Latest news with #DetroitPublicLibrary
Axios
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
How to support Detroit libraries this summer
The Detroit Public Library is going all-out with programming this summer, offering a range of events from music to estate planning. Why it matters: As libraries struggle to recover from the pandemic and brace for potential cuts, many avid readers are wondering how they can support their book-filled institutions. The big picture: Those looking for ways to support the Detroit Public Library can attend its programming — but the first and easiest way is to make sure they have a library card, spokesperson Katie Dowgiewicz tells Axios. As well as picking up summer reads from any branch, library users can access ebooks and audiobooks for free on the Libby app and stream movies, music and movies through Hoopla and Kanopy. Between the lines: The 160-year-old Detroit Public Library had 20 active locations as of this spring, per Outlier Media. Renewal of the library's millage, which makes up much of its budget, passed last year. The library system's summer events lineup includes the following: ☕ The Java and Jazz summer concert series is free to attend, including refreshments. Singer and songwriter Joan Belgrave performs July 29 at 6pm. Her versatile style ranges from jazz and blues to contemporary R&B. Acclaimed drummer and educator Sean Dobbins will hit the stage Aug. 19, also at 6pm. 📚 This is the first year the library is partnering with the Detroit Festival of Books. On July 18, the Friday before the July 20 book fest in Eastern Market, the main library branch will host a free book event with discussions and presentations featuring local authors and booksellers. 🦁 The library's June-August summer reading program is partnering with the Detroit Lions. Kids are asked to read a specific number of books based on their grade level. The program includes events and prizes — and the chance to win a Lions experience. 🏠 On a more adult-focused education topic, the library is hosting estate planning workshops with the city for older adults to plan their futures and ensure their wealth stays in their family. Learn about power of attorney, wills and trusts and obtain access to an attorney to help draft these documents.
Axios
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Honoring Juneteenth in Detroit in 2025
Detroit is honoring Juneteenth this year with community events blending history, art, sports and even rodeo. The big picture: Juneteenth commemorates the day when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free 2 ½ years after the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Celebrations have continued to grow nationwide since it became a federal holiday in 2021, amid a backlash on civil rights and discussions on racism. Zoom in: Detroit Public Library locations are closed Thursday, but the branches have more than 20 events throughout the week, including: Midwest Invitational Rodeo — a Black cowboy and cowgirl organization — will appear Wednesday in a 3:30-7pm event at the Main Library. At the same time, the Main Library will also host a presentation on Detroit's historic jazz clubs and other Black-owned businesses. Alnur African Dance Company workshop at the Elmwood Park Branch, Friday 4-5pm. Plus, crafts at several branches, including Wilder and Redford. The Wright Museum of African American History will host a whole day of Juneteenth programming on Thursday, honoring it as "not only a celebration of freedom but also a day of reflection, learning, and recommitment to justice," per its website. Activities include: An educational treasure hunt. Silent disco yoga. Creative workshops exploring how art promotes healing and freedom. A panel with city historian Jamon Jordan about the last known ship carrying enslaved people, featuring descendants of passengers sharing their inherited stories and significance in contemporary issues. Hart Plaza is busy on Thursday, with a block party 12-5pm featuring the brand Detroit Vs. Everybody, plus music and games. Tickets: $18. The Hart of Detroit Summer Festival concert then starts at 6pm, with Icewear Vezzo, Peezy, Babyface Ray and more. Tickets: $45 — but there's also a two-for-one deal. The fourth annual Hamtramck Stadium celebration features a home run derby and a speech from Dale Hale, grandson of Eulyn "Red" Hale of the Detroit Stars, a baseball team in the Negro Leagues.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Karmanos Cancer Institute Continues Community Education Series in June: Understanding Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Options
