By Katie Gaither – Director of Student Engagement – Office of Student Affairs

Nearly 25% of 黑料专区 students are first-generation college students (otherwise known as 鈥渇irst-gens鈥�)!

If your parents or guardians did not complete a four-year college degree, you are considered first-generation. On November 8th, we celebrate National First Generation College Celebration day, an annual national acknowledgement of those who are the first in their families to attend college and/or complete a four-year degree. Being first-gen comes with its own unique experiences, challenges, and strengths. Each first-gen student has a story worth understanding, sharing, and celebrating. Today I share mine with you.

I proudly come from a multigenerational working-class family that fought to stay afloat during the Great Recession. I watched my mom, dad, and stepmom work tirelessly to care for me and my siblings. As a kid, my dad detailed family friends鈥� cars and picked up weekend shifts at the local pizza place to supplement his full-time income. When my dad lost his long-time warehouse job in 2008, he did everything he could to pick up work, whether it be with a temp agency or working as a handyman for a local realty company. My dad had valuable skills and experience, and an unwavering work ethic, but without a college degree it was practically impossible at that time to get a full-time, good-paying job. Throughout the struggle, he stressed to me how important it was not only to have a strong work ethic, but to have a quality education to pair with it.

For my family, there was no question if I was going to college; the conversation was when I was going to college and what I needed to do to get into a 鈥済ood school.鈥� As the oldest sibling, there was tremendous pressure to stay focused on academics and set a good example for my younger siblings by getting 鈥済ood grades,鈥� getting into a 鈥済ood school鈥� to then get a 鈥済ood job.鈥� I went on a single campus visit because my parents could not get the time off work to take me to other schools. I spent the better part of a year figuring out how to apply to colleges, and we toiled over how to accurately complete the FAFSA application to gain access to financial aid required to attend school in the first place. Before I looked at dorm options, I was researching work-study jobs on campus. I didn鈥檛 know back then that this pressure and these experiences were not just from being the oldest sibling, but also the result of being the first person in my family bound for a four-year college.

With all of this in mind, being at college was a big deal to me. I was determined to accomplish what my parents didn鈥檛 have the opportunity to. As a transfer student, I lost multiple credits in the transfer process and therefore took 18 credit hours most semesters. My family was unable to help me financially, so I worked four jobs while going to school full-time in order to pay bills and buy groceries. To get some community-building experience, I co-ran a student organization on campus as well. In the midst of all this busy-ness, I still felt incredibly isolated. It seemed like no one around me understood my struggle, nor could they relate to the life experiences that made up my worldview. I was often surrounded by classmates whose parents attended our university, who already had job and internship connections lined up, or who were able to retake classes as a result of partying multiple nights a week using their parents鈥� credit card. I just could not relate! I was under a different pressure, with different goals.

Halfway through my senior year of college, I learned that a friend was planning to do research about first-generation college students. I had no idea what that meant. When she told me that first-generation college students are the first people in their family to go to college, and that there were thousands of them at our university, I was stunned. All this time and I didn鈥檛 know that there were other people experiencing similar pressures and priorities. There were other students on campus who felt an obligation to their families while also seeking a better life for themselves, who had to balance working multiple jobs with the desire to soak up as much as we possibly can with this opportunity we鈥檝e been given. In learning that I was first-gen, and that there were others like me, I also learned that the school had programs and support systems in place for first-generation students. I was so excited, yet so sad I didn鈥檛 take advantage of that support system sooner!

I share this for National First Generation Day because maybe you, too, have had a similar experience. Being the first in your family to attend college is both a challenge and a gift. As first-gens, we鈥檝e not only experienced varying struggles to get where we are but we also bring with us a multitude of strengths that provide a different perspective to our education, our work, our art. This Celebration Day is to celebrate just that: what it鈥檚 taken to get here, and all that these experiences will do to serve you as you journey through higher education and your life.

My reminder & my advice to you, from one first-gen to another: you are not alone, and there are other people just like you on campus who care about your journey & seek to support you through it.

Resources:

On-Campus / 黑料专区:

• Check out the , a student-run 黑料专区 student organization specifically for the first-gen community on campus. For Fall 2023, they meet Wednesdays at 4:00pm in A010 in the Yamasaki basement.

