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Dr. King’s Legacy Honored Though Service ROOTS. B1

Michigan Chronicle

Vol. 83 – No. 24 | February 19-25, 2020

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Women Of Excellence Honored March 25 We’re in the throes of Black History Month with everyone shaping their narrative for these abbreviated 29 days. The Michigan Chronicle knows that every day is Black history and there are women in our communities who are moving mountains on a daily basis. That’s why Women of Excellence has become an institution and over the last 13 years we’ve honored more than 600 influential women across southeastern Michigan.

This year, March 25, we will pay tribute to local African American women who inspire others through vision and leadership, exceptional achievements, and participation in community service. The induction to this distinguished company of women is not just a celebration but a showcase of the depth of talent we have around us.

Join us at the Motor City Casino Hotel, March 25 from 6pm to 9pm, where we’ll honor 50 of the most influential, important and inspiring women of our community who making Black history daily. 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 313-963-5522.

WHAT’S INSIDE 2020

State of Black Detroit:

Attack On Fair Housing Act Worsens City Housing Crisis

By Whitney Gresham If Detroit homeowners didn’t have enough to worry about in an effort to be made whole following recent revelations they were overtaxed by the city to the tune of $600 million, now, it appears things may get a whole lot worse for beleaguered residents.

The Trump Administration recently announced that it will suspend the enforcement of stringent rules imposed by the Obama Administration in 2015 intended to toughen protections for minorities against hard to fight discriminatory practices they encounter when trying to buy or rent a home.

State of Black Detroit At the same time the nation was celebrating the memory of Dr. King on the occasion of what would have been his 91st birthday late last month, the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the leadership of Detroit’s own Dr. Ben Carson announced it would follow up on a threat it made two years ago and suspend a more rigorous housing anti-discrimination regulation put in place by the Obama Administration. The legal measure is called Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing or AFFH, and added more teeth to the iconic Fair Housing Act. That law was passed one week after Dr. King’s April 4, 1968 assassination and was as much a tribute to his legacy of fighting for equality and civil rights as it was a critically needed piece of legislation to help end rampant housing discrimination against African Americans in renting and purchasing.

The Obama Administration measure required federal agencies and federal grantees to act more aggressively to enforce the Fair Housing Act. It provided more effective and up-to-date directions, strategies, and enforcement and compliance measures to municipalities and communities for holding businesses and individuals more accountable if found guilty of discrimination.

Who’s Who In Black Detroit

Honors African American Business Leaders Reinvigorating Detroit

Money. B4

The announcement by HUD of its intent to cut back on enforcement of anti-discrimination regulations aimed at protecting

Classical Roots Celebration City.Life.Style. C1

Legendary music and performers like Steve Wonder and Diana Ross come to mind when people do any type of word association with Motown Records.

In fact, the Motown Museum announced a planned $50 million expansion to showcase Motown’s history and ongoing legacy in Detroit.

“The expansion is about continuing the spirit of Motown but in an active way,” said Motown Museum Chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry.

But as the adage goes, the business in show business – specifically entrepreneurship – are just as much a part of Motown’s legacy as its music. Take for

$1.00

“It makes things a lot worse,” said Dr. Karl Gregory, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics at Oakland University and expert in black economics. “We now no longer have the limited protection of the law we seemed to of had and even that wasn’t very good protection. But at least it was something.”

Carson however, said such tight rules restricting housing discrimination was “suffocating investment” in poor neighborhoods and called federal efforts to desegregate segregated neighborhoods a “failed socialist experiment.”

Steve Tomkowiak, executive director of the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit said he did not understand how emasculating laws that protect potential buyers or renters from discrimination could be such a burden to anyone.

“I never saw civil rights as an impediment for housing buyers or the AFHH,” he said. “As of 2015 that rule gave municipalities’ real clarity as to what steps they needed to take as far as their AFHH obligations. And the changes now mean they are pretty much free to not be aggressive in their oversight and enforcement of the anti-discrimination laws.”

Given the consequences of the over taxation scandal and people losing their homes as a result of it, this could be particularly ominous for potential Detroit homeowners and renters of color, Tomkowiak said.

“When they overtaxed the properties it

caused Detroiters to lose their homes,” he said. “AFHH could be used to address that and it was required under the 2015 Obama Administration rule. But it’s doubtful it’s going to be addressed under the new rules.”

In a joint statement to the media, the fair housing and civil rights advocates condemned the Trump administration’s decision and pointed out it was yet another example of its determination to turn the clock back on hard-fought civil rights.

“Secretary Carson’s proposal is a complete retreat from critical efforts to undo historic, government-driven patterns of housing discrimination and segregation throughout the U.S.,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition. “This proposed rule underscores Secretary Carson’s fundamental misunderstanding or willful misreading of the Fair Housing Act and its obligations.

His proposal would allow communities to ignore the essential racial desegregation obligations of fair housing law and is the latest of Secretary Carson’s attempts to weaken and disrupt HUD’s fair housing duties. Secretary Carson must abandon the ill-conceived proposal to gut the AFFH and instead work to vigorously enforce his obligation to further fair housing in our country.”

Her sentiments were echoed by leaders from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule was a historic victory for the civil rights movement,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Secretary Carson should do the right thing: withdraw this disastrous proposal and take steps to restart the implementation of the 2015 rule. Secretary Carson not only seeks to dismantle HUD’s system for providing oversight of its fair housing grantees, the proposed rule also doubles as a transparently ideological attack on equitable local policies that advance racial and economic justice. In no uncertain terms, we condemn this latest attempt by Secretary Carson to undermine fair housing efforts in our country.”

According to the National Fair Housing Alliance website, all across Michigan, there is also a shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low-income

See HOUSING

Making Music and Money Preserved in Motown Expansion

By Arthur Bridgeforth Jr.

Celebrate Black History in Style at Detroit’s Symphony Orchestra’s

minorities including practices that disproportionately reject applicants of color for renting or purchasing a home outraged fair housing and civil rights advocates.

And the outrage was compounded when Carson also announced proposed changes that eliminate a rule that withholds federal Dr. Karl Gregory funding from cities and municipalities as punishment for failing to confront housing and neighborhood segregation.

example the way founder Barry Gordy launched the label with the help of a loan from his family. That epitomizes entrepreneurialism.

The Motown Museum expansion will pay homage and display throughout the building Motown’s history and legacy as a creative entrepreneurial force.

Terry added that the Motown Museum and its programs are all about helping the next generation parlay their entertainment skills into valuable commodities.

“We’re taking that spirt of entrepreneurship and inspiring the next generation,” Terry

See MOTOWN page A2

Robin Terry

CRISIS page A2

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February 19-25, 2020

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Announced in late 2016, the Motown Museum expansion will grow the museum to a 50,000-squarefoot worldclass entertainment and education tourist destination. It will feature interactive exhibits, a performance Nina Nichelle theater, recording studios, an expanded retail experience and meeting spaces.

Terry added that the museum has reached the half-way mark in its quest to raise $50 million for the entire expansion.

Outside of the Motown Museum, its legacy continues to have an impact on the music and entertainment industry today. However, there are some things today’s industry doesn’t do in the way it was done at Motown.

“I go back to the basics from the beginning, how they did artist development, how they were talking to the artist prior to them getting out there,” said Nina Nichelle, an adjunct faculty member at Detroit Institute of Music Education(DIME) and founder and CEO of Nichelle Consulting based in Detroit.

“How you see Diana Ross, when

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she first came to Motown. She was this scrubby-old teenage girl and she became this sophisticated refined woman. We don’t have artist development like that anymore.”

Nichelle, a native of New York City, moved to Detroit six months ago to join DIME’s faculty and relocated her entertainment consulting business to the D. Record companies still do artist development today, Nichelle said.

But it isn’t with the family-like approach that could be found at Motown during its heyday in the 1960s and early 1970s.

the way Motown operated.

Nichelle makes a point of teaching students in her music industry class at DIME this reality.

“I tell my students all the time, that once you understand that you are a product you won’t get offended by how the industry treats you because it’s a money game,” Nichelle said. “With (Motown) it was a family-oriented business that made sure you were okay and taken care of. I think they could use a lot of Motown blueprints – that would help today’s artist.”

“Not like Motown, Motown had the real,” Nichelle said.

Meanwhile, DIME is helping to preserve the legacy of Motown in its own way.

In fact, for the uninitiated or uninformed the entertainment industry can be cold in comparison to

“I think with DIME they’re educating the future of music in general,” Nichelle said.

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City of Detroit, U of D Jesuit Close Sale of Long-Time Vacant Community Center

The City of Detroit’s Housing and Revitalization Department (HRD) have closed its sale of the long-vacant Johnson Recreation Center to the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. In addition to selling a surplus property, the deal also will ensure that the center will be reopened and renovated and that the community will retain access to the facility.

The Johnson Recreation Center, at 8550 Chippewa, has been empty since closing in 2006 because of budget issues. The Detroit City Council approved the sale of the building at 8550 Chippewa last May for $625,000. The board of the U of D Jesuit High School and Academy approved the deal last month, which includes a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with the City.

City of Detroit, DTE Energy and Empowerment Plan Partner to Coat Homeless Every winter, Detroit Police officers across Detroit reach into their pockets to buy winter coats and warm weather gear for the homeless people they encounter every day as they fight to stay warm in the frigid temperatures. The officers do this without asking for praise or anything in return.

This winter, with the generous support of DTE Energy and The Empowerment Plan, a Detroit nonprofit that employs and trains homeless parents to manufacture heavy duty coats for individuals in need, the City of Detroit is stepping up to make sure officers don’t have to do this alone.

Thanks to DTE’s donation of $62,500, Detroit Police officers and homeless service providers will be able to distribute 500 coats to homeless people throughout the city of Detroit, without spending a dime of their own money.

The custom coats include an interior panel highlighting critical phone numbers and emergency resources for the homeless. The coat can also be converted into a backpack that can be worn regardless of the weather.

