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JUNETEENTH:
Celebrating Freedom
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www.lansingcitypulse.com 55
PULSE NEWS & OPINION
Experts skeptical ofcontinue
Racial disparities BWL’s ‘naturally occurring’
despite decline boron cases
in COVID claim
Regulators
The Rev. Vincentorder tests
Richardson of Cris-
water wells that BWL has so far tested. Site tests detected boron levels be-
Significant questions about the tween 2.48 mg/L and 4.17 mg/L.
wells located near and away from the
essarily connected to tribal community
coal ash site is a quite simple task and
to Rey Catholic Church has celebrated
on 60 more wells after
Mass for at least 14 parishioners whose
problem’s scope also Tricounty
remain:COVID cases
BWL still per million
Michigan hasn’tby setrace
specific health lim-
centers and municipal buildings,” said
(regulators and BWL) should provide
the official, who declined to be identi-
doesn’t have a handle on the pollution its on the amount of boron allowed in that data rather than using ‘literature’
chemical found
deaths were related in six
to COVID.
plume’s size orIngham County
location, precisely howEatondrinking
County water,Clinton though County
groundwater
fied because she was not authorized to
to prove their point,” he added.
“When you know someone who dies speak.
Regulators have ordered the Lansing many drinking water wells are contam- limits of 0.5 mg/L are in place — but EGLE said it’s up to BWL to deter-
or is seriously hospitalized by this virus, The other issue contributing to high-
Board of Water & Light to test anoth- inated in the nearby vicinity or how that is based on plant toxicity, not hu- mine the boron’s source and that EGLE
that certainly affects your perspective,” er rates, noted both Lovell and the state
er 60 drinking water wells for boron long its neighbors have been drinking man health, officials at EGLE said. will “vet” BWL’s science and enforce
said Richardson, whose southside con- American Indian/ official, is that members of the Native
and other contamination suspected to contaminated
Alaska Nativewater supplies. The EPA has an unenforceable state regulations.
gregation is mostly Latinx. American and Black communities tend
be stemming from the Erickson Power BWL repeatedly claimed to be “pro- “health advisory” drinking water limit Experts who reviewed the data also
As a result of that changing perspec- to work at jobs in factories and meat
Station’s toxic coal ash ponds. actively” investigating the pollution, expressed some skepticism of BWL’s
tive about the virus that struck the Lat- plants or warehouses that were consid-
The decision comes as BWL has be- but the utility knew about toxins leak- theory because available evidence sug-
ponds as early as April “There needs to be a serious
inx community in Ingham, Eaton and ered essential. Because both commu-
gun to claim the boron may be natural- ing from itsAsian/ gests the coal ash pond’s boron is be-
Clinton counties harder than other eth- nities tend to live in multigeneration-
ly occurring in mid-Michigan’s Sagi-
nicities, he was quick to partner with
Pacific Islander
2020 and never alerted the public or investigation hind the contamination.
al housing, the virus once introduced
naw aquifer from which the wells draw, its neighbors. that would Evans said the boron may be natu-
the Ingham County Health Department spreads quickly. The same underlying
not leaking from coal ash. It’s possible It only began testing after the En- rally occurring in the deeper aquifer
to do COVID testing at the church as
that the boron is naturally occurring, vironmentalBlack/ Protection Agency and include water health concerns in Black Americans
but said it’s already clear that the shal-
well as provide a vaccine clinic. African American are also significantly higher in Native
experts who have reviewed test results
Black, Native American and Asian
Michigan Department of Environ- quality tests.” low aquifer is contaminated from the
American communities.
and aquifer data said, but they said the
community members have also suffered
ment, Great Lakes and Energy De- — Avner ash, and she stressed that BWL and
Vail concurred with that assessment,
evidence — at least so far — suggests partment began enforcement action EGLE are legally obligated to “aggres-
significantly higher rates of infection in
BWL’s coal ash is the source. on the pollution White and BWL’s failure to
Vengosh, Duke University noting one of the first outbreaks in Ing-
sively test wells until they determine
the tri-county region in comparison to
Though drinking water wells are be- respond. EGLE officials told City Pulse expert on coal ash ham County was tied to one of two work
the extent of the contamination.”
white residents. locations. Many of those cases were in
ing tested, public health advocates said that BWL is not acting proactively; It’s also extremely rare to find nat-
In the first months of the pandemic southeast Asians immigrant popula-
that’s insufficient. the agency is actually0.0M requiring BWL 0.1M of 6 mg/L for adults 0.2M and 3 mg/L for urally occurring levels of boron as
in Ingham County, Black residents had tions that were considered essential
Water samples from around the to test and provide drinking water to children. Boron is linked to develop- high as what has been detected in the
nearly double the rate of infection and workers during the shutdown. They
aquifer must be analyzed for chemical impacted homes and businesses as part mental and reproductive toxicity, low drinking water wells, Vengosh said.
death than other subpopulations. Hope The rates consent
of infection of that
COVID-19 per 1 million people in aand
given racial population often lived in overcrowded, multigen-
markers that will clearly determine the of a draft order will legally birth weight testicular shrinkage.in And though the aquifer from which the
Lovell, chair of the Ingham Community erational house facilities that helped
boron’s source, but state regulators ha- Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties
mandate the utility to take the steps it’s from March 10, 2020, to June
Naturally occurring? 8, 2022. Source: wells are drawing does have a history
Health Centers, said the racial disparity spread the virus. Those communities
ven’t required BWL to take that step, State of Michigan.
taking. EGLE spokesman Hugh McDiar- of high levels of naturally occurring bo-
concerns with Black community mem- were among the first to have mobile vac-
and the state and utility may instead Regulators said BWL violated a lit- mid wrote in an email that the agency ron, a “statistically valid” sample of wa-
bers are driven by a variety of intersect- cination clinics.