   

• Come find me in the Office of Student Affairs in the Yamasaki building! I would love nothing more than to support you throughout your journey as a first-generation student at 黑料专区.

• Center for Tutoring and Writing 鈥� The Center for Tutoring and Writing is an incredible resource that provides 黑料专区 students with individualized academic support, academic coaching, writing support, and peer tutoring for traditional & digital creative skills, software assistance and more!听 with a peer tutor today!

• The Office of Financial Aid assists students with financial aid options. Among other things like financial aid award breakdowns, the Office of Financial Aid provides students with insights on all financial aid options, including grants/scholarships, work study programs, and outside opportunities, loan default prevention as well as offering other assistance as needed.
  • The Financial Aid office is located on the main floor of the Yamasaki Building
  • Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30AM – 4:30PM
  • Visit the Financial Aid page for contact information .

Virtual:

• Empowering First Generation College Students Facebook Group
  • This Facebook group serves as a virtual community of first-generation students and professionals seeking to support one another in school, work, and life. We are more than 7,400 members strong and provide insight, guidance, and support for a myriad of topics. I am also an Administrator of this Facebook Group! We welcome any first-generation students, as well as faculty & staff who are committed to supporting the first-gen community:

• Empowering First Generation College Students LinkedIn page
  • An offshoot of the Facebook page, the LinkedIn group aims to provide career support and guidance, as well as connections to opportunities, to first-generation college students & professionals. You can join the LinkedIn group here:

By Amy Lazet, Digital Scholarship Librarian, Library

Known as sizeism, fatphobia, fat shaming, or weight stigma, this pervasive form of bias involves discriminating against people because of their body size. According to psychologist Rebecca Puhl, PhD, 鈥淪izeism is one of the most deeply entrenched stigmas in today鈥檚 society, partly because of sociocultural ideals tying thinness to core American values such as hard work and individualism.鈥�1 Because this form of bias is often directed towards women and others with marginalized identities, including people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community, sizeism is an intersectional issue.

Weight stigma, however, is often perpetuated by those closest to us; a 2021 study by Puhl found that up to 88% of women seeking to lose weight had experienced fat shaming from family members.2 This shaming may be framed as concern for one鈥檚 health, often manifesting as unsolicited weight loss advice.3 Indeed, over 40% of American adults have experienced some sort of sizeism, even though weight stigma can negatively affect mental health, eating habits, and overall health.1 Over the long-term, it can even increase the risk of mortality.1

There is a long history of efforts to combat sizeism, however. In 1976, Michigan passed the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which includes 鈥渨eight鈥� as a protected category when it comes to public and educational facilities and services, as well as employment and housing.4 The body positivity movement is another effort to address weight stigma. This intersectional endeavor finds all bodies beautiful, 鈥�…regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender or physical abilities,鈥� says Dr. Albers, PsyD at Cleveland Clinic.5 A similar movement for body neutrality focuses on accepting and respecting your body and its abilities rather than your appearance. 鈥淭his approach acknowledges that your body is only one part of who you are – not the totality. It also shouldn鈥檛 dominate how you feel about yourself,鈥� says Dr. Albers.5 Similarly to body positivity, body neutrality is intended for people of all sizes, not just those experiencing weight stigma.

In addition to increasing your awareness of body acceptance, some steps you can take to avoid sizeism include:

• Not discussing your weight or your diet – particularly around your children or in the workplace⁵
• Focusing on what the body does rather than what it looks like⁵
• Being mindful of who you follow on social media and the beauty ideals they promote⁵
• Avoid giving unsolicited weight loss advice or explicitly commenting on someone else鈥檚 weight – even in a positive way
• Being aware of differing abilities related to body size – in this workplace, this may look like providing chairs so people don鈥檛 have to stand, avoiding putting items on the floor or bottom shelf to allow people to not have to kneel, and making sure furniture is size-inclusive

Resources:

• Test your personal bias – take the (proceed through the 鈥淧reliminary Information鈥� then select 鈥淲eight IAT鈥�).
• The has led the fat acceptance movement for decades and currently offers events and programming.

