Emerging Voices Archives

How my â€˜inflammatoryâ€™ posters sparked real dialogue between black and white neighbors in Detroit

By Rhonda J. Smith: Neighbors even reported the event to officials -- but the people who actually came left with mutual respect, not outrage....

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Challenge yourself at a discussion on neighborhood relations between Black Detroiters and new white residentsÂ

How can white residents who are new to Detroit responsibly enter historically Black communities, and how can longtime residents cope with changes to their neighborhoods?...

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Through the Southwest Detroit TimeBank, neighbors spend thousands of hours helping each other

Southwest Detroit's Unity in our Community TimeBank, where more than 800 members have spent thousands of hours trading time and talents, turns 10 this month....

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At this high-achieving Detroit elementary school, parents and teachers fear a state reading mandate will still leave kids behind

By Damon Mitchell On a Friday afternoon earlier this month, Gwendolyn Harris recited vowel sounds from her brightly decorated classroom overlooking a grassy expanse of...

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When an out-of-state owner nearly closed this Detroit coffee shop, neighbors united to save it

Dexter Grinds owner Pastor Clete Bontrager wants the coffee house to be a community hub -- and a catalyst to revitalize the formerly bustling Dexter...

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Detroiters demand more equity — and answers — from Michigan’s budding cannabis industry

By Jess Jackson, Detour Emerging Voices Fellow As Michigan prepares for the emerging recreational cannabis industry and attempts to level the field for minority business...

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RollerCade, a black-owned skating rink in Detroit, has survived for generations with â€˜neighborhood-first mindsetâ€™

To neighbors and Detroiters in the know, RollerCade isnâ€™t just a great place to skate. Itâ€™s a legendary community hub. ...

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Need to do home repair on the cheap? At this new Detroit library, you can borrow tools

The E. Warren Tool Library opened on Detroit's east side in July 2019, letting residents borrow tools and supplies to repair their homes and beautify...

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Amidst Brightmoor’s vacant lots, these young Detroit farmers are growing crops — and battling food insecurity

The Youth Grow Brightmoor program, founded in 2014 by Brightmoor residents Bill and Billie Hickey, teaches neighborhood youth to grow, weed, and harvest rows of...

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A historic Detroit bookstore that celebrated black culture is getting a new life

The Shrine of the Black Madonna Bookstore and Cultural Center is getting a new look and focus when it reopens. ...

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Category: Emerging Voices