׉?ׁB!בCטFFu׉׉ 7cassandra://exWdYQtdqRXQnhYwZ0QNGvGghCxKzTA3gsk54VHLYg8 `׉ 7cassandra://0Uv9jvVlr_OaZexcS0EgeuvCUvqvhw8gteDY1YhjNU0͕`h׉ 7cassandra://8Qnbdh02TBGm6pNqxMuCphqEXzXsAYVlDotL4nYmGqY2`g69c]% ҼטFu׈}\׈Eg69c]% ҭ׉E2 $ NOVEMBER 15, 2024 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 24 YOUR PURCHASE BENEFITS THE VENDORS. PLEASE BUY ONLY FROM BADGED VENDORS. No place like homeless: the future of peer innovation page 7 MEET YOUR VENDOR: MIKE JONES PAGE 3 GROUNDCOVER NEWS AND SOLUTIONS FROM THE GROUND UP | WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICH. Washtenaw Camp Outreach is modeling leadership and solidarity through community service. page 6 Packing the truck before the Washtenaw Camp Outreach BBQ. Photo submitted THIS PAPER WAS BOUGHT FROM • Proposal: Housing-development accelerator • Charbonneau: Open your eyes to housing inequity. PAGE 4 @groundcovernews, include vendor name and vendor # ׉ 7cassandra://8Qnbdh02TBGm6pNqxMuCphqEXzXsAYVlDotL4nYmGqY2`g69c]% Үg69c]% ҭ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://Nao6sPfLGggxWql1tasoI9_UBTLw9Np0gNgo29m7gfwř`I׉ 7cassandra://8rLln2LHCkXWBt3sM_EvtHZHpzt4d2Tv2BWiXfjuYGI%`׉ 7cassandra://t0ByRFl9nfQrK1vMGJVDHCFvYq9bnRq0ic3JvhDEdFsR`g69c]% נg69c]% ҿ9׉Hhttp://www.groundcovernews.orgGׁ ׁ rנg6:c]% ǁ9ׁHhttp://www.groundcovernews.orgׁ ׁ Јנg6:c]% Ɓ 9ׁH"mailto:contact@groundcovernews.comׁ ׁ Јנg6:c]% ŁF!9ׁH&mailto:submissions@groundcovernews.comׁ ׁ Јנg6:c]% ā^9ׁH+http://givebutter.com/ICPJ2024HarvestDinnerׁ ׁ Јנg6:c]% Á<9ׁHhttp://SoHAH2024.eventbrite.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EC2 GROUNDCOVER NEWS GROUNDCOVER hunger + homelessness awareness WEEK STATE of HOMELESSNESS and AFFORDABLE HOUSING Monday, November 18, 8 to 10:30 a.m. Washtenaw Community College — Morris Lawerence Building 4800 E. Huron River Drive Washtenaw Housing Alliance's annual breakfast and keynote program. Register at: SoHAH2024.eventbrite.com HEALTH and WELLNESS FAIR Monday, November 18, 2 -5 p.m. Delonis Center, 312 W. Huron Street Resource fair for clients and those in the community experiencing homelessness. Washtenaw Literacy, Humana and more will be present. Come here for blood pressure tests, employment resources and more! INTERFAITH COUNCIL for PEACE and JUSTICE HARVEST DINNER Monday, November 18, 5:30-7p.m. Ypsilanti Freighthouse, 100 Market Pl Honor community leaders who live the values of ICPJ and work toward a collective vision. The collective work of so many is what will lead toward radical, systemic change and bring about the racial, economic, social and environmental justice that all people deserve. RSVP online at: givebutter.com/ICPJ2024HarvestDinner OZONE HOUSE OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, November 19, 5-8 p.m. 1600 N. Huron River Dr., Ypsilanti November is HOPE (Homelessness, Outreach, Prevention, Education) month. Join Ozone to celebrate the work they're doing to support youth experiencing homelessness and to explore ways we can continue to prevent and address youth housing instability in our community. Free and open to the public; light refreshments will be provided. GROUNDCOVER LOVES YOU! ANNUAL OPEN MIC Friday, November 22, 6-8 p.m. Makeshift Gallery, 407 E Liberty St. Join Groundcover this November in honoring Hunger & Homelessness Awareness week at our fifth open mic event! Come listen to community members share writing, songs, poetry and stories from the street. This is a FREE event. All are welcome. See graphic on page 12. NOVEMBER 15, 2024 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR "I have just finished reading your issue of October 18th, and I thank you for the many interesting and helpful local news items. I was delighted to read 'Meet Your Vendor' focusing in that issue on Cindy Gere, whom I am happy to encounter very early in the mornings just outside Sweetwaters on West Washington St., where Cindy invariably greets me with a big smile. I also particularly appreciated Cindy's article on page 3: 'A2 downtown coffee shop extravaganza,' a topic I think many in the community are curious to know about. As an appreciative long-time reader of Groundcover News, I urge you to keep on informing us of current 'news and solutions from the ground up' in Washtenaw County." — Anna Ercoli Schnitzer, longtime Ann Arborite "There is international law about genocide and associated crimes. South Africa is familiar with that reality and was the voice for much of the world when they took Israel to the International Court of Justice. The US does not recognize the ICJ so there is no good legal response for cases brought before it. The US always claims immunity from prosecution for itself and its allies. Nevertheless the case for genocide against Palestine is impressive and world opinion supports an end to this war." — Ken Parks PROVIDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-DETERMINED INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY POVERTY, PRODUCING A STREET NEWSPAPER THAT GIVES A PLATFORM TO UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES IN WASHTENAW COUNTY, PROMOTING AN ACTION TO BUILD A JUST, CARING AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETY. Groundcover News, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in April 2010 as a means to empower lowincome persons to make the transitions from homeless to housed, and from jobless to employed. Vendors purchase each copy of our regular editions of Groundcover News at our office for 50 cents. This money goes towards production costs. Vendors work selling the paper on the street for $2, keeping all income and tips from each sale. Street papers like Groundcover News exist in cities all over the United States, as well as in more than 40 other countries, in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people and combat the increase in poverty. Our paper is a proud member of the International Network of Street Papers. STAFF Lindsay Calka — publisher Cynthia Price — editor Michelle Lardie-Guzek — intern ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS Tabitha Almond Elizabeth Bauman Pedro Campos La Shawn Courtwright Shelley DeNeve Jacob Fallman Mike Jones Marie Will Shakespeare Denise Shearer Ike Staple GROUNDCOVER NEWS ADVERTISING RATES Size 1/8 1/6 1/4 1/2 full page Black/White $110.00 $145.00 $200.00 $375.00 $650.00 Color $150.00 $200.00 $265.00 $500.00 $900.00 Dimensions (W x H in inches) 5 X 3 or 2.5 X 6.5 5 X 4 5 X 6.25 5 X 13 or 10.25 X 6.5 10.25 X 13 CONTACT US PROOFREADERS Susan Beckett Elliot Cubit Steve Ross Anabel Sicko VOLUNTEERS Jessi Averill Sim Bose Zachary Dortzbach Luiza Duarte Caetano Jacob Fallman Glenn Gates Alexandra Granberg Robert Klingler Simone Masing Anthony McCormick Mary Wisgerhof Max Wisgerhof Story and photo submissions: submissions@groundcovernews.com Advertising and partnerships: contact@groundcovernews.com Office: 423 S. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Phone: 734-263-2098 @groundcover @groundcovernews DONATE, LISTEN TO OLD ISSUES + LEARN MORE www.groundcovernews.org PACKAGE PRICING Three Months/Six Issues: 15% off Six Months/Twelve Issues: 25% off Full Year/Twenty-four Issues: 35% off Only run for two weeks/one issue: 40% off Additional 20% discount for money saving coupons ׉ 7cassandra://t0ByRFl9nfQrK1vMGJVDHCFvYq9bnRq0ic3JvhDEdFsR`g69c]% Ұ׉ENOVEMBER 15, 2024 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR Thank you for your presence. Thank you for kindness. Thank you for genuineness. Thank you for your help. