000 per year with WCERS, versus only $405,000 if left with the pooled cash fund.”

Commission Chairman Woronchak emphasized that additional negotiations with the County Executive Warren Evans’ administration and WCERS would be necessary on a number of plan elements, including the amount of the additional payment, the maximum years a credit could be taken against future ARCs, the determination of financial necessity by the administration as approved by the County Commission triggering a credit, and the fixing of a straight-line amortization period during the period of credit.

Orchard to Forgotten Harvest. 500 apple trees were planted and are harvested each fall – this season, Blake’s expects 50,000 pounds to be picked. These fresh, nutritious apples are then distributed free-of-charge to over 250 agency partners in metro Detroit.

“The Orchard of Hope is a reminder for us that there are less fortunate people out there that don’t have the same access to healthy foods like we do,” said Blake Farms co-owner Pete Blake.

“It’s humbling for us to be able to share something we are so passionate about while helping our community.”

CEO Kirk Mayes. “We are so gratified to know that the one in four metro Detroit kids who face hunger will be able to celebrate the fall with fresh healthy apples.”

• Blake’s Big Apple (Forgotten Harvest’s Orchard of Hope is also located here), 71485 North Ave., Armada, MI 48005 • Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill, 17985 Armada Center Rd., Armada, MI 48005 • Blake’s Almont Orchards, 5590 Van Dyke Ave., Almont, MI 48003 Forgotten Harvest was formed in 1990 to fight two problems: hunger and waste.

Forgotten Harvest “rescued” over 45 million pounds of food last year by collecting surplus prepared and perishable food from over 800 locations, including grocery stores, fruit and vegetable markets, restaurants, caterers, dairies, farmers, wholesale food distributors and other Health Department-approved sources. This donated food, which would otherwise go to waste, is delivered freeof-charge to over 250 emergency food providers in the metro Detroit area.

Intervention Loan program which provides low interest loans for stabilization and emergency repairs to historic buildings.

According to Finegood, “MHPN looks forward to supporting comprehensive efforts to rehabilitate more historic buildings in Michigan.”

MHPN, founded in 1981, is the largest membership organization in the state dedicated to recognizing and preserving Michigan’s rich cultural and architectural heritage. The network advocates for Michigan’s historic sites to contribute to the state’s economic vitality, sense of place, and connection to the past. This is accomplished through education, outreach, and advocacy assistance to local residents and business owners, preservation organizations, policymakers, and elected officials throughout the state.

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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE September 6-12, 2017 Page A-3 news Former Mexico president Vicente Fox is featured speaker at WSU FOCIS 10th anniversary Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, will be the keynote speaker for the Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society’s (FOCIS) 10th anniversary lecture series “What in the World is Going On?” kickoff event at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18. He will discuss “Immigration: The Wall, Trade, Jobs and Deportation,” followed by a question-and-answer period.

The speech and Q&A session are open to the public. Admission is free but reservations are required. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Vicente Fox

Fox grew up in Guanajuato, Mexico and still recalls from his childhood that one of the

greatest harms a nation can avoid is poverty. He studied business administration at the Universidad Iberoamericana and received a top management diploma from the Harvard Business School. In 1964, he joined the Coca-Cola Company in Mexico, eventually becoming president of the company for Mexico and Latin America. He was elected president of Mexico in 2000, serving through 2006. He now encourages leadership and creates opportunities for less fortunate people through his organization, Centro Fox. Fox has been critical of what he feels is an overly restrictive U.S. immigration policy and

has maintained his opposition to U.S intervention in Iraq. He points to the fact that the United States was founded as an open society that welcomed immigrants who helped build the country.

In 2008, more than 1,000 people packed Wayne State’s Community Arts Auditorium and McGregor Memorial Conference Center to hear Fox discuss issues on globalization and immigration. Fox was the third guest speaker — and the first former head of state — in the university’s acclaimed FOCIS lecture series.

“We are privileged to have former Mexico President Vicen-

te Fox as our special keynote speaker,” said Irvin D. Reid, director of FOCIS and inaugural holder of Wayne State’s Eugene Applebaum Chair in Community Engagement. “During our 10th year, as we recognize and celebrate a decade of providing insightful programming for the community through FOCIS, it is fitting that Fox will grace the lectern once again, offering an intellectual and thought-provoking talk on such a relevant topic.”

The lecture will be held at Wayne State’s Community Arts Auditorium, 450 Reuther Mall, Detroit.

$4.2 million grant helps health care in underserved areas

The Michigan Area Health Education Center, a program of Wayne State University that seeks to increase access to quality primary care providers in underserved communities, has been awarded a five-year, $4.2 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Michigan AHEC will use the funds to continue to strengthen its statewide network of five regional centers and support HRSA’s mission to improve health and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce and innovative programs. By enabling Michigan AHEC to provide clinical experiences and continuing education programs for health care professionals and support practice transformation in primary care urban and rural underserved communities, this grant reinforces Michigan AHEC’s alignment with Wayne State University’s mission and values of community engagement, diversity and inclusion and commitment to excellence.

Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences and associate dean for graduate medical education in the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

“This grant will allow us to build upon our efforts to improve access to health care in underserved areas and help us to positively impact the current and future health care workforce throughout Michigan.”

“This award is great news for the future of healthcare in Michigan,” said Dr. Tsveti Markova, co-principal investigator of Michigan AHEC, endowed chair and professor in the Department of

Michigan AHEC also announced the recent selection of Covenant Community Care as its new host partner for its Southeast Regional Center.

Covenant Community Care, Inc. is a faith-based

“Having been with the program since its inception in 2010, I am pleased that HRSA sees the value of our interprofessional leadership and program model,” said Dr. Ramona Benkert, co-principal investigator of Michigan AHEC, associate professor and associate dean of academic and clinical affairs in the Wayne State University College of Nursing.

“These additional five years of funding help us to continue our statewide efforts to enhance the distribution and diversity of the health care workforce and to support practice transformation in underserved communities.”

charitable non-profit Community Health Center serving the people of Metro Detroit. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, they offer integrated medical, dental and behavioral health care to approximately 20,000 people per year in six clinical sites in the Detroit area. The Michigan AHEC Southeast Regional Center serves nine counties in southeast Michigan: Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne.

“Our community health center is committed to helping young people from Detroit and Southeastern Michigan to develop as health professionals who are equipped to serve everyone regardless of income or insurance status,” said Paul Propson, chief executive officer of Covenant Community Care.

Michigan AHEC is funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration and Wayne State University. Academic partners include Wayne State University’s College of Nursing, School of Medicine, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and School of Social Work; the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry; Central Michigan University; Western Michigan University; and Northern Michigan University.

QLINE ready for revenue operations

Michigan Chronicle Reports

QLINE streetcars are now arriving every 15 minutes during peak service, meeting M-1 RAIL’s goal as revenue operations are set to begin on Sept.

5. “QLINE service is more frequent and more consistent,” said M-1 RAIL President and CEO Matt Cullen. “The extended free ride promotion provided us an opportunity to take all the great feedback we’ve received from riders and incorporate it into service before we be-

gan collecting fares.” Officials say service improvement goals were achieved during the free ride extension period.

During the two-month extended free ride promotion, the QLINE reduced wait times between streetcars by 15 percent.

Accuracy of the vehicle arrival prediction system has also improved, with the QLINE arriving on-time within two minutes of its predicted arrival on more than 65 percent of its trips in August. Both figures are ex-

pected to continue improving over the next few months.

In mid-June, M-1 RAIL and The Kresge Foundation announced an extension of free QLINE ride service through Labor Day to support ridership growth and service enhancements to ensure the long-term success of the system.

M-1 RAIL owns and operates the QLINE, a 6.6-mile circulating streetcar route serving 12 locations on Woodward Ave. from downtown Detroit through

Midtown, New Center and the North End. The QLINE is the first major transit project led and funded by private businesses and philanthropic organizations, in partnership with local, state and federal government.

ners along the corridor and the public to ensure QLINE is a safe, reliable and welcoming streetcar system. We are ready to begin a new phase of the project on Sept. 5 when M-1 RAIL begins revenue operations.”

“We were confident that the QLINE would build on its successful launch and refine operations during the extended free ride period,” said M-1 RAIL Vice Chair and Kresge President and CEO Rip Rapson. “We are pleased that so many Detroit­ ers took the opportunity to experience the QLINE and believe that over time, the project’s impact will lead to greater support for regional transit.”

M-1 RAIL has added streetcar operators, optimized traffic signals along the route, implemented a new stop policy and reduced battery charging time since its launch in May. In preparation for revenue operations, additional rider resources will be available at QLINE stations and onboard the streetcar including a more detailed route map and directions to assist in the purchase of streetcar tickets. M-1 RAIL ambassadors will also be circulating at highly trafficked stations throughout the route and aboard the streetcar to assist customers from Sept. 5 to Sept. 17.

More than 500,000 rides have been taken on the QLINE since May with daily ridership averaging over 5,500 passengers during the last month. Ridership is highest on the QLINE between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Monday-Saturday.

“We appreciate the support of the Kresge Foundation,” said M-1 RAIL COO Paul Childs. “It’s allowed us time to work with our operations team, our part-

QLINE operates from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to midnight on Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

news

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

September 6-12, 2017

New arena

Page A-4

From page A-1

es and world-class office tenants who will establish themselves here. All of this will add texture, uniqueness, diversity, participation, excitement and sizzle throughout downtown,” said Ilitch.

The revitalization of Detroit and large projects like LCA have helped to further uncover the employment disparities that exist for Detroiters within the skilled trades. There simply aren’t enough qualified skilled trades professionals in the city to meet the growing construction demands, but through LCA and other District Detroit developments, millions of dollars in revenue has been generated for the city while putting Detroiters to work through construction trades apprenticeship programs and contracts with Michigan companies.

“94% of the contracts awarded have gone to companies in the state of Michigan. That’s nearly $700 million that has been pumped into our local economy, nearly, $475 million for these contracts. 60% of that total has been awarded to companies based in Detroit. All of those contracts to these Detroit companies are helping to power our city’s amazing and ongoing comeback,” said the Ilitch Holdings CEO. “We’ve also been committed to ensuring that jobs created by this

Thornetta Davis performs with members of Detroit's Mosaic Youth Theater contract were filled locally. Residents of our great city have spent nearly 600,000 hours making great wages on our job sites. That’s the most hours we could find worked by Detroiters on a project in over 40 years. We have welcomed 836 apprentices to our

construction sites to be trained in new skills they can use to build their careers and provide for their families well after the doors of the Little Caesar’s Arena open today.”

Now, that the arena is complete, Ilitch is maintaining his commitment to the community with

the creation of more than 2,000 post-construction jobs at LCA. “61% are Detroiters.

I’m so proud of the intention, effort, and results of our Michigan made, Detroit built business,” said Ilitch.

Known for hits like "Cowboy" and “Born Free,” Detroit rocker Kid Rock is notoriously known for waving the confederate flag at concerts years ago, his support of Donald Trump and recent comments about Colin Kaepernick and the

attacks in Charlottesville.

This makes his September 12 concert, marking the official opening of LCA extremely controversial, but even amid upcoming protests Ilitch still plans to allow Rock to perform.

“I think that issue has been addressed by Olympia Entertainment in the statement they released.

What I will say further is that I learned from my parents, Mike and Mary Ilitch, to treat every customer, every person the way you want to be treat-

Ryan the rare communities that was actually more welcoming to black people”. Understandably, they wanted their family to experience an environment that held out the possibility of being more racially inclusive. Both Ryan and his brother attended Southfield Senior High School, which no longer exists. Ryan remembers his father instilling in him a pride in being not middle class, but working class.

Police pursuits challenged in wake of teen death

By Roz Edward MANAGING EDITOR

Police and members of the public are voicing significant concern regarding types of crime that warrant aggressive use of force and vehicular pursuit by police following last week’s tragic death of 15-year-old Demond Grimes on Detroit’s eastside. Grimes who was enjoying the last few days of summer riding an all terrain vehicle on Detroit streets was ordered to pull over and stop the vehicle by a Michigan state trooper on patrol in the 9th precinct. Operating an ATV on Detroit city streets is not permitted by law, and could result in a misdemeanor violation and traffic fine. But when the spirited teen failed to comply, the state trooper caught up with the errant youth near the intersection of Rossini and Gratiot, and tasered the teen, causing him to crash head on into a pick-up truck. Grimes died later a short time later at St. Johns Hospital after efforts to revive and rescusitate the youth failed.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig in responding to the death of the teen, announced an immediate investigation into the Aug. 26 incident. “Anytime we have a situation that involves a death with another police agency involved, it warrants an independent investigation,” Craig said.

Detroit police restrict chases to violent felons, and in some case when giving chase to fleeing felon presents harm to the community, DPD may employ the use of aircraft to continue pursuit.

“Even in the case of a felony, there are a lot of factors to consider,” said Craig Michigan State police policy allows troopers to pursue those suspected of committing misdemeanors or motorist involved in traffic offenses. Michigan State police Lt. Mike Shaw said the now suspended state-trooper chased Grimes for a duration of 49 seconds. The trooper was suspended for deploying and using a stun gun in a moving vehicle.

Mayor Mike Duggan issued a statement on the death of Damon Grimes and MSP pursuit policy following the police involved killing of the high school student.

“Our hearts go out to the family and

friends of Damon Grimes. I fully support Chief Craig’s decision to have the Detroit Police Department conduct an independent investigation into the events leading up to his death. DPD will be presenting its findings to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

“Police chases often have the potential for tragedy and the difference in the policies of the Detroit Police Department and the Michigan State Police highlight that concern. The Detroit Police Department policy is not to engage in high speed chases for traffic offenses or misdemeanors. In the case of felonies, the decision to continue a high-speed chase is made by a supervisor.”

Duggan said he had met with Gov. Snyder following and urged the State Police to adopt the City of Detroit’s policy when patrolling city streets. “I also spoke with State Representative Sheldon Neely (D) of Flint and expressed my full support for his proposed legislation to require Michigan State Police abide by local pursuit policies when patrolling within the boundaries of a city.”

Police chases have proven deadly throughout the years.

In January, two men were killed when Detroit officers from the 10th Precinct chased a minivan after a traffic stop. The minivan crashed into another vehicle, resulting in both deaths.

In June 2015, Makiah Jackson, 3, and Michaelangelo Jackson, 6, were killed while Detroit police chased parole absconder Lorenzo Harris, who drove his car 95 mph through an east side neighborhood as he tried to elude officers. He was convicted of two charges of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 30-50 years in prison.

But Craig and Shaw, along with a number of other front-line law officials concede that the use of ATVs on Detroit streets is a growing problem as unlicensed young people drive down streets, sidewalks and across vacant lots at speeds of up to 50 to 60 mph.

“We’re aware of complaints of young people who engage in ... racing (ATVs),” Craig said, adding that he’s working to identify methods and develop procedures to better govern the use of offroad vehicles. “But it amounts to a misdemeanor at best, so our officers know not to pursue. It’s too much risk,” he concludes.

“Detroit is so deeply ingrained in who I am. My father was an autoworker. My grandfather was an autoworker.

A couple of my uncles were autoworkers. The whole culture of what in many places people would call middle class life. My dad always called us working class because of the blue collar work, and also because of the respect for that.

And he always wanted us to remember where we came from and what that meant. No matter whether we were blue collar or white collar. So that always stuck with me.”

Once at the University of Michigan, Ryan said he went through several majors “but my goal was to become an urban planner for the city of Detroit. I thought at the time that the best way for me to give back to the city of Detroit was to think about how we could work with communities to think about the development of not only schools and housing but open space and local jobs and providing people access.”

Ryan ended up in New York after leaving college due to a relationship he was in at the time, but found out he really did enjoy the Big Apple. He had always been interested in the dynamics of how cities worked, and New York was an excellent laboratory to study that phenomenon where he worked in the non-profit sector for 23 years, in philanthropy and running a citywide housing preservation group. From his Ford Foundation bio: “Prior to joining Ford in 2017, Kevin spent more than 14 years as program director at the New York Foundation, where he managed a portfolio of grants for organizations that use community organizing, advocacy, and community development strategies to create systemic change for a more equitable New York. He also oversaw the foundation’s Capacity Building Program. Before that, he was executive director of Community Training and Resource Center, a housing preservation organization, where he provided leadership to a staff of tenant organizers working to improve housing conditions for low-income New Yorkers.”