“Without a doubt there is no population that is more deserving of our resources than those that are less fortunate and our officers take that responsibility very seriously,” said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. “Many of our officers establish close relationships with the people they routinely encounter on the street. We will continue to make sure the resources of this Department are there to support them and to ensure that they are safe in our community and know they are valued.”

DTE Energy President and CEO Jerry Norcia said this effort to help Detroit’s homeless is in line with DTE’s values and its commitment to the City of Detroit.

“Each day at DTE, we work to ensure our customers are safe and warm. But we know for the homeless in our community, Michigan winters can be dangerous,” Norcia said. “We’re honored to partner with the City of Detroit Mayor’s Office, the Detroit Police Department and The Empowerment Plan to advance this important, life-saving outreach.”

The Empowerment Plan has been creating coats that turn into sleeping bags since 2012. Empowerment Plan Founder & CEO Veronika Scott and Production Supervisor Jessica West came up with the idea of converting the coat into a backpack after seeing a

number of people turn the coats into backpacks on their own, making it easier for them to keep track of their belongings. These coats are produced using upcycled fabric from companies such as GM and Patagonia and are intended to last for multiple seasons.

This coat is also a vehicle for employment and ensures that each person employed by the Empowerment Plan is able to earn a stable income, find secure housing, and regain their independence.

As of today, Empowerment Plan has provided employment to more than 85 low-income individuals, impacted over 250 children, and manufactured and distributed more than 45,000 coats globally.

“We’re so excited about this partnership because it supports The Empowerment Plan’s efforts to provide warmth to chronically homeless individuals right here in Detroit and demonstrates our willingness to come together as a community to support them throughout their journey,” Scott said. “Thank you to the Mayor’s Office, DTE, and the Detroit Police Department for your continued work to bridge our communities as you look for innovative solutions to some of our most challenging problems.”

U of D Jesuit will begin work this summer on renovating the 20,500-square-foot building, including a gym, locker rooms and community meeting rooms.

Three soccer and lacrosse fields will be among 10.5 acres of open green

space, including Joe Louis Park. The project is estimated to cost $7.5 million. Construction on the fields will begin early this summer, with completion expected in spring 2021. Construction on the Rec Center will begin this summer and wrap up in summer 2021.

Under the CBA, in addition to maintaining the center and the fields, U of D Jesuit will make the center available for community use, including opening the building for neighborhood association meetings at no cost.

The center also will hold a number of community service projects each year with U of D Jesuit staff , and students, as well as summer youth camps and tutoring programs for neighborhood children.

U of D Jesuit was not required to engage in the CBA process, but did so voluntarily.

Housing Crisis From page A-1 households whose incomes are at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income. It notes that many of these households spend more than half of their income on housing. And are more likely than other renters to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, as well as experience unstable housing situations and evictions.

Kenneth L. Harris, Ph.D. President/CEO of the Detroit-based National Business League, Inc. stressed for African Americans homeownership is the most common and easiest way to pass on generational wealth.

And the loss of so many According to the mayor’s black homes during the office, in recent years, the city has seen a significant Great Recession was devreduction in the number of people experiencing home- astating to the black comlessness, based on the annual Point in Time count. munity by sucking bilAmong the reasons for the decline in homelessness lions of dollars out of it. are expanded outreach efforts to connect individuals with resources they need, such as help with job training, substance abuse or other issues. The City also has shifted its focus to getting homeless people into permanent supportive housing, where they have all of www.michiganchronicle.com these support systems available in an apartment building setting and their own private unit.

“The black-white homeownership gap is about 30 points,” he said, “And it’s the widest it’s been since the 1960s.”

Given Detroit’s homeowners’ over taxation crisis and how it adversely impacted so many residents, the last thing the region now needs is for the federal government to pull away from enforcing housing anti-discrimination laws, Harris said.

But Gregory, the economics professor, said Carson and the Trump administration was being very intentional in its action.

“The motivation is quite clear,” he said. “The president is positioning himself for reelection and is expecting a lot of votes from people who would like to see anything that prevents the increase of nonwhites in the population.”

DIGITAL DAILY

“Our intention anytime we encounter a person experiencing homelessness is to get them off the street and into a shelter and on a path to permanent supportive housing,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “However, the reality is that for a number of reasons, many decline that opportunity, or will return to the street after spending a night in a temporary shelter. For those individuals, these convertible coats can be a lifesaver, and we are deeply appreciative to DTE for the funding to help us provide them to 500 people who need them.”

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February 19-25, 2020 • michiganchronicle.com • Page A-3

From the desk of

MIKE BLOOMBERG Dear Reader, Thank you for taking the time to learn about The Greenwood Initiative.

As someone who has been very lucky in life, I often say my story would only have been possible in America — and that’s true. But I also know that because of the artificial barriers of discrimination, my story likely would have turned out very differently if I had been Black, and that more Black Americans of my generation would have ended up with far more wealth, had they been white.

Building Generational Wealth for Black Families is Critical.

That’s why I launched The Greenwood Initiative in Tulsa last month.

I visited the site of the Black Wall Street Massacre, where a white mob decimated the prosperous community of Greenwood. It is to the memory of the lost lives and promise of Greenwood that we’ve dedicated The Greenwood Initiative: a plan to address the systematic bias that has kept Black Americans from building wealth.

THE GREENWOOD PLAN WILL: • •

Create 1 million new Black homeowners

Double the number of new Black-owned businesses •

Invest $70 billion in the country’s 100 most disadvantaged neighborhoods

Fixing the System for Black Families. When I was mayor of New York, I was proud to take on the systematic inequality that held back too many New Yorkers. We increased education funding, built 650 new schools and raised Black graduation rates to record highs. We led an ambitious effort to reduce poverty and managed the largest amount of affordable housing in the nation. And as President, I will work even more aggressively to combat inequality nationwide.

I understand that undoing generations of systematic discrimination won’t happen overnight, but we can make progress with a clear vision and a comprehensive plan. I’ve included a pamphlet along with this letter that lays out my plan. When I’m President, implementing The Greenwood Initiative will be a top priority.

Join me in ending the systemic inequality that has held Black Americans back for too long!

Sincerely, Mike Bloomberg

PAID FOR BY MIKE BLOOMBERG 2020

For more information visit

MikeForBlackAmerica.com

Page A-4 • michiganchronicle.com •

February 19-25, 2020

Camp activities are offered Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. for youth ages 6 – 12 at the following locations: Adams Butzel Complex 10500 Lyndon Clemente Recreation Center 2631 Bagley Young Recreation Center 2751 Robert Bradby Crowell Recreation Center 16630 Lahser Hellmann Recreation Center 19601 Crusade Williams Recreation Center 8431 Rose Parks Kemeny Recreation Center 2260 – S. Fort St. Lasky Recreation Center 13200 Fenelon Patton Recreation Center 2301 Woodmere Farwell Recreation Center 2711 Outer Drive

Detroit Parks & Recreation Summer Camp Registration Now Open They’re calling it the “Best Summer Ever” as Detroit Parks & Recreation Department (DPRD) begins intake for summer camp. The camp season begins Monday, June 22 and ends on Friday, August 14, 2020. The cost is $425 for residents and $475 for non-residents. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Camp programs will offer youth a variety of experiences including field trips to amusement parks, fun on-site activities including athletics and chances to explore the outdoors, meet new friends, discover new interests and create memories that last a lifetime.

For campers under age 6, early exposure is available at Adams Butzel Complex, Clemente, Heil­ mann, Young, and Williams recre-

ation ­centers.

“We want people to know that Detroit’s recreation centers are full of activities that support and engage families across the city,” said Keith Flournoy, Deputy Director, Detroit Parks & Recreation. “By participating in summer camp with DPRD it provides an opportunity for kids to stay active while developing their life and social skills.”

The DPRD says children and youth should attend summer camp for five reasons: adventure, healthy fun, personal growth, new friendships and memories.

For more information, visit www. detroitmi.gov/recreation or call 313224-1100. Follow them on social media at Detroit Parks & Recreation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If I could do one thing, I’d tell the world she counts.

Communities are as rich and diverse as their needs. That’s why completing the 2020 Census matters. It’s a safe and confidential step toward having an impact on how public funds flow through our communities.

That could mean more resources in your area for special needs. It’s within your control.

Learn more at:

2020CENSUS.GOV Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

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February 19-25, 2020 • michiganchronicle.com • Page A-5

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MIKE BLOOMBERG’S GREENWOOD INITIATIVE.

A Plan for Economic Justice for Black America.

MIKE BLOOMBERG’S GREENWOOD INITIATIVE • Drive economic empowerment to create one million new Black homeowners and 100,000 new Black-owned businesses.

• Commit $70 Billion to the 100 most disadvantaged neighborhoods to offer access to healthcare, education, infrastructure improvements and justice.

“THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGHT OF OUR LIFETIME. TO DEFEAT DIVISION AND RACISM AND RESTORE HOPE, WE HAVE TO MAKE DONALD TRUMP A ONE-TERM PRESIDENT.” — MIKE BLOOMBERG

Paid for by Mike Bloomberg 2020

MIKE WILL GET IT DONE. Election Day in Michigan is Tuesday, March 10th.

Page A-6 • michiganchronicle.com •

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Roots.

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Comerica Cares volunteers worked with The Mission Continues to make improvements at the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan - The Lloyd H. Diehl Club

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Detroit Branch NAACP and Comerica Cares volunteers teamed up to support the Jewish Family Services Diversity Day in Ann Arbor. Front (L-R): Ava King and Piper Barnhart, Back (L-R): Jermain Peguese (NAACP), Shaelese King ­(Comerica), Kamilia Landrum (NAACP), Ketra Lewis (Comerica) and Matt Barnhart (Comerica).

Dr. King’s Legacy Honored Though Service Make it a day on, not a day off.

That’s the goal of the Corporation for National and Community Service in honoring Dr. Martin Luther King.

For a quarter century, MLK Day has represented the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to inspire all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

Though bank operations closed in recognition of Dr. King’s legacy, this year provided another opportunity for Comerica Bank employees to give back.

