There are certain things Marvin Beatty keeps to himself when he shops in the suburbs. One of those things is his zip code. A common corporate practice requires cashiers to ask patrons for information that locates a retail customer base. The problem for Detroiters shopping outside the city, Beatty says, is sharing data about how […]
Although he’s not a local native, Dr. Antoine Garibaldi is on familiar ground. Hailing from New Orleans, the University of Detroit Mercy president has family in the Detroit area and a background of scholarship that supported black Michigan youth during the 1990s. Today his ongoing challenge is to lead a campus of 5,000 in the […]
As much of metro Detroit spent last week reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the domestic uprising that devastated neighborhoods along the former 12th Street (now named for civil rights icon Rosa Parks), some others celebrated a vision for the community’s future. Stripped nearly bare by arson and looting to shops and storefronts that once […]
In his role as a Comerica Bank’s community reinvestment manager, Michael (Mike) Cheatham knows a lot about supporting neighborhoods, but in his role as a son, he worries about his dad’s comfort. Cheatham, vice president of corporate compliance and community reinvestment, helps to guide Comerica’s efforts to support Michigan’s low-to-moderate income communities. “There’s help out […]
This was not a day for Hollywood. Fifty years later, it remained – for me – a day of anger, hurt, resentment and tragedy. I wasn’t here to witness Detroit’s deadly, devastating 1967 uprising, which began July 23 and lasted for several unforgettable days, but I wear its scars. By riding past the crumbling landmarks […]
Detroit’s superheroes don’t wear capes. They don’t bend steel with their bare hands or leap tall buildings in a single bound. They’re mild-mannered and unassuming, like the legendary comic book reporter, Clark Kent. Or like real-life Southwest Detroit community advocate Kathy Wendler. But, make no mistake about it, Wendler has her own set of special […]
There’s no arguing that zero bills – or, at least, fewer bills – are every household’s preference, no matter the income status. The next best luxury behind eliminating monthly debt is paying it conveniently. As checkbooks continue to grow obsolete and money order purchases include added transaction fees, utility users are more and more open […]
It was always more than a game for Detroit’s trailblazing black athletes. Whether they played on a court, a diamond or turf, local legends who donned professional jerseys often competed not only for team victories, but to advance the ideas of excellence and equality for an entire race. As spring recently marked the 70th anniversary […]
Even as residents witness growth and development in Detroit’s most visible new retail, transportation and real estate initiatives, many wonder what’s being planned in their corner of the city. Whether on the east or west side, it’s a question some long-time Detroiters have asked for years. A new community initiative is launching a dialogue that invites residents […]
“Is this real?” flashed the text message on my cell phone. My brother was asking, I suspect, more out of puzzlement than shock. He didn’t know I’d already stopped at the side of the road in an urgent scramble for more information. I thumbed the phone’s touch-screen. Google never seemed more critical. It couldn’t be […]