systemic racism

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.

Racism exists, and it is called a lot of things. One of the more under-represented ways it is characterized is as a public health crisis. All of the evidence shows that is right on target. WEMU's David Fair is joined by the Washtenaw County Health Department's health equity manager, Charyln VanDeventer. She tells us how and where racism shows up as a public health crisis and what's being done about it in our community.

A county official has been appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court’s commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. WEMU’s Taylor Bowie has more.

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.

Civic responsibilities don't end when you cast your ballot. There are plenty of other ways to engage to make sure your concerns are heard. The series is headed up by the community-based group "Survivors Speak" and is funded with a grant from the national non-profit, "Black Voters Matter." Survivors Speak founder Trische' Duckworth joined WEMU's Cathy Shafran and Concentrate Media's Rylee Barnsdale to discuss the goals and aspirations of the civic education series.

When you call 911 with an emergency, do you ever think about how dispatchers must make split-second decisions on the legitamacy of your call? A bigger dilemma, lately, is how to respond when a person calls to say they fear a person near them but cannot describe any suspicious behavior. These are often described as "bias-influenced" calls. And they are a growing concern to the Washtenaw County Sheriff. Jerry Clayton. joined WEMU's Cathy Shafran, as he urges a "Call to Action" on bias-influenced dispatching.

The United Way of Washtenaw County's 21-day Equity Challenge begins today. It asks us to spend time each day exploring our personal bias and to educate ourselves on how to recognize them, deal with them and, ultimately, discard them. It also provides context for the society we live in today and our roles in it. La'Ron Williams is a noted storyteller and a founding member of "Washtenaw Faces Race." He joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the ongoing local efforts to dismantle hierarchal and systemic racism.

As efforts continue to bring an end to systemic racism and create greater equity and equality in our communities, individual growth is an essential part of the foundation. At Mentor2Youth, helping young Black people find personal identity through service to others is key to that path. Executive director Darryl Johnson joined WEMU’s David Fair to discuss the methodology of getting young people to view life through the “chess versus checkers” life paradigm.

This week, "Art and Soul" is about the visual arts. WEMU's Lisa Barry and the executive director of CultureSource, Omari Rush, talk with artist Rashaun…

The fourth and latest 21-Day Equity Challenge in Washtenaw County is complete. The challenge seeks to create awareness about inequity, injustice, and both…