Detroit voters flipped the City Council in November, placing six new members on the nine-person council. Every member took an oath to serve the people of Detroit for the next four years, but what can Detroiters actually expect, based on the councilmembers’ actions so far?
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
Black, Brown women lead Detroit’s child care industry. They need investors.
Detroit’s child care industry is in crisis. There aren’t enough providers to meet the needs of Detroit families who could help ease the city’s labor shortage. But is help on the way?
Posted inCivic and Community Information
What to expect from Detroit’s new reparations taskforce
Detroit voters approved the creation of a reparations taskforce in November. BridgeDetroit spoke with longtime community development expert and reparations supporter Lauren Hood to learn what the taskforce will mean for Detroiters.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
A look at the highs, and the very lows, of 2021 in Detroit
BridgeDetroit reporter Olivia Lewis reflects on some of the stories that were highlights (and lowlights) over the year through BridgeDetroit and partner news outlets’ stories.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
First Black woman to lead state’s nonprofit association steps down
Donna Murray-Brown is stepping down from her role as CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association after 12 years at the statewide organization. A longtime Detroiter, Brown continues to push for the inclusion of underrepresented voices while reflecting on her time as the first Black woman to lead MNA.
Posted inEducation
How does a Detroit community college student get ahead?
The educational attainment gap is a persistent problem for Detroit. Wayne County Community College District could play a vital role in Detroit’s economic future, but there are barriers to achieving that success.
Posted inEducation
Detroiters now have access to state-of-the-art early childhood center
The new, state-of-the-art Marygrove Early Education Center has opened for local families, but child-care workers and advocates say there is still work to do.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Detroiters insurance costs increase as FEMA ups city’s flood risk
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has determined parts of the city as “high flood risk,” which will require some residents — who are still paying for damage from previous floods — to purchase insurance.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Jesse Jackson visits Detroit, urges inclusivity in automotive industry
Longtime civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson visited Detroit for the 22nd Annual Rainbow Push Global Automotive Summit, where he encouraged racial inclusivity in the industry and investment in education.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Public-private partnerships fueling Detroit’s neighborhood comebacks
Adrianne Todman, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, visited Detroit last week to see outcomes of the Strategic Neighborhood Fund investments. She says continuing public-private partnerships in Detroit neighborhoods is key.