Citations:

1. Zara Abrams (2022), 鈥淭he Burden of Weight Stigma,鈥� American Psychological Association.
2. Rebecca Puhl et al. (2021), 鈥淚nternational Comparisons of Weight Stigma: Addressing a Void in the Field,鈥� cited in Samantha Lawrence, et al. (2022), 鈥溾�楾he most hurtful thing I’ve ever experienced鈥�: A qualitative examination of the nature of experiences of weight stigma by family members,鈥�
3. Samantha Lawrence, et al. (2022), 鈥溾�楾he most hurtful thing I’ve ever experienced鈥�: A qualitative examination of the nature of experiences of weight stigma by family members,鈥�
5. 鈥淲hats the Difference Between Body Positivity and Body Neutrality?鈥� (2022, April 22) Cleveland Clinic,

Why does Black History Month occur in February? When Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) first established 鈥淣egro History Week鈥�, which would later expand to become Black History month, he chose the second week of February because it contained the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, two men who are significant American symbols of freedom. However, the life work of Woodson and the mission of the ASALH was never to confine Black history to a week. Woodson and the ASALH believed there should be a year-around and year-after-year study of Black history. The first official observance came in 1976, when President Woodrow Wilson established February as Black History Month.听

The theme for 2023鈥檚 Black History Month is Black Resistance. Since their arrival in the United States, Black people have resisted ongoing oppression, pushing for the country to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. On February 4th, we celebrate the well known resistance, Rosa Parks, who famously refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. By acts of resistance, Black people have achieved triumphs, successes, and progress which can be seen in the end of slavery, dismantling Jim Crow laws in the South, increased political representation, desegregation of educational institutions, the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, and representation of Black voices in the media.听

Despite this progress, Black resistance must continue as Black Americans continue to face racism, discrimination, and violence, most recently seen with the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Let this year鈥檚 Black History Month theme of Black Resistance keep us mindful, not just in February, of the power of resistance and striving towards a more just society.

黑料专区 Black Creative Club + Black History Month Events

• February 1st-3rd, 2023 Blackout, both campuses
• February 3rd, 2023 Spades Tournament, 11:30am-12:30pm, WB217
• Friday Movie Marathon 鈥淏ye Felisha鈥�, 12:30pm-6:00pm WB217
• February 17th, 2023 BlacKkKlansman Movie Night, 6:00pm-8:00pm, TC 280
• February 18th, 2023 The Cookout, 5:00pm-8:30pm, WB 217

Other Local Events

Detroit Institute of Arts
The DIA is offering a variety of activities in honor of Black History Month.

• February 3rd, 2023, 7pm, Wendell Harrison: Fighting for the Children (film)
• February 4th, 2023, 10am-2pm,听 Black History Month Educator Workshop
• February 4th, 2023, 2pm, New York International Children鈥檚 Film Festival: Celebrating Black Stories
• February 4th, 2023, 7:30pm, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks (film)
• February 5th, 2023, 2pm, Drylongso (film)
• February 9th, 7 pm and February 11th, 2pm, Mosaic in Concert: Let the Good Times Roll
• February 17th-23rd, The Melt Goes on Forever (film, virtual)
• February 17th, 6pm-8:30pm, Drawing in the Galleries: African American Galleries
• February 26th, 2pm, Kenneth Thompkins: Structurally Sound (concert)

Detroit Historical Museum

• February 25th, 10am-4pm, On the Shoulders of Giants: Celebrating Black History Month

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History听

• February 12th, 2pm-4pm, Sunday Film Series: Zora Neal Hurston鈥�: Claiming a Space
• February 16th, 5pm-9pm, Third Thursdays @ the Wright
• February 18th, 1pm-5pm, The Wright Family Fun Day
• February 26th, 2pm-4pm, ASALH Black History Program: Reflections of a Civil Rights Foot Soldier
• February 26th, Youth Speaks Black History Month Showcase

Additional Resources

Written by Amber Thomas, Director of Transfer and Academic Partnerships听

Monday kicked off National Transfer Student Week, an initiative led by the to build awareness of the barriers, struggles, and accomplishments common to our diverse transfer student population.
This is 黑料专区’ third year joining in the celebration of our own unique transfer student community and the benefit they bring to our campus, to Michigan, and to higher education as a whole.
In the spirit of the week, we highlight the pride we have in our transfer students and look at how transfer itself is an equity issue.

