Wisdom Institute 2nd Quarter Newsletter

April 1st - June 30th 2024

Photo credit: Mike Byrd of Starlite Media

Team Wisdom gathers for a group photo during the 2024 PTPF Ceremony.

Embracing the Power of Change in This Summer Season

Welcome to our latest newsletter edition, where we are diving into the vibrant energy of summer and the transformative power of change. As we transition, we find ourselves at a crossroads, ready to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead and harness the power of transformation.

Summer is a time of growth and renewal, a season that inspires us to break free from our comfort zones and embrace the unknown. Just as the world around us blooms with life, so too can we seize this moment to bloom and evolve as individuals. It is a time to reflect on where we have been and where we want to go, to shed old habits and embrace new beginnings.

Change can be daunting, but it is also a source of strength and empowerment. By welcoming change with an open heart and mind, we open ourselves up to endless possibilities and new horizons. Every transition, no matter how small, has the potential to lead us towards living empowered fulfilling lives.

As we navigate the currents of change this summer, let us remember that we hold the power to shape our own destinies. Like the sun rising in the sky, we have the ability to rise above challenges and obstacles, to shine bright and illuminate the path forward with our own unique light.

So, let us welcome this season of transformation with open arms, embracing the changes that come our way and harnessing the power within us to evolve into our most empowered selves. Together, we can navigate the tides of change and emerge stronger, wiser, and more empowered than ever before.

Here's to a summer of growth, transformation, and enfranchised power. May we all embrace the journey ahead with courage and grace.

LaTanya, Co-Executive Director

Gwen receives a 2024 Freshwater Future HERO award!

Wisdom Institute’s Everyone Counts Detroit Coalition Election Protection and Engagement

Co-Executive Director, Cicely Allen speaks to WI champion volunteers and staff about election protection and how to engage our Black women business to business network.

Michigan Voices Integrated Voter Engagement Manger, Cornelius Phelps reviews scripts and tips with EOC volunteer, Karice Pleasant and Louis Clayton during our voter engagement training.

Wisdom Institute's Everyone Counts Detroit Coalition (EOC) will continue our voter engagement work this year through voter registration drives, canvassing, phone and text banking, expanding our business to business network targeting local Black women-owned businesses, recruiting and deploying our street performance team and developing and distributing our Voting is a Superpower Coloring Book, 3rd edition. Click here to sign up TODAY, to join us and receive an invitation to our monthly coalition meetings and volunteer celebrations!

We Polled Black Women Voters In Michigan

Wisdom Institute works diligently to build enfranchised power with Black women in the state of Michigan as part of our quest for Healing Justice. We believe bodily autonomy is our right and that we must continue to organize to protect it and that decision-makers have an obligation to listen to our needs and act in our best interest. We recognize that we have the power to elect legislators who are willing to listen to Black women and do the work we need done to improve our lives. Wisdom Institute is part of a national-state partnership with In Our Own Voices: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda (In Our Own Voice). A poll was recently conducted by PerryUndem and commissioned by In Our Own Voice which provides a comprehensive view of the motivations of Black voters ahead of and during major election cycles with a focus on attitudes about Reproductive Justice (RJ). The goal of the research is to motivate decision makers to respond to the needs, values and perspectives of Black voters through an RJ lens. 

Our partner @blackwomensrj surveyed Black voters’ opinions in 2024 on everything from voting rights to health care. Centering Black women’s needs starts with listening to our voices and in Michigan we found that: 

Two years after the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Black women are feeling the consequences. As a collective force, Black women have the power to decide elections. If decision makers want to earn our votes, they need to listen when we share about what motivates us to show up at the polls. 

We need supporters of Reproductive Justice in our state to commit to enlisting in our I AM a RJ Voter initiative and showing up at the polls to support leaders who will champion policies to ensure our bodily autonomy is protected. To learn more about polling results, please send a request to cicelyallen@thewisdominstitute.org.

Voting is a Superpower

During the final weeks of school, Wisdom Institute in partnership with CDE, LLC facilitated Voting is a Superpower workshops for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade students at Thirkell Elementary and Middle School under the leadership of Principal Stephanie Gaines. This initiative was launched to educate students about voting and the voting process. During the sessions, students learned about what it means to vote and the importance of participating in the voting process. Students also learned about Black ancestors who fought for our right to vote exploring stories of suffrage movements and civil rights battles. They discovered how voting shapes the laws and leaders that govern the city, state and country. Students colored pages out of Wisdom Institute’s Voting is a Superpower Coloring Book, 2nd edition and pledged to discuss what they learned with their voting aged caregivers. This initiative underscored the importance of early education on voting and the democratic process. By engaging elementary students on these vital topics, Wisdom Institute planted the seeds of lifelong civic engagement and responsibility. These young students, armed with knowledge and enthusiasm, are poised to become informed, active participants in our democracy, understanding that their voices, even at a young age have the power to shape their future.