“As we celebrate the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we want to continue his legacy and impact,” said Patricia McCann,VP, Sr. Diversity Consultant and Social Impact Director.

“Perhaps there is no better way to honor Dr. King than serving and supporting to improve our communities.”

Comerica’s Ketra Lewis (left) adds cutout hands as Shaelese King (right) ­observes youth decorate pieces that will become part of the Detroit Branch NAACP’s hand mural.

In Detroit, Comerica Cares volunteers and their families teamed up with The Mission Continues – a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that empowers veterans to build stronger communities through service – to complete numerous improvement projects at the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan’s - The Lloyd H. Diehl Club.

Among the projects included assembling bikes, painting murals, organizing wellness kits and constructing cubbies. The purpose of the outreach supports youth health and well-being, while encouraging the club members to stay active throughout the winter months.

With eight clubs in the region, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan provides high-quality youth development programs for children ages 6-18.

Meanwhile in Ann Arbor, Comerica partnered with the Branch Detroit NAACP and participated in the first-ever Jewish Family Services Diversity Day. The Diversity Day provides families with elementary aged-kids the opportunity to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Day with hands-on activities relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, compassion and understanding of one another.

Detroit Branch NAACP executive director Kamilia Landrum helps a young child create a cutout hand that will adorn hand mural.

In all, 16 community groups organized fun activities for at the Jewish Community Center of Ann Arbor.

“We wanted to have a diversity day that cele-

Comerica Cares volunteers Audrey Young Miller (left) and Tonderlearie White (right) build a bike for the Boys and Girls Club. brates Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy and to celebrate the day by bringing families together in a meaningful way to learn about diversity, inclusion and equity,” said Jacob Singer, Jewish Family Services family life education and community event coordinator.

“It was great to partner with the NAACP and all of the different local organizations to run activities for all the kids and teach the kids what they do.”

Branch Detroit NACCP executive director Kamilia Landrum and executive assistance Jermaine Peguese spearheaded branch’s participation, with support of Comerica Cares volunteers, and engaged kids in creating a mural by decorating hand cutouts.

“Dr. King’s dream will only come true if organizations like the Detroit Branch NAACP and the Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County continue to partner and promote diversity,” said Landrum.

“The ability to work with children is even more special because their view of the world is still devel-

See Community Service page B-2

Detroit Public Library’s 2020 Comerica Bank Java & Jazz: A Coffee House Series, celebrates its 20th season!

Celebrating 20 Years

Detroit has long been known as a great jazz town. Celebrating its 20th season, Comerica Bank Java & Jazz continues the tradition of providing a monthly after work concert series that showcases some of Detroit’s finest creative talent.

Celebrating our 20th season, we invite you to come join us for this spectacular celebration from March through July at the Detroit Public Library’s Main Library. Performances are free and open to the public every third Tuesday of the month @ 6:00 p.m.

Straight Ahead Tuesday, March 17, 6:00 p.m.

Al Bettis Tuesday, June 16, 6:00 p.m.

Kimmie Horne Tuesday, April 21, 6:00 p.m.

Brandon Williams Tuesday, July 21, 6:00 p.m.

Beth Griffith-Manley Tuesday, May 19, 6:00 p.m.

Page B-2 • michiganchronicle.com • February 19-25, 2020

Comerica Bank’s Michigan Index Dips Again

Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index declined in October to a level of 117.8.

October’s reading is 20 points, or 20 percent, above the index cyclical low of 97.9. The index averaged 118.6 points for all of 2018, 0.2 points above the index average for 2017.

September’s index reading was revised to 118.0.

Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index ticked down again in October as the GM/UAW strike impacted key data series. We expect the Michigan Index to rebound in November, showing the positive impact of the strike’s early-November resolution.

Comerica Cares volunteers and Detroit Branch NAACP partners to support inaugural Jewish Family Services Diversity Day to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.

Community Service From page B-1

Robert A. Dye

For October, only two out of nine components of the Michigan Index were positive. They were housing starts and state sales tax revenue.

Residential construction lifted in many areas in late 2019 as home sales improved following the Federal Reserve’s cut of key interest rates through last summer and fall. The house price sub-index and the hotel occupancy sub-index were both unchanged in October.

oping. As they learn to extend their hands in friendship, we hope that the color of ones skin will never be the reason it didn’t grow.”

The bank’s activities occurred throughout the state of Michigan. At Devos Place in Grand Rapids, Comerica supported the Urban League of West Michigan’s 20th Annual Corporate Breakfast. The event inspired community celebration honoring Dr. King and celebrated the spirit of diversity in the Grand Rapids community. The Urban League paid tribute to trailblazing leaders in business and throughout the community who personify the mission of a more just, peaceful, equitable and thriving Grand Rapids.

Comerica colleagues were also among the approximately 1,800 attendees at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan’s 35th Annual Day of Celebration highlighted with a luncheon at the Lansing (Mich.) Center.

The nonprofit commission, comprised of volunteer representatives, dedicates its mission to preserving the legacy and teachings of Dr. King by supporting community agencies and empowering youth to achieve educational goals.

The five declining components in the Michigan Index for October were nonfarm employment, unemployment insurance claims (inverted), industrial electricity demand, light vehicle production and total state trade. All five declining components were weighed down by the 6-week-long strike at GM.

Comerica Cares volunteer Julie Yuergens steadies the construction of cubbies that will provide needed storage.

Comerica Bank’s Marvin Rushing and Dionte Freeman saw through boards to help build new storage units.

Even though striking workers are not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, the production shutdown at GM backed up their supply chain, resulting in temporary layoffs of non-striking workers. Many of those workers were eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. The expected ratification of the USMCA trade deal is also good news for Michigan’s manufacturing sector. As is the expected signing of a Phase 1 trade deal with China.

The Michigan Economic Activity Index consists of nine variables, as follows: nonfarm payroll employment, continuing claims for unemployment insurance, housing starts, house price index, industrial electricity sales, auto assemblies, total trade, hotel occupancy and sales tax revenue.

All data are seasonally adjusted. Nominal values have been converted to constant dollar values. Index levels are expressed in terms of three-month moving averages.

To subscribe to Comerica’s economic publications or for questions, contact

ComericaEcon@comerica.com.

Comerica Bank’s Roxsand Dobson helps paint a mural that will decorate the wall at the Boys and Girls Club.

Archives ­available at http://www.comerica.com/insights Follow on Twitter: ­@­Comerica_Econ.

Detroit Branch NAACP executive assistant Jermain Peguese shows off the first hand mural created on Jewish Family Services Day.

We’re building our community, one mortgage at a time.

Get the experience, knowledge and advice you deserve.

Buying a new home can be challenging to navigate. At Comerica, our Mortgage Specialists can help you feel at home with your decision. We’ll help you research and analyze all your options to determine the best mortgage program for you.

For more information, visit your local Comerica banking center or visit Comerica.com today.

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RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS ® CB-165470-02 03/19

February 19-25, 2020 • michiganchronicle.com • Page B-3

This Week In Black History: February 20-26 Ala., which resulted in the deaths of four little black girls. Simone, often referred to as the High Priestess of Soul, died in France on April 21, 2003.

February 20 1895 — The great black leader Frederick Douglass dies at age 78 in Washington, D.C. Douglass was the foremost black abolitionist struggling to end slavery in the mid-1800s. He used his great oratory skills and his abilities as a newspaper publisher on behalf of freedom and justice for blacks. Most of his early work emanated from the Rochester, N.Y., Frederick Douglas area. But after the Civil War he moved to Washington, D.C. Douglass was the nation’s foremost black leader for nearly 40 years.

1927 — Actor Sidney Poitier is born in Miami, Fla., and grows up on Cat Island in the Bahamas. However, by the early 1950s, he was establishing a career in movies. Indeed, it can be said that Poitier was the first black actor to make it in mainstream movie roles without having to play stereotypical and often demeaning “black roles.”

1963 — Basketball great Charles Barkley is born on this day in Leeds, Ala.

February 21 1933 — Song stylist and activist Nina Simone is born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, N.C. She was a child prodigy who was playing the piano by age 4. She had numerous songs to her credit but one of the most memorable was “Mississippi Goddam” which Nina Simone was composed as a protest against the terrorist bombing of a black church in Birmingham,

1965 — The most prominent black nationalist of the 20th century, Malcolm X, is assassinated on this day in Harlem, N.Y.’s Audubon Ballroom while giving a speech which was to issue a call for black unity. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Neb., on May 19, 1925, he graduated at the top of his high school class but had his dream of becoming a lawyer crushed when a teacher told him that was “not realistic for a Nigger.” He gradually drifted into the underworlds of first Boston and then New York where he became a drug dealer and gangster known as “Detroit Red.” He was friends with comedian and upcoming star Redd Foxx who at the time was known as “Chicago Red.” Malcolm was arrested and jailed for robbery at age 20. While in prison he converted to the Nation of Islam and after his release in 1952, he became the leading force building the group into a major national organization. He was a brilliant orator and organizer as well as a fierce opponent of racism, imperialism and the non-violent approach to combating the nation’s evils. But disagreements with Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad led to a split. He then formed the Organization for Afro-American Unity. However, 11 months after his split with the Nation of Islam he was assassinated. Many in the black community felt the New York City police and the FBI played a role in his death.

But three men associated with the Nation of Islam were tried and convicted of his murder.

foundation for the un-doing of Reconstruction and the many gains blacks had made during that period.

Muhammad Ali

February 25 1851 — The first Black Women’s Rights Convention is held in Akron, Ohio. The keynote speaker was anti-slavery activist Sojourner Truth.

1950 — Basketball legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving is born in Roosevelt, N.Y. He was the most dominant NBA player of his era. The former Philadelphia 76’er was 6’7”, 210 pounds.

hypocritical brand of democracy. He turned to socialism around 1927 and despaired of the NAACP’s legalistic approach to obtaining rights for blacks. He nevertheless authored several influential books including “The Souls of Black Folks.” He coined the phrase “talented tenth” to describe what he believed would have to be a class of educated and skilled blacks who would have to lead the race out of its oppression. DuBois finally went into self-imposed exile in the West African nation of Ghana saying, “In my own country for nearly a century I have been nothing but a Nigger.” He died in Ghana’s capital, Accra, on August 27, 1963. He was 95.