The Community Conversations on Cancer seminar series, in partnership with the Detroit Public Library, allows Michigan residents to learn from researchers and physician-scientists DETROIT, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute's Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) continues the 2025 Community Conversations on Cancer series in June. The Road Ahead: Understanding a Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Exploring Treatment will feature a presentation from Ammar Sukari, M.D., medical oncologist, member of the Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Team, member of the Molecular Therapeutics Research Program at Karmanos, and associate professor at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Karmanos is partnering with the Detroit Public Library to present this series. This session will be held in person at the Main Branch, located at 5201 Woodward Avenue (Detroit, MI 48202) or virtually via Zoom on Wednesday, June 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. Providing a virtual option allows residents across the state to participate. "The community will be intrigued to learn about ongoing and new studies, research and treatments available that have really changed lung cancer outcomes," explained Hayley Thompson, Ph.D., associate center director of Community Outreach and Engagement, faculty supervisor of COE at Karmanos, and professor of Oncology at WSU. "Dr. Sukari and his colleagues have been at the forefront of many studies investigating more effective treatments that are helping patients overcome aggressive lung disease. Dr. Sukari will explain the difference in care that we are able to provide now versus in the past." June's session will focus on what to expect after a lung cancer diagnosis, how to determine which treatments are best, what types of treatments are being studied now, and how newer treatments compare to the standard of care. "Lung cancer is one of the most diagnosed and one of the deadliest cancers. It's preventable and we can screen for it, but in times where the disease is found in later stages, there are newer treatment options where patients have had a positive response," said Dr. Sukari. "One of the newly approved treatments that we have studied and have seen success with in and outside of clinical trials is immunotherapy." The June session will be moderated by three community leaders and partners of COE: Jim Scott, Katrina Studvent and Patrick Yankee. Scott is an active member of the Cancer Action Councils that COE supports, informing, educating, and encouraging community members to become active in cancer research taking place in Detroit. Studvent is a representative of Blare, a non-profit that provides resources and tools for individuals and caregivers impacted by chronic illness and disease through programming, navigational support and advocacy. Yankee is the chief development officer at Corktown Health, which provides primary care, behavioral health, health insurance navigation, and more. The Road Ahead: Understanding Your Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Exploring Treatment begins at 6 p.m. at the Detroit Public Library Main Branch and can be viewed virtually. Registration is required for in-person and virtual attendance. For more information and to register, click here or call 313-576-8911. Download the flyer in Arabic, English and Spanish. Additional upcoming Community Conversations on Cancer seminars: Wednesday, June 25 | The Road Ahead: Understanding a Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Exploring Treatment – Ammar Sukari, M.D. Wednesday, July 23 | The Road Ahead: Understanding a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Exploring Treatment – Kevin Ginsburg, M.D., MS, and Frank Cackowski, M.D., Ph.D. Wednesday, Sept. 17 | Of Mice and Women: Connecting the Dots to Strengthen Uterine Cancer Research – Michael Wilson, Ph.D. Wednesday, Oct. 22 | The Road Ahead: Understanding a Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Exploring Treatment – Hadeel Assad, M.D., and Michael Dominello, D.O. Wednesday, Nov. 5 | How to Communicate with a Doctor to Get the Information and Support You Need – Lauren Hamel, Ph.D. About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer InstituteKarmanos Cancer Institute is a leader in transformative cancer care, research and education through courage, commitment and compassion. The Karmanos vision is a world free of cancer. As part of McLaren Health Care, Karmanos is the largest provider of cancer care and research in Michigan. For more than 75 years, the administrative and research headquarters, along with the premier specialty cancer hospital, have been located in downtown Detroit. With 17 network sites, Karmanos delivers world-renowned care and access to clinical trials throughout Michigan and northern Ohio. The National Cancer Institute recognizes Karmanos as one of the best cancer centers in the nation with a comprehensive cancer center designation. Its academic partnership with the Wayne State University School of Medicine provides the framework for cancer research and education – defining new standards of care and improving survivorship. For more information, call 1-800-KARMANOS (800-527-6266) or visit Follow Karmanos on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. About the Detroit Public LibraryThe Detroit Public Library (DPL) is the largest public library system in the state of Michigan. The Main Library and its neighborhood branches make it one of the most valuable and accessible public institutions in the state. On a daily basis, our libraries assist hundreds of Detroiters by providing computer and internet access, supporting residents who want to improve their literacy skills or who are seeking employment, and by offering quality fun and educational programs and activities for children, teens, adults and seniors. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Karmanos Cancer Institute
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More than half of Black women surveyed in metro Detroit reported experiencing evictions