base their analyses on previously pub- any of state and federal clean water is “not sure if the elevated boron in the ter collected from around the aquifer
ing concerns and obstacles. ported that nationwide death rates for cial demographic may outpace others. Those mobile clinics also appeared at
lished scientific literature. rules, and it faces the possibility of residential wells is due to contamina- around 20 years ago found those levels
“It’s like an onion,” she said. “It starts white Americans exceeded those of We are still trying to tease that data out the Lansing Area AIDS Network, said
That would leave the boron’s source fines or other penalties. Among vio- tion from the Erickson site or not” be- near Williamston — not near the plant,
with hundreds of years of experimen- all other racial groups in the last year. from the larger data sets.” Kristina Schmidgall, executive director
in doubt, experts said, and could al- lations at the state level are a failure cause boron is also a naturally occur- he noted.
tation on the Black communities, com- Michigan data shows that while the rate Ingham County Health Officer Linda of the AIDS service organization. “We
low BWL to use its theory to shield it- to prevent groundwater contamina- ring element that has been detected at Evans also said BWL’s monitoring
plicated by the employment and educa- of death among white Michiganders Vail said the Times’ reporting “does not wanted it to be a safe, no-judge space
self from any responsibility to actually tion, obtain proper licenses and keep a higher-than-normal levels in the Sagi- wells that check for the “background”
tional disparities as well as lack of easy has narrowed in comparison to Black match what we are seeing in the county, for our clients to get tested and get
clean up the water contamination. proper distance between the ponds and naw aquifer. levels of toxins near Lansing showed
access to medical care or insurance and Michiganders over all, Black Michigan- and not in the data I have seen from the their questions answered. We had piz-
“It could be that those claims are groundwater. The state also cited the The aquifer once held salt water, much lower levels of boron than what’s
finally back to being able to actually ac- ders continue to have the higher death state.” za and laughed,” she said. “One of the
true, but given that we are talking utility company for a failure to install which can have higher levels of boron. in the drinking water wells. Meanwhile,
cess medical care.” rate. Ingham and Eaton counties are the While Black residents of the state and clients agreed to be vaccinated that day
about human health and people are liv- proper pond liners, which are designed McDiarmid pointed to scientific liter- monitoring wells placed between the
Much of the complicated processes same, but in Clinton County white res- county tended to lead the infection and if the client’s caseworker also received a
ing here, we can’t leave it as an academ- to prevent pollution near the Erickson ature that found naturally occurring pond and wells show elevated levels
of peeling apart the onion of obstacles, idents have a death rate nearly double death rates in the tricounty area in the booster shot. They both got their shot
ic question. There needs to be a serious Power Station site. levels as high as 6.4 mg/L. Determin- of boron, suggesting the presence of a
said Lovell, who is Black, is left for the Black residents. According to the U.S. first year of the pandemic, Native Amer- that day.”
investigation that would include water Federal rules also required utilities ing the source will require “additional plume.
women in the community to juggle and Census Bureau, 2.1% of Clinton Coun- icans have caught up or surpassed them. Vincent at Cristo Rey Church said he
quality tests,” said Avner Vengosh, a to test water in 2017, but BWL did not investigation,” he said. But without the appropriate testing,
overcome — leaving them worn down ty’s population is Black, while 93.6% of That’s a trend first noted in the west- felt an obligation to do all he could to
Duke University geochemistry and wa- do so until 2020. “To do this, BWL is installing addi- the contamination’s source and extent
and without time for themselves. residents in the county are white. ern U.S., particularly on Navajo reser- stop the pandemic after so many funer-
ter quality researcher who studies coal “BWL’s three-year delay in sampling tional monitoring wells onsite, as well may never be known.
Communities of color are also bur- State Medical Director Natasha Bag- vations. But that increase has also ap- al masses. That included mobile vaccine
ash ponds across the country. the groundwater, in violation of the as searching for additional existing “The law requires them to test, so
dened by a higher incidence of under- dasarian said there are pockets — such peared in state and county-level data. clinics and early testing at the church.
Meanwhile, others have also ex- federal rule, endangered nearby res- data for boron occurrence in the Sagi- why are they going to the library when
lying health conditions like heart dis- as Clinton County where infections and A state official who works closely with The misinformation and hesitancy for
pressed concern over drinking water idents,” said Lisa Evans, an attorney naw aquifer, and other potential sourc- they need to be sinking wells or testing
ease, diabetes, lung disease and kidney deaths in white residents may outpace Michigan tribal leaders on a variety of vaccinations is going to have to be chal-
wells’ “unhealthy” lithium levels, which with national environmental group es of boron in the area,” he added. drinking water?” Evans said.
disease, which can complicate a COVID other races — but those are the excep- concerns for the tribes of Michigan said lenged on more personal levels now,
are just inside the federal water quality Earthjustice, which has been moni- But Duke’s Vengosh said the investi- Meanwhile, BWL’s spokeswoman,
infection, sometimes making it more tion to the overall racial disparities some of this disparity is driven by the rather than mass media buys, although
standard, and could be naturally occur- toring the issue. “BWL’s subsequent gations should also include water sam- Amy Adamy, said it will no longer an-
lethal. Those high incidences of comor- across the state. fact the parts of the state of Michigan those will continue, said Bagdasarian.
ring. failure to comply with the federal rule’s pling that checks for salinity, isotope swer questions from City Pulse.
bidities were well known before COVID “We’ve made some inroads in reduc- are not tribal lands or connected to trib- “We’re really going to need to rely on
Officials discovered in early February mandate to immediately determine the ratios and other markers that would (For more on this story, please visit
hit, but the same onion layers prevented ing the racial disparities, but the state as al lands, creating a separated commu- trusted messengers — like faith leaders
that boron suspected to have leaked nature and extent of the pollution, and clearly tell whether the boron came www.lansingcitypulse.com.)