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for being you. SHELLEY DENEVE Groundcover vendor No. 22 Mike Jones, vendor No. 113 In one sentence, who are you? That guy! Where do you usually sell Groundcover? Ypsi — find me on Cross by the Sweetwaters weekday mornings. I plan to sell more in A2. When and why did you start selling Groundcover? Lost my job after COVID as a cab driver. What is your favorite thing to do in Ann Arbor? Talk to people. What is your favorite spot in Ann Arbor? Island Park. What words do you live by? Mean nobody harm and be nobody's fool! What is something about you that someone on the street wouldn’t know? I really love dogs and children. What motivates you to work hard selling Groundcover News? I plan to make social change through selling Groundcover newspapers. What was your first job? Selling newspapers for the Ann Arbor News. If you had a warning label, what would it say? Beware of fake news! "Forrest Gump:" a comedy, love story and heartwarming life lesson DENISE SHEARER Groundcover vendor No. 485 JACOB FALLMAN Writing support “Forrest Gump” has left a lasting impression on audiences since its release, standing out as both a comedy and a love story that resonates deeply with viewers. Watching “Forrest Gump,” I’m reminded of the first time I [Denise] saw it in the theater with my late partner, Karen. The joy of sharing such a heartwarming story has made it even more meaningful with each viewing. It’s a movie that offers lessons for audiences at any age or stage in life. At its heart, this film explores the transformative power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. Watching Forrest overcome obstacles with unwavering optimism reminds us that our attitudes and willpower can shape our lives in surprising ways. One of the movie’s most enduring themes is parental love. Forrest’s mother, a figure of unconditional support, remains committed to helping him succeed despite the challenges he faces growing up. Her wisdom, captured in her line, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get,” speaks to the film’s message of embracing the unknown. Forrest, who wore corrective braces and was often underestimated, rose above these perceptions to accomplish remarkable things, a testament to his mother's encouragement and love. In a similar way, the love between Forrest and Jenny serves as the emotional core of the film. From childhood, when Jenny was the only one who would sit with Forrest, their bond reflects a unique, judgment-free connection. Despite the paths they each take — Forrest into the military and Jenny on a journey of self-discovery and personal struggles — the two are always able to reconnect, finding in each other a source of strength and understanding. By the end, their relationship is one of acceptance and appreciation for each other’s inner goodness, a timeless story of love’s endurance. “Forrest Gump” is also filled with humor that brings light to the darker sides of life. Forrest’s ability to find happiness, even in difficult situations — like finding friendship with Bubba in the trenches or responding to Lt. Dan’s query about finding Jesus with a simple, “I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him” — offers a refreshing perspective. His innocence, which some might see as naivety, lets him enjoy life without overthinking, lifting the spirits of those around him. While some scenes may warrant parental guidance, “Forrest Gump” remains a feel-good, accessible classic that captures the beauty of a life well-lived, one step at a time. GROUNDCOVER NEWS Thankful for you being YOU! To all the patrons of Groundcover: I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for being so kind and supportive of Groundcover News. It is important to Groundcover that you keep on reading on and having an open mind and heart. From the bottom of my heart, Happy Thanksgiving. 3 Please help this Christmas TABITHA ALMOND Groundcover vendor No. 360 Hello all Groundcover readers! I am in need of Christmas help this year. All of the Christmas helping programs application deadlines have already passed. I did not know that I would have to complete the application form for Christmas helping programs so early. Now I am in desperate need of help to make sure my children will be able to wake up Christmas morning with some gifts from Santa. There is a couple ways you could help, if you're able. The first one is Venmo — my Venmo account is @Tabitha-Ludwig-1 — just put Merry Christmas on it. Another way is gift cards — Meijer, Target, Visa or Amazon gift cards sent to mine and my husband's email tabbysean99@gmail. com, but please in the subject line put MERRY CHRISTMAS so I know it is not a scam email just wanting me to click on something. Or, if you would like to help my family out in some other way, you could also email me or my husband at the email address with how you would be able to help and one of us would email you back. My family and I really appreciate whatever help you can give. Thank you in advance, and happy holidays to everyone! Almond family: Sean, Tabitha, Crystal (3) and Lena (1). g69c]% ұg69c]% Ұ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://iSmwVyJVCWnQr41gJjEC1M7OCSvB3WH1r9bjluvXb8c 4(`I׉ 7cassandra://U2xEOlALtXLKJr0RbGOR-tXhO8479uKMu0ulYj7juuM$`׉ 7cassandra://3v8DXSZj-H_Glk6zTvVoaHHypbs7bQbmEXJSvPywYAwR`g6:c]% ȑנg6:c]% ˁ̨9ׁHhttp://www.ypsifoodcoop.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉E4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS SHELTER NOVEMBER 15, 2024 From Ann Arbor to New York City: Who protects the right to food, shelter? PEDRO CAMPOS Groundcover vendor No. 652 Five years. That’s how long I had dreamed of New York City — the city that never sleeps, the place where so many lives seem to converge and collide, where ambition meets possibility. Growing up, I’d seen New York in movies, heard it in songs, and felt it in stories of all kinds. It was always larger-than-life, a place where anyone could be someone, where anything could happen. And yet, as I planned and saved, I never imagined I’d be arriving in New York City homeless. For most of my life, I’d managed to keep a roof over my head. I’d made sacrifices and hustled to make things work, and through all of life’s ups and downs, “homeless” was a label I never thought would apply to me. But life has a way of surprising us, especially when we think we know where we’re going. Originally, I had planned to pass through Detroit on my way to New York, but somehow, an unexpected turn brought me to Ann Arbor. It wasn’t on my original itinerary; it was more of a whispered suggestion, almost like an angel’s nudge: “Ann Arbor, University of Michigan.” Something in me said, “Why not?” And so I decided to stay for a while. I couldn’t have known then how much that detour would mean. on bikes, professors with armfuls of books, musicians, artists and people from all walks of life. It had a unique vibrancy, and something in that made me feel like I could breathe a little easier. The energy felt like something I could grow roots in. Within that first week, I was introduced to the harder side of homelessness. I found out quickly that not all parts of Ann Arbor were as welcoming as the sunny campus lawns and bustling cafes. While there were community spaces and meals at places like Saint Andrew’s Church, there were also many closed doors. Getting shelter was a challenge. I learned about the local shelters but felt, in a way, that I was invisible to the system. Other people had been offered intake at Delonis, but somehow, I was always told it wasn’t available for me. They never mentioned an option for a Michigan ID or access to EBT benefits. It was as if the system was set up for everyone but me. Yet, there were people who lifted me up in ways that words can hardly describe. When things felt hard, a ride on my bike would calm me down, remind me of the beauty of this unexpected home. And then there were the little spots around town where I found peace, like the river. Ann Arbor wasn’t always easy — it had its challenges, to say the least — but it also gave me roots. It was there, in my first week, that I met Michael, a man who would become my best friend and a kind of guide to life here in the United States. Born and raised in Brooklyn but with years in Ann Arbor, Mike became more than a friend; he became a brother, someone who looked out for me, helped me find work, and showed me ways to access the benefits I’d need to survive. Some afternoons, I’d find myself sitPedro (pictured left) and his friend and supporter Mike (pictured right) in NYC. The first thing that struck me about Ann Arbor was its warmth — not the weather, necessarily, but the