February 23

February 24

1868 — Dr. W.E.B. DuBois is born William Edward Burghardt DuBois in Great Barrington, Mass. DuBois can easily qualify as black America’s leading scholar and intellectual of the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was also an educator and social activist fighting tirelessly against racial injustice and U.S. imperialism. He started the NAACP’s influential “Crisis” magazine. He organized what many consider the First Pan African Congress. (Actually, it was the second. The first took place in 1900.) However, in his later years DuBois became increasingly frustrated with American racism, injustice and

1864 — Rebecca Lee Crumbler becomes the first African American woman to receive a medical degree. Born in 1833, she graduated from the New England Female Medical College. Prior to becoming a doctor, she had worked as a nurse in Massachusetts for more than six years.

February 22

1966 — Kwame Nkrumah, president of the West African nation of Ghana, is ousted in a military coup. This was another event which changed the course of black history for the worse. Nkrumah, educated at the predominantly black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, had been a major intellectual and pragmatic force for Pan-Africanism and worldwide black unity. From the time he became the first president of Ghana in March 1957, he had worked tirelessly for international black advance and world peace. His ouster left a void which after 50 years has not been filled by any other African leader. Nkrumah died in 1972.

1868 — The U.S. House of Representatives voted 126 to 47 to impeach President Andrew Johnson. Johnson had run afoul of a group of pro-black legislators known as the Radical Republicans because of his opposition to full citizenship rights for former slaves. He survived being ousted as president by one vote in the U.S. Senate. As far as historical speculation goes, it would have been much better for black rights and the course of black history if Johnson had been ousted. His opposition to full rights, including voting rights, for blacks helped lay the

1966 — Constance Baker Motley becomes the first African American woman appointed to a federal judgeship, taking the bench in the Southern District of New York.

Motley was a major civil rights hero helping win several important cases during the 1950s and ‘60s. Among the cases was the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, which desegregated the nation’s schools. She worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and helped Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in several of his legal battles. Born in 1921 in New Haven, Conn., Motley died in 2006.

1980 — Black Entertainment Television, the first black-owned company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, begins broadcasting from its headquarters in Washington, D.C. While still black-programmed, BET is now owned by media conglomerate Viacom.

February 26 1920 — Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) founds the first nationally organized celebration of black American history (then called Negro History Week), which was first celebrated on this day in 1926. Woodson scheduled the week to coincide with the birthdays of Civil War President Abraham Lincoln and black abolitionist Frederick Douglass. However, in 1976, Negro History Week was expanded into the current day Black History Month. For his efforts in promoting knowledge of black historical achievements Woodson became known as the “Father of Black History.” In explaining the need for the celebration, Woodson once said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

1964 — Heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay changes his name to Muhammad Ali after rejecting Christianity and joining the Elijah Muhammad-led Nation of Islam.

Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network

Five Tips to Help Older Adults Be Healthier in 2020

For many, the new year is about establishing goals for the year ahead. But where should you start? As we age, an increasing number of us link our emotional and physical well-being to our overall health. After all, you can’t do the things you’d like if you aren’t healthy.

pecially when exercising.

With that in mind, Cigna and its Medicare Advantage (MA) fitness partner, the Silver&Fit Healthy Aging and Exercise Program, share these five tips to help older adults get fitter and stronger and be less stressed and happier in 2020:

3. Stress less. Stress can be toxic and debilitating. Develop a “PLAN” to deal with it.

According to Cigna’s Dr. Stuart L. Lustig, this includes identifying a Period of time to unwind, a Location to de-stress, an Activity to enjoy and the Name of someone with whom you can talk. Yoga, tai chi and meditation may help you cope with stress, as well as going for walks, listening to music, comedy or audio books -- or even coloring.

If you’re experiencing extreme stress, talk to your doctor. Remember, the mind and body are connected, and stress takes its toll on physical health.

1. Hit the gym. Exercise is a proven way to help you get fitter and stronger, improve balance, lose weight, reduce blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, manage pain and even be more social. Many gyms offer such options as free weights, machines, pools, classes, private instructors and other amenities that can inspire you to try new things. Prefer working out with others? Group classes can help you discover a new exercise, stick to a schedule and find exercise buddies. If you’re new to exercise, remember that slow and steady is the way to build good habits, avoid injury and achieve health goals. It’s always a good idea to consult your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

Can’t afford a gym membership? You may be surprised to learn that many MA plans offer exercise programs at top fitness centers and YMCAs for no extra cost. Check your plan for details.

2. Nourish your body. For optimal health, nourish your body with healthy, energizing foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and healthy oils, such as olive oil and sesame oil. Limit pre-packaged, processed foods. Set an achievable goal. Try cutting out one unhealthy food each month, such as sugary soft drinks or chips. Your body will love you for it! Also, stay hydrated, es-

At the same time, eliminate unhealthy habits, such as smoking or drinking alcohol in excess. With an MA plan, you may be able to get help with smoking cessation products or alcohol counseling at no extra cost.

4. Get social. According to a 2018 Cigna survey, loneliness in America has reached epidemic levels. Nearly half of Americans report sometimes or always feeling alone (46 percent) or left out (47 percent). Loneliness has been shown to negatively impact physical and mental health. Alleviate loneliness by taking one proactive step each week. For example, call or make a coffee date with friends or family, join a club or volunteer. You can also connect with other active adults on social media. Check out the inspirational health and fitness posts on the SilverandFit Facebook page and join in the conversations.

5. Practice gratitude. Happiness comes with thankfulness. Think about people and things you feel grateful for, and start a gratitude journal.

By doing your best to incorporate these five tips into your life, you’ll kickstart your journey toward a healthier 2020.

At the age of 15, Brazilian native Patty Carlson attempted suicide and suffered a drug overdose. Her family neglected to seek any help because they assumed she wanted attention. They thought it was teenage behavior that she would eventually outgrow.

As time went on, Patty became a successful engineer, met her future husband online and fell in love. She left her life behind and started a family in the USA. She received Citizenship and enrolled in college, graduating with an Associates in Psychology from Henry Ford Community College.

It wasn’t until after she gave birth to her second child in 2010 when she started suffering from behavioral health issues in particular, depression. This stemmed from a series of traumatic life events leading back to her attempted suicide. But this time was different – she got help.

She called the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network’s (DWIHN) 24/7 HelpLine and was referred to a doctor. As a result of proper medical attention, she was diagnosed with bi-polar depression and received medication. The doctor inspired her to become a Certified Peer Support Specialist, offering help and guidance to others while sharing her own personal experience.

Patty is currently part of DWIHN’s Constituent’s Voice, a consumer advisory group.

She’s received extensive training as an Ambassador and is qualified to discuss a variety of topics, including Self-Determination, Person-Centered Planning, recovery, combating stigma, and more.

After gaining this experience and training, Patty got a job with mental health provider Hegira Health, Inc. She’s been employed for 4 years and works closely with people receiving services.

In 2019, she graduated from University of Michigan-Dearborn with a Bachelors in Psychology and was nominated as Peer of the Year at DWIHN’s Reaching for the Stars Ceremony, an annual event celebrating people who are making positive impacts in their lives and communities.

Patty loves being an advocate. She continues the fight to end stigma while being a support system to those who were once in her shoes. Patty wants others to know that she is living proof that people who receive services can achieve anything. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the DWINH’s 24/7 Access HelpLine at 1-800-241-4949.

B4

| February 19-25, 2020

Money.

michiganchronicle.com

Creating Business and Financial Plans Can Help You Succeed as an Entrepreneur Starting a business can be exciting, but that excitement may be overshadowed by anxiety if you start this new adventure without detailed research and plans to guide you along the way. In addition to guidance, a business and financial plan can help to attract investors and open up more options for funding your idea.

After you’ve determined that you have a viable business idea and your market research has given you enough insights, it’s important to apply this information to your business planning — especially as it relates to money.

Michael Williams

Create your business and marketing plan Using the results of your market research, you can outline: Details for your service or product: This means a description of what it is and what the market is for it.

Branding: This is the personality and messaging behind your business. Maybe you want the public to see your business as innovative and cutting-edg,e or maybe your business is more about establishing a trusting relationship with customers.

Market trends: These are the challenges facing your potential industry, what’s most popular with your competition and how you plan to address those factors.

Objectives: What is your top priority in each aspect of your business, including funding, marketing and day-to-day operations?

Strategies: How do you plan to accomplish everything? Remember to be very detailed and specific.

By incorporating the results of your market research into the overall vision of your business, you can better align your marketing efforts to drive sales and give yourself a competitive edge.

For instance, if your target market is everyday families with toddlers, you’ll have to create a marketing plan to reach them in places they’ll be. This could mean physically locating to where they are, like down the street from a school or park, or paying for ads on websites they use most.

Another example could be dealing with your competition. If you plan to compete based on price, you’ll need to see how price cuts might impact your income. There’s no use making sales while losing money, since your business likely won’t be able to survive it.

Your business plan may also be useful when you reach the stage of hiring staff. You will want to hire people that fit the personality of your business and whose values align with

See ENTREPRENEUR page B5

Teola Hunter

Dr. Curtis Ivery

Who’s Who In Black Detroit

Honors African American Business Leaders Reinvigorating Detroit

By Alan Hunt II Detroit is home to arguably the largest African American population in the nation. In fact, census. gov reports an estimated 78 percent of Detroiters identify as Black. That percentage ranks first in the nation.

Yet according to a recent ARISE Detroit! State of the Neighborhoods Survey, 56 percent of Detroiters view gentrification as an issue in their neighborhood.

Additionally, 47 percent said gentrification has increased housing and rental costs.

Of those surveyed, 52 percent believe the lack of economic opportunity is the greatest barrier to revitalization.