full access to care, increasing the lethali- a whole is by no means at a place where nity that’s more difficult to reach and and social media influencers to coax the
from the coal ash ponds had contam- warn nearby residents, is at the core of from ash or was naturally occurring, — TOM PERKINS
ty and severity of COVID infections. the virus is equitably distributed,” she work with. hesitant into vaccinations,” she said.
inated six out of six nearby drinking the present problem.” “Evaluating the water quality of
Last week, The New York Times re- said. “We have pockets where one ra- “Those outside tribal reach aren’t nec- — TODD HEYWOOD
6 6 www.lansingcitypulse.com www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • June 15, 2022
REWIND
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LAST 7 DAYS
ByBy KYLEHEYWOOD
TODD KAMINSKI
Allis
ity on East Shiawassee Street on property the company al- Kelly o
Let the
readygolden
owns. Ifnectar flow
the project is approved, it is expected to create sing w
60 to 100 full-time jobs. Construction could start as soon as first t
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed Monday
late this summer or early(March 21) is
this fall and asexpected
OberontoDaytake 12 rectly
— a new holiday that markstothe state’sto“unofficial”
14 months startisto
complete. Neogen spring and
celebrating thean-
its 40th last m
niversary. It develops and markets testing kits for food safety Eye
30th anniversary of Oberon Ale from Bell’s Brewery. Whitmer, of course, has
for humans and companion animals as well as an array of Desig
long been a fan of the tasty beverage andmedical
animal specific has been repeatedly portrayed on
items. lightnin
that co
“Saturday Night Live” holding a bottle of the famous Michigan craft brew. over th
Felons on city
Fun fact: Last year, Michigan residents guzzled down more than 14 million
commissions portal
and boards? 1938 O
pints of Oberon Ale. Street
The Lansing City Council
unanimously approved put- the hea
Federal cash flows to Michigan Avenue Commission to replace Schertzing giant A
ting a proposed amendment
The city of Lansing is set to receive $1 million in federal funding A three-person commission, com- Ave. T
Young riders cut the ribbon and lead Avenue,
the firstincluding
mountain to the City Charter on the
to make “major improvements” to Michigan prising Ingham County Clerk Barb the cro
bikers into Dirt School at Burchfield Park in Holt Monday. November ballot that would
to help modernize traffic signals and establish a framework to Byrum, Prosecutor Carol Siemon of inne
The new
support $230,000vehicles.
autonomous trainingThe facility
cashprovides free bikes
will also allow and
for the
allow convicted felons the
and Chief Probate Judge Shauna boldly p
helmets to
possibility learners
of new bike so they can then enjoy the 11 miles of
lanes. opportunity
Dunnings, will to
meetapply
nextfor and
month inal fu
mountain bike opportunities. Find out more at dirtschool. serve on city commissions
to establish a process to replace electric
fun. Audit spots racism at Lansing schools and boards,
outgoing Countywhich is current-
Treasurer Eric city. Lik
An equity audit released last week found that Black and multi- ly barred.who
Schertzing, Mayor Andy
is set Schor
to retire at Condit
The last Eye for Design (be- racial students who attend
Schor the$175
eyes Lansing Schoolpublic
million District are more thesent
endthe proposal
of the month. to Thethe Coun-
appointed built i
low) was first identified by than twice as likely to be suspended
safety than their white peers,
bond issue cil last month.
replacement will “People can make mistakes, then rehabil-
serve through Power
Robert Copeland. The detail — according
Lansing to reports
Mayor in the Lansing
Andy Schor isState Journal.
seeking In addition
approval fromtothe itate andatbecome
November, which pointproductive
whoevermembers of society,” Schor the civ
arched brickwork rising with the inequitable discipline, the audit also flagged
Lansing City Council to put a $175 million bond proposalthe district for racial said. to the position is expected to take over the job. The
is elected that fus
roofline — belongs to the Alice disparities in student achievement and access to
on the Nov. 8 ballot to build a public safety building. Schor AP courses. election filing deadline is 4 p.m. April 19. ilize an
B. Cowles House on the campus shared the plan Monday with Council members. It would Bomb deal for the New
of Michigan State University. Whitmer appoints Lansing judge House Dems demands Chatfield probe man
Charlotte This
house fire administration, Lansing Police, a new lock up and
The home, which is the official Cooley Law School Professor Tony Flores
a new home for the 54-A District Court. The new building,
Democrats have demanded an investigationChad Michael into the “ethical39,
Varrone, (above
residence of the MSU president, was appointed to fill a partial term on the failings and misconduct in office” of of former
Charlotte,House Speaker
pleaded Lee to
guilty Old To
as well as upgrades to various firehouses in the city, would
is the oldest building on cam- 54A District Court following the retirement Chatfield, including allegations that he misused
making a falsestaffbomb
resources
threat correct
be funded by a 3.9 mil tax increase. Where the new facility
of Judge Louise Alderson in January. Flores, and other benefits, as well as on to thethelack of financial
pus; the original construction might be locatedwho remains unknown. Mayoral spokesperson state Capitol report-
on Jan. 7, edu and
was completed in 1857. has taught at Cooley since 2005, served ing requirements that enabled the alleged
2021, in misdeeds
exchangeto foroccur.
having
Scott Bean said it’s too early to determine
as an assistant prosecutor in Mecosta a site until the full
County. Meanwhile, Chatfield is still under criminal investigation for
needs for such a His building two felony charges of making
partialaretermidentified
expires inand a rough
January, square-
meaning allegedly sexually assaulting his sister-in-law starting when she
foot estimate drawn terroristic threats dropped.
he’ll up.
haveThe request
to run could in
for election change as thefor
November city was a teenager at Chatfield’s school.
digs deeper into athe financing and needs, he said. The Mon- One dropped charge alleged
full six-year term.
day night pitch session was to gauge Council support. Bean Varrone left a voicemail
‘Dirt School’ to launch at Burchfield Park
said no initial concerns
Fire chief werenamed
finalists expressed.