A survey of Black women in metro Detroit during the years since the COVID-19 pandemic found more than half of respondents reported experiencing an eviction in their lifetime. A research paper published May 14 by native Detroiter Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson sheds new light on the scale of evictions among Black women. As Sealy-Jefferson, a social epidemiologist, was researching the impact of evictions, mass incarceration, stress and tax foreclosures on preterm births among Black women, she was frustrated: she knew Black mothers were more likely to be evicted from their homes than other groups but there was no data to illustrate the scope of the problem — and what it does to them. She decided to do something about it. In September 2020, Sealy-Jefferson embarked on a five-year project, studying the link between evictions among Black women and health outcomes. She surveyed 1,428 Black women from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, conducted focus groups with about 90 participants and interviewed 55 Black women who experienced an illegal eviction. Now, the numbers and stories are in and, as she puts it: "I grossly underestimated the horror." More: Detroit Public Library to host free estate planning workshops at local branches Here are some key takeaways from the survey: More than half of the participants said they'd been evicted. Of those evictions, nearly half were reportedly illegal, meaning they happened outside the courts. Participants self-reported evictions. A quarter of participants said they were evicted during childhood. Forty percent reported facing housing discrimination (participants were asked if they had ever been discriminated against or treated unfairly when they were trying to buy or rent) Childhood and court-ordered and illegal eviction during adulthood were associated with a 12% to 17% "higher risk of poor self-rated health," which is how participants rated their own physical health. Meanwhile, childhood eviction and experiencing illegal eviction in adulthood was linked with a 34% to 37% "higher risk of worse relative self-rated health," which is participants' physical health compared with most people their age. A reporter with the Free Press and BridgeDetroit spoke with Sealy-Jefferson, the study's lead author and an associate professor of social epidemiology at the Ohio State University College of Public Health. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. QUESTION: Can you tell me why you conducted this study and why you decided to pursue the topic? ANSWER: The housing crisis has been a problem for decades, so this is not only our problem, but this was our mother's problem, and likewise, it's going to be our daughter's problem if we don't do something about it. … I convened a group of Black women leaders — local, national and international leaders — on this community advisory board, and I also organized Black women from my community to share their stories for action. We need the data, because without the data, we can't have solutions. We can't have conversations about solutions to a problem that doesn't exist. And this definitely exists. I know a lot of people who have been evicted. Most Black women know people who have been evicted, it's very common, but the link between having this experience and health at the population level is something that hasn't been documented. You posed two questions in your research: What is the magnitude and severity of residential evictions among reproductive age Black women from metro Detroit and are evictions associated with poor health. What did you find? We found that eviction is extremely common. Court ordered evictions are common and illegal evictions are equally common, among reproductive age Black women. We're able to document empirically that having these eviction experiences across the lifetime — so during childhood and during adulthood — is associated with worse self-rated health among Black women, and that hasn't been shown before, and this suggests that these eviction experiences may account for some of the other inequities that we see at the population level, in terms of health of Black mothers, Black families and Black communities. Was there a finding that surprised you, and, if so, why? This study is not limited to low-income Black women. It's not limited to renters. It's not limited to just city of Detroit residents. … I knew it was high, but it sort of took my breath away that 25% experienced an eviction during childhood, 60% had high ACES (adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, losing a parent or bullying). What do you hope comes of this study? What solutions would you like to see address some of the issues that you identified? We really have to have very clear understanding about root cause intervention. This housing crisis is not going to be fixed with individual-level solutions, because the problem is a structural problem, so we need structural solutions. We need society-level solutions to the problem, because it's not about individual behavior. The conversation has to include reparations — federal government funded reparations for the descendants of African chattel slavery, like that is part of the root cause solution. We also need enforcement of the existing housing laws that protect tenants, because landlords are violating people's civil and human rights in broad daylight, and