Transfer Matters

Over one third of the students attending 黑料专区 are transfers and we have countless successful transfer alumni. Our transfer student body is diverse in age and background, joining us from around the globe and down the street. Most transfers in Michigan (including the majority of our transfer students at 黑料专区) will start their undergraduate studies at another institution within the state 鈥� community college being their most common point of entry. Many have commitments beyond those of our incoming freshmen, and may already be familiar with the ‘hustle’ of work/life balance. By choosing to join our undergraduate community, they are making a substantial commitment to themselves and to our creative economy.

Shifts in the higher education landscape have accelerated rapidly in the past two decades, elevating the topic of transfer student needs and a system that often yields inconsistent to poor returns for students and colleges. Renewed investment in transfer students鈥� role and degree attainment comes at a time when so much of the college experience is also being re-envisioned; providing us with an opportunity to explore new ways of ensuring a student-centric process.

It is vital that we celebrate the students who have made this transition successfully and ensure they have the means, support, tools, and resources, specific to their needs, to complete their educational goals.

Persisting Barriers to Transfer

I can count myself among the many transfer students that would have loved to start first at 黑料专区. I applied and was even accepted as a freshman out of high school (Thanks, Sabrina!). For a myriad of reasons, this was not in the cards. I first attended a community college, then transferred to a university before I committed to attending here. All in all it took me nearly nine years to earn my BFA. Granted, I changed my major three times and took a semester hiatus to have my son. Course sequencing, limited offerings, and duplicative courses provided additional setbacks. With compounding loan interest and in time lost, I鈥檝e paid more than I want to admit for my degree, even if I would do it all again. Well, almost all 鈥� that duplicative coursework was particularly frustrating.听

My story is common and even privileged by many accounts. I had family members who had gone to college to help guide me. Most of my family was supportive of my pursuit of art and design. I worked my way through college, but I had help. I also had that luxury and the benefit of attending at a time when financial aid in the US went considerably farther than it does for today’s students.

Transfer and Inclusion

Higher education provides a proven pathway to social mobility, to generational wealth, and to closing inequity gaps, but only when it is available to all who want it. When it works, the transfer path offers one of the few avenues to degree completion that is accessible to all.

New doors are opening all the time, and larger, more inclusive conversations are happening everywhere I look. Transfer is making national news and headlines. Here, at home, I see the introduction of new 鈥榯ransfer friendly鈥� programs, collaborative efforts and an understanding of the urgency by our leadership. There is work being done to provide innovative online courses, rethinking delivery modes and timelines, and there are enthusiastic and encouraging transfer advocates across 黑料专区 who are seeking to provide room for these students at our table.

With advances in education tools and learning modules, along with support from our accreditors to act, we have unparalleled opportunities to re-envision transfer; particularly at colleges of art and design. The transfer pipeline, at 黑料专区 and beyond, is helping those who need it most, but we know we can do more. We renew our commitment to this work today by elevating the accomplishments of the students who have already navigated this complex path in order to join the muster*.听

*muster (n.): a group of peacocks.

Are you part of the Transfer Community at 黑料专区? Join us to celebrate NTSW!

Events this week:

Monday
Transfer Pride Kickoff
11am-1pm in front of the Yamasaki Building

罢耻别蝉诲补测听
NTSW Advising and Career Development Panel
11:30-12:30 in the WB Auditorium听

Wednesday
Transfer Advising Ford Campus
11:30am-12:30pm in YAM A010

Thursday听
Transfer Students Dinner
7pm in W217

Friday
Transfer Advising Taubman Center
11:30am-12:30pm in T610

听

Resources for a Deeper Dive

The Lasting Impact of Emmett Till

Amy Lazet, Digital Scholarship Librarian

August 28, 2022 marks the 67th anniversary of the death of Emmett Till – a vigilante act of violence and murder which galvanized the nation and precipitated the Civil Rights Movement.听

Emmett Till鈥檚 Life

In 1955, Emmett Till, a 14-year old African American boy from Chicago, visited his extended family in the Mississippi Delta. While there, he and his cousins went to a store run by a white woman. Being from Chicago, Emmett unknowingly violated social mores for interactions between Black and White people in the South: he put his money into her hand rather than on the counter, and she claimed that he wolf-whistled at her. When the woman鈥檚 husband heard the story, he and his half-brother drove to where Emmett was staying, kidnapped him, and tortured him before shooting him and throwing his body into the river. Three days later his body was found, so disfigured that he could only be identified by his ring. ()