in Lansing threatening
Plans areto kill Detroit
in motion to
Three of 19 applicants have been identified as finalists to lawmaker Cynthia
build a $150,000 moun- A. John-
serve as theCouncil
next chiefmoves COVID relief
of the Lansing funding plan
Fire Department: Interim son,tainabikeDemocrat.
skills park Johnson
called
The
Chief Lansing
Michael CitySterling
Tobin; CouncilHeights
Ways Assistant
and Means Committee
Chief Edwin over the
“Dirt weekend
School” said she
at Burchfield
Miller and Battleapproved
unanimously Creek Chief a $24Brianmillion
Sturdivant.
budgetA search com-
distribution was not consulted about the deal Parkand in called
Ingham it County
a “slap on
mittee is set
for the to narrow
second payout the field to two candidates
in federal COVID-19today relief(March
dollars. the wrist” for the “white defendant,” beforenoting
the end that such
of the pleas
year,
23).
TheThe Fire Board
Council plan of Commissioners
veers sharply from will
themeet the next
mayor’s plan,daydi- are rarely offered by white prosecutors to people
reports the Lansing State of color
and forward
recting morea cash
recommendation
into city resourcesto Mayor suchAndy Schor,
as fire trucks who
and accused of crimes. Journal. The 540-acre
makes thefleet
finalupdates
decision. park is already home to “Eye f
This week’s Eye for Design vehicle and less into grants for organizations, contest
(above) is on the top story of its as the mayor sought. The proposal moves to the full Council GR officer
more than 10 miles of mountain bikecharged
trails. The new “bike play-
points o
in two weeks, but Schor
it may catches
not pass COVID-19
until later in July when the ground” will reportedly feature in Lyoya
tunneldeath
tubes, giant slalom traffic
building. If you know where, Lansing
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor tested positive for the corona- cones, rampsRapids
Grand and bridges.
Police Department Officer Christopher Eye Ca
send an email to knarianj@ entire Council is present.
virus Sunday (March 20). Schor said he tested negative on Schurr has been charged with second-degree murder in
mail.lcc.edu and you could win Lansing manof sentenced for child
an Eye for Design mug!
Friday (March 18) but decided to embark on a precautionary
Neogen plans the shooting death Patrick Lyova, a porn
Black immigrant
self-quarantine over the weekend after experiencing mild cold- Michael McShan,
whose father, 28, of Lyoya,
Patrick Lansing, iswas sentenced
a Lansing in a federal
resident. VideoBecause of
like symptoms. A subsequent test on Sunday revealed he was
food safety courtroom to 25 years in prison after he was convicted through
JAMES KNARIAN facility shows Schurr was on Lyoya’s back directing him to stopthe Week la
positive. Schor — who is double-vaxxed and boosted — said a five-day
trying totrial
grablasthis
year on five
taser criminal
before charges
he pulled his related
serviceto the struction da
weapon
he notified the “very few” people with whom heThe wascity of Lan-
in contact production and attempted production of child pornography, Pennsylvani
singhomeannounced and shot Lyoya in the back of the head. “The death was not1932, accord
last weekend and will continue to work from “as long according to federal prosecutors. After he gets out, McShan will ital Area Dis
plans by the Neo- justified or excused, for example, by self-defense,” Kent
“Eye for Design” is our look as necessary.” be on “supervised release for the rest of his life,” authorities said. was the Sha
at some of the nicer properties in Lansing. gen Corp. to build County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. Supporters of Lyoya
It rotates each with Eyesore of the Week a $70 million food rallied outside the courthouse Monday demanding a con-
and Eye candy. viction.
safety testing facil-
City Pulse • March 2, 2022 www.lansingcitypulse.com 11
City Pulse • June 15, 2022 www.lansingcitypulse.com 7
Maybe Peffley is the problem
tively” tested six drinking wells in the claimed to be in compliance with
area. It was a sweetheart move for a federal coal ash rules, but experts said
utility company caught in the midst those rules were violated back in 2017
Lansing Board of Water & Light building a media firewall around of a possible cover up. when BWL failed to test for contam-
general manager Dick Peffley is start- Peffley and other top executives Except, it wasn’t. BWL wasn’t pro- ination.
ing to have some real problems on his to answer our questions. She has actively doing anything. BWL has also repeatedly made
hands, even though he refuses to look learned well from longtime Lansing The company, instead, had actually claims about the investigation
down and acknowledge that he’s still public relations practitioner Steve been ordered by state regulators to process that directly contradict
holding them. Serkaian, executive director of public get a handle on the pollution situa- statements from EGLE. In other in-
State environmental records affairs at BWL and a holdover from tion. Moreover, those reactive results stances, Adamy and Peffley have only
released in January revealed that the Bernero days. spelled out some really bad news: downplayed the issue.
Peffley has known for nearly two Even BWL Board Chairman
years about dangerous chemical David Price — someone who should
contamination leaking from the large definitely be in the know — wasn’t
toxic coal ash ponds that surround informed of the contamination
the Erickson Power Station in Delta problems before January. He was
Township — which for decades may told the ponds weren’t contaminating
Juneteenth, in its second year as a national holiday, demarks the end of slavery groundwater, which was also directly
have also poisoned nearby drinking LIBERTY V. FREEDOM
in the U.S. in 1865 — when Major General Gordon Granger issued orders to free contradicted by regulatory docu-
water supplies feeding private wells
the over 250,000 African American slaves in Galveston, Texas. These slaves had
and not
municipal ments.
yet beensystems.
informed of the Emancipation Proclamation even though the Civil What they represent from our past
High And when presented with EGLE’s
Warlevels
had endedof lithium,
months boron,
prior. TDS
Juneteenth has been recognized in our community
and for
molybdenum statements, Adamy has still insisted
many years have and the been leaching of joy and reflection has evolved over time. In
outpouring The U.S. Constitution was amended to include freedoms for Black Americans.
