social justice

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell says there are a lot of challenges facing the 6th U.S. House district and asks everyone to keep fighting to protect their rights and needs. Dingell was at the Gerald R. Ford Library on Friday to give her annual State of the District address. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Saturday marks the Disability Day of Mourning, a day of remembrance for disabled people who were murdered by their caregivers or parents in the past year. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more.

The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in a case filed against the state by an immigrant rights organization. Rick Pluta reports.

There are a great number of organizations working in Washtenaw County and southeast Michigan to combat unequal power dynamics and systemic racism. These social sector organizations have become increasingly important amid rising inflation and a divided political climate. Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW) has always put these issues at the fore. Now it is working to build collective power in the social sector to more effectively create the visions and strategies to better provide needed services and to remove the barriers to change. NEW president and CEO Yodit Mesfin-Johnson and Vice President of Strategy Will Jones III joined WEMU's David Fair for a look at how to build that infrastructure.

A new state program will allow incarcerated mothers of newborns to send breast milk home for their babies. We have more from Rick Pluta.

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.

Earl Lewis is a problem solver. He is also a scholar, an historian, an administrator and a National Medal for the Humanities recipient. As the founder of the University of Michigan Center for Social Solutions, he wants to find answers to questions of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Dr. Lewis joins host Deb Polich on this edition of creative:impact. Tune in to be inspired!

We often say that everyone should have equal opportunity. America has yet to achieve that goal. Education is vitally important, and the manner in which the curriculum is approached at Ypsilanti’s ACCE High School is aimed at preparing students for the societal inequities they’ll face and building a population of citizens that can move needed change forward. Find out more about the innovative approach to education in the conversation WEMU's David Fair had with ACCE High School Culture and Climate Coach, Lauren Fardig-Diop.

Combatting poverty is difficult, particularly when you work against systemic issues that have been in place as long as the country. Ypsilanti-based "Friends In Deed" offers immediate and direct assistance to those in need but also invests in programming and mentorship that helps people build the tools and support community needed to get out of poverty permanently. Tracey Hoesch and Amtheyst Floyd from "Friends In Deed" joined WEMU's David Fair to share the progress being made to better address local poverty.

Ridesharing services, like Uber and Lyft, continue to grow in popularity. That is particularly true in college towns and urban centers like Ann Arbor. Imagine a ridesharing fleet that was entirely electric, and we can imagine tremendous environmental benefit. According to a new study by the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University, there are environmental benefits. There is also likely to be an increase in some existing pollution and public health issues. WEMU's David Fair talked with U-M Assistant Professor Parth Vaishnav about the real world application and implications of the new data.