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Slotkin Secures Funding to Revive Annual Report on Systemic Racism in Michigan

July 31, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC –– U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) secured funding that could be used to revive a report on systemic racism affecting Black Michigan residents, following conversations with Black leaders in the 8th district in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. The measure, included in the appropriations package that passed the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday, provided robust funding that MSU could access to produce the "State of Black Michigan," an annual report on systemic inequalities compiled through Michigan State University from the 1960s through 2007.

Slotkin's remarks on the floor of the U.S. House can be viewed here, and are below:

"On this the funeral day of the great John Lewis, I ask my colleagues to support my amendment to fund a critical source of knowledge for my state, the ‘State of Black Michigan' report. This amendment comes directly from my meetings with African American leaders in my district in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. For four decades, researchers at Michigan State University compiled the ‘State of Black Michigan' report. This critical research project was established in the wake of civil unrest in the 1960s and until 2007. It did what all good research does: it used hard data and facts regardless of politics, to inform and hold elected leaders accountable for the persistent inequality in housing, health care, education, economic opportunity and more.

"The work to produce the ‘State of Black Michigan,' spearheaded by Dr. Joe Darden at Michigan State University, was not easy or cheap, and since 2007, without a source of dedicated funding, we have been without the knowledge this report has provided. Mr. Speaker, now as the country once again confronts systemic racism and inequality, we must acknowledge and learn from the underlying facts to build effective policies. My amendment would provide a source of funding for efforts such as the ‘State of Black Michigan' so we can confront the systemic inequalities and actually do something about these systemic problems."

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