Ottawa to RAW

Ypsilanti,

We write to you as a token of gratitude, a cry for help, and a hope for a brighter tomorrow for us all.

Ypsilanti, we thank you from the deepest parts of our souls for being leaders in thought, in spirit and in action. We thank you for paving the way for grassroots organizations to grow, to flourish, and ultimately to walk alongside you in the fight for justice, for equality … for our lives.

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The Problem Now

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National and state mainstream media recently identified the “problem now” in Flint. The “problem now” is supposedly that people in Flint no longer trust the government. And this distrust, the story goes, will supposedly make it difficult to implement any solution.

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Urban Renewal in Ypsilanti: A Talk by Lee Azus

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In 1952, the city of Ypsilanti took the first step towards an Urban Renewal project to combat what it called “blight” and “slum” conditions on the Southside—the area south of Michigan Avenue. From the beginning, the Urban Renewal program divided opinions in the African-American community as to the best way to improve social and economic conditions on the Southside. Residents were faced with forced eviction, while being unable to move into other Ypsilanti neighborhoods outside the Southside due to legalized housing segregation. As hundreds of homes were destroyed, there was no rush by developers to build new housing or businesses as the City had promised. It was only after 1997 that the last large parcel of land was developed.

Using archival material from the City’s Department of Urban Renewal and interviews of residents, Lee Azus will show images and discuss the history of Ypsilanti’s controversial Urban Renewal program.

Monday, February 29, 6:30 p.m., at the downtown branch of the Ypsilanti District Library.

#SayHerName

tanisha

Tanisha Anderson’s family called 911 because they sought help as she suffered through a bipolar episode. Instead of receiving any sort of care, Tanisha was killed. From the official statement of the Cleveland Police Department:

Once handcuffed, the woman continued to resist officers attempts to place her in the police car. The woman began to kick at officers. A short time later the woman stopped struggling and appeared to go limp.

What the cops didn’t include in this official statement is that Tanisha went limp after they slammed her onto concrete.

Officer Scott Aldridge was involved in Tanisha’s murder. Exactly two years and sixteen days earlier, he took part in this lynching.

Of her mother, Tanisha’s daughter said this: “People would do so much wrong to her, but she still turned around and she forgave.”