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Michigan Chronicle
Vol. 83 – No. 23 | February 12-18, 2020
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Michigan Chronicle Women of Excellence – March 25th You see her every day in the office, at the grocery store, at the mall and even at the hairdresser. But did you recognize her? Did you recognize who she was? How phenomenal she is? How excellent she is? Well, now is your chance to celebrate her with us. For over a decade, the Michigan Chronicle has celebrated local African American women who inspire others through vision and leadership, exceptional achievements, and participation in community service. This year’s Women of Excellence continues to be those who have shown exceptional success in business, community involvement, and philanthropy. The 2020 Honorees will join an elite group comprised of the area’s most influential women. “Each year in character, in manner, and in style; the Michigan Chronicle celebrates phenomenal women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, unwavering conviction, and extraordinary grace,” said Hiram E. Jackson, Publisher of Michigan Chronicle. “In grand fashion, we will honor these inspirational women at our Women of Excellence event on Wednesday, March 25th”. Join us at the Motor City Casino Hotel where we’ll honor 50 of the most influential, important and inspiring women of southeastern Michigan. Tables, tickets and sponsorship packages to Women of Excellence are available now. For individual tickets, click on www.shoprealtimes.com or to purchase tables and sponsorship packages, please call 313-9635522. Check out Page A-4 to see all honorees.
Detroit Residents Rejoice!
Livernois Ave Construction To End This Spring
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WHAT’S INSIDE
State of Black Detroit: What’s Killing Our Babies
By Whitney Grehsam
There is a killer on the loose in black communities all across America. The victims are its most vulnerable members and their lives are often snuffed out without a whisper of complaint even though the deaths are often preventable. The killer is particularly vicious and busy in Michigan; largely in Detroit, Flint and the Saginaw regions of the state. The victims are exclusively women and infants. The killer is a toxic combination of stress from racism, poverty, lack of access to healthcare and medical bias.
State of Black Detroit These factors together create medical conditions for pregnant women that too often lead to difficult pregnancies due to stress and unhealthy underweight babies who have trouble thriving because of the mothers’ high stress levels adversely affect her hormones. This has led to a virtual epidemic of high infant mortality rates among black babies all across the country. “We define infant mortality as an infant that does not survive to see their first birthday,” said Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, senior vice president of Community Health & Equity and Chief Wellness and Diversity Officer at Henry Ford Health System. “And the rate is extremely high in the city of Detroit and the Detroit metropolitan area. Within the city of Detroit, it varies but we see about 130 to 150 and some years 200 infants die before their first birthday.” She said the rates are similar to other
urban areas, but the number exceeds many developing countries. “There are developing countries that don’t have statistics as poor as ours.” In fact, premature births are the No. 1 killer of babies in Detroit, which has the highest infant mortality rate among major U.S. cities. According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, the infant mortality rate in the United States was 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births nationwide. However, among African Americans, it was 11.4. In Michigan, it was 6.6 per 1,000 births statewide, but there was a wide and persistent disparity between white and black babies’ death rates in Michigan. In 2018 the white infant mortality rate was 4.5 per 1,000 live births while the black rate was 15.1 per 1,000 live births. And a few years ago, The Detroit News reported that children 18 and younger die at a higher rate in Detroit than elsewhere in the U.S., “most often the victims of illnesses and conditions of infancy, and secondly by violence.” Stacey Scott Ph.D., a public health expert and founder and President of the Global Infant Safe Sleep Center (GISS) in Toledo said the key factor that contributes to the disparities in the infant mortality rates between black and white babies – especially in Michigan - is racism. “Social determinants of health are factors that we see contributing to all types of health disparities, not just infant mortality,” she said. “It goes into housing, the criminal justice system, unemployment … the residual impact of all these systems is that black people fare far worse than their counterparts.” Scott pointed out that studies have even shown that professional, middle-class, African American women who make more than $50,000 a year compared to African Amer-
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“So it’s not necessarily social-economic issues that contribute to poor birth outcomes as many would want us to believe,” she said. “We attribute it to chronic stress as a direct result of racism.” “Chronic stress can impact hormones which we see triggers early labor and leads to premature labor and low birth weight,” Scott added. “Racism is not going anywhere so what do black people do?” Dr. Wisdom from the Henry Ford Health System says it’s going to take aggressive community-based programs that offer a holistic approach in supporting expectant mothers to deal effectively with this crisis. She noted Henry Ford Health System is a sponsor with the Detroit Regional Infant Mortality Reduction Task Force and has been working to fix the social safety net so women in need of support can more effectively access services. This includes connecting at-risk women and neighborhood advocates to clinical and social services in or near their neighborhood before women present with poor birth outcomes. The Women Inspired Neighborhood (WIN) Network: Detroit is also part of this coalition. Dr. Wisdom said it focuses on three of the city’s neighborhoods: Brightmoor, Chadsey-Condon, and Osborn. And although infant mortality rates are higher in these neighborhoods, residents are surrounded by a strong network of organized services that offer resources, accessible medical care, and assistance for everyday life. “Our Community Neighborhood Navigators (CNNs) are based in community centers in each of these areas,” she said. “WIN Network: Detroit connects women in these
See STATE
OF BLACK DETROIT page A2
15th Annual Pancakes & Politics Series Begins One Week Prior to Primary The Michigan Chronicle’s Pancakes & Politics is back for the 15th year and already sold out. Forum I takes place Thursday, March 5 at the Detroit Athletic Club just one week prior to the Michigan primary election and features Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans.
Valentine’s Day Guide 2020
ican women who are in welfare, birth outcomes are still almost the same.
Pancakes & Politics is a four-part forum series that highlights pressing business, civic, and economic topics, and brings together a diverse group of policy and decision-makers, influencers, and business and community lead- Warren C. Evans Mike Duggan ers. Pancakes & Politics has grown to address a The panel speaker series began in 2006 wide variety of topics that touch on race, the out of a concern over the growing racial economy, workforce development, healthdivide in the region and a need for a forum care, the role of women in business leaderwhere people could talk and exchange ideas. ship, the status of minorities and the state of
public education in Detroit. Michigan could play a crucial role in the presidential primary on Tuesday, March 10th as voters head to the polls. Voting has already started as local clerks are accepting completed absentee ballots without providing a reason until March 6. Passage of Proposal 3 changed Michigan voting laws. Voters will also have to choose if they want to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary. Voters cannot pick a candidate in both parties. Also on the ballot, the Art Institute Authorities of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties are seeking a millage renewal to ensure the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) can continue free services to students and residents like field trips, transportation, access to history and culture.