people. There was a small-town friendliness mixed with the intellectual energy of the university community. Everywhere I turned, there were students ting by the water, watching the ripples and feeling like maybe everything was going to work out. Ann Arbor had this way of surprising you, and its kindness kept me there all through spring, summer, and even into fall. Part of me felt like I’d grown roots there, too, and when it was finally time to leave, I knew it wouldn’t be goodbye forever. I made a promise to myself that I’d come back in the spring. It was with those memories and experiences in my heart that I boarded the bus to New York. When the time finally came to move to New York, Mike came along. We rode together on a bus, both of us carrying dreams and burdens, sharing hopes and hardships on the road to the big city. It’s hard to describe the feeling of stepping off the bus in New York. You can imagine it a thousand times, but reality hits you like a wave. The noise, the lights, the people — it was all overwhelming and awe-inspiring all at once. I remember the words of a song by Brazilian poet Renato Russo that captured exactly what I felt: “He was amazed by the city, leaving the bus station, he saw the Christmas lights.” Even though it wasn’t the holiday season yet, the lights, the rush and the energy felt just as magical. Broadway was right there as I stepped out, and I couldn’t help but feel a little stunned. This was the New York I had dreamed of — glittering, chaotic, full of life. And yet, at that moment, I was without a permanent home, arriving with just what I had on my back and a few belongings in a bag. The excitement of the city was tempered by the reality of what I was facing: I was homeless in New York. Still, New York City is a place where dreams and struggles coexist. The first thing I noticed was that, unlike Ann Arbor, the shelter system here seemed prepared. Within days, I had an intake, a New York ID, and even a place to stay — a bed in a shelter on 30th Street and 1st Avenue. I’ll never forget my first night there. Over a thousand people were being sheltered under one roof, each with their own story, each facing their own challenges. And while the reality was sobering, there was also a strange sense of relief. In New York, everyone, whether an American citizen or not, has a right to shelter. It was something I hadn’t expected, but it was a relief all the same. Life in a New York City shelter is something you can’t really prepare for. The scale of it all was astonishing. Pedro's single dormitory where he was placed within days of arrival in New York. For the many months he was homeless in Ann Arbor, he never had access to indoor, overnight shelter. I remember standing in a long line that seemed to stretch forever, surrounded by people from every imaginable background — men, women, young people, the elderly, immigrants and locals. The sheer diversity of lives around me was a reminder that homelessness doesn’t have a single face or a single story. In a city like New York, everyone has a past and a reason for being there. After a week in the Manhattan shelter, I was transferred to an individual room in Brooklyn. It felt like a small victory, having a space to myself, even if it was temporary. In some ways, it made it easier to focus on my next steps. My intake was complete, I had my New York ID and I was already starting to learn how the see NEW YORK next page  Support an Alternative Business Model Local - Organic - Member-Owned Your Ypsilanti source for healthy, eco-friendly food and goods INVEST BY BECOMING A MEMBER! 7 principles of Co-ops Voluntary, Democratic, Equitable, Independent, Informative, Collaborative, Community We make it affordable: Frequent Sales/Use Your Bridge card/Ask us about Double Up Food Bucks Visit us for 312 N. River St. (734) 483-1520 www.ypsifoodcoop.org unique cards and local, handmade items too $2 OFF your purchase of $15 or more One coupon per transacton Must present coupon at time of purchase ׉ 7cassandra://3v8DXSZj-H_Glk6zTvVoaHHypbs7bQbmEXJSvPywYAwR`g69c]% Ҳ׉EtNOVEMBER 15, 2024 SHELTER WASHTENAW COUNTY WINTER SHELTER OPTIONS Daytime Warming Center Ypsilanti Ypsi Freighthouse, 100 Market Place November 13 - March 28 Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Daytime Warming Center Ann Arbor Luther House Ed. Building, 1510 Hill Street November 19 - December 6 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. First Baptist Church, 517 E Washington Street December 9 - January 3 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. All Washtenaw County office building lobbies are available as warming centers during normal business hours.  NEW YORK from last page city’s resources worked. I had a social worker assigned to me, someone who would help me navigate the complexities of getting a job, finding educational opportunities and eventually securing a place of my own. But as Mike had warned me early on, New York is a city that will shelter you, but it won’t feed you. There were plenty of places to get affordable food, and with my EBT card, I could buy groceries and make do. But the experience taught me a new kind of self-reliance. I quickly learned to stretch what I had, to find meals where I could, and to be mindful of how I spent my money. Every dollar counts, and with the cost of things here like cigarettes and legal weed, you learn to prioritize. Every day in New York has a rhythm, and it’s unlike any place I’ve ever been. The people here are quick, sharp and constantly in motion. You’ll see people from every walk of life — business people in suits, artists with their easels, tourists craning their necks at the skyscrapers. New Yorkers don’t have time for small talk, but when they look at you, it’s direct, almost like they’re sizing you up. In a strange way, it’s refreshing. They expect you to be as quick and self-sufficient as they are, and the city demands a kind of independence that feels both challenging and exhilarating. The other side of the hustle and bustle is the silence of Central Park, which I discovered one afternoon while exploring Manhattan. It was like stepping into another world — the noise of the streets fading into the background, replaced by birdsong, trees and the occasional jogger. The park became a place I could return to when I needed a break from the city’s intensity. It was a reminder that even in the middle of all this chaos, there was room for peace. But New York has its downsides, too, Weekend Daytime Warming Center Delonis Center, 312 W Huron Street November 11 - April 13 (normal daytime hours) Overnight Warming Center Ann Arbor Delonis Center, 312 W Huron Street November 11 - April 13 Open every night at 7 p.m. Overnight Warming Center Ypsilanti St. Luke's Church, 120 N Huron Street Starting November 11 Monday - Friday 7 p.m. to 8 a.m Emmanuel Lutheran, 201 N River St. Starting November 11 Saturday and Sunday 7 p.m. to 8 a.m especially when you’re homeless. Basic things like public restrooms, drinking fountains and outlets are hard to come by. You become keenly aware of how small conveniences — like a bathroom or a place to charge your phone — are luxuries when you don’t have a stable place to call home. The city’s Wi-Fi is good but not great, and sometimes it feels like you’re spending half your time just trying to find a place to sit down for a few minutes without being asked to move. Then there’s the garbage. New York produces so much waste that sometimes the sidewalks are piled with it, especially near the shelters. Rats are everywhere, and the subways could use more attention. But despite all of that, there’s a strange resilience in the city’s imperfections. People accept it as part of the package, and you learn to do the same. Through all of this, I’ve kept my eyes on the future. My goal is clear: to find a job, go back to school and secure a home of my own. With the help of my social worker, I’m exploring college options, looking for opportunities that will let me move forward. I know it won’t happen overnight, but every step I take feels like progress. Being here in New York, as overwhelming as it can be, has given me a sense of purpose. This journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s also been more than I ever imagined. I’m realizing a dream, piece by piece, and even on the hardest days, I feel blessed to be here. The museums, the libraries, Broadway — all of it feels like it’s right there waiting for me, a city full of possibilities, if I can just keep going. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 5 g69c]% ҳg69c]% Ҳ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://JZb71BQX0TjEByIEhipVV-JuykTPQ85fRMHt3ajho6M 59`I׉ 7cassandra://YJbXj14wxHpRWJxv7A3YKeYjAYy_u9-2B9MkkcuitYwL`׉ 7cassandra://8mCVj554nsj9kjsX3SQVJaQHXn2r5WQQGHWozPliCJsX`g6:c]% ׉E6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS PEER LEADERSHIP NOVEMBER 15, 2024 Washtenaw Camp Outreach is modeling leadership and solidarity through community service On a Sunday in mid-August I visited a Washtenaw Camp Outreach cookout at Ypsilanti Waterworks Park for the first time. Washtenaw Camp Outreach is made up of individuals from various organizations, as well as unaffiliated individuals, many of whom have lived experiences of homelessness, poverty and other forms of economic hardship. Their day-to-day work involves visiting camps in person to connect with others in the struggle, share resources and supplies and assist others in living how they must to survive. This was an ordinary Sunday. I first attended the Groundcover News Visual Arts Contest celebration event at the MakeShift Art Gallery in downtown Ann Arbor where they display and sell local art. Then later that afternoon, I found myself at Waterworks Park where people were setting up for the WCO bi-weekly cookout. I parked the car and started helping to set up, when my friend and comrade Jim Clark asked me, “What do you think about leadership through community service?” I said, “I’m cool with that,” and then we had a brief conversation on the subject and proceeded to set up and have a great cookout. Later that evening at home, as I reflected on the day at the Groundcover News art event and hanging out at the WCO cookout, I began to ponder on leadership and community service. According to a quick Google search, “Leadership emcompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to ‘lead,’ influence, or guide other individuals, teams or entire organizations.” “Leadership” is a contested term, something that is argued over, questioned and disputed. Community service is work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and the betterment of the community, contributing to a noble cause without the intention of getting rewarded or compensated. These thoughts of leadership and community service and the awesome MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 camaraderie amongst those at the WCO cookout answered my question of what to do next in my life, in terms of reinventing myself. “Leadership through the means of community service.” There is an old saying, “lead by example.” From that Sunday forward I started thinking on how I want to give back to the community. I remembered in the "Ask Your Vendor" column of Groundcover where staff asked the vendors the question, “What would you bring to a BBQ?” My answer was cold water. So, from now on, I plan to be the water man and hand out bottles of water to individuals or at events such as WCO cookouts and meetings when I can afford to do so, and I also decided to volunteer with WCO in their frequent camp cleanups. I got to talk to Josh who is unhoused and has been involved in WCO since May of last year. He got involved with WCO camp cleanups because, “One of my unhoused camp buddies was a hoarder and I needed help cleaning up my campsite and the good people of WCO helped me clean up the campsite and it started from that moment.” Do you encourage or suggest to other unhoused people to get involved with camp cleanup? “Yes, I do. I believe in keeping our community clean and I encourage others in the unhoused community to do their part in keeping our camp area clean. People at WCO are genuinely good people, who truly care about the community they live in and serve, and deserve all the support they can get.” I also got a chance to talk with LK Washtenaw Camp Outreach Sunday BBQ has been a tradition of the group since it was established in 2020. who has been involved with WCO since the beginning. She shared, “WCO got started in 2020 during COVID and when the shelters were full, and most shelter options were deemed no longer available, thus leaving many with no safety net or preparation on how to protect themselves while out camping from the COVID-19 virus. That's when WCO started making sanitation kits and we also set up water stations at campsites for people to wash their hands and to have access to water. “Soon after COVID subsided, WCO transitioned to providing camping supplies for those who had no other choice but to be outdoors: sleeping bags, tents and other needed supplies. A lot of people tend to migrate to the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area to try to pull resources like affordable housing, which leaves many homeless, and most camp in the same areas, culminating in a lot of trash. “Donations are really helpful this time of the year because winter is around the corner: clothes, blankets and camping supplies. All donations can be dropped off at the Hospitality House at 169 N Washington St [around the corner from the Ypsilanti Transit Center] or message us on Facebook. We also accept monetary donations via Venmo @washtenawcampoutreach. Funds are used for hotel stays, propane and buddy heaters.” Finally, I asked if there was anything The ground of a campsite before (left) and after a WCO cleanup. else LK would like our readers to know about WCO. She replied, “WCO is not a government or funded entity; no one other than ourselves and those who donate provides goods and services to our community. We do this because there is a need. At WCO, we have weekly meetings and every-other-week cookouts and discuss ways to combat systemic oppression that leads to homelessness. We stand with those in our community by providing supplies, resources and advocating to protect the rights of the unhoused and those forced to live outdoors.” Washtenaw Camp Outreach meets every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at 169 N Washington St., alternating between meetings, reading group and outreach (visiting camps). Every other Sunday there is a community barbecue at 2 p.m. at the same location. ׉ 7cassandra://8mCVj554nsj9kjsX3SQVJaQHXn2r5WQQGHWozPliCJsX`g69c]% Ҵ׉E$NOVEMBER 15, 2024 PEER LEADERHSIP MARIE Groundcover contributor “Catch-it, check-it, change-it” is utilized in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services peer certification training as an approach to help navigate difficult situations. This article is a bridge to help readers understand the value of intentional peer support (defined as a supportive relationship between people who have lived experience in common, where the peer support specialist has undergone training) to the homeless, written by a chronically homeless peer. The Catch: Despite minimal published data about high quality studies specific to intentional peer support within the homeless or housing insecure populations, the effectiveness of formal peer support efforts to the homeless should be accepted (“treated”) as similar to evidence-based peer-led initiatives in mental health, substance abuse and veterans services. The Check: While the United States does not currently have established, published standards for peer support with the homeless, Canada’s Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness Society published a Peer Housing Support Program Toolkit in 2019 to help guide the development and implementation of evidenced-based peer programs specializing in housing. Change it: Efforts to implement intentional peer support related to housing issues has been underway here in Washtenaw County since 2022. Dedicated funding that allows for supervision and skill development for peer workers