RACISM

66% of this year’s funds went to organizations in Ypsilanti and eastern Washtenaw County.

Police said a man shouted racist slurs at two women in a Dearborn grocery store before trying to hit them with his car and threatening them with a baseball bat.

A White man who yelled racial slurs at two Black customers outside a Dearborn market while raising a baseball bat over his head and walking toward them has been charged, officials said.

The family of a Croswell-Lexington High School student is suing the Croswell-Lexington School District for the racial harassment that their daughter has experienced. They’re claiming their Black daughter was repeatedly harassed and threatened because of her skin color.

The racist mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 people dead and three people injured over the weekend has communities across the U.S. on high alert.

When you think of what happened at the grocery store in Buffalo, New York, you think about all the grief and terror and devastation caused by one man equipped with a ton of firepower.

Eastern Michigan University responded and condemned the racist images that were painted over a message on a student speech wall in the middle of campus. The area is designated for free speech.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools is making changes after multiple racist incidents happened at school.

It’s the thrill of the sport that these skiers love, never mind the cold weather. They’re members of the Jim Dandy Ski Club, the country’s oldest black ski club.

Students at Farmington High School walked out of class on Thursday in protest after they say a substitute teacher used a racist phrase toward a Black student.

In this special video presentation from New Detroit, a group of local voices discuss the way forward on race relations, and share some of their experiences with racism.

A study commissioned by Michigan State Police found racial and ethnic disparities in the outcomes of traffic stops conducted by troopers in 2020.

Local 4 previously reported on claims at a local franchise of the restaurant chain Eddie Merlot’s. Now a civil rights lawsuit has been filed on behalf of two ex-employees at the Bloomfield Hills location.

Their defiance of a vaccine mandate is a striking illustration of how politicized the pandemic has become.

A Detroit high school football team was the target of racial slurs as they were celebrating their semifinal win last week.

The lawsuit was filed against the school district, the superintendent and the Bloomfield Hills High School principal last week.

A string of racist incidents in Bloomfield Hills schools has prompted a $150 million lawsuit and a new protest by teachers and students.

A student and their parents are suing the Bloomfield Hills School District for millions of dollars over alleged racial discrimination following a string of racist incidents reported at the high school.

Students at Bloomfield Hills High School staged a walkout last week in protest of racist incidents.

South Lyon High School and East Lansing High School went head to head in a district championship football game last Friday.

A large group of students walked out of Bloomfield Hills High School at 1:30 p.m. Friday in protest of how administration has handled several racist incidents.

The executive director of the Coaches vs.

A massive student walkout is planned for Friday at Bloomfield Hills High School after multiple racist incidents involving students at the school.

A photo has been shared that shows Chelsea High School football players making a racist gesture.

If you’ve found yourself often triggered by racism, you are not alone.

A Black Lives Matter mural in Ypsilanti was vandalized by a white supremacist group in the early morning hours of Sunday morning.

According to the Wayne County Airport Authority Police Department, the woman was cited for assault and disorderly conduct.

This year, participants reported being affected by the Equity Challenge in several ways.

A white man has been sentenced to five years in prison for attacking a Black teenager with a bike lock because of his race at a southeastern Michigan park.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) is asking the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) to intervene in a “potentially racially hostile education environment” in Brighton schools.

Two days after the sentencing of Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd, the U.N. Human Rights Council released a report, ordered last year in the wake of Floyd’s death, calling on countries to adopt a “transformative agenda” to fight systemic racism.

The U.N. human rights chief is urging countries worldwide to do more to help end discrimination, violence and systemic racism against people of African descent and “make amends” to them — including through reparations.

When a person takes on the role of a police officer, they swear to protect and serve their community with respect and integrity. But what happens when they don’t?

Michigan Rep. Cynthia Johnson said it was the last thing she was expecting to hear when checking her voicemail -- an extremely racist and violent rant coming from a complete stranger.

The family’s identity is being withheld over concerns they could be targeted again, but they said it is important to show what their 10-year-old daughter found on their door in the middle of Ann Arbor.

Many members of a Livingston County community are outraged after photos of Brighton High School senior in Black Face have surfaced online.

