african americans

Connecting to the earth, learning to work, play and learn from the soil below our feet: That’s the mission Willow Run Acres in Ypsilanti and the personal mission of its founder, Farmer T.C. Collins. In addition to nurturing the earth and taking joy in its bounties, Farmer T.C. uses Willow Run Acres to fight food injustice and inequities in economic opportunities for the Black community. The land also serves as an education center for young people, so future generations can connect to the earth. Farmer T.C. joined WEMU’s David Fair on an Earth Day edition of "Washtenaw United."

A federal court this week approved a new plan for Michigan’s state House districts around metro-Detroit. That’s after judges declared the state’s old maps unconstitutional because they were drawn predominantly based on race. Colin Jackson has more on what this means for the future of redistricting in Michigan.

Michigan’s redistricting commission approved a new state House district plan for court review on Wednesday. We have more from Colin Jackson.

There is an exhibit that will be available from March through the month of May called, “Family Foundations: Four Stories of Black Washtenaw County Community Building.” It is an interactive exhibit put forth by the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County. There is a long, rich African American history in our community, and much of it is never taught or widely shared. Museum president and CEO Joyce Hunter joins WEMU's David Fair with some lessons and knowledge we can all benefit from in this final Black History Month 2024 installment of "Washtenaw United."

The 2nd annual Black History Month art exhibition is on display at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti. This year’s theme is taken from the title of a book written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or community?" The exhibition is sponsored by former State Representative Ronnie Peterson and his wife, Ypsilanti Township trustee Gloria Peterson, and is put forth by the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County. AACHM board chair, Dr. Debby Covington, and Mr. Peterson joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the exhibit and its impacts.

The theme of Black History Month this year is African Americans and the Arts. The Ann Arbor-based Willis C. Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale is celebrating 50 years of sharing the legacy of African American spirituals in 2024. It has spent five decades combatting the lack of inclusion for Black composers in chorale and classical music spaces. WEMU's David Fair talks all about it with the president of the chorale, Sharon Vaughters, in advance of some special performances in Ann Arbor on another Black History Month edition of "Washtenaw United."

There is a long and storied history of African American farmers in Washtenaw County. Its impacts are often overlooked and underappreciated. Bringing the stories to light is the mission of the Ypsi Farmers and Gardeners Oral History Project. The project is headed by University of Michigan-Dearborn Assistant Professor of Human Services Dr. Finn Bell. He not only joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the project but brought Patricia Wells with him. She is a master gardener with a rich history of her own. This is the first in a series of Black History Month editions of "Washtenaw United" for 2024.

Only three of the newly proposed plans for redrawing some metro-Detroit state House districts comply with the Voting Rights Act. As Colin Jackson reports, that’s according to a new analysis presented to Michigan’s redistricting commission.

A federal court has ruled against over a dozen of southeast Michigan’s state House and Senate districts. Colin Jackson has more.

Do you have a moment to talk about kidney disease? "Meet the Moment" is a Washtenaw County-based program that addresses excess chronic kidney disease in the African American community, particularly among Black men. It looks into what can be done to make improvements and enhance the quality of life for the affected. Dr. Silas Norman is Co-Medical Director, Kidney and Pancreas Transplant at the University of Michigan, and he'll discuss what has been and what still needs to be done with WEMU's David Fair.