I am sharing a leaflet we wrote in the fall of 2004. It was the first time Grace emphasized what would become a key idea over the next decade of her work, the need to grow our souls. It emerged from a conference at the Fetzer Institute, sponsored by the Center for Democratic Renewal/Project Change and Tools for Change.

The impulse to create a new, living democracy is strong in Detroit. As a movement city, people have long understood the power of organized action for change. We are the home of some of the most radically democratic efforts in the country, infusing our political life with principles of justice and compassion.

The Republican party has given up all pretense that it believes in democracy. It does believe in the rule of law, though. That is why throughout the country republicans are moving systematically to create legal frameworks that will enable them to control the outcome of elections. Their determination to suppress the ability of people to vote is now widely documented. This suppression is tied directly to their instance that the last election was a fraud, and they are determined to make sure the next one comes out the way they want.

After a week of legal wrangling, the ability of Detroiters to vote for or against the proposed City Charter is unclear. What should be clear, is the fight over the Charter is at the heart of contested visions of our city. Whatever its flaws, the Charter holds out a vision of our city that puts people first, acknowledges the disparities among us, and takes concrete steps to improve the lives of our people, our children, and our neighborhoods. It limits the power of the Mayor and the Police and increases citizen voices.

This week James White assumes command of the Detroit Police Department. We wish him well as the new Chief. He is stepping into a position that requires new thinking about policing, relationships in our city, and the responsibilities of public officials.

James White assumes command of the Detroit Police Department on June 2. Chief James Craig has decided to retire. He is embracing the openly racist, white supremist, anti-democracy republican political party as his new home. This tells us much about what is wrong with policing in Detroit and why we need a shift in leadership. This change is an opportunity for us to rethink policing. So far, incoming interim Chief White is a disappointment.

We oppose the brutality of the Israeli government against the Palestinian people. We stand in solidarity with those who fight for freedom against apartheid, genocide, and the settler colonialism essential to the expansion of empire. In this issue we are emphasizing the speech by Rashida Tlaib of Detroit. Long before she became the only US Congress member of Palestinian descent, she has been in the forefront of struggles for justice for all, understanding that our struggles for a better world are entwined.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig is expected to announce this week his retirement and to launch his campaign for governor on the republican ticket. Such news is not surprising. Craig has consistently supported the most extreme right wing, destructive politics in the country.

Chief Craig and Mayor Duggan are moving the city in the wrong direction. They are resisting the depth of changes required to create peaceful, just communities. Instead, they are committed to protecting power and supporting the use of deadly force against people.

On a warm June day, almost 50 years ago, a jury found Angela Davis not guilty of murder, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy. The all-white jury deliberated for three days before returning its verdict.

The movement to defund the police is gaining momentum. After decades of holding local officials hostage by stoking fears of crime, police departments are beginning to see their budgets cut. Over the last 40 years, in the face of increasing demands for public services and shrinking city resources, police spending has tripled. None of this massive spending has made us safer. Study after study shows that there is no correlation between increased spending and reduced crime. The US leads the world in the killing of citizens by police.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has refused to press charges in the shooting death of Hakim Littleton. In an unusual, lengthy press conference to justify her decision, Worthy presented a powerpoint, referring to testimony from witnesses and video clips from body cameras to support her conclusion that the officers “acted in lawful self-defense.” Acknowledging that the case is controversial, Worthy said “we cannot let that deter us from making the right decisions in cases where some people would like to see charges.”

This week the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd unfolded with painful, haunting testimony from eyewitnesses. Ranging in ages from 9 to 61 years old, witnesses explained what they saw, and the burdens they now carry. Not since the killing of Emmett Till have Americans as a whole been brought face to face with the brutality that routinely moves through the lives of African Americans and all of us who are the marginalized and disrespected people of our land.

A coalition of activist organizations is calling upon us to join in a reflection on the direction of our country and what we can do collectively to advance justice and peace. They are inviting us to listen to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech on Breaking the Silence read by a diverse group of people dedicated to King’s ideas. The reading will be followed by a conversation among activists from around the country. The event is set for April 4th at 7pm. You can connect at: kingandbreakingsilence.org.

As people in Minneapolis struggled with questions of jury selection, prejudiced judgments, and appropriate places for a trial for the killer of George Floyd, another young white man picked up a gun. He ultimately killed 8 people, six of them Asian-American women. His actions were explained by the local sheriff as the result of a bad day. 

This week the people of Detroit achieved an important victory. U.S. District Judge Laurie Michelson threw out an outlandish, dangerous, and costly effort by the Chief of Police, Mayor Mike Duggan and the majority of the City Council to squash dissent. This lawsuit was an obvious effort to intimidate those who dared to stand up against police brutality. It was a petty “pay back,” aimed at punishing Detroit Will Breathe and activists who successfully challenged Detroit Police violence in court.

Just a few days before the anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where John Lewis and hundreds of others were beaten by Alabama State troopers as they demanded voting rights, Mayor Mike Duggan announced his budget proposals to the Detroit City Council. Nearly sixty years have passed since that vivid explosion of police violence, but it seems Mayor Duggan has learned nothing from it.

On Saturday the Detroit Charter Commission voted to advance its newly crafted document to state officials for review. The Commission hopes that, after review, the Charter will be adopted by a vote of the people in August. The document reflects three years of work by the elected commission. They held countless public meetings, offered opportunities for citizen engagement, heard expert testimony, and have worked with city officials and lawyers to meet their responsibilities. 

This week the United States will have lost 500,000 people to the Coronavirus. This is more than all the deaths we experienced in World War I, World War II, and Vietnam, combined. We have endured these losses in 1 year, touching people everywhere. This week we are also witnessing the dimensions of suffering in Texas, and surrounding states. The loss of electricity, combined with extreme cold, has revealed the fragility of our basic infrastructure yet again. People are without heat, food, and water. Hospitals are collapsing. Needed emergency supplies cannot be delivered.

The impeachment trial is over. The outcome was clear before the first words were spoken. In spite of overwhelming evidence of Trump’s responsibility for the Capitol attack, only 7 Republican senators had the courage to acknowledge his guilt. After voting against impeachment, Senator Mitch McConnell felt compelled to try and salvage his position by saying “There’s no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”