But still, as much as he loved New York, Ryan maintained his hope that one day he would be able to take what he learned in neighborhood and housing preservation work and bring it back home to Detroit. That wish came true in January when Ford announced they were hiring a Detroit program officer. As soon as Ryan found out about the position he applied, and after a rigorous interviewing and vetting process he was officially hired in late May and started work in New York on June 12 before transferring over to Detroit where he was provided office space by the Kellogg Foundation on Adams street downtown.

ed. I have a passion for Detroit, for this community and its people. I try to live up to that passion and that promise each and everyday,” Ilitch said in response to public outcry over the September 12 Kid Rock concert.

“While I can’t control what any artist does or says, I can guide our businesses to continue creating life-changing opportunities for people in our community. I will always demand that our companies strive to do right by Detroit, our community and its people.”

From page A-1 “They needed someone on the ground here all the time who could more deeply engage with community organizations and have conversations with City Hall, and conversations on the state level. It was difficult to really manage all of that work from New York,” said Ryan, who will oversee the $15 million in annual grants the Ford Foundation has promised to Detroit.

“Ford had really started investing significantly in Detroit 8-9 years ago. And we have seven program officers who participate in grant-making strategy here. …Ford is here for the long haul” working toward creating a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable recovery for Detroit.

“There’s a long-term struggle to create this kind of equitable city, and that there are gonna be ups and downs in that process. There are going to be a lot of political changes, mayors going in and out, but as long as we hold steady to the values that we are trying to incorporate into the strategy then no matter which groups we’re funding, we’re still holding true to this [standard] around equitable development, equitable and inclusive employment opportunities.

We have to hold true to that standard.”

Which raises an immediate question: “As 3,000 citizens return to the city every year from prisons, how do they gain access?”Talking about inclusiveness for disabled, senior citizens, returning citizens, etc.

They are working with the city on certain projects such as Grow Detroit Young Talent. “We think it’s an important strategy for connecting young people with educational opportunities and access to employment that could lead to employment and career ladders.”

Jackson From page A-1

Communications, Freez Frame Media, Baptist Health, Adrienne Arsht Center, Armstrong Creative Consulting, KricKrack Media, Pantin/Beber Silverstein Advertising, MGill and Associates, U.S. Department of Transportation and Nielsen.

BOMA was formed in 2015 to bond forces of common interest for the promotion, development, longevity, empowerment, and financial stability of Black-owned media in South Florida.

Additionally, BOMA is committed to accuracy in reporting while providing the market we serve with fair and balanced coverage. Cedric Dawkins, a past Symposium attendee, says that BOMA has continued to present poignant discussions since its inception. “The relevance for an event like this is imperative in these times of uncertainty and people of color need to know there is an unbiased, non-partisan, credible news source to report important issues about them for them by people who look like them and understand their struggle,” Dawkins said. “BOMA serves that purpose through its collective consortium of Black-owned media platforms.”

Registration is required to attend BOMA’s free annual sympo

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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

September 6-12, 2017 Page A-5

Sharpton, clergy push for social activism, blast Trump presidency

By Dorothy Rowley

He went on to say that neither Trump’s recent pardon of former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio nor his “threatening of nuclear war and rumor of war,” via tweeted messages, pointed toward normalcy.

The Washington Informer/NNPA

Thousands of people, including a cadre of faith leaders from the Reconciled Church Movement (RCM), that represents various faith-based communities, joined the Rev. Al Sharpton and members of his nonprofit National Action Network (NAN) in Washington, D.C. to rebuke President Donald Trump and recommit themselves to the fight for social and economic justice.

He added that “refusing to condemn racism and anti-Semitism” also isn’t normal.

“Somebody has to have the courage to stand up and say, ‘this emperor has no clothes,’” Hatch said.

The longtime civil rights activist said the turnout of about 3,000 people, who participated in the Ministers March for Justice, marked one of the largest-ever interfaith gatherings in protest of racism in America. “[Just] as [Martin Luther King, Jr.] marched 54 years ago, we are still marching for voting rights, health care, criminal justice reform and economic justice,” said Sharpton, who marched Monday alongside the likes of Martin Luther King III. Prior to the peaceful gathering, Sharpton had expressed disdain over how the Trump administration has sought to undo much of the progress of the country’s civil rights era.

The nearly two-mile march, which began shortly after noon at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and stopped briefly for prayer outside the Trump Hotel before moving to the Justice Department Building, coincided with the 54th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA, Martin Luther King, III, 2017 NNPA Lifetime Legacy Award and civil rights leader, and Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, were among those who organized the Ministers March for Justice to support racial healing in the U.S. — Travis Riddick/NNPA) photo and King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Johnnie Green, senior pastor of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, thanked Sharpton for organizing the march before taking shots at Trump and other GOP lawmakers.

“We’re here today because many of those who sit in the seat of power — the president, the Republican Congress and the Republican Senate — they’ve once again written us a bad check,” Green said.

“The check written to millions of Americans — black, brown, Jewish, Muslim and many others — has come back stamped with insufficient funds.”

Green continued: “When you try to take away health care for 26 million Americans, you’re trying to issue us another bad check. When you co-sign the killings of people of color in the name of law and order, and leave our black bodies lying in the streets for more than four hours and refuse to hear our cries of ‘I can’t breathe’ while

choking us to death, you’re trying to issue us another bad check.

“When you tell us that there are good people among nationalists, white supremacists and neo-Nazis who commit terrorists acts here on American soil, you’re trying to issue us another bad check.”

Rev. Marshall Hatch, cochair for the Chicago-based Leaders Network, also gave a fiery speech, blasting Trump for what he said is an attempt to stop an investigation of “foreign meddling into our election.”

The march came on the heels of Trump’s sullen response surrounding a White supremacist rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia, after city officials had contemplated the removal of Confederate statues. A couple of days after the rally, in which counter protester Heather Heyer was killed, Trump blamed “both sides” for the violence that erupted during the event.

Jeffrey David Cox, president of the 700,000-member American Federation of Government Employees located in northwest D.C., told the crowd there’s no room in this country for hatred.

“It’s time to take those statues down,” Cox said. “But leave the base so we [can] tell our children and our grandchildren what an evil wicked thing this country did.”

The Washington Informer is a member publication of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Learn more about becoming a member at www.nnpa.org.

Future of Harriet Tubman $20 bill threatened by Trump administration

In yet another about-face under Trump, the treasury secretary says he’s uncommitted to honoring the slavery abolitionist

By Nigel Roberts It was just a matter of time.

President Trump’s obsession with undoing progress achieved under President Obama turned to the plan to add some color to U.S. currency.

The Washington Post reports that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he will not commit to Obama’s plan of putting an image of slavery abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.

Under the Obama proposal, Tubman would replace President Andrew Jackson’s image, which would move to the back of the bill. It would make Tubman, who led numerous slaves to freedom, the first African American on U.S. currency.

However, Mnuchin said in a CNBC interview that he’s not

It’s no surprise that Trump is leaning (likely already decided) toward keeping Jackson as the only portrait on the bill.

“focused” on that right now, adding “the issues of why we change it will be primarily related to what we need to do for security purposes.”

The seventh president became wealthy from his slaves and was behind the forced relocation of Native Americans in what’s become known as the Trail of Tears. Trump told NBC News in April that he’s a great admirer of

Jackson and believes the plan to replace him with Tubman is about political correctness.

What’s next? There’s also a plan to add images of memorable moments at the Lincoln Memorial to the $5 bill, the International Business Times reported. They would include civil right leader Martin Luther King, Jr., opera singer Marian Anderson and former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Page A-6 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • September 6-12, 2017

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Because of our DTU Fellows, summer ’17 was full of important stories that inform, inspire, and shatter perceptions about African American culture as well as our community.

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NAACP launches national listening tour at Detroit church

By Roz Edward As summer comes to a close, the NAACP is moving ahead with a first-of-its-kind listening tour which will criss-cross the nation to directly interact with black citizens around the nation and to hear from the black community firsthand about their social justice aspirations and present civil rights priorities to NAACP members and leadership.

The Detroit Branch NAACP, the largest and most active branch in the nation, was selected to launch the historic tour titled “NAACP Forward: Today, Tomorrow and Always” in a recent kickoff event at greater Mt. Moriah Church on Owens St. in Detroit.

Bishop Don W. Shelby to lead COGIC Jurisdiction

By Ken Coleman More than 2,000 well-wishers attended the event, with elegant violet and gold décor that blanketed the inaugural banquet of Bishop Don W. Shelby, Jr. last week at Cobo Convention Center.

“Monday night was a very special night,” Bishop Shelby said about August 28.

Indeed, it was. People braved storm conditions to witness the occasion. They walked into the spacious downtown convention hall that projected his face, his name, and the evening’s theme, “Glorious Celebration,” so prominently that it could be seen from Renaissance Center a quarter-mile away.

Detroit Branch NAACP president Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony – Andre Smith photo NAACP Forward is part of the organization’s strategic plan to enhance its vision and mission, and to renew its commitment to the fight for civil rights amid a swirling climate of political hostility, voter suppression, income inequality, mass incarceration, police brutality and anti-immigrant sentiment. NAACP Forward will convene local membership, supporters and partners to offer their guidance on how the NAACP can retool itself to combat 21st century threats.

Derrick Johnson, interim president and CEO of the NAACP, was asked about what is next for the organization as they search for a new CEO. To start, Johnson said the organization is conducting a listening tour across the country to learn about the different social justice needs that are being faced by members and to create a structured path into combating issues beyond the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

“Social justice is not a competition — we all coexist. I celebrate young folks protesting in the streets. I want more of that.

If they happen to do that under the NAACP, I will support them just like I support everyone else.

We have to get out of this mindset that it’s either this or that. It’s all of us at the same time because our problems are much larger than one organization can address,” Johnson explained.

Other panelists present to listen, learn and lead included Leon Russell, chairman, NAACP Board of Directors, and Detroit Branch NAACP president Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony.

Much of the robust discussion centered around the issue of voting and the threat to civil liberties and quality of life for minorities in the wake of controversial vot-

Shelby, a Saginaw native, now heads the Church of God in Christ’s Michigan Fifth Jurisdiction, which is comprised of about 52 congregations in the southeastern Michigan area.

Charles Edward Blake, Sr. keynoted the occasion.

He is presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., the six million-member Pentecostal-Holiness denomination.

Blake reminded attendees

to “use your badge.”

Using the badge is something that Bishop Shelby has done faithfully, even when circumstances were dire.

More than 30 years ago, Shelby, a senior at Tennessee State University (TSU,) was struck by a drunk driver who was bulleting along at 90 miles per hour. The head-on collision left him paralyzed on the right side of his body. Shelby was wheelchair bound for a year as his body healed.

His spirit, however, grew even more Christ-centered.

“I’m a walking, talking, living, breathing miracle,” he declared. “I do believe that the reason that I didn’t die that night is because I’m on assignment to do just what I’m doing now — ministering in the Church of God in Christ.”

Shelby was called to the ministry and licensed in 1983 and was ordained as an elder five years later. He graduated from the Buena Vista High School and furthered his education at Tennessee State College and the University of Detroit. He founded Westland-based Burning Bush Church of God in Christ in 1991.

In 2012, Shelby was appointed as an administrative assistant to Bishop John H. Sheard, presiding prelate of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Michigan Southwest.

He considers giants like Sheard, Superintendent Robert Harris, Bishop P.A. Brooks, Bishop James Whitehead and Bishop Blake as his spiritual influences.

“Bishop Brooks is one of the great

See Bishop Shelby page B-2

See Listening Tour page B-2

Black artists present cultural literacy in action

By Ingrid LaFleur

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

With the rapid transformation happening in parts of Detroit, it is cultural literacy that keeps us rooted in the city we love so much. The event Crop Up, curated by the design firm Akoaki, is part of a larger movement where we are able to witness cultural literacy in action.

Detroit Afrikan cultural literacy to be exact. The Detroit Afrikan, coined by thought leader and president of Detroit Recordings, Bryce Detroit, has a rich legacy of rooting its culture in the spirit and the human being first. It is only through Detroit Afrikan narratives will we be able to see ourselves reflected in any development project taking place in our neighborhoods.

Crop Up is an event born out of the UNESCO City of Design city-wide effort organized by the Detroit Creative Corridor Center. Akoaki, founded by Anya Sirota and Jean Louis Farges, will be presenting 20-year future projections of Oakland Avenue Urban Farm in the North End alongside three art exhibitions and music performances. Oakland Avenue Urban Farm is intentional in creating community development along Oakland Avenue that is culture-led.

When community development is culture-led, according to Bryce Detroit, the development activities support justice in the community.

The three exhibits of Crop Up, “Blue Eyes” by Ute¯, “Frequency” by Andrew Ross Evans and “100 Masks” by Dr. Kno, take place within the Store, a former grocery store sitting right next to Oakland Avenue Urban Farm. The Store was cleaned out and reimagined as an exhibition space. All three exhibitions, each by born and raised Detroiters, give a multi-level experience that channels the language necessary to continue expanding and increasing Detroit Afrikan cultural literacy.

Dr. Kno, also known as Efe Bes, a well-known drummer who performs in Detroit and abroad, personifies the storyteller who uses the visual language

as his mode of communication.

When you speak with Dr. Kno about his drumming practice you will understand that he, like a conductor of heat, is a conductor of African ancestral energy.

Drumming keeps him close to the spirit world thus crafting the ability to receive the energy and ultimately deliver its essence to us, the audience. No matter the tool Efe wields, that same ancestral energy will come through him and manifest for us to be forever changed.

Dr. Kno’s exhibition, “100 Masks,” is seductive. Once installed, each mask will be floating at eye level. Upon first glance, the fascination that immediately develops speaks to Dr. Kno’s intention, to “tell stories to correct the rhythm and have the people move in a more productive fashion.” The rhythm he speaks about is evident once you lock eyes on a

mask. The colors and patterns Dr. Kno chooses spins the story and sweeps you up in its glory. Each unique mask having its own conversation with you. Dr. Kno is the one who conjures your ancestors and helps you to embrace their presence which requires access to a certain rhythm that only Dr. Kno can make.

Each mask is for purchase, so that same ancestral energy will provide protection when hanging in a home.

Andrew Ross Evans fully expresses the same fragility of time and dimension. Like Dr. Kno, Evans’ ability to create windows into a surreal land of impossibility through his photography is intriguing. His photographic exhibit, “Frequency,” is a momentary escape into a world of magic. Evans, at the age of 13, began his photography practice.

After years of homeschooling, he was able to attend college at age 16. This exceptional level of self-awareness is also evident in each photograph. Evans’ focus on bending and suspending time requires a gentle patience that he has clearly cultivated thus achieving his goal of “capturing a moment that can never happen again.”

Blurring lines are what Ute¯ wants to

See Cultural Literacy page B-2

community

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Listening Tour From page B-1 er suppression practices and legislation imposed to preclude voting by minority citizens and dilute the impact and benefit of the voting process on communities of color.

“Coming from Mississippi and being born here in Detroit I recognize racism two ways and what I am seeing in Michigan [in terms of voter suppression] is as bad as it gets anywhere in the country. When you have democratic participation of African Americans across the state and Republicans capture eight cities and a governor, and you take the power from all eight cities, you undermine the ability of individuals to exercise their franchise,” said Jefferson.

“If we want to protect the right to vote, we have to vote [in the 2018].Next year every seat in Congress is up for election, so if you want to stop Trump getingt control of Congress you must vote,” urged Johnson, adding that an additional 18 U.S. Senate seats are also up for grabs.

Along with these public meetings, NAACP Forward in

September 6-12, 2017

Page B-2

Detroit also includes smaller discussions in the city to better understand the perspective of its membership, local community leaders, activists and others, continuing the series of critical discussions and action plans initiated at the NAACP’s 108th annual convention in 2017.