After a five-year hiatus, Who’s Who In Black returns to Detroit February 27. In what seems like a quickly changing demographic landscape, Who’s Who In Black Detroit’s reemergence feels right on time.

This 9th edition pays homage to executive African Americans spearheading the charge to insure everyone is included in Detroit’s revival.

These men and women are leaders in various fields such as automotive, non-profit and health industries.

“I am especially proud of our new edition, highlighting the top 100 African American CEOs in our great city,” said Hiram Jackson, CEO of Real Times Media.

Representation matters in maximizing economic opportunities and that’s where Who’s Who In Black steps in.

“These individuals are leaders of companies and organizations at the forefront of innovation and growth in Detroit.”

Who’s Who in Black Detroit, a subsidiary of Real Times Media, started in 1989 with the premise of highlighting African American excellence in various professions. The “Who’s Who” brand stretches across the nation in cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, and Cleveland.

Jackson adds that their dedication is worth celebrating.

“We appreciate their commitment to the city as being a leader of innovative business. We believe their successful businesses are playing an essential role in Detroit’s continued revitalization.”

Some of those committed leaders include CEOs like Loretta Bush of Authority Health, and Michael Williams of Orchards Children’s Services.

Who’s Who In Black Detroit is also honoring living legends such as Dr. Curtis Ivery, Wayne County Community College President, and Teola Hunter, retired Wayne County Clerk.

With February being recognized as Black History Month, now is as great a time as any to pay tribute to Detroit’s past, commemorate the present and aspire for a brighter future.

As Detroit continues to evolve, Who’s Who In Black will continue to make certain that African American achievement is both acknowledged and celebrated.

Who’s Who In Black Detroit returns Thursday, February 27 at The International Banquet Center located at 400 Monroe Street.

Renowned journalist and author Ed Gordon will serve as host.

Doors open at 6. The program begins at 7:15.

Tickets are sold out.

Detroit Leads the Way: DDP’s Key Accomplishments from the Past Year Highlighted in Annual Report

By Patreice A. Massey As downtown Detroit continues to evolve, the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) is playing an important role in supporting the city’s economic development.

On Wednesday, February 12, in a packed ballroom of the TCF Center, the DDP released its annual report detailing the results of its initiatives as well as residential and business trends in the downtown area.

As we enter a new decade, this milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on our history and shape DDP’s growth as an organization in 2020 and beyond, said Eric B. Larson, Chief Executive Officer, Downtown Detroit Partnership.

According to the DDP’s letter from the CEO, between the years 2011-2018, there was a 110 percent increase of people between the ages of 20-39 living in the downtown area of Detroit. During that same peri-

od residential rents increased 29 percent. And Downtown Detroit’s top-12 largest employers have provided a combined total of 62,408 jobs.

If you look at the numbers, Detroit is definitely on an upswing.

However, as keynote speaker and CNN host and commentator Van Jones said, “For Detroit to really become what Detroit needs to become in this century, it’s going to be because the people in this room have the courage and the strength through this organization (Downtown Detroit Partnership) to make the smart decisions and smart investments to take on three major challenges.”

The challenges he’s referring to: social inequality, climate change and technological advancements that have seen machines replacing people in the workforce.

“The city that rises to meet those challenges is going to be

a model city for the 21st century, and you’re on your way,” he said.

Mayor Duggan was on hand

to speak about how Detroit is now attracting and retaining young talent, mentioning that there’s been an increase in parents reporting that their chil-

dren plan to return to the state after college.

“It has been a relatively fast

See ANNUAL

REPORT page B5

February 19-25, 2020 • michiganchronicle.com • Page B-5

Entrepreneur

professionals in your industry, such as vendors, suppliers, and industry groups.

it. Referring to your plan can help guide you in that process.

Break-even point: When your business brings in just enough money to cover expenses. If you need help figuring that out, The Balance offers a good rundown. Setting up a consultation with an accountant to help you estimate costs could also be helpful in the long run.

From page B-5

Understand the ­financials Next, analyze what it’ll take to start, grow, and manage your company. A great source for business finance insights is the Hands on Banking® website. Fundamentally, you should know: Startup costs: How much you’ll need to pay to get your idea going. Free resources like the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can help you calculate these costs.

You should also consider speaking with current

Projections for profitability: When predicting future income, it’s important to be realistic. Forbes gives a helpful guide on how to best forecast the revenue your business will likely bring in. This is also where the market research you’ve done can play a big role by helping

lenders how much you believe in your own idea.

Collateral to secure a business loan request?

If yes, you could be ready for a loan or line of credit from a financial institution. For this option, you’ll want to have a good relationship with your banker so they can assist you in setting it up.

you determine market size and the demand for your business.

ness opportunity.

Once you have these estimates, it will be much easier to pin down whether this is a worthy busi-

There are many ways to fund your business, but you have to choose the one that works for you. “You can put in sweat equity, use credit, raise venture capital, or even solicit funds with crowdfunding,” says Dr. Dennis Kimbro, a business professor and best-selling author. “But which way is best for your business?”

Annual Report From page B-5 transformation, but we are now becoming a place that keeps our young people in the state of Michigan,” said Duggan.

“I think the opportunities the business community creates are great. Keeping that talent here, that’s the key to building a future.”

Evaluate your financing options

The SBA suggests considering both your personal and business resources to help you arrive at the right financing strategy.

For instance, have:

do

you

Savings that you can draw from to get started? Depending on your situation, you may think about investing your own savings. Although this may not pay for everything, doing so shows

When starting out, all of these questions may not apply to your business just yet. However, if you approach a bank or investors, these are the questions they’ll likely ask. They’re also factors to keep in mind should your business outgrow your initial plan.

As you get closer to launching, your financial and business plans may change, and that’s okay. Regardless of how they evolve, having a plan in place to guide you on this venture could make all the difference for your success. © 2019 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.

DDP’s Chair and CEO of Strategic Staffing Solutions Cindy Pasky in her address spoke about the continued effort to eradicate homelessness.

“One core focus has been addressing the problem of the homeless population in our city. Finding real solutions that will both address individual needs and provide an overall framework for improving opportunities for disenfranchised people citywide.”

In an honest and engaging fireside chat moderated by WXYZ-Channel 7 Anchor Carolyn Clifford, Van Jones and Eric Larson discussed the future of De-

Van Jones, CNN Host and DDP Keynote Speaker. PHOTO: Monica Morgan troit and how it’s hinged on entrepreneurship.

“Detroit is getting back to the city that is about entrepreneurialism and about creativity. That to me, I think, is maybe not the biggest of investments, its probably the most real, important and authentic aspect of the investment that’s going on,” Larson said. “We see more and more opportunities for the investment and development.”

DDP’s Chair and CEO of Strategic Staffing Solutions Cindy Pasky with Mayor Mike Duggan. PHOTO: Monica Morgan

Ultimately Detroit’s success is dependent on the success of its residents and as Van Johnson stated we should always look to turn every breakdown into a breakthrough. I would venture further to say that the powers that be need to also make sure that a comeback for the city equals a come up for its citizens.

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Ed Gordon

Renowned Journalist, Author of Conversations In Black: On Power, Politics, and Leadership

Thursday, February 27, 2020 International Banquet Center 400 Monroe St, Detroit, MI 48226 Standard Admission (includes a copy of the edition): $75.00 General Admission (admission only): $50.00 VIP Standard Admission (includes copy of the edition, copy of Conversations In Black, access to VIP experience): $125.00 Corporate Table (includes 10 copies of the edition, Conversations In Black,access to VIP experience): $1,500

Visit www.WhosWhoBlackAmerica.com Follow Us At:

/WhosWhoInBlack

@whoswhopub

Page B-6 • michiganchronicle.com • February 19-25, 2020

COMERICA IN THE COMMUNITY

More than a dozen Comerica colleagues represented the bank’s Financial Education Brigade at JA Finance Park to teach students from Great Oaks Academy.

Financial Education Brigade Back on Road Again in 2020

The Michigan Comerica Financial Educations Brigade is back on the road again in 2020 delivering financial empowerment sessions to communities and individuals aged pre-k to senior citizens.

COLLEAGUE SPOTLIGHT

Wendy Holmes

Wendy Holmes, diversity and inclusion market consultant for Michigan, took an unusual path to find her way to Comerica Bank a little over three years ago. For more than a decade she made her living in marketing, promoting everything from Monster energy drinks to Buick automobiles. Somewhere in there she spent a short time in community relations and recruiting for Northwood University.

But Holmes says she really wanted to move from working at agencies serving clients to working directly with a company, so she applied for a job at Comerica. That job ended up going to an internal candidate but Wendy made such a strong impression the hiring manager gave her a call when another position opened and hired her.

Wendy Holmes In her current position just a few months, Holmes supports the chief diversity officer in developing and implementing the corporate diversity and inclusion strategy for the bank. Her duties include managing and working with Comerica’s internal and external diversity programs in Michigan on recruitment of women, minorities, veterans and early career talent. She also partners with talent acquisition for campus and diversity recruitment.

Despite the short time, Holmes says she already loves the job, explaining, “I really love that I’m part of creating opportunities that employees can develop from, whether it’s professionally or personally. I love being a part of that process, working with groups that create those programs.”

Holmes also loves helping people by volunteering her time. Through Comerica Cares, she volunteers in the financial brigade program, providing financial education.

She also gives her time to Salvation Army Bed and Bread Trucks that pass through low-income areas of Detroit passing out food. It’s an experience she finds especially rewarding because “I’m able to talk with and touch people on a personal level.”

Thus far, Michigan’s CFEB, made stops in Detroit at JA Finance Park, AKA Foundation, Chandler Park Academy and Northwest Activities Center.

Comerica regularly partners with Junior Achievement for a variety of financial education workshops targeting students of all ages. Among the most recent events, CFEB volunteered at JA Finance Park where students from Great Oaks Academy participated in an immersive simulation that developed skills to navigate today’s complex economic environment and improve decision-making.