who are addressing poverty and institutional inequity would allow peer support programs to thrive in non-traditional sectors such as homelessness. At the end of the warming center season in 2022, two community members, Stefani Crouse and Sheri Wander, created Circling Back, a peer support group for people with lived experience with homelessness and housing insecurity. Through their participation in the support group and their personal and professional experience working in the area, a need and an opportunity arose to develop and create a trained and paid peer workforce able to reach those who fall through the gaps of services in Washtenaw County. That same year Circling Back was established; through a fiscal sponsor, they were selected to receive a $40,000 2023 grant disbursement through Washtenaw County’s New Human Services Partnership Mini-Grant, “in service of equity, and focused on addressing systemic racism, poverty and trauma.” It appears Circling Back collectively took an approach that is similar to the slogan, “nothing about us, without us,” in that they sought to create a new point of entry into the community support system based on issues related to housing stability, composed of people residing in the community they are serving. Circling Back recognized the need for people with lived experiences with homelessness to have opportunities to educate the community about homelessness, and to create new advancement opportunities for people who reflect the homeless populations' social identities and geographic locations. Ypsilanti is an area that the Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) describes as an area with lowest access to opportunity. Ypsilanti is composed of a high number of residents who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color, and this is where the majority of low-income housing options are available. Efforts during 2023 focused on identifying community members residing in Ypsilanti who were interested in beginning a journey towards becoming a trained peer support specialist, as well as those invested in changing how social work is done with the homeless community. By the beginning of 2024, Circling Back’s first group of paid peer workers, all of whom have lived experience with homelessness, were formally active in the community on a daily basis. To help with the 2024 grant, Circling Back recruited me, a Certified Peer and Masters Social Worker, to act as team lead. I've been a state-certified peer for a decade, newly returned to my community of birth, yet a newcomer to the team with only a one page document to guide me. It was not immediately clear how significant training a housing specific peer force was, nor how vital my certification training, professional experience and lived experience with homelessness could be. To clarify, it appears Circling Back founders worked to create a training program to address discriminatory practices and service gaps in both the training and employment of the peer workforce. Yet they also wanted to be sensitive to the values of inclusionary practices for people at various levels of the peer workforce experience. Current ma-informed culture that values experience, training and supervision seen in the more established applications of the peer models, as they help address professional stressors. For example, current state certification requirements for peers to be eligible for a state-sponsored training require (1) a primary diagnosis of a qualifying mental health or substance abuse diagnosis, (2) have participated in services through a qualifying agency such as the Veterans Administration or Community Mental Health, (3) have at least 1-2 years of acceptable recovery, and (4) be employed by an agency that provides community based behavioral health services or by a recognized contract provider. The current state certifications requirements appear to contradict a 2021 MDHHS bulletin describing peer support specialists, which specifies a peer specialist qualifier has lived experience with substantial life disruption, and then defines a substantial life disruption as “experiencing some as or all of the following: homelessness, mental health crisis, trauma, lack of employment, criminal justice involvement, discrimination, stigma/ prejudice intensified by mental health challenges, receiving public benefits due to poverty.” Around the same time the Circling literature encourages a trauBack team was commencing its first round of paid internship positions (summer 2024), a study was published in the Community Mental Health Journal called "Certified Peer Support in the Field of Homelessness: Stories Behind the Work." This study suggests a shift from, “if peer support to the homeless works,” to “what makes peer support to the homeless effective.” As of 2023, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that 49 of the 50 states have programs to train and certify peer workers. However, Circling Back founders recognized the need to address a gap in opportunities for Washtenaw’s most marginalized communities, as there is not a state certification for people focused on lived experience with homelessness, and current state requirements present barriers. It is important to recognize that the barriers to training or growth in projects such as Circling Back’s, with its team members who were put together to reflect the Ypsilanti homeless and housing-insecure community (who are often disabled, experience mental illness, come from traditionally marginalized identities and have other challenges) mimic barriers to fair and equitable opportunities in historically marginalized areas overall. We need to design training and workforce support programs so that they eliminate these barriers, and are guided by those closest to the problem. We don’t want people “at the top” to continue to make those decisions that the community being served has traditionally GROUNDCOVER NEWS No place like homeless: the future of peer innovation 7 Circling Back Peer Support Nework was established in 2022 to create a paid and trained peer workforce to reach those who fall through the service gap in Washtenaw County. been excluded from. A lack of understanding about the value of a homeless peer force is exemplified by Washtenaw County Community Mental Health’s local Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) lacking peer workers. The challenge at this time is less about if a housing-specific peer workforce is possible, and more about addressing the system barriers created by linking homeless services to mental health and substance abuse treatment. While Washtenaw County is fortunate to have a PATH program, as there are only 20 PATH programs in Michigan, locally, their impact is minimal, and even traumatic in some cases. For example, late last fall, as reported in Groundcover News January 26, 2024, minutes before the first snowstorm of 2024 a PATH team made initial contact with people staying in tents, with both police and city officials in tow, attempting to clear people from one area. Fortunately, housing peers in the community rallied together and are advocating for more humane alternatives to addressing local encampments. Alternatives in the local community are more in line with 2024 United States Interagency Council on Homelessness’ 19 strategies about how to address encampments. The need to continue advocating for programs like Circling Back was evident in a 2018 survey conducted by MDHHS certified peers which focused on identifying community needs and priorities. According to the state survey, no peers are formally working in a housing or homeless specific setting, yet nearly half of the certified peers reported housing was a task they addressed most days of the week, and of those peers who engage in housing see PEER page 11  g69c]% ҵg69c]% Ҵ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://HgFkXsnyZjuIlWam_BS_ANoCY6FpbvzFoRLmJSDqWJ4 U9`I׉ 7cassandra://EdfWH_60FoDuWKpx0qhRoCZO7kBCi4NRD4FDp4aqSLw-`׉ 7cassandra://AHqXhMkZksrjcMp3GwsfBZjfzOmSUPckCU5eti3eblwU'`g6:c]% ϑנg6:c]% с?9ׁHhttp://tice.Thׁ ׁ Ј׉Ev8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HISTORY NOVEMBER 15, 2024 Civil Rights Act of 1964 turns 60! Remembering events, heroes and movements that shaped history On July 2, 2024, the White House released a statement on behalf of President Joe Biden to remind the American people of the historic significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was signed by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. It was announced that President Biden would visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, to deliver some remarks to commemorate the 60th anniversary of this transformative legislation. As the Civil Rights Act of 1964 turns 60, the mass media and the American public have begun to discuss how far the nation has come in successfully implementing the goals and objectives of this momentous legislation. After the 1964 Act, Congress passed and the President signed the 1965 Civil Rights Act (Voting Rights Enforcement/Freedom to Vote law) and the 1968 Civil Rights Act (Non-Discrimination in Housing/Fair Housing/Creation of U.S. HUD). Although I have talked to several students and community members since the 50th anniversary of the legislation in 2014, I wanted to gauge how much progress we are making toward a full understanding of the history and the impacts. More recently, I talked to some University of Michigan students who volunteer to help poor and homeless people in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. They are members of student organizations interested in community engagement and service learning. Among the organizations are Michigan Movement, Redefined and Michigan Community Scholars Program. A college senior, Lauren, said that civil rights mean equality to her. Her colleague, Esther, said that she thinks of Title 9 when she thinks of civil rights. Other students mentioned words such as “discrimination,” “injustice” or “civility.” I believe some members of the older generation may be able to speak more passionately, having lived through the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s. A Brief Overview of the Civil Rights Struggles award-winning book titled, Sociologist Aldon Morris wrote the “The Origin of the Civil Rights Movement.” He was a sociology professor at U-M, but is currently at Northwestern. Although his work was widely praised, a few historians and one law professor at the University of Minnesota wanted to see the book provide more WILL SHAKESPEARE Groundcover vendor No. 258 historical background. But even in the Library of Congress big poster displays, it’s suggested that the civil rights struggle started in 1950 and continued into the 1960s. Many people know the story about Linda Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. It was a case against segregation in public education and pernicious discrimination. NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall led the team that fought before the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 SCOTUS decision which ruled that “Separate But Equal” was the law of the land. Earl Warren’s Supreme Court deliberated and reached a unanimous landmark decision on May 17, 1954. The justices said the Court was wrong in 1896. The Warren Court decided that “Separate But Equal” was no longer the law of the land. In 1955, the Court met again to decide how their decision should be implemented. SCOTUS suggested that the government should use “all deliberate speed” to enforce it. The story of Emmett Till is a crushing tragedy in the struggle for civil rights in the southern region of the country. Emmett was a young, confident 14-year old boy from Chicago. His family left the south during the Great Black Migration because of Jim Crow laws, racism and KKK harassments. Emmett told his mom that he wanted to travel to Mississippi for a summer holiday. His mother was worried about his safety and gave him some tips on how to survive during his stay in Money, Mississippi. Emmett was targeted because of his character, his race and his Chicago confident gravitas. On a late summer afternoon, Emmett and his cousins went to a small neighborhood store to buy candies and soda pop. The cashier made what she later admitted to be false accusations. The woman’s husband and his bully cousin came into the house where Emmett was staying in the middle of the night. One person had a gun in one hand, and hurriedly took the boy away. They did not listen to the pleas from the homeowners. August 28, 1963, President John F. Kennedy met with civil rights leaders of the March on Washington at the White House. Emmett was beaten so badly with hard objects that his skull shattered, and bullets opened gaping holes across his head. His messed-up body was tied to a 70-pound abandoned industrial fan and dumped into the Tallahatchie river. Emmett Till was killed on August 28, 1955. Emmett’s mom, Mamie Till, fought to bring her son’s body to Chicago for burial. The body and the face were so brutalized that Mamie insisted on giving Emmett an open casket funeral. Mourners who came to the funeral in South-Side Chicago wept and demanded federal government laws to protect Black people in the southern regions. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act was finally signed into law in 2022. The Montgomery bus boycott started in December 1955 and lasted more than one year. Ms. Rosa Parks was asked by a bus driver to go to the back of the bus because only white people were allowed to sit near the front of the bus. She said she was tired and her feet were hurting, and she chose to sit in the front. She was kicked out of the bus. A young pastor who had just become the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, helped Rosa Parks and the local NAACP devise a plan on how to kick off the boycott, working with the Montgomery Improvement Union. The young Pastor’s name was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The strategy devised by Dr. King, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Improvement Union was successful. After more than 500 days of the boycott, the bus company said they lost a lot of money and wanted to end their segregation policy. It is obvious to many scholars that the Montgomery bus boycott was a planned social change. Dr. King’s 1957 book, “A Stride to Freedom,” shared a story about the successful social movement. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was signed by President Dwight Eisenhower. It called for dismantling the Jim Crow laws which put punitive restrictions on Black people in the south who wanted to register and vote. It also aimed at removing segregation and discrimination in public facilities, including public education. President Eisenhower had to empower the federal National Guard to go to Little Rock, Arkansas, in order to help nine Black teens attend classes at Little Rock High School. The nine kids were nicknamed, “The Little Rock 9.” One of them died recently at the age of 83. The SCOTUS recommendation in 1955 to use all deliberate speed to ensure integration of public schools and other public facilities was a major challenge in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. Black pastors and business leaders helped to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in order to work with several faith organizations and wage successful human rights and civil rights campaigns. Dr. King was named the first president of SCLC. Dr. King worked with the NAACP and other community leaders to get the federal government involved in the struggles to end discrimination and ensure freedom, equality and justice.The southern states of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida were “Ground Zero” for racial tensions related to actual and perceived racial injustice. Dr. King traveled across the nation, giving speeches in Ann Arbor (November 5, 1962), Detroit (June 1963) and other cities. see CIVIL RIGHTS page 11  ׉ 7cassandra://AHqXhMkZksrjcMp3GwsfBZjfzOmSUPckCU5eti3eblwU'`g69c]% Ҷ׉E!NOVEMBER 15, 2024 PUZZLES GROUNDCOVER NEWS 9 Groundcover Vendor Code While Groundcover is a non-profit, and paper vendors are self-employed