Detroit’s renowned NAACP leader and community advocate Rev. Wendell Anthony cautioned supporters to not be lulled into complacency by political sound bites and slogans. “’Yes We Can’ is good, but that goes to symbolism versus substance,” explained Anthony. “If you want a slogan, here’s one: ‘Take Your Souls to the Polls and Vote.’” Anthony also encouraged audience members to support the NAACP and other black institutions and organization to achieve sustainability. “[Organizational leaders] should not be forced to go hands-out to other entities that do not have our interest at heart, because what you do is mute our voice,” In closing, Rev. Anthony solicited support from the grassroots speakers and audience members to help lobby for the 109th NAACP annual conven-

Cultural Literacy

NAACP Listening Tour participants (l-r): Derrick Johnson, National NAACP Interim president and CEO; NAACP Chairman, Board of directors Leon Russell and Detroit Branch NAACP president Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony. – Andre Smith photo tion to be held in Detroit.

And in a written communication following the inaugural NAACP Forward meeting, Russell summed up his sentiments regarding the event at Greater Mt. Moriah, and the course of the Listening Tour. “These are

Russell said. “I am grateful for the warm welcome we received in the Motor City and for the candor and compassion displayed during the public meeting. The insights shared will be greatly beneficial in informing the NAACP’s strategic plan and in refreshing the Association.

From page B-1

do as well, especially between art and design. When creating the “Blue Eyes” exhibit Ute¯ says he was thinking about “ways the community can be engaged and better be apart of these processes we institutionalize.” The title of his exhibit is inspired by the movie “Moonlight” directed by Barry Jenkins, “in moonlight black boys look blue.” Ute¯ is wrapping sitting booths with a futuristic wallpaper and tablecloth with a pattern of vegetables designed using the anatomy of car parts. Ute¯ hopes his unusual wallpaper will help youth create a healthier relationship to vegetables and the land.

The ability to heal trauma is a concern of Ute¯. Part of that healing is imagining a world where his winged vegetables serve as a setting for a queer love story, “love is what it conjures for me.”

neighborhood and beyond. Through community cultural economics Oakland Avenue Urban Farm aims to create quality affordable housing, a stable safe environment for youth, and financial security for families in the North End. By partnering with local organizations, they are developing a future that is culture-led.

When I view his patterns I decide to imagine with him. It’s a safe place where I feel like I can skip through his paradise with glee. It’s as if he created a color saturated utopia that was carefully crafted using Detroit’s innovation, vegetation and blackness. It is undeniable it is the Detroit Afrikan culture that gives the wallpaper flare.

Akoaki hopes that Crop Up will help amplify the work of Oakland Avenue Urban Farm. It is the Farm’s aim to increase participation and support--financially and collaboratively. Their hope is that as the farming season winds down they can continue supporting the families that work there.

The Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, described as a future institution, is at the center of transformation for the North End

critical times. America’s on a path that will lead to irreparable consequences for all its citizens. It’s up to us to guide our nation forward, not backward. It’s up to us to harness the awesome strength of our collective voices and speak out for a just, inclusive America,”

Executive director of Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, Jerry Hebron, believes that “it’s not just about food, it’s a cultural experience that looks at the whole community. I am a cultivator — food, people, community — that’s what we do here. We do that by culturally lifting up our legacy around music, art, African-American culture and at the base of it is food.” Perhaps Hebron is envisioning a similar future as Ute¯ imagines, a future that is safe for all and filled with love.

As Hebron so beautifully stated, “It’s important for African Americans to remember that we are the culture that held this city together. Be proud.

Bishop Shelby From page B-1

churchmen in the Church of God in Christ,” Shelby stated.

“He has been very influential as a model and an example, and I feel like I stand on the shoulders of Bishop Sheard.”

Bishop Shelby believes that the church must be an active part of the general community.

He has previously served as a member of the Ypsilanti City Planning Committee. He is also a lifetime member of the NAACP and financially supports home and foreign missions in Africa. Experiencing phenomenal growth, the ministry expanded to the Burning Bush International Ministries of Jackson, Michigan on January 1, 2006.

Bishop Shelby was married to Evangelist Bonita A. Shelby.

He is a father to five children who have formed the up and coming gospel singing group the Shelby Five.

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September 6-12, 2017

Page B-3

The Detroit Pistons host sports clinic and Back to School Health Fair in Detroit

By Henry A. Ward

about this one,” she said, adding that she wanted her son to learn about patience, discipline and increase his social awareness. “He’s a science and math kid. We wanted to involve him in something athletic.”

The Detroit Pistons and S.A.Y. (Super All Year) Detroit hosted a free Back to School health fair last week at the S.A.Y. Detroit Play Center, located on the east side of Detroit. A sports clinic with former Detroit Pistons Forward Earl “The Twirl” Cureton was part of the festivities.

As Lewis walked around the fair, she noted that there were plenty of resources available and said, “A lot of people are not able to go place to place. People can utilize these organizations that are all in one place.”

The health fair included free vision tests, where the children could select glasses on-site, if needed, as well as nutritional information.

As the Detroit Pistons transition to the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, they will concentrate in bringing more sports clinics and health fairs to the city, said Awenate Cobbina, executive director of the Detroit Pistons Foundation and director, business affairs, Palace Sports.

“This fair provides resources to kids that are going back to school,” he said. “And, the sports clinic teaches them about teamwork, leadership, hard work, discipline and college.”

Cureton spoke to about 30 children at the

had her ears and eyes tested; she passed both.

“I thought she couldn’t hear me, but now I know she was ignoring me,” said Lewis with a smile.

For more information about the Detroit Pistons, go to www.Pistons.com.

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The Pistons host about 15 clinics throughout Southeast Michigan. Two are held in Detroit.

Earl “The Twirl” Cureton, former Detroit Pistons Forward, gathers with youth at the S.A.Y. Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park. clinic who listened with rapt attention.

Samone Williamson, an optician with Vision to Learn, said that she had performed eye exams on about 25 children and would be on-site for an additional three hours.

Almost half of the children needed glasses. After Vision to Learn performs the eye exam, and if it is determined that a child needs glasses, the

optician presents the child with a selection of glasses in different styles and colors. The children select the style they like and the organization delivers the glasses to the school in the next few weeks.

“We’re trying to reach all of Detroit so they can see before they go back to school or while in school,” said Williamson.

The goal of the orga-

nization is to provide eye exams and glasses to two million kids across America, Meshawn Lewis, who is 27 and lives in Wixom, attended the fair with her two sons, ages 10 and 3.

She heard about the Detroit Pistons sports clinic and wanted her 10-yearold to participate in the camp.

“I was looking for a camp online and I heard

“We are looking to do more, going forward,” said Cobbina. “Expect to see a lot more.”

Nicole Graves, 36, stopped by the health fair with her two children.

Her daughter is 6 and a student at Marion Lewis Academy in Detroit.

She stopped at the table sponsored by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan and her 10-monthold tried yogurt for the first time and seemed to like it. She also said she was concerned about her daughter’s hearing so she

DDOT and SMART relocate 12 Northland bus routes

Detroit Department of Transportation, Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation and the City of Southfield have been working closely for several months to develop a plan that ends bus service to Northland Mall and relocate 12 bus routes to nearby area bus stops.

The impacted routes include the 16 Dexter, 17 Eight Mile, 22 Greenfield, 46 Southfield, 23 Hamilton, 60 Evergreen, 400 Orchard Ridge, 405 Northwestern, 415 Greenfield, 420 Southfield, 710 Nine Mile and 851 WB/FH Park & Ride. These changes took place as of Sept. 2 and Sept. 4. Riders should also note that DDOT and SMART now operate a Sunday schedule on Labor Day. Northland Mall closed in 2015. With the uncertainty of what could happen with the vacant mall space, DDOT and SMART joined together to conceive a proactive plan that would smoothly and safely relocate bus stops at Northland mall to several nearby locations.

were encouraged to attend this meeting to receive all necessary information regarding the Septmeber routing changes.

“This relocation plan is a result of our riders and drivers telling us what we needed to do. Our goal was to minimize transfers and get people where they need to go as quickly as possibl,” said Dan Dirks, director of the Detroit Deparment of Transportation.

Additionally, DDOT staff members and volunteers have a “Street Team” stationed in the Northland area wearing bright yellow shirts, until Sept. 8, helping riders get comfortable and acclimated to the new routing changes.

DDOT hekd a Service Change Meeting on Thursday, August 31, at Northwest Activities Center, 18100 Meyers Rd., Detroit. Riders

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While no one transit hub is taking the place of Northland, all new bus stop locations are in well lighted, central locations with great visibility. This move has provided DDOT the opportunity to expand bus service to new destinations like Oakland Community College, Providence Hospital, Meijer Shopping Plaza and 10 mile and Evergreen, an intersection DDOT has never connected to previously.

“We believe DDOT and SMART staff has done that. I encourage customers to let us know how we can improve this service in the future.”

Willie Brake

DDOT committed to opening their customer service lines on Saturday, Sept. 2, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. to take any questions riders may have had regarding the changes. Normal customer service hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday. DDOT’s customer service can be reached at 313-933-1300.

In addition to the Northland routing changes, riders could also expect to see significant service level improvements to the 19 Fort, 27 Joy and 29 Linwood bus routes.

For all information on upcoming DDOT service changes, please visit www.ridedetroittransit.com.

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State bears responsibility for teacher vacancies

By Ivy Bailey

tirement fund on their behalf. They also worked a longer school year.

We’ve continually stated what’s best for educators is best for students.

• Third, let’s not forget state government when it provided the so-called DPS rescue funding package last year. It didn’t fund our school district adequately. After the state house approved $617 million to fund DPSCD, a nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency report revealed that our district would need an additional $88 million to cover all its costs. Even some GOP lawmakers were concerned.

“We need to make sure that there’s enough money to fix the situation, there’s no use in doing it half measure,” acknowledged Senator Rick Jones, a Republican from Grand Ledge.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District operates best when there is a certified teacher in every classroom.

Students, their families and the greater community benefit from that.

We certainly appreciate General Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti’s effort to recruit educators to our school district. In fact, we’ve offered suggestions to him on how he and his administration can best attract them.

Let’s review Ivy Bailey why and how DPSCD became saddled with 425 teacher vacancies: • First, it’s important to note that the American Federation of Teachers has pointed out that U.S. public schools must fill 300,000 teacher vacancies each year, but a shortage is growing across the country. A national trend, teacher vacancies are affecting both urban and suburban school districts.

• Second, the infamous Educational Achievement Authority (EAA), which was created in 2012 by Gov. Rick Snyder and our Republican-led state legislature, removed 15 schools from the DPSCD portfolio. Before the EAA took those schools, about 11,000 students were enrolled in those buildings. Five years later, EAA’s student enrollment was less than 6,000 students. Last month, after Lansing politicos threw up their hands and walked away from the failed experiment those schools have returned to DPSCD—but without a significant number of teachers who taught students there. EAA teacher salaries are higher than some of our educators because EAA did not pay into the state re-

Once among the state’s highest compensated teachers, our wages and salaries have steadily fallen behind other Michigan school districts. With new leadership, the district now must seize the opportunity to increase student achievement.

The other point to be made is that the district must also do a better job of supporting the teachers who have been here. Part of the vacancy number are teachers who left the district this summer fed up over years of heavy-handed, state-appointed emergency managers who weren’t educators. They usurped 10 percent of our salary and sought to jail us after we stuck up for students and other support staff who were exposed to deplorable conditions at some of our schools.

Dr. Vitti stated last week:

“We are rebuilding a district that has neglected and even disrespected role of teachers for over a decade.”

He’s right.

Not only is recruiting teachers imperative, but so is supporting the current group of DPSCD educators who professionally carry out their jobs each day.

Again, what’s best for educators is best for students.

Ivy Bailey is president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers

An improved primary canvass As the Chief Elections Official for the City of Detroit, I am charged with administering elections for 490 voting precincts and 100 absentee precincts, making the City of Detroit the largest municipal elections operation (469,000 registered voters) in the State. I am happy to report that on August 21, 2017, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers unanimously certified the Detroit Municipal Primary returns in record time as required by State elections law.

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers Munic- Janice M. Winfrey ipal Primary report affirms that the issues raised in the 2016 Presidential Primary have been addressed. The Wayne County Board of Canvassers report indicates a significant improvement over the 2016 Presidential Primary Canvass, and 100% of Election results were uploaded via the web by 10:30 P.M. on Election Night. This is a tremendous milestone for the City of Detroit, thanks to our cadre of dedicated pollworkers.

Elections administration is not an exact science, it’s subject to “correctable human errors.” Alhough we seek to administer “perfect elections” in the City of Detroit, I know there is more work to be done, and I understand the need for continuous improvement, and the need to redouble our training efforts to provide more frequent training opportunities to our 8,000 seasonal pollworkers.

The work of elections administrators is never complete, city clerks throughout Michigan, will tell you that we are always “fixing” one issue or the other.

As such, newcomers to the election business who have great ideas about implementing new elections strategies and procedures must understand that new election procedures must be tempered against the existing body of elections laws, in addition to factoring in the daunting task of administering elections in the largest urban city in the State of Michigan.

The State of Michigan Bureau of Elections post-2016 Presidential Primary canvass audit, issued earlier this year,

cleared my office of any malfeasance.

Though we seek to administer “perfect elections,” we understand the need for continuous improvement and the need to redouble our efforts to provide more training to seasonal poll workers to prevent “human errors” at our 490 precincts.

To address the issues experienced in the 2016 Presidential Primary, we recruited 3,000 to 8,000 pollworkers from our community, including pollworkers experienced with computers from universities, the business community, and non-profit organizations in the region.

In order to attract younger pollworkers, we expanded our Democracy Day in the “D” initiative to encourage organizations such as Quicken Loans to allow their employees to work the polls on Election Day. We are also requiring precinct supervisors to pass a written exam on critical election procedures, in addition to requiring that all supervisors attend three (3) training sessions (Election law requires one training session), in addition to providing “hands on” training with our new state-of-the-art voting machines in preparation for Election Day. We also implemented a more robust, pay-for-performance incentive plan to meet our goal of having 100% of our precincts “perfect.”

I also revamped our Receiving Board operations to correct any human or mathematical errors at our 490 precincts and 100 Absentee Counting Boards.

In order to protect the integrity of the election process, and to ensure that Detroit voters are not disenfranchised, State elections laws must be amended so that the State of Michigan is aligned with the rest of the country, allowing ALL ballots to be “recounted” a second time in the event a recount is deemed necessary. At the end of the day, the democratic process is the foundation upon which this country was built; ensuring that “every vote is counted.”

My record on protecting the vote stands on its own; in the 2013 Municipal Primary, I fought to ensure that 20,000 votes cast by residents of the city of Detroit counted.

Janice M. Winfrey Detroit City Clerk

Confederate statues fall, but economic racism lingers

By Julianne Malveaux (NNPA Newswire Columnist)

Cheers to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, one of the first mayors to take Confederate statues down and to make the strong point that these statues represent nothing but oppression. You should check out the speech he delivered, in May, at MarketWatch.com.

Taraji P. Henson – Monica Morgan photo

Lessons from the heart at Cobo Expo

By Carmen Strather Last week, the team at Strather Academy had the pleasure of participating in the Women’s Empowerment Expo at Cobo Hall. It was an honor to take part in an event that so positively promoted the principles of love, unity, and strength for females. I was particularly grateful to be able to listen to Taraji P. Henson’s speech and all of the important messages that came from her heart.

In fact, I have listened and reflected on Taraji’s speech a few times this week.

Carmen Strather It was through this reflection that I came to realize the importance of the heart and our job of protecting it. We unfortunately live in a world that constantly tries to darken our hearts. It is through these trials that we are pushed to discover who we really are. The ability to hold onto the light amongst the pressures of darkness crashing in on our world teaches us how to find, strengthen, and ultimately use the power of our hearts. Once we are

able to overcome this darkness, we can use that strength to shine a light on others.

Here at Strather Academy, we understand that this is the battle we are all facing. We each need to find a way to not only protect our hearts, but also help keep the light in each others’ hearts as well. Strather Academy is playing its part in this movement by teaching our community how to redevelop our neighborhoods in a way that fosters the light.