His corpse was returned to his mother, Mamie Till, who brought the issue to national attention by opting for an open-casket funeral on September 6, saying, 鈥淵ou didn鈥檛 die for nothing.鈥� () The funeral received national coverage and the horrific photos of Emmett鈥檚 body shocked the nation. In November 1955, Emmett鈥檚 killers were tried in Mississippi but acquitted by an all-white, all-male jury. ()

The story of Emmett and the images of his funeral made national and international news. For Black people, the images served as a reminder of what could happen to any of them; for many white people, the images were irrefutable proof that racism was rife in the US. The photographs galvanized African Americans across the nation to fight the oppression of segregation and Jim Crow laws, calling themselves the 鈥淓mmett Till Generation.鈥� ()

Effect on the Civil Rights Movement

Emmett鈥檚 murder was a pivotal event which hastened the Civil Rights Movement. Just three months later, on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to vacate her seat at the front of a bus in order to allow a white man to sit. () When asked why she refused to move to the back of the bus, she said, 鈥淚 thought of Emmett Till and I couldn鈥檛 go back.鈥� () Her arrest precipitated the , facilitated by the 鈥嬧�婱ontgomery Improvement Association (MIA) and its president, Martin Luther King, Jr. () Her arrest led the MIA to file suit over the constitutionality of bus segregation and in 1956, the US Supreme Court upheld the lower court鈥檚 ruling overturning segregation. ()

The was long and arduous and included the , the Civil Rights Act of 1957, in 1960, the 1961 , and Martin Luther King, Jr.鈥檚 on June 23, 1963 and on August 28, 1963. () These are just a few of the events of the Civil Rights Movement that culminated in the and the . The Acts, although monumental victories for equality in the US, did not immediately or fully eradicate racism and segregation, and were necessary to force desegregation in the following decades.听

Lasting Impact

Emmett Till continues to resonate in our culture, not least because the fight for equal rights is still ongoing. We see echoes of Emmett鈥檚 gruesome murder in the images of dogs and water hoses being turned on peaceful protestors in the 1960s or the videos of Rodney King鈥檚 beating or George Floyd鈥檚 murder. () Because of the courage of his mother, Emmett Till became the symbol of a generation of activists and served as a turning point in the fight for equality for all in the US.

Learn more:

Emmett Till:
(video and online exhibit)
(podcast)
(video)

Detroit Civil Rights:

Sources:

1. 鈥淢amie Till Mobley鈥� in 鈥淭he Murder of Emmett Till. PBS. 2003. PBS.org, .
2. Hassan, Adeel. 鈥淓mmett Till鈥檚 Enduring Legacy.鈥� The New York Times, 6 Dec. 2021. NYTimes.com,
3. 鈥淩osa Parks: In Her Own Words.鈥� Library of Congress. 2019. .
4. 鈥淓mmett Till with His Mother鈥� in 鈥淩osa Parks: In Her Own Words.鈥� Library of Congress. 2019. . Accessed 17 July 2022.
5. Stanford University. 鈥淢ontgomery Bus Boycott.鈥� The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. 26 Apr. 2017..
6. 鈥淭he Bus Boycott鈥� in 鈥淩osa Parks: In Her Own Words.鈥� Library of Congress. 2019. .听
7. 鈥淐ivil Rights Era (1950-1963)鈥� in 鈥淭he Civil Rights Act of 1964.鈥� Library of Congress. .

About Holi

Holi, also known as the Festival of Color, is a Hindu holiday that originated in India, but is now celebrated all over the world. The festival calendar dates change year to year because it is based on the lunar calendar. It begins the night of the full moon of the Hindu month of Phalguna. This year, Holi celebrations begin on March 18, 2022. Depending on regional traditions, celebrations can begin the day before with a bonfire as part of Holika Dahan.

Common activities to celebrate Holi include prayer, Holika Dahan (bonfires), throwing gulal (colored powder) and colored water on each other, and visiting others to share food and drink. The holiday is seen as a time to embrace equality and renew relationships, as personal distinctions are paused and everyone becomes unified through color and festive fun.听

Holi has three main inspirations for its celebrations, which include spring鈥檚 arrival, the story of Krishna and Radha, and the story of Holika and Prahalad. These provide themes of positive change and renewal, love and compassion, and the triumph of good over evil to Holi festivities.

