Black Legislative & Community Knowledge

The Diaspora African Forum Diplomatic Mission (DAF) in Ghana held a tribute ceremony for Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, who was a co-founder of the organization established in 2007. Jackson maintained deep connections with Ghana throughout his life, visiting frequently and meeting every Ghanaian president since Jerry Rawlings, while viewing the struggles of Black Americans and Africans as interconnected. He played a pivotal role in international efforts to end South African apartheid and worked to build bridges between continental Africans and the diaspora. Following his death, a DAF delegation formally announced his passing to Ghana's Diaspora Affairs Office in accordance with Ghanaian custom, with officials signing a condolence book that will be presented to his widow after the President and Vice President add their signatures.

The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education officially designated March 2 as National Read Across America Day, with district schools celebrating literacy through various activities from March 2-6. The recognition coincides with the district's strong performance on national reading assessments, where fourth and eighth graders outperformed California averages and other major urban districts between 2019 and 2024. Schools hosted community guest readers, book swaps, read-a-thons, and spirit days, while also commemorating a 30-year partnership between Central Elementary and the Lawyers Club of San Diego. The district has established an ambitious goal to raise literacy scores by 18 points by 2030, building on recent progress that shows 56.2% of students meeting or exceeding English Language Arts standards. # Key Takeaways

Manhattan historians at the Merchant's House Museum have identified a concealed passageway in a 19th-century townhouse that they believe served as part of the Underground Railroad network. The hidden space, discovered behind built-in closet drawers on the second floor with a ladder descending one level, features construction details suggesting intentional concealment. The home's original owner, Joseph Brewster, who lived there from 1832 to 1835, was an abolitionist who later approved similar secret spaces in a church he led, establishing a pattern of creating hiding places. This discovery is particularly significant because such spaces are not found in other comparable townhouses from that era, and New York was a dangerous environment for those opposing slavery despite it being illegal in the state. # Key Takeaways

Michigan will elect a new Secretary of State in 2026 to replace term-limited Jocelyn Benson, marking the first change in the position in eight years ahead of the crucial 2028 presidential election. Six candidates are vying for the role: Democrats Barb Byrum, Garlin Gilchrist, and Suzanna Shkreli, along with Republicans Anthony Forlini, Amanda Love, and Monica Yatooma, though Love and Yatooma did not participate in interviews. The candidates differ sharply on requiring citizenship proof for voter registration, with Republicans supporting additional verification measures and Democrats defending current safeguards while warning against making voting more difficult. Both parties will select their nominees through convention endorsements rather than primaries, with Republicans convening on March 28 and Democrats on April 19.

Detroit's Construction and Demolition Department has announced new safeguards for its demolition program after discovering contaminated backfill dirt containing neurotoxins and carcinogens at demolition sites throughout the city. The city now suspects soil contamination at over 600 locations, significantly more than the roughly 500 sites initially identified, but has fallen behind its March testing deadline due to winter weather delays and now aims to complete testing by late May. The contamination involves two companies—Gayanga and Iron Horse—that are under investigation by police and state environmental officials for potentially using unapproved dirt sources rather than clean material. New protective measures include restricting backfill to only virgin material sites and enhancing contract language to verify material sources, though environmental experts argue the testing protocols remain inadequate because they don't include topsoil testing or cover enough of the approximately 2,500 sites handled by Gayanga alone.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development revised its Continuum of Care funding approach in November 2025, shifting resources away from permanent supportive housing toward transitional short-term housing in what officials call a "treatment first" model. This policy change threatens Detroit's homeless response system, which could see its permanent housing funding drop from approximately $34 million to $11 million annually, potentially displacing hundreds of vulnerable residents. Twenty states including Michigan have filed legal challenges arguing the shift contradicts decades of research showing permanent supportive housing produces better long-term outcomes than temporary programs. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the changes, though HUD plans to implement them in future funding rounds. Detroit's homelessness has increased 16% from 2023 to 2024, making the city particularly vulnerable to this federal policy shift.