Bridge Detroit (https://www.bridgedetroit.com/author/olivia-lewis/)
Olivia Lewis is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. She was formerly a reporter for the Battle Creek Enquirer and the Indianapolis Star. She has also worked in philanthropy for the Kresge Foundation, the Council of Michigan Foundations and Direct Relief International.
To create the first cohort of its kind in Detroit, DTE energy partnered with the City of Detroit and local nonprofit Focus: HOPE for a six-week job-training program for metro Detroiters who want good-paying careers as tree-trimmers. We spoke with the only Black woman to graduate from the first cohort about why she is getting into this new line of work.
The City of Detroit has partnered with nonprofit Focus: HOPE and human-I-T to give 1,000 used laptops to low-income Detroiters in hopes of decreasing the city’s digital divide. Though a step in the right direction, the city’s Director of Digital Inclusion says more needs to be done to grant Detroiters access to the internet.
Michigan is expected to lose one congressional seat, so participation in redistricting meetings is “critical” for Detroiters to ensure they get adequate funding and representation.
When asked what is the most pressing issue today, two Detroit teens held nothing back when sharing their issues and solutions with the state’s elected officials. Now, their words are being recognized at the state and national level.
Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez says she’s worked with advocates and Detroit residents to create riverfront protections, but property owners say they were never included in the conversation. Now, a year-and-a-half after a dock collapsed into the Detroit River, City Council has yet to review proposed seawall changes.
In a year, the City of Detroit went from facing 485 lawsuits to 776 — most involving the Department of Transportation. Now the City Council is making split decisions on whether to pay settlements or push for trial.
A proposed bill at the federal level would allow banking institutions to accept funds from cannabis-related businesses. So far, it has bipartisan support, and stakeholders say the legislation would create greater access to the industry for budding Detroit entrepreneurs.
Detroiters are supporting #FreeBlackWomxn this Mother’s Day by contributing to the Bail Out Fund. Michigan Liberation and The Advancement Project are shifting views on incarceration by sharing photos and narratives in a new social media campaign while raising funds to send mamas home.
A highly contested package of bills has hit the Michigan Senate and is likely to become law, even with a veto from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Among the changes, several are expected to deter Detroiters from voting.
For Detroit high school students, applying to college in a pandemic brings new concerns and questions about “the right path.”