I truly hope to one day be able to walk down the streets of Detroit’s neighborhoods and feel like it fully represents the true beauty and light that is within our culture.

Strather Academy is offering two free real estate seminars this month and has launched our access page in an effort to get as many people as possible playing a part in the redevelopment of our neighborhoods. We all need to step out of the shadows and into the light. Whether or not real estate is your path, I encourage everyone to take a second listen to Taraji’s speech and figure out how they can start shining the light.

The power of the heart is what will ultimately make the world we live in a better place.

More cheers to Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh who had statues removed in the dead of night to avoid Charlottesville-type confrontations between racist white supremacists (also known as “good people” according to “45”) and those who oppose them.

And though he does little that I agree with, in the Julianne Malveaux interest of equal praise, I must lift up Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who had the statue of Roger Taney removed from the Maryland state house. Taney was an especially vile racist who authored the Dred Scott decision in 1857. He wrote that black people had no rights that whites were bound to respect, and provided justification for enslavement, even as many in the rest of the nation were clamoring against the unjust institution.

As the statues are falling, economic racism is not fading. African Americans still earn just 60 percent of what Whites earn. We have just 7 percent of the wealth that Whites have. The unemployment rate for Black workers is double the unemployment rate of White workers. Even with equal incomes, Blacks find it more challenging to get mortgages or other access to capital and our economic rights are being challenged every day.

It is important to note that these statues were not erected immediately after the Civil War. Of course, Southern Confederates — a bunch of losers — were too broke to build statues. They were still trying to recover from the devastation of the Civil War. How did they plan to recover? They needed a captive labor force to work their fields, just as enslaved people had before the war. So they ensured quasi-captivity through intimidation. That need was partially responsible for the emergence of the KKK. They inspired fear, suppressed resistance, and, through Black Codes and Jim Crow, engineered the near-re-enslavement of black people.

Black people who wanted to leave the South after the end of Reconstruction had to do it in the dead of night. Black people, who had land, were often forced to concede it or be killed. The Emergency Land Fund, a now-defunct organization that documented the black loss of land, indicated that black folks lost as much as 90 percent of their accumulated land by 1970, at least partially due to trickery and intimidation.

The origins of the wealth gap lie in this loss of land, and in the intimidation that kept African American people in near-slave status in the South. Confederate statues, flags, and Klan activity appeared wherever there was resistance— during and after the reconstructions, in the 1920s, after the Red Summer of 1919 and the return of Black men from World War I. Sure, we have come a long way since those ugly days of enslavement or stark segregation, but some power comes from the Benjamins. And, according to some estimates, it will take more than 200 years to close the wealth gap. The statues may be falling, but economic racism is alive and well.

I challenge those who would tear down the statues and take down the flags to show equal zeal in tearing down the walls of economic racism.

community

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

September 6-12, 2017

Page B-5

A People’s History of Delray Mural dedication and open house The public is invited to join People’s Community Services as they celebrate the public unveiling of the People’s History of Delray Mural at the Delray Neighborhood House, 420 S. Leigh Street, on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Over the course of a year, the mural was painted by well-known muralist and artist Dennis Orlowski, assisted by youth enrolled in after-school programming at People’s Community Services (PCS).

This collaboration allowed the youth to explore the very unique environmental position which the Delray neighborhood occupies.

The mural, which covers the upper portion of all four walls in the community room, is a historical depiction of Delray, from the period of the mound builders, though industrialization, to the Delray community of today.

At the open house, Dennis Orlowski will be

speaking about the historical aspects of the mural. This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about Delray and the strong and resilient spirit of the citizens of that community.

Funding for the mural was in part provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Founda-

tion. Refreshments will be served.

People’s Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit is a non-profit organization established to continue a historical interest of people by providing social services to especially needy neighborhoods of metropolitan Detroit. Rooted in the set-

tlement movement of the past and empowering people in their community today, for over 60 years People’s Community Services

has remained one of the longest standing systems of community centers in Detroit and Hamtramck.

The agency provides EPIC

Youth Programs, EPIC Senior Services, EPIC Assist basic needs services and substance abuse prevention programs.

Asha Hill

Renaissance High School graduate wins $2,500 Go Red for Women Scholarship

By Donald James While attending Detroit Renaissance High School, Asha Hill constantly heard students talk about their experiences walking to and from school, often on dark streets lined with high weeds and abandoned houses. Although she didn’t experience such journeys, she felt the need to find a platform from which she could voice ideas of how to keep Detroit Public Schools Community District’s students safe.

“I never had to walk to school, but I had family members who did,” said Hill, who graduated from Renaissance in June with a 3.9 GPA. “I also have several friends who were robbed while walking to school in the dark. Their safety was important to me, so I wanted to do something to address this problem.”

Hill’s opportunity to communicate her ideas manifested last school year, when she entered an essay contest for DPSCD’s young ladies in the 12th grade.

The essay contest called “One Bold Girl, One Bold Thought: Bringing STEM to Life Through Heart,” required applicants to write on a topic that dealt with solutions for better health in the community, or solutions to address safety concerns in the community.

“I decided to write on safety and the well-being of students who had to walk to and from school in the dark,” said Hill. “I wanted to write on how different safety strategies and techniques could better protect young people early in the morning on their way to school when it’s dark, or walking home in the dark after school when they had to stay late for practice.”

Hill’s choice to boldly write on safe passage included innovative ways for school buses to be used. The comprehensive strategy and plan also called for innovative ways to use law enforcement officers from both the Detroit Police Department (DPD) and Detroit Public Schools Police Department (DPSPD)

during morning and evening walk times for students. Hill also described strategic placements of bells, cameras, reflectors and lights on poles. Her plan called for volunteers to be on the streets, but only after being vetted by DPD and DPSPD. From the large pool of essay participants, five 12th graders were chosen as finalists. Their presentations were viewed and evaluated by a team of professionals from the American Heart Association, essay contest sponsors and the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

A winner was selected to receive the $2,500 scholarship — Asha Hill.

As top winner, Hill was mentored by a member of the American Heart Association’s Circle of Red, before attending the Go Red for Women luncheon last spring where she verbally presented her ideas through GoRedTalks!

“I was excited that someone liked my essay on safety, and realized that safety is a big problem for students who have to walk to and from school when it’s dark,” said Hill. “I was also excited that judges took the time to understand what I was saying, and believed my ideas would really make a difference.”

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Hill is currently attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where as a freshmen, she’s majoring in biomolecular science. As for the $2,500 scholarship, Hill knows exactly how she’s going use it.

“Textbooks are so expensive,” she said. “So I’m definitely using the $2,500 to buy the books I need for my freshman year.

Hill’s advice to future DPSCD girls in the 12th grade, who may be interested in the Go Red for Women essay contest is, “Write on something that has impacted you. However, write on something that has also impacted others. Don’t write just to be writing. Write on something that you’re really passionate about.”

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community

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

September 6-12, 2017

Page B-6

Michigan’s low unemployment rate masks ugly truth. People aren’t looking for work.

By Lindsay VanHulle Detroit Journalism Cooperative It’s generally seen as good news when the state’s unemployment rate goes down.

Michigan’s unemployment rate fell again in July to 3.7 percent and has been at its lowest point since 2000, according to the state department that tracks it.

That means companies are hiring more people. Right?

Not exactly.

An underlying problem is that people are giving up looking for work, harkening back to the deepest depths of the Great Recession.

In Michigan, people out of the workforce are disproportionately teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19, and adults who don’t have a bachelor’s degree, according to American Community Survey estimates.

The trend is not good news. Its causes are diverse and include a lingering hangover from the Great Recession, shifting cultural attitudes toward teenagers working, but it also indicates a gap between the skills that would-be workers have and the jobs that employers say are going begging.

From June to July, 7,000 fewer Michiganders were unemployed. The number of unemployed residents has decreased for five straight months, according to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

Yet they didn’t all find jobs. Total employment fell by 18,000 between June and July, and another 24,000 people left the labor force altogether.

Illinois (9.9 percent) and Ohio (9.5 percent).

So who’s not looking for work?

We can draw inferences from looking at who is. Roughly 61 percent of Michigan residents 16 and older are in the labor force, according to American Community Survey estimates from 2015, the most recent available. That’s down more than 4 percentage points, from 65.2 percent, a decade earlier.

The phenomenon is most pronounced among teens and people without a bachelor’s degree.

People without a high school diploma fare the worst: Just 51.7 percent of Michigan residents of prime working age — between the ages of 25 and 64 — who didn’t graduate from high school were in the labor force in 2015, according to ACS data. That’s down more than 7 points from 59.2 percent participation in 2005.

Workforce participation among Michiganders with a diploma but no college slid from 73.1 percent in 2005 to 67.4 percent in 2015.

Contrast that with Michigan residents with a bachelor’s degree, the only group to increase labor force participation from 2005 to 2015. Economists and business leaders have long said that Michigan needs to increase the number of residents who have four-year degrees if the state’s economy will succeed at transitioning away from a reliance on manufacturing to more advanced-skill fields.

Ballard believes Michigan and the nation may be experiencing lingering effects from the Great Recession, which officially ended in June 2009. Among

Best in Black Detroit nominations conclude with total of nearly 20,000 nominations Best in Black Detroit nominations ended with a tremendous bang, with the number of nominations nearly doubling during the last few days of the nomination process. In total, nearly 20,000 nominations were submitted by the community. Only nominees with the most votes will advance to the final voting round.

Semifinalists will be announced in the Sept. 13 edition of the Michigan Chronicle, and the final voting round will kick off that same day. Visit www. bestinblackdetroit.com. Your votes count!

Launched in 2016, Best in Black Detroit was created as a way to celebrate black-owned businesses in the Detroit The categories are as follows:

“Michigan’s unemployment rate decreased slightly in July,” said Jason Palmer, director of the state’s Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, in a news release this month about the July data. “However, for the third consecutive month, the drop in the rate reflected fewer people in the state’s labor market actively seeking employment.”

More people are dropping out of the workforce during an economic expansion that has now stretched into its eighth year and is nearing record lengths.

“It is kind of paradoxical right now, isn’t it?” said Charles Ballard, a Michigan State University economist.

Ballard said he’s curious to see whether a few months’ worth of data is a temporary blip or a sign of a longer-term trend.

The federal government defines the unemployment rate as the total number of unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force. People are considered to be unemployed if they aren’t working, could work and have searched for a job within the past four weeks.

People who aren’t working but haven’t looked for a job within the past month are considered to be out of the labor force. They’re not counted at all when it comes to official jobless statistics.

That can have the unintended consequence of making a state’s unemployment picture look rosier than it really is.

Even as Michigan’s official monthly jobless rate is at its lowest point in 17 years, the state’s total employment and labor force levels both are down by more than 300,000 since July 2000, according to the state’s Bureau of Labor Market Information.

And, it said, the labor force grew slower than the nation’s as a whole in July compared to the same month a year ago — 18,000 people, or 0.4 percent.

Michigan’s traditional unemployment rate of 4.7 percent, calculated between the third quarter of 2016 and the second quarter of 2017, would spike to 9.5 percent if it included discouraged, marginally attached and part-time workers, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The bureau publishes a set of alternative unemployment data that factor in discouraged workers (people who aren’t in the labor force, want to and could work but didn’t search for a job within the past month because they didn’t think they’d find one), marginally attached workers who didn’t search for a job in the past month for any reason, and part-time workers who worked fewer than 35 hours per week, wanted to work full time but couldn’t find a job with full-time hours.

When factored this way, Michigan would be among the 20 states with the highest expanded jobless rates, a list that includes Great Lakes neighbors

them is sluggish wage growth, which he said has puzzled economists because lower unemployment should put upward pressure on wages. Higher wages could be one way to lure more people back to the labor force.

It’s also possible, though difficult to quantify, that the nation’s opioid epidemic has removed some people from the workforce, he said.

And Ballard said it could be that a cultural shift is underway in which teenagers are shunning work, a shift that may have started during the recession when unemployed adults took entry-level jobs that traditionally went to teens.

Teenagers also have low levels of educational attainment, he said, which could be a partial explanation for the big drops in participation among people without a high school diploma.

“Social norms are the hardest thing in the world to quantify,” Ballard said.

Gov. Rick Snyder, in a statement when the numbers were released, touted the state’s “tremendous comeback” as reflected in double-digit unemployment rate declines since shortly before he took office in January 2011.

Snyder often refers to the hundreds of thousands of private-sector jobs that have been added during his two-term tenure — understandably so, because politicians get credit for a good economy and blame for a bad one, regardless of whether they had anything to do with it.

There are good signs in the state’s numbers. Even as employment lags 2000 levels, year-to-date average employment through July — close to 4.7 million people — is the highest since 2007, the start of the Great Recession.

And total employment has grown every year since 2010. From June to July, it fell.

The number of unemployed people from July 2016 to July 2017 is down 55,000, according to the state’s data.

Still, Snyder’s statement struck a more tempered tone, given the news about Michigan’s labor force participation: “There is always more we can do.”

He cited a disconnect between job providers and the skills that job seekers have, and said Michigan needs to emphasize skills training in order to close the talent gap.

Snyder has made increasing skilled trades training and participation a focus of his administration.

Still, what does declining participation in the labor force say about the strength of Michigan’s economic comeback? Does it suggest some kind of underlying weakness in the economy?

“This is why the renewed focus on making sure people have the skills and training they need to succeed at getting jobs is so vital,” Snyder spokesman Ari Adler said via email. “We are hearing from employers who cannot find enough employees — so we must address that disconnect.”

Best Elected Official Best Attorney Best Bar/Club/Lounge Best Restaurant Best Food Franchise Best School Teacher Best School Principal Best Marching Band Best High School Best High School Athlete Best Sorority Best Fraternity Best Make Up Artist Best Personal Trainer Bets Clothing Store Best Tattoo Artist Best Publicist Best Wedding Planner/Event Planner Best Photographer/Videographer Best Caterer

and Metro Detroit area and highlight unique individuals in our community that continue to live up to a standard of excellence. The community can submit nominations in a wide range of industries.

“We are very proud to announce that we have surpassed the number of nominations we received last year. This year, the community has responded by submitting nearly 20,000 nominations. We love that the community is engaged and we are looking forward to announcing the semifinalists and recognizing the finalists at the Best In Black Detroit Awards in October at the Music Hall,” said Hiram E. Jackson, publisher of the Michigan Chronicle.

Best Car Wash/ Auto Detailing Best Hair Salon Best Hair Stylist Best Barbershop Best Barber Best Car Dealership Best Clothing Line Designer Best Retail Business Best Service Business Best Instagram Personality Best News Anchor Best Event DJ Best Club Promoter Best Local Singer Best Live Band Best Comedian Best Gospel/Community Choir Best Choir Director Best Pastor Best Organist Best Church Best First Lady

BUSINESS

SECTION C

September 6-12, 2017

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michiganchronicle.com

Fifth Third tackles student loan debt New app rounds up spare change to pay loans off faster Student loan debt is now more than $1.3 trillion, with the average college graduate’s debt at $37,000.

Fifth Third Bank surveyed more than 3,000 millennials and interviewed more than 100 young adults in three markets across the U.S. and three across the globe to better understand their feelings about student loan debt and finances. This is what they found: • Millennials do want the “American Dream” of a house, car, etc.

But they feel it’s out of reach.

• Student loan debt can make them feel unworthy – of dating, marriage, etc.

• They are embarrassed to disclose debt amount.

• They do want a solution, but they want it to fit into their daily lives.

They don’t want to see their entire debt amount (it’s depressing) but need small motivation/encouragement along the way to paying….

The new Fifth Third Momentum app allows users to roundup purchases on their Fifth Third debit card to pay toward loans. Customers who choose to round up using Fifth Third Momentum can, for example, apply 55 cents to their designated loan balance when purchasing lunch for $9.45 for a total of $10. The same customer who chooses the dollar pay-down would pay $10.45 for the same lunch, with $1 of that being applied toward the student loan.

The app will help college graduates pay off student loans faster by automating frequent micropayments toward the balance on student loan accounts.

Fifth Third Bank customers with a Fifth Third debit card can link student loans held by over thirty different servicers to the app. Once the loan is connected, customers can choose to round their debit card purchases up to the next dollar or add one dollar to every purchase. Either way, the extra amount is applied to the balance on the designated loan on a weekly basis once a minimum of five dollars in round ups is achieved. They can download the app and set it up through their smart phone.

Detroit-based Means Group partner in downtown hotel project

By Ken Coleman A $32 million redevelopment of the historic Metropolitan Building officially kicked off Aug. 29 in downtown Detroit.

Metropolitan Hotel Partners, Means Group and Roxbury Group are principals. Eric J. Means and David Di Rita lead those teams.

Mayor Mike Duggan attended the press conference and is “excited” to see the site redeveloped after being vacant for 38 years.

Customers who choose to round up using Fifth Third Momentum can, for example, apply 55 cents to their designated loan balance when purchasing lunch for $9.45 for a total of $10. The same customer who chooses the dollar pay-down would pay $10.45 for the same lunch, with $1 of that being applied toward the student loan.

“Just a few years ago, there was little hope that this historic building would ever be redeveloped and now it’s a sign of how far we’ve come as a city,” Duggan said.

Student loan debt totaled $1.3 billion in 2016.1

“This is going to be one of the grandest hotels in the city of Detroit,” said Eric J. Means, Means Group president and CEO, about the building once known as the Metropolitan Building in the Grand Circus Park section of the city.

The building will be home to the Starwood Element Hotel which will feature 110 one-and-two-bedroom extended-stay hotel rooms. It will also include 2,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space on the second floor mezzanine and about 7,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and lower level.

“College debt affects our communities and our economy. This isn’t just a millennial or student issue,” said Greg Carmichael, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp. “As a bank, we need to bring innovative solutions to the market, to lead the way in helping the next generation pay off their student

See LOAN DEBT Page C-2

“With that being said, this is going to be a great opportunity for Detroiters, which is why we are here.”

Means’ firm, a Detroit-based creative land solutions company with more 40 years of combined experience in construction and facilities management, carried out the historic Garden Theater redevelopment. Other clients include the Kresge Foundation,

Eric J. Means speaks, Mayor Mike Duggan listens intently.

See MEANS GROUP page B-2

Randolph Career Technical Education Center 2.0 Prepares to build skilled trades pipeline for Detroit students, adults

By Ken Coleman

in the skilled trades,” Mayor Duggan declared. “With the construction boom in our city likely to last for many years, we need to train every Detroiter we can so they can participate in the city’s comeback.”

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Ivy Bailey is excited about the revamped Randolph Career Technical Education Center.

“It’s yet another outstanding opportunity for our students at Detroit Public Schools Community District,” she stated. “This is a historic moment.”

Mayor Mike Duggan, Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti and a host of business, labor and community leaders on August 28 launched the newly improved center. Located on Detroit’s northwest side, it is expected to serve hundreds of children and adults who seek skilled trades training and career opportunities.

After major classroom renovations, the return of electrical training courses, and

new skilled trades training programs for adults on the way, Randolph has been transformed from an outdated vocational high school to a leading, state-of-the-art skilled trades training facility. The improve-

ments are part of a partnership between DPSCD, Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC), the City of Detroit and Mayor Mike Duggan’s Workforce Development Board that has raised $10 million in

funding and in-kind contributions from an array of supporters for improvements to Randolph.

“This institution has a proud history of preparing Detroit residents for good-paying careers

Courses offered at Randolph include carpentry, masonry, plumbing and pipefitting, HVAC, computer-aided design (CAD), heavy equipment simulation and entrepreneurship.

Thanks to the upgrades to the school, the popular electrical course will return, as well, after a three-year absence. Jobs in these trades are currently in high demand, with new construction projects of all sizes breaking ground across the city.

The 120,000-square-foot institution was constructed in 1980 and served one of the

See RANDOLPH page B-2

business

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

September 6-12, 2017

Page C-2

Randolph From page B-1

school district’s four vocational-technical careers centers. In recent years, however, the student enrollment has dipped as funding to support its programs faded.

But that was then.

Randolph students now will gain hands-on experience for careers where entry-level positions range from $13 to $22 per hour.

Experienced journeymen can grow to earn over $30 per hour. With support from industry partners, students will have the opportunity to learn from local unions, construction contractors, with the potential for paid internships while in school and apprenticeship programs upon graduation.

At its height, Randolph had an average enrollment of more than 600 in its programs at any given time. After several years of disinvestment, however, that number has dwindled to about 150.

Means Group

From page B-1

Ford Motor Company, Wayne State University, Detroit P ­ ublic Schools, the Toledo Zoo and Marriot hotels.

“Roxbury and the Means Group are honored to be returning this truly unique and irreplaceable building to active use,” said David Di Rita, principal of the Roxbury Group.

“It is particularly gratifying to be restoring a building that so many said couldn’t be saved, while providing anoth-

er world-class hotel to Detroit’s entertainment district.”

“We look forward to introducing Element to Detroit with this exciting adaptive re-use project that will retain the historic charm of the Metropolitan Building, while turning it into a sleek and stylish destination for travelers visiting the Motor City,” Brian McGuiness, senior vice president of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood said when the project was an-

nounced last summer.

The Metropolitan Building was designed by the firm Weston & Ellington and opened on May 25, 1925 on John R Street between Woodward Avenue and Broadway. The 14-story neo-Gothic tower stands like a medieval castle. There had been talk of demolishing part of the building to contruct a public space, lofts and offices, but later it was decided that full restoration would be the best option.

U.S. Dept. of Labor awards SER Metro-Detroit $1.1 million to train Detroit Youth for construction trades SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc., was awarded a U.S. Department of Labor grant in the amount of $1,100,000.00 to provide opportunity youth ages 18 to 24 with basic skills/academic and occupational skills training in the construction field.

SER offers the training for this grant through the SER YouthBuild Construction Institute(SYCI), which has received funding from the U.S. Department of Labor for the past ten years to operate this program. SYCI received funding from the U.S. Department of Labor for the last decade with over 260 graduates of the program. Additional highlights from the Department of Labor funded program include; 236 individuals completing their GED’s or receiving construction certification and 70 percent of individuals increasing their literacy levels within the first three months of participation.

SER YouthBuild has maintained more than a 70% placement rate and has placed 62 individuals in the construction trades and apprenticeships. With the renewal funding, SYCI will train nearly 70 Detroit youth who will receive a GED or high school diploma and industry-recognized credentials necessary for

From page C-1

in-demand occupation. The training will contribute to the millions of open jobs in the U.S., including 228,000 in construction, and 388,000 in manufacturing.

“SER YouthBuild Construction Institute provides opportunity, a career pathway, education and a commitment to leadership development that can alter the trajectory of our participant’s future,” said SER Metro-Detroit President and CEO Eva Garza Dewaesche.

The SER YouthBuild program has maintained a long term partnership with O’Brien Construction to complete onthe-job training opportunities at local housing projects. Participants will also be active AmeriCorps members during their time in the program and will work towards a $1,500 education award for post-secondary education. Over 40 have received the award and continued to college since programming began in 2010.

SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc. (SER) is a community-based organization that believes in the potential of each individual. For more than 46 years, SER has assisted thousands of at-risk and disadvantaged residents from across the city of Detroit and the region in becoming self-sufficient through quality employment, education and training programs.

For more information visit http://www.sermetro.org.

By Willie E. Brake As millions of families prepare for students to head back to school this month, it’s important to remember that there are truly no more important investments that the ones we make in our community, our youth and toward educational opportunities, at every stage of life and career.

I’ve never forgotten just how powerfully the educational opportunities I was blessed with shaped my life. At All About Technology, we know that the investments we make in our community, and our youth pay immeasurable dividends.

That’s why I’m honored to serve as an employment partner and provides insight from a marketplace perspective to

“This partnership and others like it create an undeniable return on investment for the school district, city, and the next generation of students and citizens,” stated DPSCD Superintendent Vitti. “Our students must be college and career ready and this program allows that commitment to become a reality. The investment by the mayor and our business partners is one we hope to replicate across DPSCD.” Randolph will serve Detroit students from across the city who will attend for one half-day, five days per week. During the afternoons and evenings, the center will provide skilled trades training programs for adults. Current high school students entering grades 10-12 are eligible to enroll in the half-day program in the morning or afternoon. Transportation from home high schools is available. Those interested in enrolling should go to www.RandolphCareerTech.com and submit an online interest form.

Students and their families are encouraged to attend an open house event to tour the facility and view classroom updates. It will be held at Randolph Career Tech, 17101 Hubbell, Sept. 6 from 3 to 7 pm.

Loan Debt

All About Technology invests in the community and our youth

I know that firsthand growing up on the west side of Detroit as the second of three children. We had a lot of love in our household and a lot of laughter – but not much else.

I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to attend college, to say nothing of being able to afford it. Still, because I was blessed to meet people along the way who believed in my potential and helped me reach for it, I went on to become the first in my family to attend and graduate from college with an advanced degree. Without that education, my life would certainly have taken an altogether more probable path that the extraordinary one it did.

With the improvements unveiled, DPSCD is embarking on a push to increase enrollment to 900 students over the three years of the project. DESC will also push to enroll 900 adults in the new adult training programs over the next three years.

loans faster. Fifth Third Momentum is a simple digital tool to help pay these debts faster.”

Fifth Third estimates that customers who round up $25 a month using the Fifth Third Momentum app could pay off a 20year loan three years sooner and pay 8 percent less in total by avoiding interest that would have accumulated.* Family members can help, too Student-loan debt affects more than the borrower. It has a crippling effect on the economy and society at large. The burden of student-loan debt is causing graduates to delay marriages2and to delay or reject first-time home purchases3. Student-loan payments are also preventing many young workers from being able to start saving for retirement4, contributing to a widening generational wealth gap. It also affects families as more students5 plan to move back in with their parents to save money after graduation to pay off their debts That’s why the Fifth Third Momentum app allows graduates’ family members to use the app, too. They can sign up with their own Fifth Third debit cards and connect their purchases to help their loved ones pay down the student debt they owe.

help youth, through internships and job shadows gain meaningful work experience in the technology industry. I am committed to my city and the community that I serve and I’ve been recognized by local and national organizations for my achievements and philanthropic contributions. I am proud of my efforts to pay it forward and be of service to.

Having proven talent and competent assistance allows me to position the company for a growth trajectory.

As so many of us know, our earliest work experiences provided the greatest education.

It’s in that first job or internship that we begin to learn how to succeed and, more importantly, how to fail and try again. It’s where we begin to acquire the habits, skills, and values that guide us for the rest of our careers.

I know that was true for me, which is why it is so meaningful to continue the All About Technology Summer Associates Program. Our program gives youth a behind the scenes look at our operations and an invaluable on the job learning experience. It’s a way of giving young people, often from diverse of disadvantaged backgrounds, a foothold for their future careers.

Throughout the summer, six remarkable students have been busy learning from the leadership team at All About Technology, assisting customers and helping with key operations. Above all, they’ve been gaining credentials to land their first job – perhaps even at All About Technology. This program is a proven pathway into an opportunity with many previous interns gaining full-time positions at

All About Technology or one of our technology business partners.

So many of these extraordinary, bright young people share the same kinds of backgrounds and stories as me. The enthusiasm they’ve brought to serving our customers over the summer has been infectious and inspiring.

I know that the reputation of All About Technology will only shine brighter with each achievement they attain over the course of their careers. I’m proud of the knowledge and education they’ve received thanks to their time with us.

It’s just another of the many ways All About Technology is dedicated to investing in our community, our young people and continuing to bridge the digital divide by making technology affordable and accessible for all.

Fifth Third invested a year to understand millennials’ needs and aspirations better, talking with hundreds of millennials and surveying thousands. We talked with millennials in six markets across the U.S. and three around the world.

We learned that, when it comes to banking, and specifically to pay their student loans, millennials want a product that is positive, approachable and celebrates their wins. They want it available on an app, and they want it to make them feel better while saving them money.

“We wanted to offer a solution that would help people pay off their student loans faster and make them feel good while doing it,” said Melissa Stevens, Fifth Third Bank’s chief digital officer.

“We aimed at creating an intuitive solution that was integrated into their daily lives instead of something that would feel like they needed to come to us.”

UAW-FORD’s

Section C-3

September 6-12, 2017

Live from New York: Boys Theater of Detroit!

Ready for New York and the world: Young men representing the Boys Theater of Detroit took a big bite out of the “Big Apple” during a magical five days that should have a lasting impact on their lives.

Young men expanded their horizons during an ‘amazing’ five days

By Scott Talley Special to the Michigan Chronicle Some of the most famous entertainers to ever perform including Frank Sinatra, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and more have told us that New York City is a very special place. And now a group of young men from our community can make the same claim following five memorable days in the “Big Apple” during late August.

The young men are members of the Boys Theater of Detroit and during their amazing, all-expense-paid visit made possible by UAWFord they spent time at internationally known sites including Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Metropolitan Museum of Art, along with the National September 11 Memorial and One World Trade Center.

Other highlights from the young men’s wonderful adventure included viewing two Broadway productions (“Blue Man Group” and “School of Rock—The Musical”); taking a cruise in the New York Harbor, which transported them around Ellis Island; and, feasting at New York delis, pizzerias, and restaurants. Throughout their journey the young men were fully engaged—body, mind and spirit.

“It was an invigorating new experience,” said Kari Webb, who just started t h e 10th grade at Cass Tech. “I was amazed and

astonished that this place is so different from what I am used to do on a day-to-day basis.

It is an experience that I could have only had in New York. I want to thank UAW-Ford for allowing me to travel to a place I always wanted to go to.”

Kari said his attraction to New York goes back to when he watched a “Spider-Man” movie when he was seven or eight years old.

An honor roll student with aspirations of being a video game designer or movie producer, Kari indeed has a bright future ahead and his mom, Jennez Webb, believes his New York experience will be most valuable as Kari pursues all of his dreams.

“I was happy that the boys were able to travel out of town and go somewhere they have never been, while representing their city and group,” Jennez Webb said. “And they won’t have that fear about doing something new, or doing big things, because they went outside the box.“ It can be said that the experience was a double blessing for Jennez given that her 10-year-old son Karim also made the trip.

“I thought it was an awesome opportunity and I’m glad they were both able to take part in it, along with all the boys,” Jennez Webb said.

“I just want my children to be a part of something positive.”

For King Moore, visiting New York was not a first-time experience. His mom, jessica Care moore, just happens to be a celebrated poet, playwright, performance artist and producer, who has brought positivity and inspiration to many places around the globe, including New York. However, making a trip to New York with the Boys Theater of Detroit was quite a bit different for young King, and he is most grateful for the experience.

“I want to say thank you so much because it was a great opportunity to do this,” said King Moore, who will turn 11-years-old on Sept. 9.

“It was very fun and entertaining every single minute and hour.”

King, who was inspired to start his own Super Cool Poetry Open Mic Series for children 12 and under, after attending many of his mother’s events, said traveling with the Boys Theater of Detroit group allowed him to do something equally important—bond with new friends.

“I made many new friends,” said King Moore, who even listed the eight-plus hour one-way bus ride from Detroit to New York among the special moments of the trip, along with the cruise, plays and the Statue of Liberty, which was even larger than he expected.

“Everything was really fun. It was just great for us to go on a trip to New York together—it was amazing!”

King’s acclaimed mom was amazed too and equally thankful for all that occurred during the special five days in New York.

“I was really proud and happy, and I love the strong presence that the boys had too,” said jessica Care moore, who presents the first letters of her first and last name in lowercase as a tribute to the respected author and social activist bell hooks. jessica Care moore, who had a previously scheduled New York engagement that coincided with the Boys Theater of Detroit trip added: “I want to give a shout out to UAW-Ford, (Oliver) Pookrum and Ny’Ree Hardyway

(Boys Theater of Detroit assistant director).

Our babies, our young men, our girls too, we need programs like this to show them they are global citizens. The group is about theater, but the trip was about other things too. It was about manhood, and responsibility, and being without your parents. It was a beautiful trip— amazing!”

Ambassadors for Detroit The following “citizens of the world” represented our city during a trip to New York made by the Boys Theater of Detroit.

