Latest news with #DetroitPublicLibrary
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
CBS News
25-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
Detroit Public Library's history marks 160 years of books and community resources
The Detroit Public Library has reached its 160th anniversary, having officially opened on March 25, 1865. The initial collection of 5,000 books was kept in a room of the old Capitol High School on Griswold Street, according to history notes on the library's website. A committee from the Detroit Board of Education governed the library until 1881 when the Detroit Library Commission was formed. The first dedicated library building opened in 1877 in Centre Park, on the site of the current Skillman Branch library. The first branches opened in 1900 inside Central High School, Harris School on the east side and Western High School. The new main library building on Woodward Avenue opened in 1921. Architect Cass Gilbert designed the Italian Renaissance-style library building. Construction was partially funded by a gift from Andrew Carnegie, whose philanthropic efforts included financial support. over 1,600 libraries across the United States. The Cass Avenue wing expansion opened in 1963. Today, the library system's 23 branches and its mobile library service provide books and resources for the community along with study spaces, book clubs, cultural programming, career and employment help, obituary searches and publicly available computers.
Axios
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Things to do in Metro Detroit: Feb. 7-9
Whether you're into boats, plants, DJs, tacos or family fun, we have ideas for this chilly February weekend. 🛥️ Browse all kinds of water cruisers and see live sharks at the Detroit Boat Show at Huntington Place. Thursday and Friday 2-8pm, Saturday 11am-8pm. $14. ⛸️ Check out ice skating, sculptures and food trucks at the Cold Rush festival in front of Warren city hall. Saturday, 2-8pm. Free! 📖 Learn about Detroit's role in the abolition movement and Underground Railroad at the Detroit Public Library main branch. Saturday, 12-2pm. Free! 🥞 Eat all the breakfast food you can at the Pancakes & Booze Art Show, with local art vendors, DJs and body painting. Saturday, 8pm-midnight. $15 in advance or $20 day-of. 🎧 Check out international DJ Manuka Honey at Marble Bar, with a blend of Latin House DJs and other music, plus a second stage with bachata, salsa and more. Plus, tacos from pop-up Mama's Kitchen. Friday, 10pm-3am. Tickets: $13-$20. 🪴 Looking for less of a late-night vibe? Try Cranbrook House and Gardens' annual winter house plant sale, including spider plants, succulents, monstera, orchids and more. Friday, 10am-3pm and Saturday, 10am-2pm. Free to attend. ☕ Listen to storytelling around a fire while enjoying hot cocoa, s'mores and a scavenger hunt at Eliza Howell Park's winter festival. Saturday, 1-4pm. Free! 🕺 Wanna dance? Attend Chicago Steppin's"Steppin' into Black History Month" event at the DIA's Rivera Court. Friday, 4:30-8:30pm, with beginner lessons at 6pm. Free with DIA admission.
