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.
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
Detroit students can get free laptops through Focus: HOPE
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.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Detroiters urged to weigh in on helping end gerrymandering
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.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Detroit teens’ words are getting state, national attention
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.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Detroit City Council stalls on protecting riverfront
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.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Lawsuits against the City skyrocketed during coronavirus
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.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Federal help may be on the way for Detroit’s budding weed industry
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.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Effort underway to help mothers who can’t afford bail
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.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Why Detroiters should worry about the Senate elections package
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.
Posted inEducation, Youth & Kids in Coronavirus
The Class of 2021 navigates COVID, as well as college
For Detroit high school students, applying to college in a pandemic brings new concerns and questions about “the right path.”