Marcus Windrow Jaylen Spicer Nyris Hardyway Christopher Hardyway Khari Chandler King Moore Kari Webb Karim Webb Kaiden Tolbert Nicholas Brown Denzel Tate Dominick Phifer Braylon Fields Azear Akbar-Drain George Caudle Michael Hall Malachi Henderson Drummer Khalil Holiness

UAW-Ford’s Best of Young Detroit

September 6-12, 2017

Page C-4

Remembering Tommy Flanagan: Detroit kid later played with musical ‘giants’ During Labor Day weekend Detroit once again hosted the Detroit Jazz Festival, the world’s largest free jazz festival. Free does not always necessarily mean good, but music lovers know the Detroit Jazz Festival is good— really good!

Along with being a showcase for a variety of styles and approaches to music that loosely fit under the “jazz” tent, the Detroit Jazz Festival also serves as a reminder of Detroit’s rich contributions to jazz, and that legacy includes legendary jazz pianist Tommy Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001).

Young musicians in our community today should be proud to be following a path taken by artists like Flanagan, who was born in Detroit and began studying the clarinet at age 6 and started piano lessons when he was 11.

Long before the Motown Sound, the Detroit that Flanagan grew up in was so rich in jazz talent that a musician could live in our city and still have an opportunity to perform with some of the greatest artists in the world at local clubs like the famous Blue Bird Inn. By the time Flanagan moved to New York in 1956, he had much to offer the music world. That same year he would accompany the great voice of Ella Fitzgerald for the first time, which began a near 20-year collaboration for the two superlative artists. During that time Flanagan also served as Fitzgerald’s music director. In addition to his association with Fitzgerald, Flanagan also worked for Tony Bennett and was an accompanist on many iconic jazz records, including John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and Sonny Rollins’ “Saxophone Colossus.” Later in his career Flanagan was celebrated as an individual artist.

The respected jazz critic Garry Giddins once said Flanagan had “perfected his own niche, a style beyond style, where the only appropriate comparisons are between his inspired performances and those that are merely characteristic.” And before Flanagan earned this kind of well-deserved praise, he was a youngster in Detroit taking clarinet and piano lessons, which is why his contributions to music should always be celebrated in our city.

Team effort propels Denby in season-opening victory Denby had to wait a week longer to start the football season than many teams in the area, but once the Tars’ campaign began they were more than ready, as they posted a 20-8 victory at Chandler Park on Aug. 31. Standouts for Denby included Armani White, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown; Jermaine Trammell and LaGregory Virger, who combined for five sacks; and, quarterback Cameron Waddell, who gained 68 all-purpose yards and rushed for a touchdown.

The “Best of Young Detroit” thanks assistant coach Donald Young for providing us with a wonderful recap of Denby’s opener. Following are some of the other top local performances during Week 2 games:

Helped by former PSL stars, U-M takes bite out of Gators

TD in the Trailblazers’ 52-0 victory against Southeastern.

Isaiah Foreman, Delta Prep, registered nine tackles, forced a fumble and scored on a 69-yard reception against Royal Oak Shrine.

Antonio Green, Henry Ford, rushed for 95 yards, gained 70 receiving yards and scored four TDs against Melvindale AB&T. Aaron Jackson, Cass Tech, passed for 113 yards and a TD, and rushed for 75 yards and a score, in a 17-12 victory against Chicago Simeon.

El Julian Jordan, Central, passed for 450 yards and four TDs against Southeastern.

Robert Beatty III, Delta Prep, passed for 312 yards and three TDs in a 33-7 victory against Royal Oak Shrine.

Damien Robinson, Delta Prep, registered three sacks against Royal Oak Shrine.

Diondre Brown, Henry Ford, rushed for 185 yards and scored three TDs (two rushing) in the Trojans’ 46-0 victory against Melvindale AB&T.

Malik Rocks, Delta Prep, scored three TDs, including a 69-yard interception return against Royal Oak Shrine.

Deondre’ Carter-Jones, Renaissance, rushed for two TDs in a 22-16 victory against Western.

Brandon Cooper, Central, registered 10 tackles and two sacks and rushed for a

Looking good and playing well: The PSL was well represented in U-M’s opening game victory against Florida Among the players that made special plays in the Wolverine’s special uniforms was true freshman Ambry Thomas out of King High School.

Michael Onwenu, U-M/Cass Tech, the sophomore right guard made his first career start on offense and was a part of an impressive Michigan offensive line that helped the Wolverines gain 215 yards on the ground.

On Labor Day weekend, the University of Michigan football team donned special allmaize uniforms to open the season, and then the Wolverines produced an equally special performance to defeat the Florida Gators, 33-17, in Arlington, Texas. Former Detroit Public School League standouts contributed to Michigan’s big win in all areas of the game. The U-M contributors with PSL roots included: Khalid Hill, U-M/East English Village, the versatile senior carried the ball a couple of times out of the backfield and provided some powerful blocks that helped to unleash a strong Michigan rushing attack.

Michael Onwenu

Lavert Hill, U-M/ Martin Luther King, the sophomore DB was stellar registering four solo tackles, including one tackle for loss.

He also broke up two passes, while helping to anchor the back half of the Michigan defense.

Donovan Peoples-Jones

Donovan Peoples-Jones, U-M/Cass Tech, the true freshman calmly handled the punt-returning duties without a hitch, returning five punts for 40 yards, including a long return of 18 yards.

Khalid Hill

2017

(All games begin at 4 p.m.)

Friday, Sept. 8 Communications & Media Arts (1-1) at East English Village (2-0) Frederick Douglass (0-2) at King (1-1) Henry Ford (2-0) at Cass Tech (1-1) Southeastern (1-1) vs. Western (1-1) at Renaissance Renaissance (2-0) at Pershing (1-1) Bradford Academy (1-1) at Cody (1-1) Delta Prep (1-1) at Osborn (0-2) Denby (1-0) at Central (2-0) Mumford (1-1) at Detroit Collegiate Prep at Northwestern (0-2) Source: Detroit Public Schools Community District Athletic Department Office

Lavert Hill

Ambry Thomas

Ambry Thomas, U-M/ Martin Luther King, the true freshman registered one of the game’s most impactful plays as a part of the Michigan special teams unit when he forced and recovered a fumble on kickoff coverage to give the Wolverines the ball in the red zone at 11:47 in the third quarter.

Your Feedback Matters The “Best of Young Detroit” welcomes feedback from our community. Please submit story suggestions and other comments to Scott Talley at stalleyassociates@gmail.com or 313-590-3686.

business

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

September 6-12, 2017

Page C-5

Detroit start-ups blend honey into tasty treats

Nationally acclaimed Bon Bon Bon to reveal new honey infused bon at fundraising event Bees in the D, a nonprofit dedicated to the health of honeybee colonies and the education of their importance to our environment, is teaming up with other Detroit start-ups for a one-of-akind fundraising event that features tasty treats created with fresh honey exclusively harvested in Detroit.

The event is hosted by nationally acclaimed artisan chocolate company Bon Bon Bon at their new flagship 5,000-square-foot production facility and store at 11360 Joseph Campau Ave. in Hamtramck on Saturday, Sept.

16, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is $35 per person.

Internationally trained artisan chocolatiers will craft one-of-a-kind bons with Bees in the D honey harvested from two rooftop hive installations at Bon Bon Bon. They currently use Bees in the D honey in several of its products. It is anticipated that about 100,000 honeybees will create up to 80 pounds of honey annually at Bon Bon Bon. During the event, Bon Bon Bon will debut a new, exclusive Bees in the D honey bon. Participants will have the opportunity to create custom Bon Bon Bon chocolates, extract fresh honey from Bon Bon Bon’s rooftop bee hives, sample organic cotton candy from Spun Sugar Detroit, enjoy fruit and dessert sushi from Geisha Girls, and adult punch from Detroit City Distillery. Each ticket purchased will include a box of six bons. Proceeds will benefit Bees in the D and help continue its educational programs for children and adults.

Tickets to the Bon Bon Bon/Bees in the D Honey Harvest event can be purchased online or at the event for $35 each.

Founded by elementary school teacher Brian Peterson-Roest in April

By Ida Byrd-Hill

2016, Bees in the D’s mission is the education, conservation and promotion of urban beekeeping. With 29 total active hive installations in metro Detroit on rooftops, vacant lots, parking garages and more, Bees in the D and its estimated 1.3 million bees can produce an estimated 2,300 pounds of fresh honey annually. Hive installations can also be found in Detroit at Cobo Center, Detroit City Distillery, and Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, among other locations.

“Through Bees in the D we hope to provide ongoing education of honey bees and their important contributions to our environment,” said Peterson-Roest. “Honeybees are important to our daily lives. They pollinate the fruits and vegetables we eat, herbs we use to season our foods and much more.”

Since 2014, Bon Bon Bon has gained national recognition as a Martha Stewart American Made Award finalist.

Forbes named its founder, Alexandra Clark, on its 2016 “30 Under 30 Food & Drink” list.

Based in Hamtramck with a store also in Detroit, fresh bons are made daily using a blend of classic French technique with Detroit ingenuity, local ingredients, and artistic interpretation.

Bon Bon Bon has more than 200 rotating flavors ranging from classic to bizarre, familiar to exotic, all-candy to all-chocolate. Blending several types of chocolates, jams and unexpected ingredients such as potato chips, candied ham, hot sauce and more, each bon packs two bites of big bon flavor.

Preorders of Bees in the D honey are now available to purchase online in 6 oz. and 16 oz. options. For more information about Bees in the D including upcoming events, merchandise and more, visit www.beesinthed.com.

Labor Skating Towards the Future?

The American Psychological Association “Stress in America” report states Americans have named MONEY their top source of stress for the last six years in a row. Those in poverty have stress levels equal to veterans who were at war.

The impact of financial stress on Business and educational institutions is enormous. Financial stress is costing employers a minimum of 298 billion dollars a year in productivity and profits. Fi-

nancial stress creates behavioral issues in classrooms making it more difficult to teach children in poverty.

Researchers have found that increased financial literacy reduces financial stress, improves productivity and improves employee training. THE PROBLEM: The people who need financial literacy most do not seek it. Automation can speed up financial literacy engagement and training.

In 2015, Uplift, Inc.. based in Detroit embarked on building a Robo-Financial

Wellness Coach, a series of mobile video game, to automate financial literacy and gain insight into the gamer’s behavior. Building the software for commercialization proved to be complicated on a shoestring budget.

In 2017, the woman-owned MBE hired a staff of developers, specializing in Artificial Intelligence, to build modules onto a simple game until the Robo-Financial Wellness Coach is complete.

Byrd-Hill encourages gamers to check My Jewel Empire, a match three

puzzle game where players attempt to acquire more gemstones and coins than their colleagues to end game with LARGEST jewel empire.

The game is currently available on in an Android version with the iPhone version becoming available in two weeks.

Uplift Inc. is exposing parents to future technology to empower them with the skills necessary to acquire high paying high demand income opportunities, which lays the foundation to a full throttled prosperous economy.

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For information visit Greatlakeswbc.org or call 734 .677.1400

Page C-6

• THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE •

September 6-12, 2017

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Where City Meets Life and Life Meets Style

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Beth:

Reflections

By Steve Holsey

Brave, beautiful and ‘Free’

Maybe the best of both worlds We all know that people are people, that underneath the skin it’s all the same. Still, it is interesting to note how many celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports are of mixed parentage, in most cases African American and Caucasian.

For starters, there is Drake, Lenny Kravitz, Halle Berry, Keyshia Cole, the DeBarge family, Dwayne Johnson (“the Rock”), Paula Patton, Kimona Lee Simmons, Boris Kodjoe, Faith Evans, Amber Rose, Jesse Williams and Jasmine Guy.

Savion Glover

Alicia Keys

By Roz Edward

Drake

Paula Patton

Then you could add Alicia Keys, Shemar Moore, Tiger Woods, Lisa Bonet, Jussie Smollett, Mariah Carey, Sade, Derek Jeter, Savion Glover, Mya Rudolph, Vin Diesel, Rashida Jones, Colin Kaepernick, J. Cole, Jordin Sparks and Hines Ward.

KENYA MOORE, who was born in Detroit, is identified as an actress, model and several other things, but her real claim to fame revolves around reality television Kenya Moore “bombast” and conflict. Some use the “B” word to describe her. One of her adversaries, Vivica A. Fox, described her explosive Kenya Moore experience as “surviving Kenyagate.”

“What I work hard at doing is staying on a path of being kind and showing and proving that I’m a good person to society.

That’s hard. The talent, that’s a gift. I just came here like that.” — Erykah Badu

as a featured lead and background vocalist.

Just off a riveting performance for the Freedom Hill White Party, where she shared the stage and performed with KEM and Marsha Ambrosius, the artist known as Beth surprised the audience with a show-stopping performance of her latest release, “Free,” from the album of the same name.

However, this Motown chanteuse’s talents span the gamut from singing to acting, with a peppering of behind-thescenes performances, including television commercials and voice-overs. There are few undertakings she’s not willing to tackle. Earlier this year, Beth won the lead role of Mary in the gripping film “Patience, A Twisted Love Story” and appeared as herself in the 2015 production of “Davi Davenport Live,” an introspective on the lives of celebrities and personalities around the country.

Having been a background singer for the soulful balladeer for four years, and working and touring with Anita Baker for half a decade prior to joining up with KEM, Beth is no novice to the music industry.

The artist shared the stage at the “Tribute to Motown” show at Carnegie Hall, alongside Dionne Warwick, Anita Baker, Martha Reeves, Melba Moore, Boyz II Men, Dennis Edwards, BeBe Winans and Paul Shaffer

Beth is quick to talk about her most cherished acting gig, where she performed with the iconic Whitney Houston — whom she refers to as her idol — in the hit movie “Sparkle.” She cheerfully reports that she relishes the time she spent on the set of “Sparkle.” Being selected for the rare opportunity to work with one of the greatest musical legends of all time, and holding her own as the star’s stand-in, is no small

feat and adds heft to a performer’s portfolio.

“There was a scene where you didn’t see my face, you saw the back of me, but I did get the chance to wear her clothes, and that was cool,” she confides girlishly, which, by the way, is one of her most endearing qualities. She is a genuinely kind and considerate woman, a rare thing in the sometimes cutthroat and vicious world of show business. But don’t think for a moment or confuse her generous spirit with naïveté. This girl is no newcomer to the exclusive club of celebrated performers.

This statuesque ingénue hails from music royalty. She is a seasoned singer, songwriter and actress, and a real life prodigy. Having started her singing career as a child, Beth is the daughter of pianist and keyboardist Johnny Griffith.

Griffith was one of the few classically trained members of Motown’s inhouse studio band that played such a

See BETH Page D-2

Moore’s latest drama involves her June 2017 marriage to businessman Marc Daly. Many of the lovely lady’s detractors, most by way of social media, have accused Moore of being in a “sham” marriage for the sake of publicity.

Moore is furious, stating bluntly, “My marriage and my life will not be made a mockery of. Enough is enough. I’m fighting back,” adding, “I always have the last laugh.”

She didn’t say how she will fight back or how the last laugh will be hers.

BEST IN BLACK

Fantasia FANTASIA is one of the industry’s most electrifying live performers. Her stage presence is awesome, as was the case at the recent Cincinnati Music Festival. The only time she loses me is when she switches from singing to “screaming.”

The season three “American Idol” winner got laughs and then applause at the festival when she said to the audience, “I didn’t come here to be cute for you. In just a minute, these shoes will come off. I come here to give you your money’s worth.”

ONE OPTION people almost always have is to change their mind, and whether or not they give a reason is up to them.

See Reflections Page D-2

Tommey Walker, Detroit Vs Everybody

By Lee Watson “Detroit Vs Everybody brand embodies the pride and unapologetic spirit of our beloved Detroit. Designed with love and crafted with care by Tommey Walker, consider the DVE brand your official welcoming committee. We are the city; take us with you…”

That is the welcome you get upon entering the Detroit Vs Everybody website.

As the city of Detroit goes through a renaissance, Detroit Vs Everybody has become something of a campaign. It is a slogan, a brand, a song and a lifestyle.