fromthe theearly
three ponds
1990’s, since 2020
Juneteenth and at Mask Memorial CME Church, Benjamin In 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. In 1868,wrong.
festivals
the agency is the 14th Amendment
still neither
Davis Park BWL andnor St. state
Joseph Park commemorated the date with food, speakers and established African Americans as full citizens,Meanwhile,
regulators and in 1870,Peffleythe 15th still claims to be
Amendment
knows how long
activities the problem
for young and old.has In 2005, advocacy by the Lansing Juneteenth Com- guaranteed voting rights to African Americans. These three cornerstones “proactively” investigating theofsitua-
free-
existed — though
mittee the plant,
led to state which is
recognition of Juneteenth National Freedom Day, making dom for African Americans were crucial building blocks for future iterations the
tion despite having known about of
off Canal
MichiganRoadthe in 18th
Eaton stateCounty, has the holiday. Today, in our community, sev- racial, social, financial and educational progress
to recognize issue at the Erickson
within the Black Power Station as
communi-
operated the ponds since
eral celebrations promote 1974.the history and culture of African Americans. Among ty. But, similarly to many symbolic gestures early
andas April 2020,
celebrations, therecords showed.
daily reality of
When
them,City thePulse
Lansing broke that news,
Juneteenth Committee hosts activities at St. Joseph Park and what Juneteenth represents is much more complex. While the state has ordered at least
Peffley
theand517 his PR teamFestival
Juneteenth quicklytakes place in REO Town. another 60 wells to be tested, BWL
But what does
jumped into action — except the it mean to be free? Does it go beyond celebrating
Instead of an interview, Peffley a moment BWL only tested six wells. And all
Where/when they are manifested in ourstill of doesn’t
society andhave
selves a handle on the
in history that ended
damage control wasn’t centered on 400 years of diabolical treatment of other
responded only in a polished op-ed humans? Yes, them came back for potentially dan- pollution plume’s size or location,
we welcome the Juneteenth
assessing environmental and public celebrations, particularly those that
in which he repeatedly questioned are communi- gerously
In our high levels
community, of
we boron.
have the right to how
protest many
policedrinking
brutality water
in otherwells are
places
ty-based. However,
health risks. Instead, it was about does the community as a whole support the
assessments from environmental ex- fight for liber- That’s
and join a
thesix for
Black six,
LivesDick.
Matter movement. contaminated
However, we in
also the nearby
have had vicinity
over-re-
ation beyond
protecting BWL’sthe celebrations?
public image. We want more
perts and forinsisted
our African-American
that drinking water broth- active
Michigan doesn’t
responses set health
during these samelimitsprotests,
or how long had
we have its neighbors
young men haveshotbeen
by
Andersthat’s
and sisters
simply than
notjustthe tokenistic
type examples
is safeofanda liberated
that BWL’scommunity. We want on
water supplies police, and
boron inwe have other
drinking youngsters
water, though who see no viable
sipping pathways
on and showeringto a productive
in boron
more thanwe
of leadership just
needculturally appropriatedcontinue
at a publicly merchandise — or exceed” all reg-
to “meet groundwater limits oflife 0.5and
mg/Linstead
are choose drugs and violence. These are not
water.
owned ice utility
cream company.
and coffee mugs adorned with Juneteenth
ulatory safety in indicative
in place. of what we deem
EPA FromtoDaybe aOne,
liberatedBWLcommunity.
has not been
The CP Edit
a festive font in the same co-opted
In a January op-ed, Peffley attacked standards. fashion as Cinco de Our community
also has an also has bright
forthcoming about this stars likepublic
Moneyball
health
Mayo. Sportswear,
unenforceable a great example of contextualize
calamity — denying our reporters the June-
City Pulse’s credibility for sounding While tech-
The original fight was simply for freedom from teenth celebration
“advisory” lim- into an aopportunity
larger movement and conversa-
to conduct basic
the alarm about the potential for con- nically true,
bondage. But the fight of the 21st century is one for Opinion tion about
it of 6 mg/L Black liberation. Yes, they have wonderful
interviews and then failing to answer shirts
taminated groundwater and drink- his statements
liberation — movements that began in the 1960s with that say “Free-ish,”
for adults and but Moneyball is an African-Ameri-
several emailed questions. The latest
ing water supplies — even outright completely
civil rights, continued with Black Power, and lives to- can-owned
denying that drinking water could ignored the 3 mg/L forfranchise,PR embedded
tactic seemsin the local
to be community
centered on
day in the Black Lives Matter. Yes, African Americans are free from slavery’s that maintains a consistent presence with a positive message for communities
be contaminated despite experts potential for contamination at dozens children. BWL’s well tests detected simply ignoring City Pulse altogether
shackles, but today descendants of slaves are disproportionately un(der)em- and people of color, particularly in organizing youth events. Juneteenth is every
who ployed,
have suggested otherwise. The boron levels between 2.48 mg/L and and hoping the problem — or at least
limited to meagre housing orofeducational
private wellsoptions,
that provide
denieddrinking
access to day for Moneyball Sportswear.
experts similarly poured cold water water for hundreds
healthy food or quality care, and, in the worst scenarios, African Americans of people near 4.17 mg/L. public awareness of the problem —
on BWL’s latest contention that the Erickson. His statements
are more likely to be victims of police brutality or forced back into shackles in also didn’t Research shows that boron is just evaporates.
