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MLK Day is a day of reflection and service. And it's an opportunity to set forth an agenda to continue building on Dr. King's "Dream." WEMU's David Fair engaged Washtenaw County's racial equity officer, Alize Asberry Payne, for a conversation on where the community is and where it's going.

The United Auto Workers strike against the Detroit Three ended with the union claiming significant gains over past contracts. Among those that supported the union through the strike was the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center. In addition to gains for workers, it says the contracts are important for our future environmental health. WEMU's David Fair took a look ahead and practical impacts of the deals with the Ecology Center’s Climate and Energy Program Director, Charles Griffith.

When we think of issues of equity, a number of things come to mind. One that might not come to mind is the matter of transportation. Feonix - Mobility Rising is a national organization with three offices in Michigan, including one in Ypsilanti. Its mission is to connect as many people as possible with transportation services and tailor it to individual needs. WEMU's David Fair talked with Feonix's Community Development Manager, Rebecca Yaciuk, about overcoming the challenges, particularly on the eastern side of Washtenaw County.

Christmas has passed, and the New Year is nearly here! There are a lot of ways to spend a festive New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, like taking in a new movie...or watching the Rose Bowl on the big screen! WEMU's Mat Hopson and Michigan Theater Foundation executive director Russ Collins will chat all about the special screenings coming to Ann Arbor, as well as a showing of the big game between the University of Michigan and Alabama at the Michigan Theater on January 1st!

Among the many resolutions people make to start a new year is to find ways to better protect the planet. Shelie Miller studies these things as a professor in sustainable systems at the U of M’s School for Environment and Sustainability. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss how to improve our efforts at home and community sustainability.

Losing a loved one can be devastating. For many, it becomes isolating. Finding support and comfort in others is the notion behind the work of Hanna Hasselshwert, who owns Acacia End of Life Services in Ypsilanti and runs a monthly “Death Café” to help offer support and grief education. Learn more about Hanna’s work as a "Death Doula" and how it is helping so many in the Ypsilanti community this week on WEMU’s On the Ground Ypsi with Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale.

We’ve experienced some bitter cold of late. That probably means your furnace is running 24 hours a day, and if you aren’t properly insulated, you are going to have a rather high heating bill. Energy efficiency and proper weatherization can make a huge difference, and Washtenaw County has an assistance program that can make an assessment and do the repairs completely free for qualified residents. WEMU's David Fair talked it over with Washtenaw County Housing Program Supervisor Aaron Kraft.

The number of people who will turn 65 years old this year will exceed the number of people who turn 18. Aging services face a looming crisis around the country and here in Washtenaw County. Monica Prince is the executive director of the nonprofit Ypsilanti Senior Center. She sees the struggles on a day-to-day basis and is among those trying to create a stable source of funding for aging services in Washtenaw County. She discusses the challenges with Rylee Barnsdale on this week’s #OTGYpsi.

The nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced this week. WEMU's David Fair met up with the Michigan Theater's Russ Collins to chat about the surprises and snubs this time around.

Local and renowned artist, ceramist and professor Susanne Stephens’ career spans seven decades. In this second of a two-part series, we meet Patti Smith, who is on the team helping Susanne archive and catalog her works. What’s Patti’s interest and what is the job of a collection’s manager? We find out when Patti joins Deb Polich on this edition of "creative:impact."