Diversity & Equity

Coverage of programs that deal with gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability, and socioeconomic status; are focused on fair access to resources and opportunities; and those that create environments where people feel welcome, respected, and fully accepted.

Ann Arbor ranked as Michigan’s second most LGBT-friendly city

By Newsroom

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Diversity & Equity

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November 19, 2014

And the competition continues, with East Lansing edging us out on the LGBT-friendly designation, scoring a perfect 100 out of 100. Knocked from its first-place slot, Ann Arbor secures number two with 83 out of 100 according to the Human Rights Campaign. Excerpt: "The Human Rights Campaign examined 353 municipalities in the U.S. to see how open their governments are toward people who identify as as being lesbians, gay, bisexual or transgender. East Lansing scored a perfect 100 out of 100 total points, based on six criteria that focused on city laws and government outreach; it was one of only 38 cities in the U.S. to do so, according to the report. The study said that being open to gays and lesbians can help cities develop and attract talent, an issue in Michigan, where attracting college grads has been a challenge. "Being welcoming to all residents and visitors reflects the core values of our university community," East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett said in the report, released Wednesday. "It's part of who we are." The city, for example, has an ordinance banning discrimination against the LGBT community and also includes transgender people in health coverage." Read the rest here.

Latest in Diversity & Equity

5 Local Blogs You Need To Be Reading

By Patrick Dunn

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Arts & Culture

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October 22, 2014

Okay, there's us. And we're proud to say we've been around 300+ issues now. But let's share some of the love, okay? There are some damn fine local bloggers out there and we think you should be reading them. So, we've put together a list of five must-read sites.

A conversation about affordable housing in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Diversity & Equity

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October 1, 2014

Both Mark Maynard and the Metro Times have decided to tackle the issue of affordable housing - or rather the growing lack of such - in Ann Arbor. As usual their thoughts are both insightful and empathetic. Excerpt from Mark Maynard: "I don’t have any problem with affordable housing. I think it’s a good thing. What I have a real problem with, however, is segregation. I have a problem with a system where it’s accepted that some towns are “too nice” for the poor. And I find it doubly infuriating when these nice, liberal communities, once they’ve forced their most vulnerable citizens beyond their borders, mount campaigns to stop attempts at regional cooperation, as we recently saw play out in the battle over the AATA’s expanded role in providing bus service within Washtenaw County. Many people in Ann Arbor cried out that they didn’t want their tax dollars going to fund the transportation of people in Ypsilanti, in spite of the fact that many of those people were probably Ann Arborites before they were forced out due to the cost of living. And the same goes for everything from our public schools to our police departments." Excerpt from the Metro Times: "It's a good post, one that inspired a lot of people to join in with comments of their own. The general tone is one of despair at what Ann Arbor has become, how it has fallen from its days as a scrappy campus town with a good mix of incomes. After reading them, we come away agreeing that without lots of different kinds of people of different classes with different perspectives, a city is a less interesting place. As for subsidies, one needn't not have a job to not receive subsidies. The fact is, everybody in the United States gets some sort of subsidy, not just the odd person who makes it their life's work to avoid earning a living." Read Mark's observations and opinions here. Read the Metro Times respone here.

Aut Bar voted Ann Arbor’s best neighborhood bar

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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September 17, 2014

The outdoor courtyard seating alone made this a slum dunk. But there's so much more! Excerpt: "For the outdoor courtyard seating alone this one"Since we are talking about neighborhood bars, it certainly is not uncommon that neighborhoods have a particular political affiliation," said Orr. "You go to a Chicago neighborhood bar and there will be a certain political affiliation to it. Not that the LGBT community is completely monolithic in its beliefs, but we do believe in supporting the folks who are willing to step out and fight for our rights. So certainly in terms of political work for individual politicians, we have worked a lot in that way and we believe, for the most part, our clientele – our neighborhood, as it were – stands by us on it and understands why we do what we do." was a slum dunk." Read the rest here.

Sexism, Fine Dining and Cocktails: How Does Ann Arbor Fare?

By Richard Retyi

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Arts & Culture

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May 14, 2014

As James Brown once opined: "It's a man's man's man's world." Make no mistake. Testosterone-fueled, hairy-knuckled entrepreneurs constructed the alpha-male kitchens of fine dining restaurants and mortared the foundations of cocktail bars. Sexism in these industries is real and present. But is the playing field any more level in Ann Arbor?

Really big pow wow comes to Ann Arbor this weekend

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 2, 2014

Skyline sounds kinda native American, doesn't it? Too much of a stretch? Nevertheless the Ann Arnor high school will be the scene for the 42nd annual Dance for Mother Earth Powwow. THe event will "host some 200 competitive dancers, 10 drums and singers, and more than 40 vendors and artisans to celebrate Native American cultures and languages, traditions and foods from around the U.S. and Canada." Excerpt: Now one of the largest university powwows in the nation, the 2014 Dance for Mother Earth Powwow continues to provide an important opportunity for Native Americans to celebrate and share the diversity of their indigenous cultures with one another and with the broader community. Read the rest here. For ticket information and dance registration, visit the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow website.

U-M expands Islamic studies

By Newsroom

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Diversity & Equity

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February 19, 2014

As our world gets smaller our knowledge of other cultures must get deeper and wider. U-M gets this and has decided to grow its Islamic studies curriculum. Excerpt: "The new program, known as the Islamic Studies Virtual Curriculum, is funded with a $3 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Classes begin in the fall of 2015 and will involve sophisticated video equipment allowing students to be active participants in courses at the universities in the group, called the Committee on Institutional Cooperation." Read the rest here.

U-M ranks 8th nationally for international student population

By Newsroom

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Diversity & Equity

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February 12, 2014

With over 6,800 international students, U-M continues to attract students from around the globe. Excerpt: "Michigan's first two international students -- one from Mexico, one from Wales -- enrolled in 1847. Now the prestigious Big Ten university hosts the 8th-largest population in the country, 78% of whom come from Asia." More here.

A black Detroiter in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Diversity & Equity

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October 9, 2013

There have been more than a few references to the Ann Arbor "bubble" over the years. And it's relationship with Detroit, a mere 45 miles away, seems disproportionately distant. So, how does a black senior from Detroit attending U-M view our leafy college city? The answer may surprise you. Excerpt: "You have a campus that claims to be diverse, viewing the picture through a white lens, but falling pretty short of that mark.Some may argue, “Nothing is in Detroit; what good can you really say about it?” I have seen this in so many comment sections on blogs and news sites. My family lives in Detroit. I personally take offense to this remark because it pretty much implies my family’s existence is worthless. It hurts me every time someone makes a blanket statement about Detroit because I view it as a personal attack on who I am and what has shaped me." Read the rest here.

Why the creative class is choosing Michigan

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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June 5, 2013

In this Bridge magazine column, Concentrate's Natalie Burg dispels the popular misconception that the creative under-40 class is leaving Michigan as fast as it can. Excerpt: "Hi. I'm Natalie. I'm a self-employed writer, I'm 31, and, if you listen to the headlines, I don't exist. Like a centaur or a yeti, the well-educated, career-driven, creative-class Millennial like myself is not found in the wild here in Michigan. Supposedly, we've all left or are desperately attempting to do so. Surprise! Not only am I a Michigander by choice (seriously, my husband is a musician; we could literally be anywhere), I get offended when people ask why we're "still here." I try to break it down as simply as I can for them: I know Michigan's challenges as well as anyone, but I love it here, and I know – not think, know – we're on our way back." More here.