The arrival of spring offers a reminder during Holi that just as spring welcomes a new beginning from winter, those celebrating should also be willing to start fresh and look forward positively, forgetting and forgiving previous resentments. It also promotes a sense of community for many, as it aligns with preparation for spring harvests.

The elements of love and compassion are present in Holi celebrations in honor of the story of Krishna and Radha. Krishna, who was an incarnation of Hindu God Lord Vishnu, enjoyed showing his care for others through friendly teasing and one day, he threw colors on his friend Radha in a playful expression of his love and soon everyone joined the colorful fun. The story serves as a reminder that everyone is equal and should be treated as such, regardless of any physical differences.

The legend of Holika and Prahlad relays the message of the prevailing power of good over evil in the survival of Prince Prahlad. Prahlad鈥檚 father, the evil King Hiranyakashipu, demanded that his kingdom worship him instead of God, but Prahlad鈥檚 devotion to the Hindu God Lord Vishu did not waiver. Frustrated with his son, the king asked his demonic sister Holika who was impervious to fire for help burning Prahlad in a fire pit. Prahlad, fully surrendered to Vishnu, fearlessly entered the fire and was protected by Vishnu, who also reversed Holika鈥檚 power so that she burned instead. This story also encourages those celebrating Holi to be humble, kind, and tolerant throughout negative situations which are part of life.听

Events

When searching for Holi events, it is very easy to find many invitations to join a Color Run, which involves the color-throwing activity that Holi is best known for. As Holi is ultimately a festival that celebrates bringing people of all backgrounds together in compassion and care, it is in no way limited to only Hindu participation. However, it is important that key elements of the festival are presented while recognizing Hinduism, India, and the stories connected to Holi, otherwise Holi鈥檚 ancient spiritual traditions become culturally appropriated and commercialized.

Join the Fun

• Interested in helping organize 黑料专区鈥檚 Holi event? Please contact international@ccsdetroit.edu!
• March 17th – Holika Dahan at :
• March 20th – Holi Celebration at :

Learn More

• (Great crossword to test knowledge)
• A People鈥檚 History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramanian ()
• (podcast)
• Priyanka Chopra chats with Jimmy Fallon about Holi

Thank you for learning about Holi with ISSO and DEI Advisory Group! We strive for an inclusive 黑料专区 community and encourage feedback: diversity@ccsdetroit.edu

Black History Month is for All of Us

By Alecia Haney, Associate Director of Foundation Relations – Office of Institutional Advancement & Jordan Mickey – Junior Communication Design BFA + Advertising Minor | Student Activities Board + Student Government: Communication Design Representative + / Black Creatives Club+ Student Org President

Originally established as a week-long celebration in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Black History Month was first recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976. President Ford challenged the American people to 鈥渟eize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.鈥�

Celebrate our shared history by making it a point to Celebrate Black History this month (and hey! – make a point of listening to Black Voices year-round!)

2022 Theme:

Black Health and Wellness has been selected as the theme for 2022 by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. In addition to Western medicine and the recognition of medical and health scholars, this theme also encompasses the other health and healing practices of the African Diaspora (e.g., birthworkers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.). The activities and practices undertaken by Black communities in order to promote and ensure overall wellness are celebrated with this theme. For an excellent overview of this theme, visit the .听

Personal Reflections

Jordan Mickey / Junior Communication Design BFA + Advertising Minor | Student Activities Board + Student Government: Communication Design Representative + / Black Creatives Club+ Student Org President

My name is Jordan Mickey, and I am so excited to celebrate Black History Month at 黑料专区! When I transferred to 黑料专区, I struggled to find other Black students on campus. During my first semester, I loved getting involved in the events and activities that were happening on-campus, but I felt like there was a need to increase activities focused on or geared towards Black students.听

