Michigan’s Senate Republicans introduced a package of 39 bills that they say will make elections more secure. Detroit organizers say the plan limits voter access and increases partisan politics.
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 inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Detroiters asked to help draw fair voting maps and curb gerrymandering
Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission has extended the number of public hearings this summer, with two in Detroit. Advocates and researchers say now is the time for Detroiters to help draw fair political maps and prevent gerrymandering.
Posted inJobs & Economic Development
Detroit works on making more room for marijuana businesses
Detroit’s zoning laws leave little space for cannabis entrepreneurs, but Councilman James Tate says he plans to propose an amendment to city code that could make room for more marijuana businesses to operate.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Can Detroit’s marijuana plan create social equity?
Longtime Detroiters were given a two month head-start to apply for marijuana business licenses ahead of other entrepreneurs. Now, it’s a free-for-all. Though a city ordinance requires a social equity component, Detroiters may still struggle in this booming industry.
Posted inJobs & Economic Development
Detroit women use social media to support entrepreneurship
Amid a pandemic, two Detroit women create fellowship space for Black women and Detroit millennials online and in-person.
Posted inEmergencies and Risks (COVID-19)
Detroit says mostly Black residents are getting vaccinated – probably
About 70 percent of Detroit’s coronavirus vaccine recipients shared their race and ethnicity data, with many identifying as Black, but 30 percent are still unknown.
Posted inEducation, Youth & Kids in Coronavirus
Third-graders return to classroom, but are they prepared to succeed?
Some Detroit third-graders were projected to be held back due to the State’s new Read by Grade Three Law in 2020. A year and a pandemic later, parents and education advocates fear many more are behind in 2021.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Halt to water shutoffs gains traction, but some call it a temporary solution
U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Debbie Dingell have gained support to temporarily halt water shutoffs during COVID-19 but water advocates are fighting for long-term water affordability and a permanent end to shutoffs.
Posted inEmergencies and Risks (COVID-19)
Wait times down as Detroit ramps up COVID-19 vaccination effort
Detroit is gaining national recognition for its coronavirus vaccination process, as more than 70,000 Deroiters have been inoculated so far. Here’s how the City has served so many.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Detroiters connect 1920s to 2020s in new Dr. Ossian Sweet documentary
A new documentary shares the story of Dr. Ossian Sweet, the Black doctor in Detroit who went head-to-head with a white mob on Detroit’s east side.