In January, CFEB partnered with the AKA Foundation to present the bank’s Money $ense program to young ladies participating in Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Mentoring Program while covering topics regarding credit, bank accounts and saving strategies.

Wendy Holmes is passionate about volunteering at many local nonprofits through ­Comerica Cares.

Comerica Bank VP and External Affairs Market Manager Michael Cheatham (left) teams up with Wayne Metro and other financial institutions on CEDAM’s Show Me the Money Day at Northwest Activities Center.

At Chandler Park, Comerica colleagues presented the Money $ense program geared to elementary students while focusing on how needs and wants affect spending habits and decisions.

As part of Community Economic Development Association of Michigan Show Me the Money Days, Comerica is once again supporting the organization’s outreach to delivery financial resources to increase income, save and build assets. Michael Cheatham, Comerica Bank’s external affairs market manager, worked alongside other financial institutions and the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency to connect with adults at the Northwest Activities Center.

Comerica Financial Education Brigade team members Chrystal Grundy (left) and Lynn Gibson (right) work with teens from the AKA Mentoring Program.

One of Wendy’s major life challenges came around six years ago when her mother was injured in a serious auto accident, leaving her almost totally dependent on her daughter for over a year. “It was very, very challenging trying to manage helping her as well as doing the day to day things I was doing in my work,” said Holmes. You learn a lot about yourself and your parents seeing them in a vulnerable state. Seeing her progress and determination, and being able to get through that, kept me motivated.”

For anyone seeking to improve their lives or careers, Wendy Holmes has some simple advice--keep looking for those opportunities by attending conferences or workshops and joining a business networking organization because “I found that most people gain their opportunities from someone they know. when you extend your network you find great people that can highly influence you in a positive way.”

Hobbies: Wendy Holmes describes herself as a “self-professed foodie.” She loves to try new restaurants. She also enjoys karaoke, spending time with her three dogs and traveling. So far she’s visited Costa Rica, London, Dominican Republic and Madrid and plans to travel to Barcelona next year.

Goals: “My long-term goal is to expand internal programming to not only benefit our employees but their families as well. In addition, I’d love to find opportunities to partner with other companies to extend our reach into the community.”

For more information on how Comerica colleagues are giving back to our community, visit

www.facebook.com/Comerica.

Comerica joins prestigious group of Gold-Level Veteran-Friendly Employers The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency has veteran-friendly programs such as on-the-job certified Comerica Bank as the 11th Gold-Level training.

Veteran-Friendly Employer in the state, as well as Gold-Level VFEs must meet all Bronze and the first bank, for extensive efforts to recruit, train Silver requirements, show that they retain 75 and retain military veterans. percent of their veterans over a 12-month period Whether participating and implement a set number of veteran-centric in veteran recruiting and programs. Comerica’s efforts include: outreach events across • Offering an employee resource group called the Michigan and nationVeteran Leadership Network, which conducts wide, supporting National professional development and community outGuard and Reserve hiring reach and serves as a resource to Comerica on initiatives or offering vettopics of interest to military and veteran cuseran-focused employee tomers. groups that conduct pro- • Serving as one of just 10 companies in the fessional development, Comerica has set itself MVAA’s Guard and Reserve Interview Promapart, MVAA Director Zaneta Adams said. ise (GRIP), a pilot program in which employers MVAA, the state’s central coordinating agency promise to interview Guard and Reserve memfor Michigan’s 600,000 veterans, launched the Vetbers whose military occupational qualifications eran-Friendly Employer (VFE) program in 2014. meet appropriate job classifications.

“Comerica has demon• Participating in 10 veterstrated that it belongs in an-centered recruiting and our prestigious group of outreach events in MichiGold-Level Veteran-Friendly gan, California and Texas.

Employers by going above “We appreciate the pasand beyond in its support of sionate support and advoMichigan’s patriots,” Adams cacy the Michigan Veterans said. “We consider ComerAffairs Agency dedicates to ica a true partner in our improving the lives of our efforts to break down the veterans and their families,” barriers veterans face in said Mike Ritchie, Comerica employment.”

Bank Michigan market presComerica was first recident. “Members of the milognized as a Bronze-Level itary have served a higher Veteran-Friendly Employer purpose in protecting our in March 2017 and advanced country. That sense of purto Silver a year later. Bronze Zaneta Adams, director of pose and commitment conVFEs must commit to hiring the Michigan Veterans Affairs tinues when they join our a certain number of veter- Agency, speaks at the Comerica workforce and improves ans, among other requireBank Center in Detroit to award our relationships with cusments, while Silver VFEs tomers and communities must meet all Bronze-Level the agency’s first-ever Gold-Level which we serve.

Veteran Friendly Employer certifirequirements and imple“Receiving this recogniment a certain number of cation to a financial institution.

MVAA Gold-Level Veteran Friendly Gold-Level Certification ceremony (L-R): Katie Barwig (Comerica), Dave Dunckel (MVAA), Zaneta Adams (MVAA), Mike Ritchie (Comerica), Lori Walker (Comerica), Patricia McCann (Comerica) and Gerret Peters (Comerica). Photo courtesy MVAA MVAA strategy specialist Dave Dunckel (left) and MVAA director Zaneta Adams presents Comerica’s Michigan market president Mike Ritchie (right) with Gold-Level Veteran Friendly Employer certification. tion is quite a humbling honor, and we look forward to continuing working alongside the MVAA to help make Michigan a great place to work and live.”

The VFE program, which started with 10 companies in 2014, has grown to include 359 employers – 11 Gold, 32 Silver and 316 Bronze.

City. Life. Style.

C1 | February 19-25, 2020

Where City Meets Life and Life Meets Style

michiganchronicle.com

Nkeiru Okoye

Celebrate Black History in Style at Detroit’s Symphony Orchestra’s

Classical Roots Celebration

By AJ Williams

Michigan Chronicle Managing Editor

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will honor celebrated pianist André Watts and longtime orchestra supporter and cultural leader Chacona W. Baugh at the annual Arthur L. Johnson-Honorable Damon Jerome Keith Classical Roots Celebration.

For 42 years, the DSO’s Classical Roots concerts have presented African-American composers and musicians, and since 2001, the Celebration has honored composers, musicians, educators, and leaders for lifetime achievement as well as raised funds to support the DSO’s African-American music and musician development programs.

In the absence of NAIAS Charity Preview, the Classical Roots Celebration has elevated as the anticipated Winter Gala of the year.

The Detroit community will come together for a pre-concert dinner in the Peter D. and Julie F. Cummings Cube (The Cube) and a post-concert dessert and dancing afterglow. The Celebration raises funds to support the Classical Roots mission and is organized by a dedicated steering committee, co-chaired this year by H. Keith Mobley and Jasmin DeForrest.

One of the many highlights of this year’s celebration is the world premiere of composer Nkeiru Okoye’s Black Bottom, a new work inspired by the historic African-American Detroit neighborhood of the same name.

When commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to compose an original work for the upcoming Classical Roots celebration, famed African-American composer, Nkeiru Okoye liken it to a musical journey through Black Bottom.

It’s a presentation on people and music that influenced Black Bottom in a twenty-minute symphonic medium.

The Process When speaking on the process, Okoye express that coming to Detroit to do a residency was a must and she dived deep into Black Bottom during her week stay.

“This varies according to the composition. When a work is commissioned, I begin by researching my subject. For historical pieces, to captivate a musical time period, I saturate myself with writings written about and during an era before writing a note. The actual composition process begins as musical ideas form in my mind. When writing them down, I use pencil and paper, as well as my computer.” Okoye continued. “For Black Bottom, I spoke with a lot of people because I wanted to get different sounds.”

The Sounds Of Hasting Street “Hastings was the main thoroughfare in Black Bottom. People would visit Joe’s Record Shop and any of the Barthwell’s Drugstore. It was technically not in Black Bottom, though in an adjacent neighborhood.”

See CLASSICAL ROOTS Page C-2

General Motors Annual GMAAN Gala Honors Black History In Style with En Vogue GMAAN celebrated the importance of culture and innovation during its 14th Annual Black History Month Celebration. This year’s theme, “Driven

by Culture, Defined by Innovation,” highlighted the historical achievements of African Americans in STEM and design while also shining a spotlight on current innovators.

Chevrolet not only continues to be driven by culture, in this case African American culture, but it continues to demonstrate its commitment to the African American community by supporting organizations like UNCF and Focus: Hope. Additionally, we celebrated the brand’s unwavering commitment to Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) through the Chevrolet Discover the Unexpected Journalism Fellowship, which is in its fifth year in partnership with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

This year’s keynote speaker Lonnie Johnson touched on both GMAAN and Chevrolet’s commitment to diversifying business and STEM with their support of Supplier Diversity programs and community activities.

Lonnie Johnson holds more than 120 patents.

He’s the inventor of the Super Soaker water gun, which is the #1 top selling water toy of all time.

Moreover, the following individuals were h ­ onored during this evening’s event:

See GMAAN GALA page C-2

Page C-2 • michiganchronicle.com • February 19-25, 2020

Figure Skating Detroit hosts Skating with the Stars during Winter Blast

By Shannon Stecker

GMAAN Gala From page C-1

Entrepreneurial Spirit Award — Cheryl Ajamu, Founder & CEO Ajamu Group Community Enrichment Award — Renee Fluker, Founder & President, The Midnight Golf Program Excellence in STEAM Award — Dr. Alecia Gabrielle, Chinonye Akunne and Dierdre Roberson, Motor City STEAM Marketing Excellence Award — Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President—Performance, Motorsports, Accessories & Truck Strategy Lifetime Achievement Award — Roy Roberts, Retired GM Executive

“Figure Skating in Detroit” (FSD) is a program that helps inner-city girls of color, ages 6 – 17, transform their lives by combining artistic discipline and education. The first city expansion of the acclaimed program, “Figure Skating in Harlem,” FSD aims to provide opportunities through its mission of teaching “confidence, leadership and academic achievement” to build champions in life.