In October of 2019, there was a trip to a cider mill and the bus ride was about 45 minutes, and little did I know that those 45 minutes would change my entire 黑料专区 career. I attended the trip with Sadaira Wills, the current Vice President of Black Creatives Club+, and on that trip, we met Gayla Blake (黑料专区 Alum – Interior Design 2021) and Olivia Holt (黑料专区 Alum – Product Design 2022). During that bus ride, we discussed how my first year at 黑料专区 was going and they shared their experiences being Black at 黑料专区. During our discussion, we all came to the conclusion that 黑料专区 should have more programming focused on Black culture on campus. That鈥檚 when we started Black Creatives Club+ (formerly Black People Meetup).听

Our first event was a 鈥渕eet up鈥� where we put out flyers that told all students interested in joining our organization to come and meet up with us. During that event, I was shocked at how many Black students were on campus because I never crossed paths with them or saw them around campus. Fast forward to this year, 2022, I am excited to celebrate Black History Month, because while we were able to host a Black History Trivia event in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began and we were not able to host in-person events during 2021. Now it鈥檚 2022, and we are absolutely pumped! I grew up in a predominantly non-Black community, so I am excited to have the opportunity at 黑料专区 to gather a group of students looking to celebrate and learn about Black culture. This Black History Month, it鈥檚 important to remember that Black History Month is not strictly just for Black people to celebrate, but for everyone to celebrate. I want the 黑料专区 community to have an opportunity to learn and understand Black Histories beyond stories of racism and slavery and spotlight Black achievement.

听

Events Planned for Black History Month at 黑料专区

• February 4th, 2022 – Movie Night: Friday | 7:30-9:30pm in TC280
• February 11th, 2022 – Being Black at 黑料专区: Instagram Live Session | 7:30-8:00pm on @ Instagram
• February 19th, 2022 – The Cookout | 5:00-8:30pm in TC 11th Floor Auditorium
• February 21st, 2022 – Alumni & Industry Panel | 11:30-12:30pm via Zoom

Other Local Events听

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is hosting a that includes a ton of online activities – all for free. Open Wednesday – Friday (9am – 4pm) and Saturday – Sunday (10am – 5pm) Tickets are free for residents of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. Student tickets are $8. Highlights include:

• Friday, February 4 at 7 p.m. (DFT) | Film, Conversations on X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X
• Thursday, February 10 at 1pm (virtual) | Tour: New Black Vanguard Part I
• Saturday, February 12 at 10 am 鈥� 2:30pm | Black History Month Educator Workshop听
• Sunday, February 13 at 1 鈥� 2:30pm (Lecture Hall) | Special event, 29th Annual Alain Locke Awards: New Black Vanguard Part II
• Wednesday, February 23 at 6 pm (DFT) | Lecture, Talking about Art with Shirley Woodson

Streaming films

• Feb 1 鈥� 7 | Documentary Films of Madeline Anderson
• Feb 8 鈥� 14 | The Last Angel of History
• Feb 22 鈥� 28 | Seven Songs for Malcolm X

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• Open Thursday 鈥� Saturday (10am – 5pm) and Sunday (1pm – 5pm).
• 听Advance ticket purchases are encouraged, but not required. Tickets for 1.5 hour time blocks are available . Student tickets are $8.

• Open Thursday – Saturday (9am – 4pm) and Sunday (12 pm – 5pm).听
• Tickets are $10.

Event Highlight:

• Thursdays, 12:00 noon – 1:00pm & 4:00 – 5:00pm听 Join each Thursday during Black History Month as we share parts of our world renowned long-term exhibition, And Still We Rise!
• February 3, 2022 鈥� Ancient Africa
• February 10, 2022 鈥� The Transatlantic Slave Trade
• February 17th 鈥� Resilience and Resistance: Africans in America
• February 24, 2022 鈥� Emancipation & The Great Migration

• The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has a Detroit branch and is holding a .听
• February 5, 12:00 – 1:00pm, Online, Free
• : From Exploitation to Excellence, a ticketed two-part event.
• Saturday, February 12, 12:00 – 2:00pm
• Sunday, February 27, 5:00 – 6:30pm听

Explore the , and of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Resources to Dig Deeper:

For facts and an in-depth history of Black History Month

For timely discussion of the importance of studying Black History, consider the following articles:

• – an updated (though not exhaustive) list of current Black Leaders as compiled by Seramount.com
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Written by Brianna McClendon – Outreach Manager – Office for Institutional Equity & Inclusion

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – MLK Day 2022

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 17, and it is a day to celebrate the accomplishments, trials, and tribulations, and reflect on the Civil Rights Movement which lasted from the 1950s to the 1960s. The Civil Rights Movement had many well-known leaders, like Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez, and many others. Martin Luther King Jr., or MLK, is one of the most well-known Civil Rights leaders and human rights activists. MLK is best known for moments such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and his, “I Have a Dream” speech. For all of his hard work and contributions, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 shortly before his passing on April 4, 1968. MLK Day became a national holiday in 1983, and all states made it a state government holiday by 2000.

