Last week Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that racism is a public health issue in our state, and that a Black Leadership Council would be taking steps to address policies that have racial implications. Bridge Detroit reporter and producer Bryce Huffman did several man-on-the-street interviews in Detroit to see what Detroiters think about this move and racism in general. Listen to what they had to say.
Health and Welfare
Michigan families vulnerable as economic safeguards expire
With unemployment at historic highs in Michigan and across the country, economic protections for people impacted by COVID-19 are expiring as the pandemic continues to flare.
Disparity in broadband access limits telehealth opportunities for Detroiters
The state has increased access to telehealth services for Medicaid and Healthy Michigan beneficiaries, but that access helps little when 52 percent of Detroiters lack broadband access.
Help for Detroit tenants behind in rent or facing eviction
Nearly 43 percent of Detroiters are unemployed and a quarter of city residents have missed a mortgage or rent payment as a result of the pandemic, according to a recent BridgeDetroit report. Here is a list of free resources to help Detroit tenants whose job security and financial stability have been threatened during the coronavirus pandemic.
American Black Journal: Disease, racism and the struggles of the African-American families to maintain their mental health
Stephen talks to Assistant Professor Riana Anderson of the University of Michigan School of Public Health about the escalating anxiety and depression in the African American community and what families can do.
Fight for access to clean water in Detroit continues in coronavirus pandemic
An executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requires water services be returned to occupied homes in Detroit without payment for reconnection. Now the issue is upgrading pipes for access to clean water and getting the word out, says Monica Lewis-Patrick of We the People of Detroit.
Detroiter watches coronavirus impact from South Africa
‘My grief is heavy, so is my hope.’