How to Cope With
Self-Isolation During COVID-19 Crisis ROOTS. B3
Michigan Chronicle
Vol. 83 – No. 29 | March 25-31, 2020
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Homeschool The Power of Music, The Goodness in Social Media
By Dennis W. Archer, Jr., Esq. 150,000 people. As I begin to memorialize my thoughts; I sit, my two sons always within earshot, awaiting an invisible storm to sweep through Detroit, Michigan, across the country and world, I am partying with 150,000 people. I am with Michael Eric Dyson, Snoop Dogg, Stephen Curry, Coach K, Michelle Obama, Lenny and Zoe Kravitz, Amy Schumer, Taraji P. Henson, Sean Combs, Jenny McCarthy, Naomi Campbell, La La Anthony, Usher, Russell Simmons, and my brother Vincent, my girl Wendi in San Francisco, Jimmy in Florida and
Michigan and the Coronavirus: When Will The Dust Settle?
Dennis W. Archer, Jr. Eric on the west coast. I like to think of myself as creative and as the consummate host, however I have been outdone. The host of our party, D-Nice (Derrick Jones) is a dear friend and admired artist. He’s rooted in hip hop’s history and solidified in today’s pop culture. I admire those that are happy in life. I admire those that are successful. I especially admire those that love what they do; their work bringing them happiness and fulfillment. Then there’s another level. There are those that love what they do and in doing so they bring happiness to others. Last week, D-Nice, from his West Coast high rise, started “Homeschool at Club Quarantine” on Instagram Live, at that point yet unnamed, with 200 followers. At a very rare time (I know of no other) the world is at once united. Unfortunately, we are united in fear, despair, and distrust. We are hunkering down with our families, keeping in touch with our friends near and far, and likely reaching out to those with whom we haven’t kept in contact, but wish we had. We are tallying regrets and promising ourselves not to repeat life’s mistakes. This is also a time when the digital space is being used to bully, to sway elections and to spread false propaganda. It is refreshing to experience these amazing tools used to unite, to inspire, to bring smiles to otherwise confused and concerned
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WHAT’S INSIDE
By Whitney Gresham
I
f it feels as though you are living through and episode of the Twilight Zone, you are not alone.
In less than one month, we have seen our nation go from an easily manageable 15 known nationwide cases of the coronavirus disease, to more than 41,569 cases and 504 deaths as of Monday, March 23rd. In Michigan alone there have been reported 1,232 cases and 6 deaths over that same time period. The numbers are so fluid that they will surely change by the time this story is published. In fact, a new “stay at home” order signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, and is scheduled to stay in effect for three weeks. The order requires individuals to stay at home with six exceptions, including two that have significant consequences for businesses: Engaging in an outdoor activity while observing proper social distancing; • Obtaining health care; • Obtaining necessary services and supplies including groceries; • Caring for family members; Performing jobs if characterized as crit-
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Businesses not considered “essential “by DHS will be able to designate employees required to maintain minimum basic operations including security, payroll, and providing for safe winding down of operations.
Equally as important the governor also signed an order expanding unemployment benefits to help people impacted by changes the coronavirus has caused. Under her order, unemployment benefits would be extended to workers who have an unanticipated family care responsibility, including those who have childcare responsibilities due to school closures, or those who are forced to care for loved ones who become ill. Workers who are sick, quarantined, or immunocompromised and who do not have access to paid family and medical leave or are laid off. And first responders in the public health community who become ill or are quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19.
The order also allows for businesses providing critical infrastructure to have the ability to designate their critical suppliers as eligible for designation as well. Employers will have a seven-day grace period to designate employees as critical infrastructure employees. The new order follows by less than a week the governor’s order that limited bars and restaurants to carryout orders only. It also closed cafes, coffee houses, bars, taverns, brewpubs, distilleries, clubs, movie theaters, indoor and outdoor performance venues, gymnasiums, fitness centers, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities, exercise studios, spas and casinos through March 30. And starting last Tuesday, indoor events that have more than 50 people were
Given the dizzying array of news events, it is understandable if you were to find it positively disorienting at the speed at which we have found ourselves in this predicament. But, public health experts both nationally and in Michigan warn given the pandemic nature of the disease, they do
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Detroit At Work Helps Small Businesses and Workers Find New Opportunities By Patreice A. Massey Within every crisis lies an opportunity and the deeper the crisis, the greater the opportunity can be. Sometimes it may be difficult to see the opportunity as the immediate calamity takes center stage but it is there--waiting to be revealed. A crisis can be defined as a vitally important or decisive state of things, a point at which change must come. As Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) sweeps through the country at an alarming rate, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order directing all Michigan businesses and operations to temporarily suspend in-person operations that are not necessary to sustain or protect life.
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banned. However, the ban did not include health care facilities, workplaces not open to the public, the state legislature, mass transit, grocery stores, and the performance of agricultural or construction work. The ban is scheduled to last until 5 p.m. April 5.
Keep Calm and Carry On:
Presently, we are in the midst of a crisis.
Get into the flow with
ical infrastructure workers by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), businesses will have the opportunity to designate their supply chain that is critical to performing CISA designated tasks;
The order also directs Michiganders to stay in their homes unless they’re a part of that critical infrastructure workforce, engaged in an outdoor activity, or performing tasks necessary to the health and safety of themselves or their family, like going to the hospital or grocery store. If you’re small businesses owner you may be faced with making decisions that you never foresaw having to make. Do you layoff employees or have them use paid time off? Is your business an essential or nonessential business? Or what if you are
in one of those sectors deemed essentials then you may need to hire more employees to meet the pressing demands. What is Work Share and am I eligible for it? If you’re a person whose job has shut down you may find yourself in need of employment. How do you even begin to find work when there’s a shelter in place order in effect? These can be confusing times and people are in need of guidance in finding the opportunity within the Nicole Sherard-Freeman crisis. Detroit at Work Career Centers are very much open and here to help employers and workers navigate these new roads they may find themselves on. According to Nicole Sherard-Freeman, Executive Director, Workforce Development & Detroit at Work there are dozens of Detroit area businesses that have immediate employment needs. “We are working to assist Detroit based small businesses with filling open positions that have increased
due to more demand and also back fill positions that may have been recently vacated,” Sherard-Freeman says. Through the generous funding provided by DTE Energy, Detroit at Work and the City of Detroit are working to help close the human resource (HR) gap for Detroit area small businesses by utilizing a third party company called Everything HR. “DTE is supporting a number of initiatives to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic,” said Dave Meador, Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer of DTE. “Because we want to ensure the city can stay on a path to economic recovery. Small businesses and all those they employ are being hit extremely hard, and the DTE Foundation is proud to assist in providing services to help alleviate problems and open access to other resources so they can move ahead — even in the midst of a very difficult time. “ Charity Dean, Director of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity (CRIO) is leading a city-wide effort with Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) and others to help small businesses take advantage of loan and grant opportunities coming from local philanthropic partners like TechTown, and federal funding from groups including the Small Business Association (SBA). Sherard-Freeman works along with
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OPPORTUNITIES page A2