This year, we will release a Voting is a Superpower Coloring Book, 3rd edition that will feature artwork that will be used to raise awareness of the voting process, to encourage an increase in voter registration and participation of African-American households in the 2024 election.  We are seeking artists of all ages to submit digitized sketches inspired by voters rights and voter education, and advocacy issues including  water affordability, right to counsel for those facing eviction and reproductive justice that represent African American culture.  The coloring book will be published and distributed to communities throughout Michigan. If you’re interested in using your artistry to advocate for justice, please email cicelyallen@thewisdominstitute.org.  Include on the subject line, Coloring Book Call For Artist 2024. Selected artists will receive a stipend and credit for their contribution!

Hello everyone my name is Jewel Farmer and I'm an intern here at Wisdom Institute. On April 22, 2024 I had the amazing opportunity to present a brief presentation about Why Voting Matters to high school seniors at my alma mater, Northwestern High School! Leading up to my presentation I was a little hesitant about presenting in front of a group of people. Due to the fact that I'm not good with public speaking, that's something I'm continuing to improve on due to my nervousness with talking to a crowd and practicing my speaking voice. Daily as the days passed I continued to practice my speaker notes in front of my brother and I noticed improvement. Wisdom institute has helped me understand that everyone is going to have their own opinions and I can't let what others think affect me and to be myself. The day of the presentation that morning I practiced my presentation notes one more time with my friends. They gave me some constructive criticism that I took into account and used while presenting my presentation. My class mates listened while I shared about the history of voting and how they are now able to pre-register to vote in Michigan due to recent changes to the law. My presentation went amazing because I had courage to move past my fears and present on an important topic students my age need to know about.

Wisdom in Action!

Mama's March

Listening Partner, Info session

Black Feminist Future Meet Up Detroit, MI

Voter Registration canvassing in Pontiac, MI

Rep. Stephanie Young's Community Baby Shower Detroit, MI

CAFO's & Manure Conference,

Lake Erie

Reproductive Freedom For All Kickoff

Listening Tour, Stop 1 with Michigan State Representative Abraham Aiyash, Hamtramck, MI

Elizabeth Visionary Conference, Detroit People's Food Coop, Detroit, MI

WI attend EMEAC's Jazz @ the Commons Series. Featuring Earl Davis Brain Stretching Medicine Band

State Senator Stephanie Chang's Community Baby Shower in Highland Park, MI

Voter Registration at the Northwest Farmers Market, Detroit, MI

WI + Mothering Justice at the Planned Parenthood Healing in Action Summit, Lansing, MI

Listening Circle: Pink Moon Healing Ritual

What is a Champion for Wisdom and what do they do? 

Wisdom Institute (WI) Advocacy Champions are selected for their commitment to gender justice, their involvement with Wisdom Institute’s Everyone Counts Coalition and ability to lead, challenge and effect change. Champions are considered experts based on their lived experiences, level of knowledge, understanding and passion related to the issues in our hearts and minds. Wisdom Institute holds positions at community tables, committees and coalitions that build power for transformative change. WI uses its voice at the table to provide the perspective of African American women. Champions for Wisdom have exciting opportunities for personal growth and development to influence those in positions of power. They bring their experiences into outreach dialogues, share resources and information and are in the process of developing a resource guide.

read more

Duties of a Champion for Wisdom:

• Attend monthly community committee/coalition meetings and report on meeting outcomes
• Speak at monthly Everyone Counts Detroit Coalition meetings
• Identify partnership opportunities within committees/coalitions 
• Support message development
• Support volunteer engagement and recruitment efforts
• Support with planning and execution of community events

Benefits of being a Champion for Wisdom:

• Access to WI’s robust womxnist network 
• Recognition of champion status
• Monthly stipend
• Personal and professional growth 

If you are interested in becoming a Champion for Wisdom, please sign up today! 

WISDOM REFLECTIONS

BONDING TIME

Attending the Elizabeth Visionary Conference with my sister Eunice, was a memorable experience, sharing laughs and conversation connecting with others patrons that created a special connection. We also stop in the new Detroit People Food Co-op Grocery Store it was amazingly beautiful there. 