Trailblazer Award — Lonnie Johnson, Founder & CEO Johnson Research and Development To end the inspirational evening, the night turned towards entertainment with afterglow cocktails and dancing with famed all-female singing group, En Vogue who is inspired by the celebration of black history.

“The essence of the month, the celebration of our contribution and achievements. It’s important to remember the history of what it took for our ancestors to arrive in American and because of their struggle. They built this American through blood, sweat and tears and it inspires us.”

For more on General Motors and GMAAN visit www. generalmotors.com

Classical Roots

In partnership with Winter Blast 2020, FSD hosted “Skating with the Stars” at Campus Martius on February 7th. Host by award-winning journalist, Tati Amare, “Skating with the Stars” featured a special ice skating demonstration by the young ladies of FSD and a motivational performance by “America’s Got Talent” 2nd place winner, The Detroit Youth Choir. The event also included “Star” appearances by Skating Olympian and FSD Co-Chair, Meryl Davis, Miss Michigan Chanel Johnson, Miss Teen Michigan Aneesa Sheikh and journalists from WDIV Local 4 news station.

“Figure Skating in Detroit is a beautiful combination of sports and what they can do in the lives of young women in particular, and academics,” said Meryl Davis when asked about FSD. “It’s

Okoye adds that a section centers on Joe’s record shop. “The perpetual movement is sound of busy thoroughfare, using motives that are derived from speech. No vocalists, so the instrumentalists are doing the “talking.”

Ultimately I wanted to give a comprehensive view of what Black Bottom was through the historians, the church folk, the regular people.”

(DPL) and Black Bottom Archives that brings a portion of the Black Bottom Street View project to the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center. The exhibit features a series of photos owned by The Burton Historical Collection at DPL that were taken by Detroit’s “Corporate Council” between 1949-1950 – just before the neighborhood was completely razed by the City of Detroit.

The photos are displayed in a blockby-block grid that allows patrons to imagine walking through the neighborhood.

To further celebrate the history and legacy of the Black Bottom neighborhood that inspired Okoye’s new work, the DSO is excited to announce a partnership with the Detroit Public Library

The black-tie Classical Roots Celebration – held since 2001 in conjunction with the concerts – will take place on Saturday, March 7. For more information visit dso. org/classicalroots

From page C-1

really empowering people to develop the tools and develop the ability to do after whatever it is they want in life.”

An inspiring event to women of all ages, Miss Michigan, Chanel Johnson, had this to say about FSD, during the event.

“These sorts of events are important because it gives our youth the opportunity to have a creative outlet and do things

that they enjoy. I think this is the way our youth will be able to grow and be positive, productive members of our society in the future.”

If you missed the event and want to attend others or would like to know more about the program’s criteria and how you can volunteer, visit figureskatingindetroit.org.

FORUM I

Thursday, March 5, 2020 | 7:30 a.m.

Detroit Athletic Club 241 Madison Avenue, Detroit, MI 48226 Panelist

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February 19-25, 2020 • michiganchronicle.com •

Page C-3

The Character Piece and The Best Original Score Nominees

By Trevor W. Coleman II Los Angeles _ Hildur Guðnadóttir has won the category of Best Original Score for Joker at the 92nd Academy Awards – the first woman to win in the best original score category since 2000 when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences combined all the score categories, and the third Academy Award received by a female composer.

The Icelandic composer has already taken home the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Critics Choice Awards this year for Best Score, making her the frontrunner in the Oscar 2020 predictions.

the moments of Arthur Fleck’s painful transition into a notorious criminal are accentuated by layers of coarse cello arrangements and distant drums that rise in intensity along with the character’s voice and body movement.

Marriage Story is a drama about the demise of a young couple’s marriage and the distance that grows between their roles in raising a small child together. Randy Newman creates a beautifully gentle and forthright score that generally concludes the scenes

At the 92nd Academy Awards, the nominee lineup for Best Original Score consisted of a group of composers who all have interesting details behind their nominations. The music that made this year’s Best Original Score category are powerful examples of character development through sonic texture, going beyond being the audible attachment to the environment or overarching situation.

The Award would have been a be a first for cousins, Thomas Newman (1917) who has been nominated in the category 14 times and Randy Newman (Marriage Story) who has twenty nominations in the category and has previously won two Oscars in the Best Original Song category for Toy Story and Monsters Inc. John Williams (Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker), at 87 years old, has five Oscars in this category and a record 52 Oscar nominations as a living person. He has announced that this would be his final score for the Star Wars franchise and possibly his final score before retirement. Alexandre Desplat (Little Women) is a two-time winner of the best original score Oscar as recently as 2018 for the score of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and has received eight nominations in the category in the past.

The Award is for music that allows a film to emphasize its overall “sonic atmosphere” to its greatest potential. It recognizes the highs, lows and initial moods of the characters and their surroundings in every scene.

These films are all examples of music complementing the energy and emotion of the character. While the ambiance always plays a large role in a score, a similarity between all of these films is how they are all in a way character pieces. The music written by the composer serves as the character’s emotions.

The beautifully sparse and monotonic score of Guðnadóttir appears at the most pivotal moments of the character’s development during the psychological thriller Joker, while a large part of the soundtrack consists of classic rock and traditional pop staples;

throughout the movie, complimenting the mood that the characters set through a performance that was given without any musical accompaniment.

The undulating sound of his signature oboe and clarinet arrangements, placed within a small chamber orchestra, come and go as small vignettes in response to a scene’s discourse.

Alexandre Desplat’s score for Little Women captures the excitement that a character feels when they have a new idea and how they move throughout their surroundings. The busy, orchestral and double piano pieces create a playful accompaniment and somber lamination that weaves throughout each character’s ever-changing mental state. The music works well with the film’s nonlinear storyline by capturing a certain emotion in one character with a specific piece and doing the same with another character but changing the tone and instrumentation to match how this character deals with this same feeling in contrast to their personality.

1917 has a score that gracefully flows in and out of context in the same way the camera gracefully glides throughout every set. To create the atmosphere of a war film, Thomas Newman utilizes the surroundings of a battlefield to give tension to the scenes that warrant it. The ticking clocks and loud, single piano notes and violin staccatos build the intensity throughout the film without taking too much away from the discomfort that comes from silence as well.

As John Williams’s final score for the Star Wars franchise, Rise of Skywalker revisits a lot of the previous themes from

the saga but with noticeable improvements. And with the new themes that are introduced, properties such as dissonance and repetition are used much more in these themes such as the swirling violins that arise when Rey first gazes upon the old Death Star and the repetitive harp and string arrangement on “A New Home” near the film’s conclusion. The score for Rise of Skywalker is a beautiful revision of timeless themes that still mesh well with the new aesthetics of modern cinema that John Williams helped create.

The music-making this year’s Best Original Score nominations are powerful examples of character development through sonic texture – instead of audible attachments to the environment or overarching situation.

(Trevor W. Coleman II is a Los Angeles-based musician and writer and the Chronicles West Coast entertainment correspondent)

Page C-4 • michiganchronicle.com • February 19-25, 2020

Wednesday, March 25, 2020 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

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on Dr. M. Roy Wilsfor Has Delivered Wayne State

By Hiram E.

Jackson

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The Michigan Chronicle 1452 Randolph, Detroit, MI 48226 313 963-8100

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the was named Wayne Roy Wilson When M. history of recall nt in the 12th preside ity in 2013, I can if the State Univers hoping that, hadn’t fiuniversity sethad at least inits man, it keep the nally found e who could the right tled on someon and headed in stable n stitutio direction.

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By Trevor W. , the school City addressa • Last fall, n class in history State of the In his sixth Mike Duggan made est freshma ed its commit its’s has deepen to reclaim Detroit Mayor a provost for Detroit • The school n by creating a chief difor job opportu spirited call y; leading city progress made ment to inclusio oversee diversit of Multiculspot as a much praised the position to and an Office nities. He goal already but said versity officer; ment that Engage t toward to be done. a highly tural Studen room work remains Wilson, himself crowded es to pursue before a Meanwhile, PreparatoSpeaking access surgeon, continu Village g eye the boostin English trained aimed at at the East Duggan said among s for African y, a strategy forward ical science ry Academ the city has moved of color. million to the biomed other students of where $10 n and areas plans to invest Americans e, he formed a coalitio Police Departwas in its colleges more Detroit and officer), For instanc universities and g Infrato hire 70 el (civilian Detroit-based NIH-funded Buildin programs (BUILD) ment personn the e to for job training Diversity to launch decline $4.5M moreing the Detroit Promis us Leading to structure the drastic s prior of numero and expand Galled by g the cost student Program. trades. estabinclude coverin y med school for the skilled in minorit arrival, Wilson also certifications program, unemployChrysler to his 2013Wayne Med-Direct while noting 50 percent Ford, and However, onally talented central lished the more than it is ees excepti traditionally General Motors, ion out of ment is down he acknowledged from success in shifted their product and 1957, while which guarant students ion to 1945 its peak, es of recent admiss from high school high. cturing plants ed groups to as exampl forward.

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Controls and SW Architect

General Motors, Detroit, MI. Monitor, analyze, debug, add new features, improve, &validate psgr vehicle Over the Air (OTA)-based Vehicle Service Management Sys cmpnts incldg batch job mgr, &create new features for OTA Ops Team in NA &China, in Unix &Linux shells, JavaScript &Perl languages, using SQL tools, in Agile methodology. Improve OnStar OTA Reflash vehicle service capabilities globally.

Support Integration Ecosys Op. infrastructure using CISCO routers, Checkpoint firewalls &patching using SUSE, Redhat &Oracle Linux OS. Create data ETL jobs to supply data to meet report demands. Automate ETL jobs using SQL, PERL, Linux, JavaScript &Oracle DB apps. Support global launch of OTA capabilities, ensuring appropriate process &operational readiness to execute active campaigns. Prepare for &execute OTA campaigns, providing toll gate Sys Op. deliverables. Bachelor, Computer Science or Engrg, Info. Technology, Management Info.