contractors, we still have expectations of how vendors should conduct themselves while selling and representing the paper. The following is our Vendor Code of Conduct, which every vendor reads and signs before receiving a badge and papers. We request that if you discover a vendor violating any tenets of the Code, please contact us and provide as many details as possible. Our paper and our vendors should be positively impacting our County. • Groundcover will be a voluntary purchase. I agree not to ask for more than the cover price or solicit donations by any other means. • When selling Groundcover, I will always have the current biweekly issue of Groundcover available for customer purchase. • I agree not to sell additional goods or products when selling the paper or to panhandle, including panhandling with only one paper or selling past monthly issues. • I will wear and display my badge when selling papers and refrain from wearing it or other Groundcover gear when engaged in other activities. • I will only purchase the paper from Groundcover Staff and will not sell to or buy papers from other Groundcover vendors, especially vendors who have been suspended or terminated. • I agree to treat all customers, staff, and other vendors respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten, harass or pressure customers, staff, or other vendors verbally or physically. • I will not sell Groundcover under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • I understand that I am not a legal employee of Groundcover but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. • I understand that my badge is property of Groundcover and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers. • I agree to stay off private property when selling Groundcover. • I understand to refrain from selling on public buses, federal property or stores unless there is permission from the owner. • I agree to stay at least one block away from another vendor in downtown areas. I will also abide by the Vendor Corner Policy. • I understand that Groundcover strives to be a paper that covers topics of homelessness and poverty while providing sources of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. If you would like to report a violation of the Vendor Code please email contact@groundcovernews. com or fill out the contact form on our website. ACROSS 1. "Good kid, ___ city" (2012 Kendrick Lamar album) 5. Car company with an H.Q. in Munich 8. Entreprise rivaling Entreprise 12. Outdo 14. "___ you vera much!" (valentine for a horticulturist) 15. Yearn (for) 16. Fantastical ideals 18. Nicks or Knight, e.g. 19. Alt-rock genre 20. Own (up) 21. What boxers vie for 23. Dine and __ 25. Pamper, with "on" 27. Bank offerings 29. More cunning 31. Shapeshifting clown of literature 33. Hotel visits 35. Nonfiction flick 36. Court divider 37. Org. that dissaproves of boas 39. Assistant integrated with A.I. in IOS 18 42. One on a home screen 45. Unexplainable sexual repulsion, with "the" 47. "Brilliant!" 50. Crime often perpetrated through scam emails 54. Clay being in Jewish folklore 56. Make eye contact to an uncomfortable degree 57. Memo header 59. Establishment selling bagels and schmear 60. Jays and Rheas 62. Circle up in a monastery? 64. Director Brooks 65. Vibe 66. Dangerous snake ... or what 16-, 31-, and 50-Across share 69. Thin cut 70. "Woe is me!" 71. Important step before 'repeat' 72. Beg 73. Agent Smith's enemy, in "The Matrix" 74. Mull (over) DOWN 1. Some Vespas 2. Titular 14-Down characters, often animals 3. Delta, e.g. 4. Word with date and dilligence 5. Drunk, slangily 6. Cry from a younger sibling 7. "___ Side Story" 8. Judd who produced "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" 9. One stereotypically stealing candy from babies 10. Passionate, as a romance 11. Metric tracked by a webmaster, in short 13. File read by Adobe Acrobat: Abbr. 14. Famous fabulist 17. ___ 40 (dye found in Twizzlers) 22. Texter's sign of affection 24. Disorderly pile 26. Chimp trained for 1000+ hours to become the third homonid to ever orbit the earth 28. Tennis segment that may be ended by a 36-Across 30. Bread option 32. Longtime CBS police procedural 34. Kerfuffle 38. Berry in a bowl 40. Oriental or Persian, e.g. 41. Apple product officially discontinued in 2022 42. Reactions to a cute dog, maybe 43. Artist also known as "Mr. Worldwide" 44. Grassland 46. Chinese chicken dish 48. He or I, but not she 49. Word after press or work 51. Editor's finds 52. Added logs to, as a fire 53. Stops and rolls connector 55. Bathroom growth 58. Opposite of WSW 61. Button on a car's radio 63. [Don't touch my squeak toy!] 65. Nile biter 67. ___ Miss 68. Not her's CROSSWORD Victor Schmitt g69c]% ҷg69c]% Ҷ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://_AnnfqJ3vnHV0G5JiNydaALyhNMeBR1GLNJ9fbJBFgID `I׉ 7cassandra://7QgZyKIWp9OE_gGT5RoHodWQeQrG-B8Pja5pmSb0e7U<`׉ 7cassandra://Jxi1Mcpiq4k-F56mdfsN0fS-pKw4K8JfK30uEQd_YaoO`g6:c]% ׉E10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS POETRY What Family Means to Me? LA SHAWN COURTWRIGHT Groundcover vendor No. 56 My true family; The one I'm reborn into. Yes, We all have the same Father!! We all love each other as Our Father teaches, Commands us all to!! Yes, We do not always like or agree about or with some things. Nevertheless, We still love everyone Equally!! As Our Father loves both You and Me!!! The Window of Life IKE STAPLE Groundcover vendor No. 23 Through the window of life, everything looks clear. Realizing it was just a full length mirror. Four thousand times I once thought about life, then I dreamed I fell asleep, Through the window of life. After giving everyone applause, I finally congratulated myself, after awakening from the fall, Through the window of life, I landed on an encore and a standing round of applause. Through the window of life, The sound I didn't want to end at all. NOVEMBER 15, 2024 PUZZLE SOLUTIONS exp. 01/31/2025 - ׉ 7cassandra://Jxi1Mcpiq4k-F56mdfsN0fS-pKw4K8JfK30uEQd_YaoO`g69c]% Ҹ׉E#NOVEMBER 15, 2024 CONTINUED  CIVIL RIGHTS from page 8 In remembrance of Emmett Till, the “March on Washington” was scheduled for August 28, 1963 in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The National Park Service estimated that the crowd was over 250,000. There were many speakers including the late John Lewis, a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I HAVE A DREAM” speech. It was a profound and powerful speech. Dr. King was inspired by the poem of Langston Hughes titled, “Harlem: What Happens to a Dream Deferred?” Some historians had noted that Dr. King was urged by his favorite gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, to say something about the dreams. He did! Dr. King’s oratory was also heard inside the White House and offices of the Nobel Prize Committee. King and his allies had made a persuasive case for civil rights in America. A few days after the March, President John F. Kennedy invited Dr. King and other Civil Rights leaders to the White House. Historians have said that when President Kennedy greeted the leaders, he jokingly said, “I have a dream!” At the White House, the host and guests discussed the 1963 Civil Rights Bill which President Kennedy sent to Congress for deliberation and passage. Sadly, in November 1963, Kennedy traveled to Dallas where he was killed by an assassin's bullet. The tragedy was very painful for the nation. Men, women and children wept openly on street corners, and in classrooms, churches, restaurants and workplaces. President Kennedy’s Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was, later in the day, sworn in as president. The nation was in mourning and tributes to the young leader, now dead, were pouring in. The new president made a passionate plea to Congress to pass Kennedy’s 1963 Civil Rights Act as one way to honor his legacy. In February 1964, the House passed it. The Senate passed the bill in June and President L.B. Johnson signed it into law on July 2, 1964. This law called for non-discrimination on the basis of race, age, gender, ethnicity and national origin. It has been amended