“Fruitvale Station” at Eastern Michigan University’s Film Series
February 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Wed Feb 17, 2016
Lens Wide Open Film Series: Fruitvale Station
5:00 PM
Halle Library Auditorium
Cost: Free
Open to the public
The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008. Discussion will follow.
Please note not all titles are appropriate for all audiences. Titles are subject to change without notice. Priority seating may be given to EMU Student ID cardholders and their guests. The views expressed during these programs do not necessarily reflect the views of Campus Life, Eastern Michigan University, its staff or affiliates.
Eastern Michigan University’s Film Series showing, “A Better Life”
February 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Wed Feb 3, 2016
Lens Wide Open Film Series: A Better Life
5:00 PM
Halle Library Auditorium
Cost: Free
Open to the public
A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had. Discussion will follow.
Please note not all titles are appropriate for all audiences. Titles are subject to change without notice. Priority seating may be given to EMU Student ID cardholders and their guests. The views expressed during these programs do not necessarily reflect the views of Campus Life, Eastern Michigan University, its staff or affiliates.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Summer Advocacy Institute for High School Students
January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
ACLU Summer Advocacy Institute
ACLU Summer Advocacy Institute Speakers
ACLU Summer Institute
Program Overview
From free speech to privacy and from mass incarceration to voting rights, students will become experts on the issues currently being confronted in the United States’ courts and political arena.
The ACLU’s Summer Advocacy Institute will bring together a diverse group of students entering their junior and senior years of high school from across the United States to participate in an advanced, firsthand learning experience for the next generation of social justice advocates. Through an intensive 7-day program, students will learn directly from lawyers, lobbyists, community activists, journalists, and other experts working to defend the civil rights and liberties critical to a free and open society. The Close Up Foundation — a DC-based civic-education nonprofit — will serve as a partner with the ACLU to provide substantive experiential learning opportunities that help students hone their skills as issue-focused campaigners.
In classroom sessions, lectures, and daily debates, students will explore the complex nature of defending and advancing civil liberties as well as contend with the importance of these freedoms in our current society. Students will be immersed in the real world of political and legal decision making in Washington, D.C., meeting with elected officials and journalists as well as participating in workshops with civil rights pioneers and current youth activists. Students will draw on these experiences to develop an advocacy campaign on a contemporary issue of their choosing and will present and receive professional feedback on their project from the real political change-makers in our nation’s capital. Learn more here.
Engage
with lobbyists, lawyers, grassroots activists, and journalists on social justice
Build
expertise and knowledge in advocacy and grassroots activism to successfully mobilize around social and political justice
Participate
fully in debate, developing successful media and social networking strategies, and observe policy development on Capitol Hill
Program Dates: June 19-25, 2016
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Deadline to Apply: Rolling admissions. Students who apply before February 15th, 2016, will have their application fee waived.
Scholarships available.
Speakers
Anthony Romero, Executive Director, ACLU
Anthony D. Romero is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, the nation’s foremost guardian of liberty for nearly 100 years. Under his leadership, the ACLU has grown into a nationwide organization of more than a million members, activists, and supporters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. Whether it’s winning marriage equality, ending mass incarceration, protecting privacy, or preserving the right to an abortion, the ACLU safeguards the individual rights of everyone in their pursuit of happiness.
Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden he has single-handedly reignited a global debate about the extent and nature of government surveillance and our most fundamental rights as individuals.
Cristina Jiménez
Cristina Jiménez is co-founder and managing director of the United We Dream Network, the largest immigrant youth-led network in the country. The organization, which is made up of over 100,000 immigrant youth and allies, has been a critical force in addressing immigration inequities across the country. Originally from Ecuador, Cristina came to the U.S. with her family at the age of 13, attending high school and college as an undocumented student. She was recently named among Forbes’ “30 under 30 in Law and Policy,” one of “21 immigration reform power players” and one of 5 non-profit leaders who will influence public policy by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Jamilah Lemieux
Jamilah Lemieux is a senior editor at EBONY magazine, the publication of record for African-Americans since 1945. A prolific writer and media commentator on race and other social justice issues, she was named to The Root 100 list of the nation’s most influential African-Americans as well as Fortune’s list of most influential women on Twitter in 2014.
Speakers will be added. Check back for updates.
Workshops
Learn about effective tools for activists from journalists and social networking experts. Experience the passion of student activism, past and present, in a workshop with civil rights activists and the March on Washington Film Festival.
Visits
Discuss issues with congressional staff and lobbyists on the Hill.
Admissions
Please be advised that students will be accepted on a rolling basis, with applications reviewed in the order in which they are received. Students will receive a decision by email within two weeks of the date their application is received.
One recommendation from a high school teacher or school counselor, to be emailed to summerinstitute@aclu.org. Your name must be in the subject line.