Khady Gueye is pleased she started a conversation about race in her hometown - despite online abuse.

Part of what maintains systemic racism are the implicit biases that most, if not all, of us have.

Community members wanting to steer the future of inclusivity and equity in Tree Town can now apply to be on the city’s new Ann Arbor Equitable Engagement Steering Committee.

Registration for the self-guided challenge is now open.

Systemic racism is part of our history

Black people are more likely to die of COVID-19 than their White counterparts due to systemic racism, a Wayne State University study found.

Bill Whitaker reports on how discrimination has resulted in Black Americans being prone to more serious diseases. See the report, Sunday on 60 Mintues.

On Tuesday, Albion College issued a statement in response to racist graffiti found in its buildings.

A meeting between GM officials and Black media owners was canceled Thursday by the automaker.

DETROIT – GM is responding to allegations of racism that were printed in a full-page advertisement in Sunday’s Detroit Free Press. The advertisement accuses GM CEO Mary Barra of consistently refusing to meet with several Black-owned media companies. Detroiter Byron Allen is asking GM to allocate at least 5% of its advertising budget to go toward Black-owned media companies. The ad claims less than 1% of GM’s marketing budget goes toward Black-owned media companies. GMThe automaker cited its work with HBCUs, its partnership with National Association Of Black Owned Broadcasters and AIMM.

DETROIT – Officials with the Detroit Institute of Arts are vowing to make changes after newly-released recordings have captured what employees call a toxic work environment. The audio recordings are between two officials at the DIA and their attorneys -- tasked with investigating allegations of racism, sexism and retaliation against DIA director Salvador Salort-Pons. The recording were taking during an April board meeting with investigators detailing a toxic work environment -- particularly for women. The law firm found women were five times more likely to leave than men and the women who did stay were not valued as much as their male counterparts. In the months since, the DIA has taken important steps toward a workplace that fully embodies fairness, inclusion, consistency and respect.

“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises told The Associated Press in a statement that coincided with the late author and illustrator’s birthday. “Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” it said. Books by Dr. Seuss -- who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904 --- have been translated into dozens of languages as well as in braille and are sold in more than 100 countries. Ad“Research in recent years has revealed strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss,” the school district said in a statement. “The Cat in the Hat,” one of Seuss’ most popular books, has received criticism, too, but will continue to be published for now.

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. – A prosecutor declined to file charges Tuesday against a suburban Detroit man who displayed a Ku Klux Klan flag in his window next to the home of a Black family, saying the “horrible conduct” doesn't violate Michigan law. An ethnic intimidation charge would require physical contact, property damage or threats of such activity, said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. JeDonna Dinges, 57, of Grosse Pointe Park, said the klan flag was hanging next door in a window directly across from her dining room. “There is absolutely no question that what happened to Ms. Dinges was despicable, traumatizing and completely unacceptable," Worthy said. The average person would not own a klan flag, which is a true symbol of hatred,” Dinges said.

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration of any country in the world. The country represents only 5% of the global population but 25% of the prison population. Here’s a look into the prison system in the United States and how slavery and racism contributed to it. Watch the full report above to learn more.

The year 2020 brought new calls to end social injustice and systemic racism. Over the last year, we’ve seen the beginnings of an awakening to racism in America, evident in protests across the country this past summer. And there has been a response from corporations. Watch the full report to learn more.

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. – A steady flowing line of protesters Sunday circled their way around Wayburn Street in Grosse Pointe Park to clearly voice their disgust of an open display of racism. Their protest comes after a home displayed a red black and white Ku Klux Klan flag in window facing an African American woman’s home. Officials with the city of Grosse Pointe Park released the following statement:AdAt approximately 3:00pm Tuesday February 16th the Grosse Pointe Park Department of Public Safety was made aware of a Ku Klux Klan flag displayed in a window that faces the home of an African-American woman. The Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety Department serves all residents of our community no matter their race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or religion. City of Grosse Pointe ParkThe Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods branch of the NAACP released the following statement:

We're launching a new Newsletter to address national issues with a local focus, and we want your input.

We're launching a new Newsletter to address national issues with a local focus, and we want your input.

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.