Detroit Public Schools Community District and Superintendent Nikolai Vitti put out a call to action on Oct. 2 asking Detroiters to leave friendly phone messages and to knock on household doors of the thousands of students who have been disengaged since the first day of school. The campaign helped the district reach more than 3,000 students before the biannual Count Day.
Olivia Lewis
Olivia Lewis is a former Gannett news reporter. She covered social justice and opportunity for the Battle Creek Enquirer before transitioning to the Indianapolis Star to cover Hamilton County. Her byline has appeared in the Houston Chronicle and the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia, among other publications.
Lewis joins the BridgeDetroit team following a stint in the charitable sector. She has worked with Direct Relief International, the Kresge Foundation, and most recently the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF). While at CMF, Lewis created the first Policy Brief publication in partnership with the Office of Foundation Liaison.
Lewis is a graduate of Hampton University and received her master of public policy degree from the University of Michigan.
Though a North Carolina native, Lewis has strong family ties to the Great Lakes State and is proud to call Detroit her home.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Detroiter becomes vice-chair of Michigan’s redistricting commission
Brittni Kellom was one of two Detroiters randomly selected to sit on Michigan’s first Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. She’s also the commission’s vice-chair. This lifelong Detroiter shares her personal story and why community voices are crucial to redrawing the state’s district lines.
Posted inCivic and Community Information, Youth & Kids in Coronavirus
Why does Detroit Public Schools have its own police department?
Michigan’s largest school district, serving predominantly Black and Brown students, has its own police department. Under emergency management, the state beefed up policing by building a $5.6 million command center and adding military equipment to its arsenal. Now, Detroiters and school leadership take a new approach.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Hungry: Pandemic highlights Detroiters’ challenges to access food
Residents, charities, local and state government have scrambled to meet the immediate food needs of Detroiters since the onset of coronavirus. However, food insecurity has been a longstanding issue for Detroiters whose lack of other basic needs have created a barrier to nutritious food. Advocates say now is the time for everyone to consider systemic change.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Detroiters encouraged to apply for property tax assistance
Application deadlines for the city’s Pay As You Stay program, or PAYS and the Homeowners Property Tax Assistance Program, or HPTAP, have been extended to Sept. 14 and Dec. 14. Both programs can significantly reduce or eliminate delinquent and current property taxes in Detroit.
Posted inEducation
DPSCD support staff say they’ve been left out of school reopening plans
Paraprofessionals, office employees and food service workers are the latest groups to denounce Detroit Public Schools’ reopening plans. Amid negotiations, support staff say they demand the same health and safety protocols given to teachers.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Concerts in the Dequindre Cut Greenway highlight Detroit artists, assets
As summer comes to a close and the coronavirus pandemic wears on, Detoiters are taking full advantage of outdoor space. D. Cipher, a local artists’ collective, has gathered Detroit musicians and creatives to share their craft in the Dequindre Cut Greenway.
Posted inCivic and Community Information, Emergencies and Risks (COVID-19)
Anti-Blackness is a public health crisis impacting Detroit’s elders. What now?
The third edition of a longstanding report shows Detroiters are more likely to die from chronic health conditions than other Michiganders. While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health issue in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, experts say it will take a collective effort from every sector to see change.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Women of color recognized for their dedication to Detroit neighborhoods
Six women of color will be presented the Power of One Woman Award next month. The honorees were nominated by their peers for their ongoing work to support Detroit neighborhoods.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Two Detroiters chosen for 13-member Michigan Redistricting Commission
Michigan voters approved a ballot proposal in 2018 to create an independent citizens redistricting commission to draw congressional district lines. After a yearlong process to determine who would participate in the randomly selected commission, two women from Detroit were chosen.