a few times to include disability, sexual orientation and other minority identities. The 1964 Civil Rights Act created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate complaints about workplace discrimination, bias and harassment. There was a lot of resistance after the President Lyndon B. Johnson shaking the hand of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the southern states, there was rampant discrimination in hospital facilities, public education, restaurants, movie theaters and workplaces. In order to speed up compliance with the civil rights law, President L.B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11246 – The Affirmative Action Policy of 1965. The Federal government would not give funding to organizations noncompliant with the law against discrimination. Non-discrimination in voting was a key provision of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. However, southern Blacks were not given the freedom and opportunity to cast their votes. The march from Selma to Mongomery across the Pettus bridge was a march for voting rights enforcement and for freedom to vote. The Bloody Sunday in March 1965 showed peaceful protesters being beaten up with batons and threatened with guns by Sheriff deputies. The news media all over the world showed the brutality and injustice experienced by peaceful marchers. The images were stunning. The use of fire hoses to spray strong jets of water on young school children who were protesting, knocking them down, dealt a negative blow to the nation’s image abroad, and sickened many at home. Congress hurried and passed the 1965 Voting Rights Act, also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1965. President L. B. Johnson signed it into law and voiced a line from the old Negro Spiritual, “We shall overcome … some day.” Discrimination continued, especially in housing and residential neighborhoods. Dr. King joined local protesters in cities such as Chicago to call attention to redlining, disinvestment patterns and unfair discrimination in housing purchase and renting. In 1968, Congress was considering a non-discrimination fair housing bill which was sent by the Johnson administration. In March 1968, President Johnson received the reports from the Governor Otto Kerner Commission. After the 1967 Detroit Riot, the commission was created to answer three key questions. What happened? Why did it happen? What can we do to make sure it does not happen again? On April 4, 1968, another national tragedy shocked America and the world. Civil Rights leader and the November 1964 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize Dr. King was shot and killed in front of Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Once again, GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 President Johnson urged Congress to pass the Fair Housing Act / Civil Rights Act of 1968. It was passed quickly in April and he signed it into law. Conclusion Many journalists continue to say that the nation has come a long way. America in the 21st century is much better than the 20th century and the centuries before. The young people of today will be leaders of our tomorrow. They have demonstrated a sense of moral rectitude and a sense of racial justice during the 2020 brutal tragedy on the streets of Minneapolis. Many people in the mass media have said that there should be an intergenerational dialogue about the good chapters and the sad chapters of our history. It would not be prudent to point the blame on the young folks for the sins of the remote past. In their highly regarded book titled, “Long Memory,” Mary Frances Berry of the University of Pennsylvania and John Blasingame of Yale emphasized the correction of distortions in our history books and our civic literature. Let the conversations begin in classrooms, community centers, coffee shops, restaurants, ice cream parlors, farmers markets and outside the libraries. I do realize the experience of one individual may be different from another individual. We must be careful about the error of generalization. This is a reminder from Maya Angelou’s poem, “Still I Rise." You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I’ll rise. ... You may shoot me down with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise.  PEER from page 7 related tasks, housing was an area of weakness. Locally, the workflow available to help guide homeless or housing insecure individuals is published by the OCED, and only outlines the initial steps in the Housing Access of Washtenaw County process. Currently, the County lacks any type of resource that helps explain the flow of different resource options available to anyone interested in housing support. A recent discussion with OCED also revealed the need to improve the workflow for supporting people at all stages of their housing journey, which should address issues related to housing safety — such as sanitation, mold and repairs — as well as access to legal resources. For example, many people become unhoused because they lack legal representation or an understanding of their rights. On the other side, once people access housing — through public or private means — they are often cut off from the support network that assisted them up until that point. The concept of creating specialized programming utilizing peer workers brings both challenges and opportunities: at this time Canada, Australia, and the European Federation of National Organizations working with the homeless, have all published tools for applying peer support with the homeless and housing insecure. Peer curricula have historically been open to adapting peer training to the needs of the population served. The challenge, it appears, is that peer programs that prioritize housing require financial support mechanisms, which are lacking in the current system, as most peer programming is rooted in funding streams associated with substance abuse, mental health, or another qualifying medical diagnosis rather than actual homelessness. Recent literature published about peer programs in the United States suggests there is potential to explore future opportunities based on need and strengthened through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). At this time, efforts are underway through OCED to utilize Circling Back team members in this winter’s Point In Time (PIT) count to make it more accurate. The PIT count is funded by HUD to gauge homelessness in the United States, and helps guide how housing resources are disbursed. Also, to better serve the needs of its homeless and the housing unstable population, Circling Back hopes to improve towards a more trauma-conscious approach to the housing peer workforce, better equipped to improve quality of life for everyone. g69c]% ҹg69c]% Ҹ בCטFu׉׉ 7cassandra://0RXZ51zo_noFC2HCHbjGZdzQ0dhRSTDOTaNoZu0cNqc`׉ 7cassandra://ugLCBoLLB-qL4Smba9oyrAp-4rm9WbMD4QCRMBDKxZY͊`h׉ 7cassandra://LEVotMtXpToVI7KdIpQJg2om0Eg9G3EcV4wF0UAucMs-{`g6:c]% ԑנg6:c]% ցa 9ׁHhttp://PEOPLESFOOD.COOPׁ ׁ Ј׉E12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS FOOD Black bean and orange salsa ELIZABETH BAUMAN Groundcover contributor Ingriedients: 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained 2 oranges, peeled and diced 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1 Tablespoon oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cumin NOVEMBER 15, 2024 Directions: Combine all ingredients and chill. Serve over rice with some melted monterey jack cheese for a delicious vegetarian meal. Delicious food for everyone. Fresh ingredients for fall comfort meals. $5 OFF NATURAL FOODS MARKET 216 N. FOURTH AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MI PHONE (734) 994 - 9174 • PEOPLESFOOD.COOP ANY PURCHASE OF $30 OR MORE One coupon per transaction. Must present coupon at the time of purchase. Coupon good for in-store only. No other discounts or coop cards apply. Not valid for gift cards, case purchases, beer or wine. OFFER EXPIRES 12/12/2024 ׉ 7cassandra://LEVotMtXpToVI7KdIpQJg2om0Eg9G3EcV4wF0UAucMs-{`g69c]% Һ׈Eg69c]% һg69c]% Һ ,November 15, 2024g69}\CC