LANSING, Mich. - The battle for marriage equality suffered a blow when the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld same-sex marriage bans in Michigan and three other states, but supporters say the fight will go on.

Emily Dievendorf, executive director of Equality Michigan, says while Michigan voters put the state's 2004 ban on same-sex marriage in place, the tide of public opinion has shifted over the last decade.

"In poll after poll, the majority of Michiganders consistently poll in favor of marriage equality," she says. "Michigan citizens believe they made a mistake in 2004 and are ready to change that."

Dievendorf says while a Supreme Court review of the issue is likely, advocates have already begun the groundwork to put a reversal of the state's same-sex marriage ban on the 2016 ballot. In its decision, the appeals court wrote the issue should be decided by voters, not judges.

She remains confident marriage equality will eventually become a reality in Michigan, but says every day the ban continues, the state is losing out.

"There are a lot of families and LGBT couples in Michigan for whom that was their last straw," says Dievendorf. "A lot of people are talking about leaving Michigan now after losing in the Sixth Circuit, so we do have the challenge of some people feeling like they've been let down again."

Dievendorf hopes Michiganders who are frustrated with the ruling will channel their energy into action through the Michigan for Marriage website.

"We're asking people to tell their stories," says Dievendorf. "We're asking people to join and to volunteer, and we hope that by the time we start this ballot campaign the people of Michigan will know who we are, and that we've always been there - and that we're people that they already know and love."

On the same day the same-sex marriage bans in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennesse were upheld, a federal judge in Missouri struck down that state's prohibition of same-sex marriage. Legal experts believe the contradictory decisions will propel the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.


get more stories like this via email

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The challenges facing older Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Minnesotans will be the focal point of a virtual forum tomorrow. One of the panelists says there are many ways to establish fairness for seniors of color.

The online discussion, hosted by AARP, will feature a handful of state lawmakers, including Rep. Cedric Frazier - DFL-New Hope.

He said as is the case for other age groups, the benefits of affordable housing remain an obstacle. But for BIPOC residents at retirement age, Frazier said it can be a much bigger problem because of historical barriers in gaining home ownership.

"Housing is still a big part of how you build wealth in this country," said Frazier. "And in many cases, when people get toward an age of retirement, housing is something that - maybe you can sell that house and you can use those resources to supplement any retirement accounts, or lack of retirement accounts."

But research shows Minnesota has among the worst homeownership disparities in the country, making it hard for BIPOC residents to build generational wealth.

Frazier said he hopes the state can craft policies that help marginalized individuals build a nest egg.

Family caregiver support and livable communities also will be discussed. The forum runs from noon to 1 p.m. tomorrow. A link can be found on AARP Minnesota's website.

New retirement homes and assisted-living facilities are being constructed in many Minnesota communities. Frazier said the state needs to ensure BIPOC residents calling these areas home feel welcome.

"Maybe having areas that reflect the diversity of the state," said Frazier. "So that our BIPOC community members can actually have places that are gonna be inclusive, places that are gonna understand different situations culturally."

He said he sees health-care costs as another key issue for BIPOC residents 50 and older. At the federal level, groups such as AARP are urging Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices amid rising costs.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A new partnership in Central Indiana is aiming to build pipelines to the executive suite for women and ethnic minorities.

Business schools in the region are hosting cohorts of highly qualified and diverse professionals for skills learning, networking, peer mentoring and more.

Dr. Leon Jackson, executive director of strategic initiatives at Marian University and founder of the Diversity in Leadership Program, hopes it will find inroads for candidates to access leadership and executive positions, as well as help the region attract, nurture and retain talented people.

"So often, I would see friends and family make statements about how they're moving to Atlanta or Texas or North Carolina because there are no opportunities here for really talented people," Jackson observed. "This program is designed to help curb what they call the brain drain here locally."

He pointed to research, which showed when executive teams are more diverse, it increases the bottom line for companies, and often it can help them identify new markets.

Jackson noted the six-month curriculum takes participants through key concepts such as business analytics, leadership communication, accounting and finance, organizational strategy and leading organizations. He emphasized they work with an executive coach and apply the lessons toward a project with their employer.

"We understand that ethnic minorities and women are not afforded the same opportunities as our white male counterparts," Jackson stressed. "And for the universities to be bought in to advancing these communities, these under-represented communities, is really cool."

The first cohort of the program began in July, and applications are now open for the second cohort, starting in January. In addition to the business schools hosting participants at Marian, Butler, Indiana University, Notre Dame and Purdue, all kinds of Indiana stakeholders are sponsoring the program, from One America and First Internet Bank to the Mind Trust and Crossroads Education.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A graphic novel illustrated by a University of Illinois professor aims to serve as a primer for young people to learn about the history of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, often known as Black Wall Street, destroyed by a white mob in 1921.

It's called "Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre," by Alverne Ball of Joliet.

Stacey Robinson, assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, illustrated the book. He said it is about the destruction, but also the rebuilding, of the city, and the survivors that to this day are still seeking justice.

"The weight of this subject matter is balanced by very beautiful, very opulent colors, and there's joy in the book as well," Robinson remarked. "American history did not happen in black and white; it did not happen in sepia tones. I wanted the audience to feel this Black beauty, to feel the opulence of this town."

Survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre are calling on the Justice Department to launch an investigation and help find the mass graves of hundreds of Black residents who were killed. They said they do not trust local and state officials to handle the remains with compassion, or to meaningfully investigate the deaths.

Robinson noted in Tulsa before 1921, it is said dollars circulated more than 20 times before leaving the Black community, which is a key component of wealth-building. He argued kids and teens should be aware of the history to help understand the racial wealth gap that exists today. The net worth of the average white family is ten times more than the average Black family.

"If you know Black Panther, there's the nation of Wakanda, right? Well, Black people have had our Wakandas, we've had our Black liberated, autonomous spaces," Robinson explained. "And when we have these spaces, they are destroyed because we are Black and affluent."

Robinson added while the Tulsa Race Massacre is not often taught in schools, more and more people are learning about it with its 100-year anniversary. He noted the HBO series Watchmen and Lovecraft Country, set in Tulsa, are also boosting awareness, and hopes the graphic novel can serve as another entry point.