Walker won in the Michigan Chronicle’s 2016 Best in Black Detroit “Best Clothing Store” category. The graphic designer started the brand in 2012, out of frustration on how Detroit was being portrayed in the media. He wanted to combat the negativity and use his energy

to contribute to promoting positivity for his hometown.

“To win Best in Black Detroit means more than I can put into words. To be chosen by our people to represent our people is an honor like no other,” said Walker.

The Detroit Vs Everybody brand has gone from a show of pride for Detroiters to collaborations with the NBA, MBL, NFL, NHL and, most recently, Faygo, as well as gaining international popularity with reach as far as Australia, Japan and East Africa.

There are no paid endorsers for the Detroit Vs Everybody brand. However, there is never a shortage of celebrities representing it. Puff Daddy licensed Bad Boy Vs Everybody for his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour which included 19 pop-up shops on tour stops.

See BEST IN BLACK Page D-2

Page D-2 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • September 6-12, 2017

Beth

From page D-1

Friday, September 8 | 6:30 pm| Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre Lauryn Hill & Nas Tour: Ms. Lauryn Hill and Nas North American Tour for Fall 2017 with Hannibal Buress & Chronixx Music. Tickets @ ticketmaster.com Saturday, September 9 | 7:00 pm | Midtown Detroit Dally in the Alley 2017: Vendors, food, music, vibes and more. Info @dalleyinthealley.com Saturday, September 9 | 11 am | Detroit Fitness PattiBus Fitness Excursion: Season 3, Round 4: The Patti Bus Fitness Excursion, Detroit’s first and only fitness crawl is back! Six hours, six modalities, one heck of a bus ride! From crossfit to extreme kickboxing to self-defense fitness, even some water aerobics. Info @ @weare_detroitfitness Sunday, September 10 | 12:00 pm | The Eastern Detroit Lions Home Opener Ultimate Tailgate Party 2017: It’s finally time for some football and for the ultimate tailgate before, during and after the game. Fun, food, drinks, and a 12 ft. big screen LED TV. Ticket includes entry and access to parking (first come, first served). Info and tickets @eventbrite.com Sunday, September 10 | 7:30 pm | Sound Board Snoop Dogg: Snoop Dogg live in Detroit. Tickets @ ticketmaster.com

crucial role in the development of the Motown sound. His achievements include performances on such claasic Motown hits as the Supremes’ “Stop in the Name of Love,” the Temptations’ “Ain’t too Proud to Beg” and the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself,” among many others.

“There was always music in the house,” said Beth. “My dad was one of the original Funk Brothers, so I grew up with them being at the house and making music.

I was really young, and didn’t fully realize what I was in the midst of, but I knew this was something I wanted to do. Singing is like breathing to me.”

Beth admits that although her famous father was opposed to her pursuing a musical career, she naturally gravitated to it and began her studies while in school.

Which is when she discovered she suffered from paralyzing stage fright. “It was to the point where I would get sick and pass out,” she recalls. But like every other challenge she’s been confronted with, Beth soldiered on to overcome her fear and has since performed for presidents Obama and Trump. With the release of her new album, “Free,” she is moving to another level.

Critics are calling Beth’s latest musical excursions “visionary” and the best work she’s done to date. Her sound is effortless, uplifting and inspiring. She doesn’t shy from taking chances and giving her vocal chords a real workout when the song or the audience calls for it.

Beth’s next highly anticipated performances are in Los Angeles on Sept. 23 where she’ll appear at the Hard Rock Café, and the following day at the HAL Awards “Legends of Soul Concert” at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

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Puff Daddy (top, center) licensed Bad Boy Vs Everybody for his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour.

Best in Black

Eminem, Big Sean, Royce da 5’9”, Danny Brown, Trick Trick and Dej Loaf got together and created the Detroit anthem “Detroit Vs Everybody” for the 2014 Shady XV compilation album in which each rapper expressed love for their Detroit hometown.

While Tommey Walker has found

From page D-1 much success with his Detroit Vs Everybody stores in the Metro Detroit area, there aren’t any plans to expand brick and mortar to other markets.

Detroit Vs Everybody has locations in Fairlane Mall, Greektown, Eastern Market and Southfield.

Reflections

From page D-1

Back when he was 79 years old, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of the Four Tops, said that when he turned 80 he would stop performing.

that lawsuit, and why single out Coca-Cola?

Well, he’ll be 82 in December (he looks great!) and he’s still on stage with current partners Ronnie McNeir, Roquel Payton (son of original Duke Fakir member Lawrence Payton) and Harold Bonhart.

After an amazing 47 years, Larry Dodson, lead singer of the Bar-Kays, is retiring and a replacement is being sought. “Everybody has a journey,” said Dodson who is writing an autobiography titled “And the Band Plays On.”

The Four Tops were among the few Motown artists who chose to remain in Detroit when Motown moved to the West Coast in the early 1970s.

In recalling the decision to not go, Fakir said, “We actually went out to Los Angeles, just to be sure. We knew we didn’t want to leave, but went out and looked around, looking at houses, having big discussions among ourselves.

But we decided we wanted to stay in Detroit where our families are. I’m glad we did. I’ve had a great life in Detroit.”

STRANGE but true: Two Washington, DC ministers have filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association, accusing them of “deceptive marketing” because the popular beverages contribute to “an epidemic of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and a range of other degenerative diseases in the black and Latino communities.”

They are not likely to get far with

Speaking of lawsuits, a non-original member of Frankie Beverly & Maze, Frank Walker, was let go in May but is suing because his picture is still used on concert advertisements, plus he says he has not received proper compensation for record sales.

BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that for a brief time in 1962, Florence Ballard traveled with the Marvelettes as a replacement for Wanda Young who was out on maternity leave. The Supremes had not made it big yet.

MEMORIES: “More Love” (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles), “Save the Last Dance for Me” (the Drifters), “No More Tears” (Anita Baker), “Get it Together” (the Jackson 5), “Call Me” (Skyy), “I’ll Go Crazy” (James Brown), “Electric Avenue” (Eddy Grant).

BLESSINGS to Cornelius Fortune, Montez Miller, LaWanda Gray, Duane Parham, Anthony Neely, Huel Perkins, Larry Demps and Georgella Muirhead.

At Your Finger Tips!

WORDS OF THE WEEK, from an anonymous source: “When you tell the truth, you will almost always anger some people or even make enemies, but don’t worry about it. Keep telling the truth.”

Let the music play!

Steve Holsey can be reached at svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.

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5

September 6-12, 2017 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • Page D-3

TOP 5: Happy hours in the D

By AJ Williams

Adulting can be hard and expensive. The cure? Happy hour! The places named below have passed all of our qualifications — cheap prices, long pours, yummy bar bites and great hours.

Mix Bricktown

The BLOCK Detroit

3919 Woodward Ave., Detroit | (313) 832-0892 Our readers voted the BLOCK Detroit as the Top Spot for happy hour libations with their 2-4-6 Happy Hour. $2 drafts, $4 select glasses of wine and $6 You-Call-Its and bar bites including wings and chicken quesadillas.

Hours: 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Monday through Friday

Union Street

641 Beaubien St, Detroit | (313) 962-9548 Located in the heart of the historic Bricktown District, the bar known for a solid happy hour has recently taken it one step further with an extended “3-5-7 Happy Hour” until 9 pm. $3 wine and all beer including draft. $5 Titos, Jack, Crown Royal and Jameson. $7 Grey Goose, Ciroc, Patron and Makers Mark Hours: 5 to 9 pm Tuesday through Friday with extended happy hour until 11 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays.

4145 Woodward Ave., Detroit | (313) 831-3965 Union Street’s extra long happy hour is ideal for day-drinking.

The specials on small plates, $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon, $2 Stroh’s, $3 glasses of wine, and $3 shots of Jameson run from lunch until evening.

Hours: 11:30 am to 6:30 pm. Monday through Friday

Flood’s Bar & Grille

Centaur Bar

731 St. Antoine St., Detroit | (313) 963-1090 Located in the heart of downtown Detroit, Flood’s Bar & Grille has been serving up some of the city’s best drinks and soul food since 1987. Flood’s happy hour is a go-to for locals and visitors to the city. Drink specials, Bar bites including specials on lamb chops, shrimp and chicken wings.

Hours: 4 to 8 pm. Monday through Friday

2233 Park Ave., Detroit | (313) 963-4040 This Art Deco masterpiece of a martini bar, in the historic Lodent Building, known for its curated martini list. All martinis are $5 during happy hour, including a discounted tapas menu including calamari, fish tacos and sliders.

Hours: 4 to 7 pm. Monday through Friday.

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Why you’re so unlucky. If your loved one is true or false.I will advise you all problems of life, such as love, marriage, business and health, etc. Why suffer, you can be free from all troubles. I guarantee Sucess where others failed. I am superior to any other reader you have seen.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS PUBLIC NOTICE DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GOAL FOR FFY 2018-2020 The Detroit Transportation Corporation (DTC) operating the People Mover hereby announces its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program goal under guidelines of 49 CFR Part 26 and the regulations and directions of the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

DTC announces the establishment of the FFY 2018-2020 goal of 1.12 % based on relative availability of service capable DBE providers. This goal has been set based on information currently available. The rationale for this goal and supporting information regarding DTC’s DBE program will be available for public inspection at the Detroit Transportation Corporation offices located at: 535 Griswold, Floor 4, Detroit, Mi. 48226. These documents are available for inspection between the hours of 8:30 am and 3:30 pm Monday-Friday for thirty (30) days following the publication of this notice.

DTC and the FTA/DOT will accept comments on DTC’s DBE goal and DTC’s DBE program for 45 days from the date of this publication.

Comments should be sent to the attention of: DBE Liaison Officer, DTC535 Griswold, Floor 4, Detroit, Mi. 48226.

Detroit Transportation Corporation Title VI Notice to the Public Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin to programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. The Detroit Transportation Corporation (DTC) works to offer public transportation service that is free of discriminatory practices and actions for all patrons of the Detroit People Mover.

ANNOUNCEMENTS MIKE DUGGAN MAYOR, CITY OF DETROIT ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/PROPOSALS FOR ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE FACILITY ASSESSMENT OF THE HISTORIC WATER BOARD BUILDING 735 RANDOLPH STREET DETROIT, MI 48226 FOR THE DETROIT WATER & SEWERAGE DEPARTMENT (DBA #19-0003)

For more information on the Detroit Transportation Corporation’s civil rights program and procedures to file a complaint, contact:

DESCRIPTION OF WORK: Work to include site excavation, demolition, architectural, and effected trades.

The Order of the Fishermen Ministry Head Start (TOFHMS) Program, Inc. seeks to hire a qualified Purchasing Specialist/ Bookkeeper to provide support to the Fiscal Department of the organization. The services will include Record Cash and Checks (A/R) received into the Agency approved financial systems/accounting software, reconciliation of Bank Deposits (A/R) with the Accounts Receivables Ledger, entering Accounts Payable Invoices into the Agency approved financial systems/accounting software and entering and maintaining the vendor list within the Agency approved financial systems/accounting software and reconciles Bank Statements Qualifications: At least two years of college education, five years’ experience working with federal/ state/city grants and/or contracts. Financial Software experience preferred.

Please send proposal for services to Ms. Donyale Stephen-Atara, Human Resources Specialist at donyale.stephen-atara@ tofmhs.org not later than Monday, September 11, 2017

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ADVERTISEMENT TO BID PROPOSALS ARE INVITED FOR a single contract for a Basement Waterproofing, Emergency Egress concrete steps / retaining walls Construction as well as construction of a new sump pump and Miscellaneous Repairs including Masonry tuck-pointing and Painting at 3360 Charlevoix Ave., Detroit, Michigan 48207, until 2:00 p.m. on September 15, 2017, the owner’s Representative will receive sealed proposals for work as herein set forth in the offices of Franklin-Wright Settlements, Inc., at which time and place all proposals will be publicly opened and read aloud.

ARCHITECT: FONATH ARCHITECTS & CONSULTANTS, LLC

400 Monroe, Suite #237

Detroit, Michigan 48226

Telephone: (248) 878-4596 Contractors desiring to bid shall demonstrate the following qualifications, at least five years’ experience in the relative trades, licensed as required by state or local law. Insurance: general liability and auto liability, with the City of Detroit and Franklin Wright Settlements named as additional insured and workers compensation.

Bid Packs will be available for pick-up at Fonath Architects & Consultants, LLC., 400 Monroe, Suite #237, Detroit, Michigan 48226 [ (248) 878-4596], after 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday September 5, 2017. All Bidders shall be required to deposit a non-refundable fee of $45.00 per set.

Bidders are responsible for the cost of reproduction of bid documents at the time of bid documents pick up. A Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting and Examination of the premises is scheduled at the Project Site on Friday September 8, 2017 at 10:00am.

All interested parties are invited to attend. The owner reserves the right to waive any irregularity in any bid or reject any or all bids should it be redeemed in its best interest. Funding for this project is provided through the City of Detroit, Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Administered by the City of Detroit, Planning and Development Department. The successful contractor(s) will be required to comply with the federal laws governing equal employment opportunity, with the prevailing wage requirements of the Federal Labor Standards Act which also incorporates Davis- Bacon Act Requirements will have to be cleared and approved by the City of Detroit and comply with the Mayor’s Executive Order No. 2016-1 employment of local labor on publicly funded construction and demolition projects as follows: Per Executive Order No. 2016-1 Worker Hours on any construction project funded in whole or in part by City, State or Federal funds shall be performed by not less than 50% bonafide Detroit residents, not less than 25% minorities, and at least 5% women. Where possible, these percentages shall be applied on a craft-by-craft basis. For purposes of Executive Order No. 2016-1 worker hours shall include work performed by persons filling apprenticeship an on-the-job training positions.

Software Architect

Visteon Corporation is seeking a Software Architect in Van Buren Twp., MI, to define software architecture for the platform; review and approve platform requirements; review and approve component design and APIs; support platform roadmap definition and planning activities, among other duties.

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering or electronics, and ten years of experience in the job offered or in a related occupation. For confidential consideration, please apply online at www.visteon.com/careers/. Please respond to Job Requisition Number 17-0055. EOE.

Senior Data Analyst

Test and Validation Engineer

General Motors, Detroit, MI. Interact with business stakeholders, gather business process, SAP General Ledger, Enterprise Data (SQL server &Teradata) Warehouse, &Hyperion &Oracle data reqmts of Internal Audit. Dvlp &deliver Tableau-­based dashboard lifecycle reports. Collect, use &analyze data from platforms using Business Intelligence tools incldg Microsoft SQL &Tableau. Check whether financial reports &records are accurate &reliable using SAP se16n &other t-­codes. Schedule dart extracts to extract data from financial information systems incldg SAP. Use Alteryx to analyze, transform &load purchasing, financial, dealer incentives &warranty, sales volume data.

Lead Six Sigma improvement projects.

Prepare reports, commentaries &statements from data files using Tableau, Microsoft SQL &Teradata aster. Liaise with mgmt staff &present findings &recommendations.

Execute strategic transformation initiatives incldg the implementation of centralized data repository. Identify opportunities for automation driven by changes in the laws, business models, or apps. Guide &educate teams of professionals focused on the implementation &maintenance of technology tools. Bachelor, Information Systems, Accounting, or Science. 12 mos exp as Data Analyst, Systems Analyst, or related, using Alteryx to analyze, transform &load purchasing, financial, &sales volume data, preparing reports, commentaries &statements from data files using Tableau, Microsoft SQL &Teradata aster. Mail resume to Ref#5470, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-­C32-­C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Respondents submitting qualifications may be required to make an oral presentation(s) to designated City representatives. The issuing office, if required, will schedule such oral presentation(s).

The Respondent must pay any travel costs incurred for such presentations.

No response to this Request for Qualifications/Proposal may be withdrawn for at least 120 days after the actual opening of the qualifications/proposals. The DBA reserves the right to waive any irregularity in any qualifications/proposals, and to reject any or all qualifications/proposals, should it be deemed in its best interest. If additional information is needed regarding this RFQ, please contact Tyrone Clifton of the DBA at (313) 224-5504.

