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Michigan Chronicle Vol. 85 – No. 18 | January 5-11, 2022
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History Must Correct The Record About “The Big 6” By Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, like Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorrie and Joyce Ladner, Gloria Hayes Richardson, Claudia House Morcom, Anna Diggs Taylor, and countless other women, played important roles during the 60’s Civil Rights Movement; but their names and their sacrifices are consistently, persistently, and unapologetically excluded from historical accounts that have been recorded in academic journals, social justice compendiums and related documents archived by researchers, educators, and socio-political journals. With this writing, please note that this author urges that one such glaring omission be remediated and corrected in all published JoAnn Watson work relative to the 1963 March on Washington.
2022:
News Stories and Issues To Watch Locally and Nationally
Specifically, the oft-used phrase of “The Big Six” referring to the planners of The 1963 March on Washington typically cites the “Big Six” as: •Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. •James Farmer •A. Phillip Randolph •Roy Wilkins •Whitney Young •John Lewis
By Donald James Special to the Chronicle
Notwithstanding, this list of “Big Six” Black men which has been routinely chronicled by many, the real-time “Big Six” participants actually included one woman: the legendary Dr. Dorothy I. Height, President of The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), highest-ranking Black Executive of The YWCA of the USA, and President Emerita of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. As the hand-selected successor to the phenomenal Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, (who founded the NCNW and Bethune-Cookman College), Dr. Height was arguably the most respected and recognized Black woman in the Civil Rights Movement in 1963.
While many local, state and national news stories of 2021 are in the rearview mirror, some have followed the calendar into the new year. There are stories and issues rooted in early 2020 that will continue to be reported on by news media outlets throughout the year or until thoroughly resolved.
As documented in Dr. Height’s autobiographical Memoir, “Open Wide The Freedom Gates” (page 138-147), she was invited to the 1963 March on Washington planning team by A. Philip Randolph, leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Vice President of the AFL-CIO. Prior to the 1963 March, many Civil Rights leaders who were subsequently named as part of the “Big Six” had been meeting monthly with Stephen Currier, President of the philanthropic Taconic Foundation to forge partnerships between philanthropic officials and Civil Rights Leaders. Dr. Height notes that no surrogates were allowed at these sessions-only Principals. That group included Whitney Young, National Urban League;
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports as of December 29, 2021, the state’s total for confirmed COVID-19 cases is 1,481,480. On New Year’s Day 2022, health officials tracking the coronavirus in Michigan project 1.5 million Michiganders will have been infected by COVID-19, with a death rate reaching 27,000-plus since the pandemic began.
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In 2021, the top stories and issues facing America were related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that began in the early months of 2020. In 2022, the pandemic is on track to continue dominating news outlets across Detroit, the state, nation and beyond, especially as concerns grow exponentially over stopping the new and surging COVID-19 Omicron variant.
Every sector of society has been significantly impacted by the persistent virus, including hospitals, schools, churches, restaurants, companies, sports, the travel industry, and city, state, and federal governments. As the Omicron variant continues its major surge in 2022, developing news stories are expected to be centered on unvaccinated people needing to get vaccinated, eligible adults and youth who have
been vaccinated getting boosted, the need to meet the huge testing demands for the virus, mandating wearing masks in various settings, and whether to require documented proof of vaccination to fly or enter business establishments. There will also be ongoing issues for school districts and universities across America regarding balancing classroom learning with virtual learning. Also, a continuing hot-button topic will be how to best control the ebb and flow of the nation’s economy in the pandemic. While news media outlets continue to report the many adverse effects of the ongoing pandemic, there may be news of optimism about the end of the pandemic in 2022, according to a credible organization. A top official at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said in multiple interviews in late December 2021 that “The pandemic should come to an end in 2022.” WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “We know the virus very well, and we have all the tools to fight it. The big issues to overcome were implementing all the tools effectively.”
The BBB Act for Michigan means strengthening the middle class with investments in children. In addition, about $8 billion over five years for highway and bridge projects would come to the state. Michigan could receive $1 billion for public transit improvements, another billion to address Great Lakes cleanup and climate change projects and almost $8 billion for electric vehicle developments. All of the allocations for BBB projects mean thousands and thousands of good-paying jobs for Detroiters and all Michiganders.
The World Health Organization is the United Nations agency that connects countries, partners and people to promote international health to keep the world safe. Yet, Ghebreyesus cautions that “unless we vaccinate the whole world, I don’t think we can end this pandemic.” However, he said enough vaccine supplies will be available to sufficiently vaccinate the entire global adult population and give boosters to highrisk populations in the first quarter of 2022.
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States like New York, Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland, California, Vermont and Washington D.C. have similar laws.
The Oxford High School shooting in late November left not only victims and their families in the wake of this senseless tragedy but also spurred ongoing conversations -- and potential legislation -- that could change laws for gun owners.
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The Grand Opening of the massive Amazon Distribution Center – now under construction on the former Michigan State Fairgrounds on the northern border of Detroit – will be good news for the local economy when it begins operating in 2022. According to sources at the City of Detroit, the $400 million development will employ between 1,200 and 2,000 employees. The anticipation is that Detroiters will fill an overwhelming number of the jobs, thanks
After Oxford: What’s Next for Gun Laws Amidst School Shootings? By Sherri Kolade
The State of COVID in Wayne County: Health Leaders Speak on Spike, Omicron
Other important news stories to watch in 2022 are about America’s economy. The consensus amongst economists is, “control and stop the virus and the nation’s economy will prosper on a steady trajectory.” As a result, media attention in 2022 will focus on President Joe Biden’s massive Build Back Better (BBB) legislation, which has already passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The $1.7 trillion legislation, now in the hands of U.S. Senate Democrats to pass, is expected by Biden to have a tremendous and extended impact on the country’s economy.
MLive reported that the Oxford shooting influenced Democrats to introduce gun safety bills, especially Sen. Rosemary Bayer, D-Beverly Hills, (representing the district, which includes Oxford) who is seeking multiple new gun control bills that would impact the sale of gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. According to the article, recently Michigan House and Senate Democrats (including Bayer) spoke at a press conference to further explain the bill package. Prohibiting the sale and possession of firearm magazines that hold over 10 rounds of ammunition would be under Senate Bills 785 and 786 and House Bills 5627 and 5628.
Michigan presently has in place a two-year minimum mandatory prison sentence for people who commit a felony while in possession of a firearm, the article added. Policies Aren’t the Problem On Friday, December 3, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald filed charges against gunman Ethan Crumbley‘s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley.
Also, the bill includes wording to declare selling or owning high-capacity magazines would be a misdemeanor, according to the article. Individuals who also own firearms with high-capacity magazines before Jan. 1, 2023, would have to report it to their nearby law enforcement agency to remain in legal standing as a gun owner.
According to reports, the Crumbleys are facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter each after their son took a semiautomatic handgun to school on November 30 and opened fire in the hallway, killing four students. Investigators later revealed Crumbley’s parents were contacted by school officials about behavioral issues teachers report-
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