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.
The Aut Bar is Ann Arbor's gay and lesbian Grand Central, where you can do everything from brunch to raise a toast. It's hopping with straight folks too. The popular Ann Arbor hangout has even spawned a sister bookstore, cabaret, and gallery in its Kerrytown courtyard.
Banking in the western hemisphere is different than banking in the Middle East, except at the University Islamic Financial in Ann Arbor.The subsidiary of University Bank doesn't operate the same way as say Comerica or the Bank of Ann Arbor. The 4-year-old institution observes Muslim rules, traditions and customs to service the growing Islamic population in not only southeast Michigan but North America.For instance, making money off of interest isn't allowed in the Islamic world. To accompany this University Islamic Financial is FDIC insured but doesn't guarantee its customers a profit for keeping their money there. Instead they are stakeholders in the bank so their money is safe as long as the bank's bottom line remains black. University Islamic Financial's mortgages are more like lease to own agreements, so the bank isn't making money off of interest.University Islamic Financial employs about 15 people and serves mostly followers of the Muslim faith. University Bank noticed this segment of the population wasn't being adequately served, even though it mainly consists of younger families with higher than average incomes."It's obviously a very large and growing market," says John Sickler, corporate director for University Islamic Financial. "We're finding that people are really attracted to this."That has propelled the bank to grow its revenues by 30 percent in each of the last two years. The firm also does most of its business out of state even though Dearborn is the center of Middle Eastern population outside of the Middle East."Islam stretches across so many different cultures," Sickler says.That has also allowed the bank to recruit quite diverse staff. Its employees include Asian-, Caucasian- and African-Americans. It also has both Muslim and Christian employees.Source: John Sickler, corporate director for University Islamic FinancialWriter: Jon Zemke
Entrepreneurship. Education. Mass Transit. Regional Cooperation. A2Success has gathered together more than 70 community leaders to help secure smart and successful growth for the Ann Arbor region. See what they're planning and how you can get involved.
With a population of nearly 1.2 billion, India occupies a rather large corner of the world. And with its growing technological industries it was bound to discover Ann Arbor's deep well of innovation. But is our region making the kinds of international connections that are necessary to thrive in today's global economy?
Slow down and smell the curry. Or falafel. Nestled at the corner of Packard and Platt, a well-worn strip mall is home to a surprising mix of ethnic bakeries, grocers and restaurants.
It's all Chinese to few Ann Arbor students, and that's the point.Excerpt:Ann Arbor businessman Chris Lin did his best to pump up his audience of elementary school students one recent afternoon."Who likes ice cream?" he asked. About 30 children clamored for attention as he pronounced the word. "Bing ji ling," they repeated back.The appearance at Ann Arbor's Angell Elementary School was just one of many Lin been making in the Detroit metro area as he works to build momentum for his business, Mandy and Pandy LLC, based on books he's written to help teach children Chinese.Earlier this month, Mandy and Pandy LLC earned a deal with a Chinese TV network to produce an animated show based on the books that teach English to Chinese children. The show could start teaching simple English words to Chinese children as early as fall 2010, Lin said.Read the rest of the story here.
Martin Luther King, Jr. day keynote speaker Ed Gordon enlightened audience and kicked off African American History celebrations. This year, with the inauguration of Barack Obama, we have already seen a milestone in race relations. At EMU, the historic event was the cornerstone of this year's MLK Jr. Day and Black History Month celebrations.
Ann Arbor as an international center? You betcha. With it's growing global appeal, and proximity to the country's automotive hub, The Deuce has to keep up with its foreign-born citizens and visitors. Case in point: The growing Japanese community and the rising influence of Japanese-owned businesses.
Living in the shoes of another person. That's the gimmick behind the new show from Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) who will follow the life of a gay couple with kids from Ypsilanti.
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