racial justice

Juneteenth National Independence Day is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. And as happens each year, several local events commemorate the day. WEMU's Caroline MacGregor was joined by the President of the NAACP Ann Arbor branch, Andre' Watson, to talk about what is going on locally, but more importantly, what this day means to residents in Washtenaw County.

Juneteenth serves as both a celebration of freedom and a reflection on the ongoing pursuit of equality. And in Ypsilanti, that celebration has grown into a three-day community event featuring live entertainment, food, family activities, and cultural programming. The sixth annual Juneteenth celebration will take place June 19th through the 21st at the University Bank parking lot in downtown Ypsi. Lee Van Roth discussed the big event with its organizer and MC, Gordon "Big" Dooley.

The third annual Ann Arbor Black Film Festival (A2BFF) takes place June 5-7. This year’s festival is poised to be bigger and more impactful cultural event than ever, with 21 visiting filmmakers and guests, featuring over 11 hours of content from 31 Black creatives across 11 states and nine countries. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor talked with two of the featured filmmakers, Yehuda Sharim and Michael Soenen, and Festival Director Chris Anderson about the event.

Ann Arbor’s decision to remove 600 neighborhood watch signs has received pushback. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

Ann Arbor’s final Neighborhood Watch sign came down today. It ends what many considered to be part of the city’s troubled racial past. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The City of Ann Arbor is changing the names of two of its parks with input from the local community. WEMU's Ana Longoria has the story.

Advocates for maternal health and well-being gathered in Detroit Thursday night to call for more support for mothers. Colin Jackson has more.

More than half a century after his death, the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. continue to shape movements around the world. At the center of his message was a radical idea — that real strength is found not in retaliation, but in restraint. That was a message given—and received—loud and clear when Dr. King made his visit to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. As we approach the end of Black History Month, WEMU’s John Stockwell takes a closer look at Dr. King’s message and the enduring power of nonviolence.

Law and social justice advocates at Justice InDeed have been chipping away at racially discriminatory land covenants that are more than a half-century old that have shaped and still shape where people of color live in Washtenaw. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has this story for Black History Month.

We are halfway into Black History Month, and today, WEMU's Caroline MacGregor was joined by City of Ann Arbor Police Chief Andre Anderson. A 34-year law enforcement veteran with a reputation for facilitating community dialogue in the goal to end racial injustice, he joined the department a year ago. He served on the President's Task Force on 21st-Century Policing, and his work was inducted into the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C.