Moments we have working together side-by-side I will cherish always and forever. Our times we share collaborating as Poll Monitors, Business 2 Business, WI Tabling as teammates and sisters. 

The importance of family, fun and friendship is: ” Life Is Special, Enjoy It” 

Written by Angela Penermon, WI Volunteer Manager

A Volunteer’s Perspective: Passion, Purpose & Fun

The team at the Wisdom Institute are a group of smart, energetic, compassionate & inclusive individuals. You can clearly see that translated through their work and program initiatives. My name is Lisa and I began as a Phone Bank Volunteer in February 2024. 

I spent a few hours calling Detroit residents to explain the latest developments with Michigan’s voting process and to address their questions or concerns. Witnessing the engagement efforts of the team, I felt good about my participation. The Wisdom Institute Team also left me feeling very valued and appreciated.  After this initial experience, I signed up for future news and program updates. I quickly became comfortable enough to explore and participate in several other major events including the impactful Mamas March in Lansing back in May, as well as the most recent, Juneteenth Womb Liberation Celebration held at Belle Isle. I must say that the atmosphere and excitement at these events was a real vibe that left my soul dancing with joy and great satisfaction!

I hold a high regard and great respect for the Volunteer Program here at the Wisdom Institute. It’s  positioned to be a continually dynamic force within the Black Community of Metro Detroit. I’m inspired and honored to be a part of this movement to engage, support, uplift, love and celebrate my brothers and sisters of color through the opportunities to serve as provided. I eagerly look forward to shared experiences and seeing many new faces in the coming months and beyond.

Written by Lisa Staley, WI volunteer

Congratulations Jewel, Class of 2024!

Please help us wish our amazingly talented, incredibly smart, valedictorian and mentee / intern, Jewel Farmer a huge congratulations! She shines bright like a diamond! Jewels internship through Urban Alliance will end in late July. Cheers to her success as a future alumni of Central State University!

Womb Liberation Day Festival Recap

How did you celebrate Juneteenth? Hopefully you had the opportunity to join us at our Annual Womb Liberation /Juneteenth festival on Belle Isle.

In summary, our Womb Liberation festival was fun, informative and amazing. The festival was our 3rd annual Womb Liberation Festival, and our guest, volunteers and partners came out to support in full force! The event was filled with inspiring moments, including a powerful panel discussion on healing justice around the intersection of water and reproductive wellness. Our wonderful and knowledgeable panelists consisted of Cassie Jones McBryde of the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice, Norrell Hemphill of We the People of Detroit, and Adeola Osunlowo of Wombman Unspoken.

Event attendees received swag bags with WI branded t-shirts, and I AM an RJ Voter swag. Caribbean food was served and catered by LMG Catering/Skinny Chef, we hosted vendor and community partner tables, guest participated in free face painting and enjoyed creating make & take art with Mama Evelyn Pickard and our kid zone volunteers. In addition, there was live poetry by One Single Rose, breakout sessions for belly dancing with Sanaa of Center of Her Power, Womb 101 session with Tamika Davis of Project W.O.W and a womb meditation was led by Alicia Howell a holistic self-love coach. We closed our event with a deeply moving and meaningful ceremonial offering to our ancestors led by Adeola of Wombman Unspoken.

It was truly heartening to see such strong community support and commitment to honoring our ancestors' legacy while celebrating our collective journey towards empowerment and healing.

We would like send a huge thank to our co-sponsors, volunteers, community partners, guest and everyone else who joined us to made our Juneteenth festival a day to remember. If you have any picture from the event, please share them to our socials and tag or @ us. Please click on the organization names of each panelist mentioned in this article to find out more about the work and agenda of these amazing women and the organizations they represent. Other participants mentioned can be found by searching their name/organization on Instagram.

River Rally Recap

This years River Rally took place on the grounds of Grand Valley State University, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan from May 13th - May 16th. The 25th anniversary gathering centered on cultivating community and sharing knowledge across the River Network.  Attending the rally was a first time experience for WI Co-Executive Directors, but surely will not be the last. Program offerings programs and offsite activities were intentional leading us to connect with water waters who care about water being a human right. As a We The People of Detroit Water Policy Education and Engagement Project (PEEPS) program participants, we supported all the workshops and activities hosted by our partners and coalition members, We the People of Detroit, Mothering Justice, Freshwater Future & the WEL Coalition. Information imparted at these sessions taught us how to take our water advocacy to new heights. We extend a special thanks to We the People of Detroit for allowing the Wisdom Institute to attend this impactful event.