How they might be employed differently for our future
pollution is occurring naturally offer much acknowledgement
the prison system. The current free-ish state of African Americans is a limited, that harmful to plant life at lower levels. We’re reluctant to say this next
Groundwater
truncated version feeds of drinking
liberty. water a problem even existed, much less Boron has also been linked to devel- statement
Building on past examples of African American success, given the inadequate
Afrofuturism lead-
explores
supplies. So At best,the
often, it was
words unclear
freedom thenand liberty
explainare why BWL
used officials seemed
interchangeably, and we opmental and reproductive toxici- ership also tied
the heritage of the African-American diaspora and connects it with imaginations to his predecessor:
whether
thinkcontaminated
this Juneteenth groundwater to haveopportunity
holiday is an excellent alerted nobody of the
to shed some light on ty,
public of low birth weight
liberation throughand shrunken
economic development Butandif Peffley
culture.and the restthe
Consider of Harlem
his team
was the
reaching drinking
difference betweenwater drawn
those two veryhealth concerns.
important testicles. don’t start
words: The main difference Renaissance, Idlewild and Tulsa’s Black Wall Street and think about what invest-prioritizing public safety
by wells.
between Meanwhile,
liberty and utility docu-
freedom is that while About
freedom a month
is thelater,
right without Peffley, apparently, hasn’t been over their public
hav- or ing in future iterations of excellence could look like with more African Ameri-
to act, speak, image, then perhaps
ments think as one
didn’t showwants
any (an plansinternalized
to test construct),
ing directly liberty is the absence
addressed of oppres- drinking
any problems, fromreal
cans granted those taps.
access to His ballsy
capital and whileit’salso
timebeing
for him to seriously
supported by theconsider
entire
sive restrictions
drinking water and by BWL authority
spokes- on one’s waythe of
PRlife (a socialized
campaign construct).
continued with the PR campaign
community. only continues. resigning from the post.
woman Amy Adamy was too busy announcement that BWL had “proac- EPA documents showed that BWL
Have
Have something
something totosay
sayabout
abouta alocal
localissue
issueororan
anitem
itemthat
that appeared
appeared in
in our
our pages?
pages? Now
Nowyou
youhave
havetwo
twoways
waystotosound
soundoff:off:
1.) Write a letter to the editor.
1.) Write a letter to the editor.
• E-mail: letters@ lansingcitypulse.com • Snail mail: City Pulse, 1905 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912 • Fax: (517) 371-5800 • At lansingcitypulse.com
• E-mail: letters@ lansingcitypulse.com • Snail mail: City Pulse, 1905 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912 • Fax: (517) 371-5800 • At lansingcitypulse.com
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and telephone number so we can reach you. Keep letters to 250 words or fewer. City Pulse reserves the right to edit letters and columns.)
and telephone number so we can reach you. Keep letters to 250 words or fewer. City Pulse reserves the right to edit letters and columns.)
8 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • June 15, 2022
Juneteenth matters more than ever
During the celebration of Juneteenth,
renew our resolve and commitment to
continue to pay that cost! Introducing the man Democrats,
Whitmer want to face in November
we renew the After many months of shelter-in-place
promise of due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sor-
true eman- Letter to the editor row of the many related deaths, civil un-
cipation and rest, the events of January 6th, lingering Had you ever heard of Ryan D. Kel- big bucks on the sidelines and none of
recall the bloody path America trod to economic concerns and some landmark ley before last week? the other four remaining candidates
delivering what Maj. General Gordon court decisions, the observance of June- He's not a former attorney general. known to many GOP primary voters,
Granger of Texas termed: “Absolute teenth this year is even more poignant. He's not a former Mich- Kelley is just as likely as Kevin Rinke or
equality of personal rights and rights of This current climate confirms that we Opinion igan Tudor Dixon or even Garrett Soldano
property … .” have moved past the era of melodic Supreme to win this thing.
While it took a few years for the mes- Court justice. He's That's exactly what Democrats want.
POLITICS
speeches or the quick turn of a political
sage of freedom to resonate throughout phrase to bring people together. There is not a former judge. After Craig and Johnson were booted
the nation following the Emancipation a cry throughout our nation for tangible He's not even an off the ballot for turning in too many
Proclamation of 1863, we continue to- results evincing true equality. attorney. To the best fraudulent petition signatures and not
day to celebrate the “joys of liberty, ed- Using our time, talents and service in of my knowledge, enough valid signatures, Target Insyght
ucating the community about our heri- concert together is the only way we will he's not even related did a poll that found — unsurprising-
tage, and by promoting positive cultural achieve the goal of the “United” States to any of the afore- ly — 49% of Republican voters had no
interaction,” to quote Marilyn Rogers, envisioned by our founders and still the mentioned. idea what they were doing in the Aug.
the longtime organizer of the June- hope of today. A society of people com- He's a Republican gubernatorial 2 primary.
teenth celebration. mitted to the health, safety and prosper- candidate, one of the five who managed The surprisingly 19% plurality,
The focus on our rich 400-plus+ years ity of each other. A collective will cen- to collect 15,000 signatures from real though, said Kelley.
of African-American history is worthy of tered around equal opportunities and people. Kelley is a rabblerouser who The guy had done no TV ads of note.
celebration and pause! It’s important to access for everyone. is connecting with the conspiratorial There's been no statewide mailings.
remember that the African-American ex- This Juneteenth my hope is for con- wing of the Republican Party. He's operating on a shoe-string budget.
perience is an “American” experience! It tinued collaboration that will enlighten He's a real estate broker and town- He's done a ton of public appearances,
embodies every facet of our great nation. the path toward our living the meaning ship planning commissioner married but very few media interviews because,
The Juneteenth celebration fur- of freedom’s purpose for everyone! to a YouTube influencer (Tabitha Kelley honestly, nobody thought he'd win.
ther reminds us that freedom isn’t Blessings to all and our great nation. of "This Momma's House") who was In a field where Republican voters
“free”! There are real and tangible costs Wanda M. Stokes probably more famous statewide (defi- don't know anybody, they side with the
to being called an American. And each (The writer is a 30th Circuit Court nitely, nationally) than he was until familiar Irish surname over such unfa-
of us, no matter what race or creed, must judge.) about noon last Thursday. miliar names like "Rinke," "Rebandt,"
It was about then that Michigan "Tudor" or "Soldano."
learned the FBI had pulled Kelley away With this as a base, Democrats want
from his Allendale house on four mis- to raise Kelley's stature as a martyr
demeanor charges related to his antics among Republican voters so they can
around the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. destroy him as an insurrectionist in the
6, 2021, riots. fall.