Virtual Events

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In-Person Events in Detroit (and Metro Detroit)

• Andrew Young Documentary Screening – Charles H. Wright Museum screening at 12pm on Monday, January 17. Please be advised that you will need to either show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within the past 72 hours prior to the film screening.
• ‘King: A Filmed Record … Montgomery to Memphis’ – A screening of the Oscar-nominated film that follows Martin Luther King Jr. from 1955 through 1968 will take place at 1 p.m. Monday at the Detroit Film Theatre, 5200 Woodward, Detroit. Registration is required.听
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at the Henry Ford – 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday. Free admission and parking. Capacity will be limited and monitored at the door.
• Mass for Justice and Peace – 11 a.m. mass at Detroit’s Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 9844 Woodward Ave.听
• MLK Day: Give Us The Ballot – Celebrate the 87th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday at the .
• MLK Day of Service Food Giveaway – 11 a.m. in the Parks and Recreation circular drive at the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen.

Learn More and Get Involved

Celebrating Indigenous People – A President鈥檚 Proclamation

Submitted by Marcyanna Parzych- Maintenance Technician- Facilities Department听 听 听 听 听 听
听 Monday, October 11, 2021
听 Indigenous Peoples鈥� Day

Even though Indigenous Peoples鈥� Day has been around since 1992, it has taken 29 years for an official Federal Government acknowledgment of the holiday. On October 8, 2021, President Biden issued . While various states and municipalities have recognized and celebrated this day for years, this is the first time a President of the United States of America has officially recognized Indigenous Peoples鈥� Day.

2021 has not only been a year for COVID-19 vaccine-related news but also the that the virus has had on the BIPOC community. It has highlighted the systemic racism and inequities Indigenous People endure regarding access to resources and medical care.

One of the first things that we can do to support Indigenous People is acknowledge which tribal lands we are now occupying and which group of Indigenous People we have displaced. 黑料专区 has a Land Acknowledgment Statement statement on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion main page.

Land Acknowledgement Statement

The 黑料专区 respectfully acknowledges that we are on the traditional, contemporary, and ancestral homelands of鈥痶he Anishinaabe 鈥� Council of Three Fires:鈥痶he Ojibwe/Chippewa, Odawa/Ottawa, and Potawatomi/Bod茅wadmi along with their neighbors the Seneca, Delaware, Fox, Shawnee, Loups, Miami and Wyandot who maintained, and continue to preserve lifeways along Detroit鈥檚 river banks and throughout the Great Lakes region. By signing the Treaty of Detroit in 1807, Anishinaabek tribes鈥� ceded 鈥痶he 鈥痩and now occupied by the city we stand on.鈥� We recognize Michigan is home to 12 federally recognized tribes who continue to steward this land, in remembrance of their ancestors and thinking of future generations.

The 黑料专区 (黑料专区), in partnership with Detroit Historical Society (DHS), is creating a new body of visual stories and narratives related to the DHS 鈥淒ocumenting Detroit鈥� series.听 Students from the Communication Design Department and the Photography Department are collaborating to deliver a series of experimental printed and digital experiences that showcase new storytelling methods aligned with the .听 Please stay tuned for more information pertaining to this partnership.

Some of the other ways we can support Indigenous People, courtesy of Diversity Inc, can be located .

As an Educational and Creative Arts Community, it is especially important to 鈥減ractice what we preach鈥�. As a college community, we must continue to educate ourselves on the violent history, erasure and cultural exploitation Indigenous People have and continue to experience. This year鈥檚 news stories have highlighted these issues. Indigenous People have rich, beautiful cultures full of wisdom. We all must make an effort to address these issues if we want a truly equitable society.

Events

Resources