His columns surprised you | Opinion Year In Review
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Michael Griffie is an attorney and an educator. But you could probably guess that from reading his columns. In 2023, Griffie became a Free Press contributing columnist, tackling a broad range of subjects with a unique point of view, a focus on root causes and better outcomes.
From Coleman Young to Big Gretch: Exploring Detroit hip-hop's political evolution
"On Aug. 11, 1973, an 18-year-old aspiring DJ named Clive Campbell — better known as DJ Kool Herc — hosted a party in his hometown of Bronx, NY.
"Kool Herc wanted to raise a little extra cash so his sister could get new clothes before school started. But instead of playing a song followed by another song, he mixed the instrumental break of each song (known as the "break beat") into a continuous loop. By all accounts, using the break beat to create a song all its own gave birth to a new musical and cultural art form: hip-hop. ...
"Artists right here from Detroit have made indelible contributions to hip-hop as much as their Motown predecessors did for pop music in the decades prior. ...
"But the cultural impact of hip-hop in Detroit extends beyond those who created this music. The story of hip-hop in Detroit is about its political evolution, from cast-aside to the mainstream."
Slotkin has virtually no record of representing Michigan’s Black communities
Elissa Slotkin appears to have the wind at her back as she embarks on a campaign for a U.S. Senate seat. One by one, high profile potential Democratic candidates — like Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson — have declined the opportunity to succeed U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who announced earlier this year that she won't seek re-election in 2024.
Widely regarded as a prodigious fundraiser, Slotkin reportedly brought in $1.2 million within the first 24 hours of her campaign announcement. This may have given the above-mentioned hopefuls enough pause to stay away. But according to reporting by Politico, some senior members of the Senate Democratic Caucus — including Stabenow herself — personally dissuaded prospective candidates, out of fear that a protracted primary would leave the prevailing candidate starved for resources in the general election.
While I can personally appreciate the unintended consequences of a large Democratic primary — I ran for the 13th District Congressional seat last year, in a race resolved in a crowded Democratic primary — I don't believe that a clear Democratic primary field equals success, particularly in the crucial task of gaining the support and enthusiasm of Black Michiganders.
My son sees the world differently. Being Black delayed his autism diagnosis
"Parents of children with autism face a dual reality: Wanting to do whatever you can to protect your kid from a world that is often judgmental, and the guilt and shame of never believing we are doing enough.
"For my family, the time between hearing, “it’s a healthy baby boy” to “your son has autism” was filled with obstacles and a search for answers.
"Autism is a complex neurological disorder that presents in many ways across a broad spectrum. Children with autism display a variety of behaviors in ways that can often reaffirm biases that exist with Black children — boys in particular. While there has been a great deal of progress in recognizing bias through our health care system, more can and should be done."
We should ask 1 question about $100M grant for Detroit's Black Bottom area
"For the first time in American history, the federal government explicitly aims to repair past infrastructure decisions that have harmed Black communities. Sixty-four years after I-375 was constructed directly through the once-thriving Black neighborhood of Black Bottom, the Michigan Department of Transportation has received a $100 million Reconnecting Communities federal grant intending to right past wrongs.
"Generations of my own family have been affected by such harmful decisions in the past, and I appreciate how far we’ve come to providing inclusive, equitable infrastructure. But as we look toward the future — even with the most noble of intentions — we run the risk of repeating previous mistakes, if we don’t apply lessons learned from the past.
"In the spring of 1878, my great-grandfather R.B. Scruggs and his parents boarded a train in search of new opportunity. Leaving Kentucky, traveling west, the train made its final stop in Ellis, Kansas. R.B. and his family made the harrowing 38-mile trek on foot across the prairie to Nicodemus, guided only by landmarks.
"Within three years, this all-Black pioneer town was settled and thriving. By 1881, according to the National Park Service, Nicodemus had more than 500 residents, a bank, two hotels, three churches, a newspaper, a drug store and three general stores, with 12 square miles of cultivated land around the town. This, from the pioneering spirit forged by people who previously toiled American soil as forced labor.
"But the Union Pacific Railroad's decision to bypass Nicodemus 6 miles to the southwest is equally part of this American story."
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: From Michael Griffie: Hiphop's birthday, I-375, parenting and autism