The first picture above shows Jill Ryan, Executive Director of Freshwater Future participating in a talk regarding water policy from the ground up. The second picture is of the Blue Bridge where the rally welcome event took place. The Blue Bridge stretches across the Grand River with access points next to GVSU's Eberhard Center and the Grand Rapids River walk near Plaza Towers. The bridge was originally constructed in 1892 as a railroad bridge, but now has been converted into a pedestrian walk.

New Partner Alert! 

Water Advocacy

Access to clean, affordable water is critical to our daily lives. People

need water to drink, to bathe, to wash their hands, to cook, to survive

and, ultimately, to live. Despite the necessity of water, millions

of individuals living in the United States face the daily reality of

exposure to contaminated water sources that present serious risks to

reproductive and overall health. Unsafe water can cause serious illness,

including cancer in adults and children, and can damage children’s

nervous systems and hinder brain development. Unsafe water can also

interfere with people’s reproductive health, for example by increasing

the chances of experiencing infertility or jeopardizing a person’s ability

to have a healthy pregnancy. As members of We The People of Detroit's Water Policy Education and Engagement Project, WI will continue to educate and engage our community and advocate for life just water policies.

Take the Water Affordability Pledge

Water Affordability Platform**

1. Water is a public good and should never be privatized. Water affordability must acknowledge that water is a public trust, the provision of water is a public good and water is not a commodity subject to privatization.

2. Water affordability is one piece of the puzzle. Water affordability must be situated within a broader commitment to ensuring access to clean, safe, affordable water for all.

3. Water bills should be on a sliding scale. Water affordability must be modeled along the lines of a sliding-scale, income-based rate system.

4. Water is a public health issue. Water affordability must be centered within a framework of preserving and maintaining public health.

5. Water affordability builds climate resilience. Water affordability must maintain a commitment to principles of conservation and provide assistance to low income residents to ensure they can be proper stewards of their water resources.

6. Water is a human right. Water affordability must enshrine quality customer service as a central value along with a commitment to acknowledge the human dignity of all the people it serves. Water affordability must find appropriate ways to deal with past consumer debt, such as the policies being implemented in Philadelphia.

7. Water shutoffs are not a solution. Water affordability must eschew water shutoffs as a policy for being inconsistent with the values of public health and the commitment to acknowledge the human dignity of all the people it serves.

8. Water assistance and affordability are not the same. Water assistance plans are not the same as water affordability plans and must not be advertised as such. Tiered water pricing plans, where water is priced by volume, are not the same as water affordability plans and must not be advertised as such.

9. Promote equitable community justice through the water affordability platform. Water affordability must ensure that jobs, training, contracts and other economic opportunities go to residents of the most impacted communities to align with the Justice40 framework. Recipients of government assistance for housing and businesses that provide economic opportunities to low and very low-income residents must be prioritized.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Join Freshwater Future as they host

Water Watchers & Wellness

Register Now for the July 25th Session!

Water protectors (that’s you!) are under a lot of stress in the fight to protect the people and waters of the Great Lakes. With all the joys of this purpose-driven work, the mistreatment of our communities and environment takes a toll. We see you, we appreciate you, and we invite you to a dedicated space to heal our hearts, minds, and bodies. Our facilitator, Jonathan Relucio, is a skilled practitioner of trauma-informed mindfulness, yoga, and meditation with over 20 years of experience advocating for social justice. Please join us for monthly wellness-focused sessions starting June 20th at 11:30 am ET. Sessions will run for 45 minutes.  

2024 Session Schedule (schedule dates subject to change)

July 25th - Register for the July Session Now!

August 22nd

September 19th

October 24th

Each Session begins at 11:30 am ET – sessions run for 45 minutes 

This online event series is free. You must register for each session separately. We will send registration details each month prior to the session date. Pre-Registration for each monthly session is required.

Funding Opportunities

Midwest Frontline Fund: The Midwest Environmental Justice Network has opened its Midwest Frontline Fund (formerly Small Grants Program). This fund provides general operating grants to grassroots and frontline environmental justice organizations throughout the midwest in the range of $20,000 to $30,000. Applications are due July 31.

Michigan Justice40 Accelerator: The MI Justice40 Accelerator is a 12-month cohort-based program for community-based organizations serving disadvantaged communities. Twenty-five participants will receive $25,000 in unrestricted grant money to support participation and project development during the cohort. Applications are due August 1.