Literally a few hours later, a congres- Don't put it past the Democratic
sional committee laid out its summary. Governors Association to highlight
A mob, with Trump's placid blessing, Kelley's arrest on FoxNews to boost his
busted into the Capitol to, presumably, numbers. In fact, they're doing it right
prevent the certification of the 2020 now.
election. Rinke has some ugly lawsuits from
Coincidence? It's hard to believe it 30 years ago. Dixon did some strange
was. horror films 13 years ago. Soldano sold
The social media coverage on Kelley's nutritional supplements during COVID
presence in Washington isn't new. He's as a way to boost a person's immunity
acknowledged it numerous times. The against COVID. These are fine nega-
alleged video of him encouraging peo- tives in a normal year.
ple to charge up the Capitol steps has But there's video of Kelley that can
been around for about a year. easily be framed as him encouraging a
And, yet, the federal authorities de- mob of possible Proud Boys and the 3
cided last Thursday, 500 days after the Percenters to charge the U.S. Capitol.
riot, was the perfect day to arrest this More TV ads will show that. And if
guy? The same day Congress released you miss the commercials, the media
new video and testimony on primetime will report on Kelley going through his
TV. court proceedings while running for
You don't need to own a tin-foil hat governor.
to be scratching your head on this one. This will be a national story. Will
A month ago, I never believed I'd be Michigan elect an insurrectionist as
writing these words. Today, it's some- governor?
thing we all need to seriously consider. Yup, whom do Democrats want the
Ryan D. Kelley is officially a serious governor facing this fall? There's no
gubernatorial candidate. question.
With James Craig trying to mount (Email Kyle Melinn of the Capitol news
a write-in campaign, Perry Johnson's service MIRS at melinnky@gmail.com.)
City Pulse • June 15, 2022 www.lansingcitypulse.com 9
Juneteenth: The past, present and future Conversations with three
local trailblazers
By AUDREY MATUSZ Last year, Oprah Jrenal — running as How do you explain reparations to Association. She’d always be helping or-
This week’s Juneteenth cover story Oprah Revish — unsuccessfully sought white people? ganize different parades for low-income
spotlights three local trailblazers who a seat on the Lansing City Council on Our federal government has given rep- communities in Lansing, specifically for
are making a difference in our commu- a platform rooted in accessible housing arations to groups such as the Japanese the LaRoy Froh projects.
nity. But first, let’s start with the basics. and defunding police. Her mission to for the atrocities that happened in the We lived in government housing, and
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebra- create safe, inclusive spaces across col- Japanese internment camps. They’ve giv- when you live in government housing
tion in the United States commemorat- lege campuses has just begun. en reparations to Native Americans for there’s not too much you can do to the
ing the end of chattel slavery. For some of the backstories on these breaching treaties and removing them property because you don’t own it. But
On June 19, 1865, Texas became the movers and shakers, read the following off their land illegally. There are other HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and
last state of the Confederacy in which Q&A interviews with Solace, Mccalib forms of reparation that’s happened for Urban Development) was OK with us
enslaved people officially gained their and Jrenal. (These interviews have been victims of the Holocaust. So, we go over having a garden, so my mom planted to-
freedom. This years marks the first in this idea of repairing a community. Once matoes and peppers on this slanted hill
which all states commemorate Junee- we know there are wrongdoings, wheth- in the back of our little house. I think
teenth,and for the second year Monday er it be conscious or subconscious, there that’s definitely where the interest began.
(June 20) is a federal holiday. is a moment for us to help repair.
In 2020, Michigan declared June- We also take a look at the numbers.
teenth a state holiday (half a decade We look at from 1983 through 2016.
after Texas). Michigan has seen its fair We look at how much money that the
share of Freedom Days and jubilees, white family has accumulated. In 1983,
but something about this year’s festivi- it’s roughly around $110,000. By 2016,
ties feels exceptionally electric. It could it’s upwards of about $150,000. This is
be that Juneteenth is officially a brand the median income of wealth for white
now. According to the United States Pat- families, not the average. When we look
ent and Trademark Office, there are 57 at the Black family, in 1983, wealth goes
business entities with filed trademark from $7,000 down to $5,000. We talk
applications involving the word June- about Jim Crow. We talk about the G.I.
teenth. Forty of those patents were filed edited for clarity and concision.) Bill. We talk about the Homestead Act.
within the past two years. It’s naive to Being a part of the Justice League, I’ve
think there is a newfound sense of entre- had to revisit history. I’ve had to learn
preneurship among African Americans. Prince Solace more about the in-depth nuances of how
However, there seems to be a wider plat- Age: 32 this all worked, so I don’t think anybody
form for pro–Black initiatives. Lansing’s should be shy about not knowing. It’s
cultural scene is no exception.