there's no consequences for them because nobody's checking. … We need policy change. We need enforcement of the existing policies. We need intervention studies. We need more research. … We need our elected officials to pay attention to this data and work with community on what solutions to these problems are. What's next? This is the first study. We have a lot of data, we have a lot of numbers and we have a lot of stories that we really are going to be, in the coming months, disseminating. … I will continue to work with the community advisory board and the community, the participants and the interested parties in the community to decide, what do we do with this data? What is next? What's the most pressing question that we can answer with this data that will help you to advocate for yourself, that'll help you to understand what's happening in your community? What are the short and long term impacts of evictions? Without the human right to stable, safe and affordable housing, it really jeopardizes your ability to do all of the things that you need to do in order to have a good life, a good healthy life and a productive life. It's very rare that you'd be able to do all of the things you need to do if you don't have the basic foundation, which is stable, safe and affordable housing. Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@ Follow her on X: @NushratR. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Survey sheds light on evictions among Black women in metro Detroit
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Detroit Public Library to host free estate planning workshops at local branches
The Detroit Public Library is hosting free estate planning workshops throughout the spring and summer for Detroiters who need help ensuring their homes get passed down to the next generation. The workshops, which kick off May 17, cover estate planning tools such as wills, deeds and trust agreements. Attendees can also connect with an attorney to draft and execute documents. The push to educate Detroiters on estate planning is key because as many as 5,525 intergenerational properties in Detroit — worth more than $268 million — had unclear ownership, according to a 2024 analysis from the think tank Detroit Future City, which emphasized the importance of estate planning. Title problems can hurt Detroiters' financial well being, barring them from getting into assistance programs and building generational wealth through their homes. Detroit City Council Member Scott Benson is leading the effort. He chairs the city's Wealth Generation Task Force, which identified a lack of estate planning among Detroiters that undermines Black families' ability to build wealth, according to a news release. More: Home title problems leave some Detroit families who need debt help in tough spot The Detroit Future City report cautioned that homes that haven't gone through estate planning are at risk of becoming "heirs' property." That situation arises when a person dies and leaves behind a property without formal legal documents, like a will, to prove who owns it. Researchers found thousands of such properties, worth tens of millions of dollars, and pointed to education and outreach around wills and estate planning as one solution to prevent future heirs' properties. "The Detroit Public Library is pleased to facilitate these free informational workshops on estate planning to help people make important decisions about what will happen to their homes and other assets after they're gone. An estate plan is a gift that makes things easier for the loved ones left behind," said Margaret Bruni, director for public services at the Detroit Public Library, in a news release. The Detroit Public Library is partnering with the city of Detroit and the Elder Law & Advocacy Center, a division of the nonprofit Neighborhood Legal Services Michigan. The programming is an extension of free estate planning and legal services that began last year with funding from the city's share of American Rescue Plan Act dollars and the Gilbert Family Foundation. Here are where and when the workshops will take place: Main Library: 5201 Woodward Ave., 2 p.m., May 17 Chase Branch: 17731 West Seven Mile Road, 6 p.m., May 20 Jefferson Branch: 12350 E. Outer Drive, 5:30 p.m., May 21 Conely Branch: 4600 Martin St., 6 p.m. May 29 Jefferson Branch: 12350 E. Outer Drive, 3 p.m., June 6 Hubbard Branch: 12929 W. McNichols Road, 6 p.m., June 9 Lincoln Branch: 1221 E. 7 Mile Road, 2 p.m., June 10 Wilder Branch: 7140 E. 7 Mile Road, 4 p.m., June 17 Franklin Branch: 13651 E. McNichols Road, 6 p.m., June 24 Chandler Park Branch: 12800 Harper Ave., 4 p.m., June 25 Edison Branch: 18400 Joy Road, 4 p.m., July 2 Bowen Branch: 3648 Vernor Hwy., 6 p.m., July 8 Knapp Branch: 13330 Conant, 6 p.m., July 15 Redford Branch: 21200 Grand River Ave., 6 p.m., July 21 Elmwood Park Branch: 550 Chene St., 5 p.m., July. 22 Duffield Branch: 2507 W. Grand Blvd., 11 a.m., Aug. 4 Chaney Branch: 16101 Grand River Ave., 6 p.m., Aug. 5 Parkman Branch: 1766 Oakman Blvd., 6 p.m., Aug. 6 Douglass Branch: 3666 Grand River Ave., 2 p.m., Aug. 21 Campbell Branch: 8733 W. Vernor Hwy., 5 p.m., Aug. 27 To register, go to Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@ Follow her on X: @NushratR. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit libraries are offering free estate planning help