Application essay
Please describe your academic and personal interest in social justice and advocacy. What do you see as being the most important civil liberties or rights issue of the moment? Feel free to be creative and do not limit yourself to ACLU priorities. (500-word maximum).
Non-refundable application fee of $50.00.
Waivers: Any applicant who intends to apply for full financial aid should email summerinstitute@aclu.org to request a fee waiver code prior to submitting the application. In the email, please include your full name and your intention to apply for financial aid.
Apply Now
Eligibility
Students must be entering their junior or senior year of high school.
Have a strong interest in social justice, civil liberties, and advocacy.
Tuition & Fees: Room & Board
A tuition fee of $2,100 per student covers residential living on Georgetown University’s campus, all experiential learning activities, off-campus social events, and all student meals, with the exception of those off-campus excursions where students are given supervised free time to explore and eat on their own. Transportation to and from Washington, D.C., will be arranged by Close Up, and information regarding travel arrangements will be included in acceptance material. Scholarships are available. Any applicant who intends to apply for full financial aid should email summerinstitute@aclu.org to request a fee waiver code prior to submitting the application. In the email, please include your full name and your intention to apply for financial aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I or my child apply to the ACLU Summer Advocacy Institute?
2. Are scholarships available?
3. Will students participate in social activities?
4. Who supervises students?
5. What will students have access to on Georgetown University’s campus?
6. How are rooms assigned?
7. How will my child get from the airport/train station to the Georgetown campus?
8. What are the procedures for students who get sick?
About the ACLU
For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. Whether it’s achieving a 50 percent reduction in mass incarceration by 2020; challenging police brutality nationwide; establishing new privacy protections for our digital age of widespread government surveillance; or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion; the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With more than a million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide non-partisan nonprofit that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., to safeguard everyone’s rights. The ACLU Summer Advocacy Institute builds upon this tradition to directly engage youth in becoming civil liberties advocates in their own right.
About the Close Up Foundation
Close Up is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that educates and inspires young people to become informed and engaged citizens. Since 1971, Close Up has partnered with schools and organizations across the country to inform, inspire, and empower young people to exercise the rights and accept the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.
Contact Us
Email: summerinstitute@aclu.org
Phone: 212.284.7370
Fair Housing Breakfast with Theodore M. Shaw
January 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Dr. Ted Shaw
Former Director
NAACP Legal & Education Fund, Inc.
Greetings. We are excited to announce that we are bringing in renowned civil rights champion Theodore M. Shaw as the guest speaker for our 2016 Fair Housing Breakfast on 3/16/16 in Ann Arbor. More information is available at www.fhcmichigan.org. Thanks to a generous sponsor, we also have a few scholarship tickets available. Kristen J. Cuhran
Ann Arbor NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner
October 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Ann Arbor Branch NAACP
Freedom Fund Dinner
Sunday, November 1, 2015
4:00 p.m.
Ann Arbor Sheraton Hotel
Theme: “Pursuing Liberty in the Face of Injustice”
Speaker: Rodd L. Monts, Field Director, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan
Tickets - $50.00
Tickets may be reserved by calling the NAACP answering service:
(734) 761-9084
Please support a Freedom Fund Scholar for $35.00
*All contributions received by October 27, 2015,
will be noted in the program.
Restorative Justice: Reform our criminal justice system to one where victims have a voice, and offenders learn from their mistakes
October 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment
“Setting Up a County-Based Restorative Justice System”
October 29, 2015
7:00-8:30 PM
Angell Hall, Auditorium B
505 S. State Street, University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Free and open to the public.
Enter through the east side, Diag entrance.
Featuring: Fred Van Liew, Director for the Center for Restorative Justice Practices in Des Moines, Iowa and author of the new book,
The Justice Diary: An Inquiry into Justice in America.
Questions? Call: 734-996-2796
Sponsored by: Healing Communities, The U of M School of Social Work, the
Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Friends of Restorative Justice of
Washtenaw County, Juvenile Justice Clinic at the University of Michigan Law
School, Students Organized Against Prisons, The Episcopal Church of the
Incarnation, St. Mary’s Church in Chelsea, Church of the Good Shepherd
UCC, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Challenging Racism and Social Justice
Council of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY SETTLES RACE CASE AGAINST YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP MOBILE HOME COMMUNITY
October 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Ms. Paula Scott and family. Photo Courtesy: Kristen Cuhran
Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan
PO Box 7825, Ann Arbor, MI 48107 (877) 979-FAIR www.fhcmichigan.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
For more information contact: Pamela Kisch, 734-272-8383
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY SETTLES
RACE CASE AGAINST YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP
MOBILE HOME COMMUNITY
Paula Scott accepted a non-disclosed settlement to resolve her lawsuit against Swan Creek Mobile Home Community in Ypsilanti Township.