Sys, or related. 3 mos exp as Systems Analyst, Engineer, or related, analyzing &validating psgr vehicle OTA Reflash syss or OTA cmpnts performance data, in Unix &Linux shells, using SQL tools, in Agile methodology. Mail resume to Ref#23589, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Senior Embedded Software Engineer Warren, MI, General Motors. Engr, dvlp, using C/C++ &Java languages, &execute Vehicle Interface Processor (VIP) logic controller for psgr vehicle Center Stack Module (CSM) to meet nextgen automotive infotainment syss &in vehicle communications reqmts in compliance w/ ISO26262 Automotive Safety/&Automotive Software Architecture standards. Analyze, design, test, dvlp &validate psgr vehicle embedded CSM, IP Cluster &VIP, incldg Communication Stack, Powermoding, Tuner, Camera, Offboard Navigation features, using Renesas microcontrollers, using C/C++ &Java languages, real time Linux, Android &QNX OS, multi-thread programming, using Git, Gerrit, Jenkins, Jira, Android Studio, Artifactory, CANdb++, DOORS/RTC, VehicleSpy, Wireshark, CANoe &CAN Simulator tools, &follow Agile methodology.

Perform Proof of Concept to demonstrate to stakeholders incldg SW &HW teams that integrated nextgen SW is viable. Master, Software, Computer, Electrical Engrg, or related. 12 mos exp as Engineer or Developer, dvlpg &validating middleware or VIP logic controller, using C/C++ &Java languages, QNX OS, using Git, Gerrit, RTC, VehicleSpy, &CANoe tools, &following Agile methodology, or related. Mail resume to Ref#38194, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Going After the ss Jobs" Cla to Reclaim MiddCalllee ofDug lodMay s for Detroit othC er gan nities "MSOT or Job Opportu Address ing City for In

Brenda Green City of Highland Park Clerk 12050 Woodward Ave. Highland Park, MI 48203 (313) 252-0050 x 220

1-855-JOB-2020

Star International Academy 24425 Hass & 24480 George St Dearborn Heights, MI 48127 (313) 724-8990 & 45081 Geddes Rd Canton, MI 48188 (734) 331-3081 www.starpsa.org

Full text of the proposal may be obtained at the City Clerk’s office 12050 Woodward Ave. Highland Park, MI. 48203 and may be viewed at www.highlandparkmi.gov.

Absentee ballots are available for all elections. Due to the passage of the statewide ballot proposal 18-3, all eligible and registered voters in Michigan may request an absent voter ballot without providing a reason. Registered electors may obtain an A.V. Ballot IN-PERSON at the City Clerk’s office until 4:00 p.m. on Monday March 9, 2020.

The Clerk’s office will be open on Saturday, March 7th, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for the purpose of issuing and receiving AV Ballots. Requests to have an absent voter ballot mailed to you must be received no later than 5 p.m. the Friday before the election.

For more information or help applying, please call

Grades PK-12 (Ages 4-18 yrs.)

Precinct 3 & 4 Ernest T. Ford Field House, 10 Pitkin Precinct 5

Apply Online 2020CENSUS.GOV/JOBS

OPEN ENROLLMENT

Accepting Applications: M-Fr 03/01 - 3/31/2020, 8 AM–3:30 PM Fr 3/06/2020, 9 AM– 6 PM & Sat 3/07/2020, 9:30 AM–12 PM

See WILSON

page A2

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and Philip

BorgWarner PDS (USA) seeks a Controls and SW Architect in Auburn Hills, MI to lead the development of controls and software platform architecture, among other duties. Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Computer Eng. or Computer Science and ten years of experience in the job offered or related.

Mail resume to: Ms. Catherine Wood, Resume Processing/JO#10548911, BorgWarner, 3800 Automation Avenue, Auburn Hills, MI 48326.

Sculpting Group Manager Warren, MI, General Motors. Plan &lead advanced digital surfacing concepts &dvlpmt of Class A surfaces of full vehicle interior syss for 3-5 revolving concept &production psgr vehicle design prgrms for U.S., global &China markets. Lead team of Lead &Creative Digital Sculptors to interpret &define design intent of Creative Designers, while collaborating w/ engrg, packaging, human factors, &tooling teams. Kick off projects, perform &manage design &dvlpmt of 3D Class A surfaces, of Internal Combustion (IC) &full electric full psgr vehicle interior syss &cmpnts incldg instrmnt panels (IPs), door trim, consoles, headliners, A/B/C/D pillars, garnish &trim, trunk covers &detailed interior cmpnts incldg Head Up Display covers, air vents, defrosters, latches, handles &switches, using Alias AutoStudio, Maya, UGNX &VRED, for U.S., global &China markets. Bachelor, Industrial or Transportation Design, Mechanical Engrg, or related. 24 mos exp as Clay or Digital Sculpting Manager or Clay or Digital Creative Sculpting Manager, managing or leading team of Sculptors, &managing design &dvlpmt of 3D Class A surfaces of IC &full electric full psgr vehicle interior syss &cmpnts incldg IPs, door trim, consoles, headliners, A/B/C/D pillars, garnish &trim, for global or China markets, or related.

Mail resume to Ref#48358, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Compartment Manufacturing Engineer Warren, MI, General Motors. Ensure new full vehicle &interior &exterior component product designs are manufacturable &in compliance w/ mfg reqmts &General Assy(GA) strategies for installation of exterior trim components (fascias, bumpers, windshields, front lamps, rear lamps, windshield wipers, emblems, body side moldings, insulators, roof racks &spoilers) &interior trim components (IP, floor console, seats, safety belts, overhead syss, roof rail air bags &floor coverings, for installation in high volume vehicle assy plant environment. Perform GA mfg planning studies (MPSs) for new psgr vehicles, model year changes, production volume changes, Engrg Work Orders (EWOs), &implementation of new standards of machinery &equipment &updates to Builds of Process. Conduct Teamcenter Vismockup virtual studies &assessments of tooling &eqpmnt throughout vehicle dvlpmt process.

Bachelor, Mechanical, Automotive, Mechatronics, or Industrial Engrg. 12 mos exp as Mfg Engr or Process Engr, performing GA vehicle assy or stamping plant MPSs for new psgr vehicles, model year changes, production volume changes, EWOs, &implementation of new standards of machinery &equipment &updates to Builds of Process, or related. Mail resume to Ref#2889, GM Global Mobility, 300 Ren. Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE IN THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

- Barack Obama

Page C-5

www.MichiganChronicle.com

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• michiganchronicle.com • February 19-25, 2020

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VISIT YOUR LOCAL MICHIGAN TOYOTA DEALER TODAY! FOR ALL TOYOTA OFFERS AND TO FIND A DEALER NEAR YOU 1. $500 Bonus Cash direct from Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. and must be applied to deal. Valid 2/14/20 thru 2/18/20 on remaining new 2019 RAV4 (excludes hybrid), new 2020 RAV4 (excludes hybrid), new 2020 Corolla (includes hybrid) and new 2020 Corolla Hatchback. Bonus Cash can be combined with all other offers. 2. New 2020 RAV4 (excludes hybrid). $1,500 TOTAL APR Cash = $1,000 APR Cash + $500 Bonus Cash. Customers financing through Toyota Financial Services using standard rates up to 72 months qualify for the $1,000 RAV4 TFS Standard Rate Retail Cash, subject to approved credit. 3. Remaining new 2019 RAV4 (excludes hybrid) $1,750 TOTAL Customer Cash = $1,250 Customer Cash + $500 Bonus Cash. 4. New 2020 RAV4 LE FWD Model 4430. Lease based on net cap cost of $23,582. $500 Bous Cash included in lease deal. Lease end purchase option $17,705.* 5. Toyota vehicles and components are built using U.S. and globally sourced parts. 6. New 2020 Corolla (exclude hybrid) $1,750 TOTAL Customer Cash = $1,250 Customer Cash + $500 Bonus Cash. New 2020 Corolla Hybrid & Corolla Hatchback $1,250 TOTAL Customer Cash = $750 Customer Cash + $500 Bonus Cash. 7. New 2020 Corolla LE Model 1852. Lease based on net cap cost of $17,225. $300 Toyota Financial Services Lease Subvention Cash & $500 Bonus Cash included in lease deal. Lease end purchase option $12,255.* 8. All-New 2020 Highlander (excludes hybrid). Customers financing through Toyota Financial Services using standard rates up to 72 months qualify for $750 TFS Standard Rate Retail Cash, subject to approved credit. 9. Qualified military personnel and household members of eligible qualifying military personal are eligible for rebates in addition to all other incentives, depending on model, through Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., when leased or financed through Toyota Financial Services. Must take retail delivery from select new dealer stock. The Toyota Military Rebate Program is not compatible with the Toyota College Rebate Program. See participating dealer or visit buyatoyota.com for complete details. 10. The Toyota College Rebate Program is not compatible with the Military Rebate Program. See participating dealer or visit buyatoyota.com for complete details. 11. ToyotaCare covers normal factory scheduled service for 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first. 24-hour roadside assistance is also included for 2 years and unlimited miles. See Toyota dealers for details and exclusions. Valid only in the continental U.S. and Alaska. * NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. Subject to approved credit through Toyota Financial Services. Not all customers will qualify – Tier I PLUS customers ONLY. Excludes state and local taxes, tags, registration and title, and insurance. License and applicable fees are extra.

Other options and dealer charges extra. Your payment may vary depending on final price. Lessee may be charged for excessive wear based on Toyota Financial Services standards for normal use and for mileage in excess of 30,000 at the rate of $0.15 per mile (low mileage lease). $350 Disposition Fee is due at lease termination. ** Subject to approved credit through Toyota Financial Services Tier 1+ & 1 only. Not all customers will qualify for lowest rate – see dealer for terms and conditions. For 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10: Must take retail delivery from remaining new 2019 & new 2020 dealer stock between 02/14/20 and 03/02/20. Customer Cash, APR & Lease offers may not be combined. See participating dealer for complete details. Individual dealer prices and document fees may vary. Offers may vary by region. VEHICLE IMAGES USED FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY. Expiration for these offers is 03/02/20.