Lansing First Presbyterian Church
not something that’s really emphasized
Last month, the Rev. Stan Jenkins of Community outreach director within our high school textbooks.
the Lansing First Presbyterian Church How long have you lived in Lansing? Sidney Mccalib
pledged $100,000 to the Justice League What does the Justice League do? I’ve lived in Lansing for 31 out of my Age: 25
of Greater Lansing to support repara- Prince Solace: What we’re looking at 32 years of life. I actually grew up near Next Up News
tions for 27,000 African-American res- is the racial wealth gap that is so prece- Potter Park Zoo. I grew up going to
idents. And there’s been a lot happening. dent all over the country. We’ve done 15 Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy. It CEO/president
Prince Solace, community outreach di- to 16 different presentations at churches was actually the Michigan School for the nextupmichigan.com
rector at Lansing First Presbyterian, and throughout the city of Lansing. We’re Blind many years ago. It’s well known for
Willye Bryan, an entomologist at Mich- talking about slavery and racism from Stevie Wonder attending that school. The How long have you lived in Lansing?
igan State University and a member of the perspective of history from a spiri- same campus was used as the first wom- Sidney Mccalib: About 13 years.
the same congregation, formed the Jus- tual aspect and, of course, from an eco- en’s college in Michigan. It later got con- What made you want to cover local
tice League, which advocates faith-based nomical aspect. Our goal is to reach $1 verted to a middle school and then a high events?
reparations. They are part of a national million by the end of 2023 and use those school. I go back every now and then just I started the idea of wanting to put
interfaith movement to understand the funds to allocate toward reparations in to walk to campus and volunteer. out some type of publication at the very
role churches played in slavery. housing, education scholarships and When did you start getting your inter- end of 2019, but then the pandemic re-
In February, the Lansing Economic business startups for Africa Americans. est in economic development? ally took hold of everything. During the
Area Partnership and the PNC Founda- What we’re doing is happening at a I think the school definitely was the pandemic, I just sat back like everybody
tion launched Elevate, a Black business national scale. There was an article writ- platform in which I became interested else and assessed life. At the end of the
accelerator program spanning across ten by NBC and it actually featured the in community development and that summer of 2020, I started seeing a lot
three mid-Michigan counties. Sidney Justice League and what we’re doing at really stems from my mom. I grew up of the community kind of galvanized be-
Mccalib was nominated to the program the local level. But the article also does in a household where my mom — whose hind this idea of pop-up shops. Especial-
to aid in the expansion of his cultural an overview of what’s happening in name is Darlene Rhode but she goes by ly for the diverse communities — Black,
news outlet, Next Up News, from Lan- America — as we start to dig up the his- the name Queen Darlene —would be brown and LGBTQ communities.
sing to a statewide audience. tory of slavery and churches. heavily involved with the Parent Teacher See Juneteenth, Page 11
10 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • June 15, 2022
W e all grew up, only knowing what we were told. We believed
and trusted what we were taught as true and accurate. We
became invested in the culture of our society, that our place
The best version of America is the one that teaches the future
generations about why many of our own citizens continue to be
impoverished, and how even today there are lingering effects of
in the world was morally just, that we were the envy of the the impact of enslaving people. When we do not acknowledge
world. And in some cases, that may have been true. But as time the full impact, we de facto absolve ourselves of the pain and
drudges on, and if we look at how we’ve evolved, with honesty discomfort that we may feel knowing that our government and
and truth as our beacon, we will see that we have failed to live up our citizens bear some responsibility, not because we participated
to our promises. We have been guilty of doing just enough over directly, but because we have had a benefit from it. Whether it’s
the years to pacify the population, and just enough to continue to generational wealth or, rather, not being denied generational
tell the rest of the world how great we are, even when much of wealth. Whether it’s from better schools, better healthcare, job
what we allowed we’d condemn if we witnessed a foreign opportunities, banking, housing or, most problematic, denied
government do. We have allowed our political process to muddy justice. All of these things should be considered simply because
the waters of creating policy, so that the general public really we are citizens of this country, and it is a debt that cannot be
doesn’t know what our elected officials are voting for or against. repaid — but could be repaired. Reparations were paid to those
We have turned blind eyes to families burying their sons and who owned people but had to free them. They were paid to free
daughters who were shot because of no-knock raids. We’ve people. Can you even imagine? How did we consider that to be
scorned and ostracized anyone who’s had a platform to use their reasonable — and yet we reneged on the promise of 30 acres and
voice to bring awareness to systematic inequities. We’ve been a mule. The wound still festers and can only begin to heal through
programmed to either discriminate or have prejudice against acknowledging the lasting impacts and compensation for lost
segments of our population, contradicting how we wish to be lives, lost heritage, lost culture, lost dignity. We can’t undo the
perceived. past, but we can give the respect due that much of what was
done is still impactful either in policy, or in people’s ingrained
The snail’s pace of progress has been the death of countless thinking and biases. I would argue that even in my own life, I had
people. Our refusal to embrace our history has stunted our implicit biases that I was so unaware of, until I started to seek them
potential and fostered an environment that capitulates our claim out, and upon understanding how to accept my flawed thinking,
of being the land of the free and the home of the brave. If we deny I was able to change attitudes and behaviors that contributed to
our children’s right to be taught the truth in its entirety, they’ll stereotypes and prejudices. I’m just a middle-aged man at 51, and
grow up making decisions and passing judgment based on it was more than eight or nine years ago that I even became
limited, if not biased information. aware, and I never considered myself a racist. The point is that
there are a lot of people who were/are just like me, and I was failed
I grew up believing that this country was perfect. The lessons by my country, by my teachers, and by my communities. We
given throughout my schooling often shed a considerably cannot afford to let everyone age into their 30’s and 40’s believing
brighter light on the ending of slavery and rarely on the impact of that everything is fair and just. We cannot let the youthful years go
slavery during and after. American history glossed over slavery, by without a care for the systemic issues that are harming people
reconstruction, Jim Crow and Civil Rights. American educations every day.
do not receive African-American curriculums, at least not in grade
school, and even in college, it is an elective class. We have failed
our children. We tell them the version of America that makes them
feel good, but we shy away from all that has brought so many
families more grief than most of us can imagine.
Juneteenth is coming up. We cannot hijack
another day with meaningless celebration. It’s
not for corporations to monetize and virtue
signal. June 19th is a Sunday this year. The
calendar shows observance on the 20th. We will
be closed. We will be paying our staff for the day
off. We value this day, we honor those who pay
homage, we will observe and follow the lead of
those who fought for this recognition.You can also read