In April 2014, the Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan (FHC) took a complaint from Paula Scott. Ms. Scott alleged discrimination based on race. Ms. Scott was referred to the Fair Housing Center by Legal Services of South Central Michigan (LSSCM). Ms. Scott reported that on March 5, 2014, her 17-year-old African American daughter, Zakara Scott, was pushed to the ground and physically assaulted by Amanda Cadreau, a white adult resident at Swan Creek.
The police report filed immediately thereafter listed Zakara Scott as victim of Amanda Cadreau’s assault and battery. Although the police report listed Zakara Scott as the victim, Swan Creek staff requested statements regarding the incident only from the family of Amanda Cadreau, the perpetrator of the assault and battery. Two days after the assault and battery incident, Swan Creek served only the Scotts with an eviction notice.
On September 26, 2014, a jury convicted Amanda Cadreau of assault and battery against Zakara Scott. LSSCM and FHC Cooperating Attorney, Steve Tomkowiak, assisted in halting the eviction. Mr. Tomkowiak agreed to continue with the civil rights portion of the case and, on December 2014, filed suit on behalf of the Scott family against Swan Creek in U.S. Federal District Court. The case was assigned to the Honorable Bernard A. Friedman. The case settled on July 21, 2015 following a settlement conference before Magistrate-Judge Michael J. Hluchaniuk.
Court: Federal, Settlement: Non-disclosed
Attached: Pictures of (left to right) Paula, Zamya, and Zakara Scott. Photos by Kristen Cuhran.
For high resolution photographs or a copy of the original complaint (2:14-cv-14828-BAF-MJH) filed 12/19/2014, please email kcuhran@fhcmichigan.org.
Previous Coverage: New Race Lawsuit Filed: White Tenant Attacks Black Teenager Yet Black Family Faces Eviction, Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan, Ann Arbor, 12/29/2014
The Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan (formerly Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan), founded in 1992, actively protects the civil rights of those who are discriminated against in the rental, sale, or financing of housing through investigation, education, advocacy, and legal action. The FHC takes an average of 150 complaints each year from its eight-county service area – Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, and Washtenaw counties.
The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.
Jon Onye Lockard Symposium and Exhibit
September 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Mural by Jon Onye Lockard, African American Heritage Room, Manoogian Hall, Wayne State University, Detroit
Jon Onye Lockard:The Life and Journey of a Visual Griot
Please join us as we honor the legacy of one of our founding faculty. Exhibit: Lockard, Master Muralist will feature photographic reproductions of his murals at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Washtenaw Community College, the Detroit Public Library, the Charles Wright Museum and Central State University (Ohio). These have not been seen together in one place before.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Monday, October 12, 2015
The symposium will place Jon Onye Lockard within the context of those who shared similar perspectives on the role of artists, their obligation to envision and fight for a humane social order and their desire to uplift and empower others through their work.
9:00 a.m. Libation: Bing Davis, Founder & President
Willis Bing Davis Art Studio & EbonNia Gallery, Shango: Center for the Study of African American Art & Culture
9:15 a.m.: Welcome: Frieda Ekotto, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies Chair
“The Life and Work of Jon Onye Lockard”
9:30-11:00 a.m. :
“Art and Spiritual Migrations to the African Homeland and Exploring the concept ‘Black is Beautiful!’
Michael Harris, Associate Professor of Art History and African American Studies, Emory University; Bamidele Agbasegbe Demerson, Museum Studies Program, Southern University at New Orleans; Shirley Woodson, Artist, National Conference of Artists Michigan; John E. Lawrence, retired Director of the Washtenaw Community College Music Performance program
11:00-11:10 a.m.: Break
11:10 a.m.-12:40 p.m.:
“Social Realism though Activism in the Arts”
Bing Davis, Founder & President, Willis Bing Davis Art Studio & EbonNia Gallery, Shango: Center for the Study of African American Art & Culture; Ed Jackson, ArchD, Executive architect for the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial; Nikki Flowers, Administative Law Judge (ALJ) at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR), Atlanta
12:45-2:00 p.m.: LUNCH
2:00-2:15 p.m.: Spoken word: Debby Mitchell, Senior Project Manager, Leaders and Learners Pathway Team, U-M
2:15- 4:00 p.m. : Teaching Art, Teaching Life: Let Them Hear You
Former students Derrick Humphries, JD; James Lee, DDS
Includes a speak-out from other students
4:00-4:20 p.m.: Closing Remarks: Lee Gill, Associate Vice President for Inclusion and Equity/Chief Diversity Officer, University of Akron
4:20-4:30 p.m.:Ancestral prayer: Kwasi Ampene, Director, Center for World Performance Studies (CWPS), Associate Professor, DAAS and School of Music, Theater and Dance (SMTD)
4 :30 -5:30 p.m.: Reception
SPONSOR
EVENT TYPE
When and Where
Map Alumni Center – Founders Room
200 Fletcher Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
9:00am – 5:30pm
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