Washtenaw United

February is Black History Month. Every Monday in February, WEMU's "Washtenaw United" will explore the history being made today in context of, where we've been, and where we're going. The African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County is a beacon, exploring and preserving the rich local history of the African American community. Museum president and CEO Joyce Hunter joined WEMU's David Fair about the need for greater education and the personal importance of building and

A lot has happened in the three months that David Fair has been away on medical leave. On this week's "Washtenaw United," David checks in with Pam Smith, president and CEO of the United Way of Washtenaw County, to find out what we've missed and what's coming up in the first half of the year.

We are approaching the end of the year, and soon, we'll be meeting with friends and family for special meals at Thanksgiving and other upcoming holidays. Of course, we can't forget the many elderly folks who don't have access to healthy and good food. That is a situation made more difficult by the ongoing pandemic. Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels continues to meet the challenges, but it isn't easy. WEMU's David Fair talked it over with its president and CEO, Alison Foreman.

The Washtenaw County-based Community Action Network (CAN) is taking a neighborhood approach to help those most in need and to build better and more equitable futures. CAN executive director Derrick Miller joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the successes to date and the work that remains to be done.

To overcome inequity and injustice, there are systemic issues that must be remedied. Part of what it takes is adequately addressing racism, poverty, and trauma, particularly in communities of color. Those individual and collective issues will be the subject of a virtual forum this week. WEMU's David Fair spoke with a member of the team sponsoring the event. United Way of Washtenaw County's director of corporate giving, Ebony Robinson, discusses how these issues are impacting the entirety of the

Childhood trauma, if not addressed properly, can have terrible, long-term effects. In many situations, law enforcement is involved, and that can intensify trauma. Derrick Jackson from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the "Handle with Care" program that identifies those at risk of trauma and then provides needed resources to overcome its affects.

The fourth and latest 21-Day Equity Challenge in Washtenaw County is complete. The challenge seeks to create awareness about inequity, injustice, and both overt and systemic racism. Rich Chang is CEO of the Ann Arbor-based software firm NewFoundry and serves as Board Chair of the United Way of Washtenaw County. He joined WEMU's David Fair to recap the latest challenge and the future it seeks to build.

For over a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has mentored at-risk children around the country. It has fostered lifelong connections and friendships resulting in postive outcomes for marginalzed and at-risk youngsters. As expected, the pandemic and the many racially-charged events over the past year-and-a-half present more challenges. WEMU's David Fair checked in with Jennifer Spitler, the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County, to see how the "Bigs" and "Littles" are

When you have to worry about food, housing, and transportation, education can fall away on the list of priorities. Add in a healthy mistrust of a system known for systemic and institutionalized racism, and the barriers to success only grow. Knocking down those walls and building a better future is the goal of a group of "Trusted Parent Advisors." The group of seven women have been knocking on doors for four years and are having a great deal of success. WEMU's David Fair found out more about the

Many consider Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor in particular, an affluent community. Yet, the truth is that a large number of Washtenaw residents are at, or below the poverty line. Morghan Boydston is the human services manager for the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the harsh realities as to why that is and the current efforts to address racism and its impact on local poverty.