An Associate Dean for the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine says research shows that African American women who go to a doctor are less likely to feel welcomed and that their doctor cares for them. Cheryl Dickson says it’s one of the ways that implicit bias can affect health. Dickson will discuss health equity at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo Community Breakfast at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo on Thursday March 7th. She says physicians don’t want to

Author James Carl Nelson says as World War I was winding down on November 11, 1918, fighting in northern Russia was getting more intense. He says it was frustrating for American troops who wondered what their mission was. Nelson’s book is called The Polar Bear Expedition: The Heroes of America’s Forgotten Invasion of Russia, 1918-1919 . He tells the story of men, most of them from Michigan and Wisconsin, and their strange trip from what was then called Camp Custer near Battle Creek to Russia,

The founder of Princeton University’s Gerrymandering Project says it’s easy to mock the shapes of districts, but he says sometimes odd looking districts are necessary to meet other criteria. Sam Wang says the amendment to Michigan’s Constitution approved by voters last year says districts should be compact and contiguous. But it also says communities of interest should be protected and parties should be treated fairly. Graduate students at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson Schools of

Kalamazoo College visiting faculty member and guest artist Bianca Washington says the play Student Body has caused her to recall some experiences from her past, and she says it may do the same for the audience. Washington is directing the play, which examines how 10 college students react to the discovery of a video that includes evidence of a sexual assault. It will be staged at the Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College Thursday February 21st through Sunday February 24th. The play written by

Mark Nepo says his book More Together Than Alone was 13 years in the making. The Kalamazoo author says he kept coming back to the idea of care and interdependence in various cultures. Nepo wrote other books in that time, and says he wondered if this one would ever get finished. Nepo says his previous books were more about individual journeys. He says More Together Than Alone is about what happens when these “circles get larger.” Nepo will speak Thursday night February 21st at 7:00p.m. at Western

It'll be 107 years ago this year that black resort Idlewild was founded by white developers in upper Michigan. Wealthy African-Americans spent their summer vacations there during the days of segregation. Soon it became the go-to place for the hottest entertainers of color to perform, like Duke Ellington. Detroit-area native Carlean Gill, now 80, was a showgirl with the Idlewild Review at the Paradise Club in the '60s and '70s. She will share her memories on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the Richmond

Wendy Fields says she's humbled to have been recruited by multiple people to run for president of the Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch of the NAACP. Last week, she was sworn in for a two-year term. Fields is holding a reception for the community to meet her and the new NAACP board on Friday, Feb. 22nd from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Fetzer Center at Western Michigan University.

Western Michigan University Political Science Professor Paul Clements says he agrees with Nobel Prize winning economist William Nordhaus that a carbon tax is needed to address climate change. But Clements says Nordhaus’ proposal is inadequate. Clements will be part of a panel discussion at Western Michigan University – The True Cost of Climate Change and its Policy Implications . It begins at 2:00p.m. Friday afternoon February 15th in Room 3508 of Knauss Hall. Clements says the Yale University

The Project Editor for Southwest Michigan’s Second Wave On the Ground Kalamazoo says the story of Kzoo Makers was one that people in the Eastside Neighborhood wanted her to tell. Theresa Coty O’Neil wrote about what goes on in the old warehouse, and how the makers in Kalamazoo help each other. One the non-profit group’s founding members Al Holloway says it grew from a group of "makers" in town. He says they needed space and found it on East Michigan Avenue. Their makers’ space includes

Gretchen Whitmer spoke of bipartisanship during her inaugural address on New Year’s Day. Eight years ago, Rick Snyder also spoke of the parties coming together when he took office in 2011. WDET reporter Jake Neher says that’s usually how a new term starts, but he says it normally doesn’t take long before partisan bickering resumes. The Republican Snyder became governor at a time when the GOP held large majorities of the House and Senate. Republicans still have control of the Legislature although