Visteon Corporation is seeking a Software Development Engineer 3 (Product Owner) in Van Buren Twp., MI, to represent the customer, interface and engage the customer (PDTL/Program Manager/PSL/OEM);; create and manage software Feature Implementation Plan with product level plan;; create and maintain the Software Product Backlog, among other duties.

Master’s degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, information technology or related and four years of experience in the job offered or in a related software engineering occupation. For confidential consideration, please apply online at www.visteon.com/careers/.

Please respond to Job Requisition Number 17-­ 0052. EOE.

The Respondent may only submit one response to this Request for Qualifications/Proposals. Participation in more than one submittal team will result in rejection of all responses by that Respondent.

Copies of this Request for Qualifications/Proposals may be obtained in person from Hernandez Blueprinting Services, 1798 Wabash Road, Detroit, MI, 48216, phone (313) 962-2900.

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED

Software Development Engineer 3 (Product Owner)

A mandatory pre-submittal meeting and site tour will take place at 735 Randolph Street, Detroit, MI 48216 beginning at 11:30 A.M., Detroit time, on Friday, September 8, 2017.

The Respondent must agree to comply with the requirements of the City of Detroit’s Ordinances and Human Rights Department Requirements.

Warren, MI, General Motors. Create &execute functional safety compliance tests on Hardware in Loop (HIL) simulation setup to prove Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) rated ECUs &Active Safety features of a vehicle, adhere to ISO26262 “Road Vehicles-­ Functional Safety” standards. Execute Fault Injections Tests using dSpace MicroAutoBox, to validate fail-­safe action of Active Safety features such as Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Low Speed Collision Mitigation Braking, Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Advanced Park Assist &SuperCruise Lane Centering Control. Dvlp scripts using Automation Test Tool Suite, to automate validation of Electronic Transmission Range Selector subsystem.

Dvlp MATLAB/Simulink models using dSpace RTI blocksets &interface them with dSpace ControlDesk projects for CAN, LIN &FlexRay communication protocols. Dvlp prototype Simulink model for FlexRay gateway, using dSpace FlexRay Configuration Tool. Set up test environment using dSpace ModelDesk &MotionDesk, to simulate various virtual Road &Traffic scenarios for validation of Front Camera Module. Bachelor, Computer Science &Engrg, Electrical Engrg, Electronics Engrg, or related. 12 mos exp as Engineer or IT Analyst, creating and/or executing functional safety compliance tests on HIL simulation setup, to prove Automotive ASIL rated ECUs &Active Safety features of vehicle adhere to ISO26262 standards. Mail resume to Ref#2075, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-­C32-­C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Senior Architecture Engineer

Warren, MI, General Motors. Coordinate &lead Rear Compartment &Front Compartment/Chassis (Front/Lower) Integration Team meetings (body, electrical, interior, exterior, chassis engineers) &integrate components &modules into dedicated Architectures to achieve optimized engineered designs. Dvlp architectural criteria for road surface ground lines, tire flops, vehicle jacking, towing, tire positions, license plates, fascia &front/rear bumper beams for U.S. &global (Europe, Asia &China) safety &homologation reqmts. Create typical sections &provide input to Studio Engrs for styling surface creation. Ensure Decision Fixed Points deliverables are met at project sync points defined by project timeline.

Measure trunk volumes &compare with benchmark vehicles. Perform trunk volume measurements using TrunkPacker software &verify physically on mockup &preproduction passenger vehicles. Perform engine roll in Vismockup &UGNX for engine surrounding parts &check for issues about interference.

Perform mfg &assy feasibility anlys for powertrain marriage &tool accessibility. Use Unigraphics NX to perform assy checks.

Bachelor, Mechanical, Production, or Industrial Engineering. 60 mos’ exp as Engineer, Consultant, or Project Manager, coordinating &leading Rear Compartment or Front/Lower Integration Team meetings (body, electrical, interior, exterior, chassis engineers) &integrating components &modules into dedicated Architectures in order to achieve optimized engineered designs. Mail resume to Ref#1551, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Maintenance & Controls Specialist

New Boston, MI, Brose North America. Create

&debug programs &parameterize electrical Current Monitoring Device (VPM) using Verspulbox software for testing mechanic assemblies &errors of power window regulator such as miswound window regular cables, stuck pulleys &motor current deviation by reading the graphic behavior of continuous current motors to make technical decisions based on motor technical specifications.

Create communication interfaces between VPM &machine controllers to validate results generated by VPM. Train new production Engineers to parameterize VPM &teach VPM functions. Design Siemens PLC systems according to Brose standards to ensure top qlty of mechatronic components. Create software functions in programming languages such as Graph-­7, Statement List Language (STL), Structured Control Language (SCL), &Function Block Diagram (FBD). Create Data Blocks to manage data. Create algorithms in Siemens PLC to evaluate analog results from devices incldg LVDTs, load cells, torque cells &servo motors making the conversion from volts to metric units such as millimeter (mm), Kilonewton (kN) &Kilonewton-­meter (kN-­m) to provide measurement results by developing PLC software dedicated to mathematical calculations. Program machines to optimize &assure JIT/JIS delivery of Brose mechatronic systems to OEM customers in accordance with internal/external technical specifications of door modules/window regulators;; tailgate spindle drives;; Touchless Handsfree Access;; &seat systems. 24 mos’ exp as Maintenance Technician or PLC Programmer, designing Siemens PLC systems to ensure qlty of mechatronic components, &creating software functions in programming languages such as Graph-­7, STL, SCL, &FBD. Mail resume to Ref#146, Human Resources, 3933 Automation Ave, Auburn Hills, MI 48326.

Senior Research Engineer

Warren, MI, General Motors. Research, engr, &apply predictive analytics to mfg systems for information extraction to improve production control &optimize decisions under uncertainty.

Plan research related to powertrain mfg process monitoring, decision analysis &qlty control. Combine traditional qlty methods-­ SixSigma, DFSS &SQC-­with predictive analytics &process monitoring techniques to advance mfg qlty standards. Conduct research &apply predictive analytics &optimization techniques to create empirical models to represent discrete event &real stochastic complex mfg systems that enable plant engrs to predict behaviors &control production. Analyze massive amount of process data using Statistical Analysis Software to speed up engrg &scientific discovery in mfg science. Dvlp novel empirical-­model selection criterion &validation methods to select the best candidate model with respect to generalization &parsimony.

Design multiple classifier system, investigate the interaction between multiple classification architectures for binary classification to identify the general prediction superiority of a particular combination scheme under uncertainty. Dvlp novel machine learning algorithms &methods aimed at improving classification performance. Apply MATLAB to generate the algorithm’s results. Master, Industrial Engrg or Mechanical Engrg. Six months’ experience as Engineer, Researcher, or Teaching Assistant, conducting research aimed at empirical modeling, optimizing complex systems, &applying predictive analytics to mfg or stochastic systems for information extraction to improve production control &optimize decisions under uncertainty.

Mail resume to Ref#3440, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-­C32-­C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

SQL System Engineer

General Motors, Detroit, MI. Analyze using Oracle database, MATLAB, Tableau, &Cognos, &document data svces work flows, back-end interactions, &whole eco-system of new data svces in embedded current &Gen10 models OnStar infotainment &telematics systems incldg in vehicle Wi-Fi (internet) data usage, data plan reliability &stability, customer feedback &satisfaction on Wi-Fi access, &BRM system. Convert operational data using Tableau &Cognos into analytic reports with graphical representation for every process in whole regions (U.S./Canada, &Mexico).

Investigate issues, identify root causes &dvlp solutions (fixes &alternative work flows) to address performance issues such as data reliability. Use Tableau &Cognos for reporting &preparing dashboards for business visualization of KPI metrics. Work with CLOB &LOB data types to load large XML documents into database tables. OnStar Technical Assistance cases affecting Wi-Fi svces &data sales &usage to identify &provide a root cause, liaising with internal IT counterparts &third party ATT developers &testers using AT&T &JASPER. Participate &lead design/process related technical discussions with dvlpmt teams and/or other stakeholders. Troubleshoot high priority customer care data svces issues. Master, Computer Engrg, Electrical Engrg or Computer Science. 12 mos exp as Engineer or Business Intelligence Developer, converting operational data using Tableau &Cognos into analytic reports with graphical representation for all process in whole regions or plants. Mail resume to Ref#495, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Bidders are required to furnish a bid guarantee equal to (5%) of their bid; the Bid guarantee shall be in the form of either a bid bond or a certified check, made out to Franklin-Wright Settlements, Inc. The successful bidder is required to furnish payment (Labor and Materials) and performance bonds in the amount covering the faithful performance of the contract and the payment of all obligations arising thereunder, in the amounts 100% of their contracts, executed by a surety acceptable to the owner and which is licensed to do business in the State of Michigan. The contractor shall be required to comply with the “Section 3 Clause” (24 CFR Part 135). All contracts (subcontracts) shall include the Section 3 Clause. The lowest, most qualified bidder will be considered.

Page D-4

The DBA will receive the responses, as herein set forth, in the offices of the Detroit Building Authority, Tyrone Clifton, Director, 1301 Third Street, Suite 328, Detroit, Michigan 48226. Qualifications shall be endorsed “Proposal for Architectural/Engineering Services, DWSD Historic Water Board Building Facility Assessment” and submitted not later than 2:00 P.M., Detroit time, on Friday, September 15, 2017, and will subsequently be evaluated to select a firm for a professional services agreement. A processing fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), cashier’s check or money order, payable to the Detroit Building Authority must be paid prior to the submission of qualifications.

Tyrone Clifton Detroit Building Authority 1301 Third Street, Suite 328 Detroit, MI 48226

HELP WANTED

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED

Written responses are requested from interested respondents (“Respondents”) to this request for qualifications and proposals. The purpose of this request is to procure Architectural and Engineering Services from interested professional firms on behalf of the City of Detroit Building Authority (the “DBA”), for the Assessment, Renovations, and Improvements of the Historic Water Board Building 735 Randolph Street Detroit, MI 48216, as more fully described in this Request for Qualification/Proposals (RFQ/P).

DTC’s Human Resources Division is responsible for receiving complaints by any person who believes he or she has been subjected to discrimination in the delivery of or access to public transportation service on the basis of race, color or national origin.

Any such complaints must be filed in writing directly by the party within 90 days after the date of the alleged discrimination. All complaints will be reviewed promptly and with confidentiality. If a Title VI violation is found to exist, remedial steps as appropriate and necessary will be taken immediately.

DTC does not sanction discrimination based upon age, gender or disability, and will also take action to ensure meaningful access to services, programs and activities for our ridership.

Human Resources Division Detroit Transportation Corporation 535 Griswold, Suite 400 Detroit, MI 48226 Phone: (313) 224-2160 Fax: (313) 224-2134.

For more information, visit www.thepeoplemover.com.

September 6-12, 2017

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Published Every Wednesday

praise connection

September 6-12, 2017 Page D-5

THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Cordozia Johnson, Jr. On Monday, Aug. 28, services for Cordozia Johnson, Jr. were held at Living Bread Ministries – West Gate Church with Apostle Kenneth D. Hogan officiating. Mr. Johnson passed away on Aug. 19, 2017.

Cordozia Johnson, Jr. was born in Union County, South Carolina, to Cordozia Johnson, Sr. and Ethel Johnson, the third of six children.

He was educated in South Carolina and Detroit public schools.

He moved to Detroit in 1953 where he found employment with General Motors. He married Dayse Bernice Giles and they had two children, John Eric Johnson and Terry Allan Johnson.

Greater New Hope MBC celebrated Rev. Alvin Johnson (left), pictured with Mother Olean Pitman, Milder Lyons, Pastor Dennis Lyons, O’Neil D. Swanson, senior president/CEO, Swanson Funeral Homes Inc., and Deloris Clark.

Greater New Hope MBC celebrates pastor’s 22nd anniversary Rev. Dr. Dennis E. Lions, Pastor of The Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church members recently celebrated his 22nd anniversary as pastor the historic church with family and friends at the American Serbian Hall in Detroit.

The Theme for the Event was: “Servant of God Living by faith, Producing Great Work for The Kingdom of God:” Nehemiah 6:3

Mr. Johnson’s second wife was Bettye Jean Williams and they had a daughter and a son, Tonya Michelle Johnson and Brian Keith Johnson.

He enjoyed many activities, including cooking, doing home repairs and gardening, to name a few.

He had a special love for God and people.

Cherishing the memory of Cordozia Johnson, Jr. are his wife, Bettye Johnson; children, John Johnson, Abdus Mohammad (formerly Terry Johnson), Tonya Johnson and Brian Johnson; and many other relatives and friends.

Swanson Funeral Home handled the arrangements.

Interment took place at Evergreen Cemetery.

Early Benjamin Winston On Saturday, Aug. 26, services for Early Benjamin Winston were held at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. Jeffrey D. Robinson officiating.

Mr. Winston passed away on Aug. 14, 2017.

Early Benjamin Winston was born to the union of Callie Winston and Lula Jane Russell in Coatopa, Alabama on March 31, 1928. Later, he migrated to Detroit where he attended Miller High School.

He married Mary Myrtle Burrell in 1947, and after living in Buffalo, New York, they returned to Detroit. They had three children, Charlotte Earline, Marilyn Patricia and Tracye Erika. They later adopted two boys, Adam Dewayne and Jamey Odell, followed by two more adoptions, William Macou and James Andrews.

Mr. Winston’s employment history includes being a “B” laborer, a foreman and then a supervisor of three Detroit Department of Water and Sewage districts. In his latter years, he found pleasure in traveling and taking care of his lawn as well as his fruit and vegetable garden.

Early Benjamin Wilson will be missed by many.

Arrangements were handled by Swanson Funeral Home.

Interment took place at Mt. Hope Memorial Gardens.

Frances Friend Youth participants, program emcee, Rev. Kenneth Brock (second row right), and Greater New Hope MBC members and friends enjoy the celebration along with O’Neil D. Swanson.

Services for Frances Friend took place on Saturday, Aug. 26, at Swanson Funeral Home, eulogized by Elder Greg A. Sanders.

Mrs. Friend passed away on Aug. 26, 2017.

Mary Frances Friend was born on Dec. 17, 1919 in Friar Port, Mississippi to William and Minnie Jackson. Eventually she moved to Detroit where she married J.C. Mobley and gave birth to Minnie Mobley. She worked at the Pullman Company and, later, the Leland and Book Cadillac hotels.

Cherishing the memory of Frances Friend are her daughter, Minnie Sanders, and many relatives and friends.

Swanson Funeral Home handled the arrangements.

Pictured from front left: Sharon Stephens, trustee O’Neil D. Swanson, Sr., event co-chair Barbara Braxton, event chairwoman Christina Sims and other celebrants.

Mt. Zion MBC hosts Pre-Women’s Day fashion show and luncheon Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church kicked off its annual Women’s Day celebration with a spectacular Pre-Women’s Day fashion event organized chairwoman Cristina Sims.

Mt. Zion MBC Ttrustee O’ Neil D, Swanson Sr. founder and CEO of Swanson Funeral Homes, Inc., was present at the event held at the church at 3600 Van Dyke at Mack.

Pastor Frank Harris, Pastor E.L. Branch and Bishop William Murphy, Jr.

Greater New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church Fall Revival Pastor Kenneth Flowers and Greater New Moriah Baptist Church present the Fall Revival on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 19 and 26 with Bishop William Murphy, Pastor Edward L. Branch and Pastor Frank Harris. Bishop William Murphy Jr. will be speaking on Tuesday night, Sept. 12, Pastor Edward L. Branch will be speak-

ing on Tuesday, Sept. 19, and Bishop William Murphy will be speaking on Sept. 26. Services will start at 7 pm nightly. All services will be held at Greater New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church located at 586 Owen St, Detroit.

For more information, please call (313) ­871-8025.

Are you hosting a concert or faith-friendly event?

Are you celebrating an anniversary or special occasion?

PRAISE PRAISE CONNECT CONNECT PROMOTE IT HERE!

Contact us at: 313.963.5522

Are you hosting a concert or faithfriendly event?

Page D-6 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • September 6-12, 2017

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