Summer

2022

border crosser

my father's story is not singular. he is a border crosser, he crossed the border, the border crossed him. filled with hope that looked like a stormy night. waiting in… Read More

EDITORIAL: No Borders, No Bars: Abolition Is the Only Way Forward

There are borders all around us. From our declarations of membership in a particular nation, to our identifications with our particular states, cities, or neighborhoods, to our establishment of cliques… Read More

Kiswahili Lessons

Boggs Center Study Circles to Deepen, Grow and Struggle

“The core of our philosophy is that all human beings are capable of change. And that our desire as humans is to be healthy, to be whole, to feel safe… Read More

Joy in Community Study

Border & Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism by Harsha Walia, H In gloomy and despairing times, we who work for liberation generate light and joy.… Read More

Coalition Calls for Federal investigation into Detroit Police Use of Excessive Force

The Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability is calling for renewed federal oversight of the Detroit Police Department (DPD) based on a 25 percent rise in incidents of excessive force… Read More

Mass Incarceration in the U.S.A.

CUPID

Of course, we cannot say that Kyle Rittenhouse is guilty. Because this is America. And he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. But for what it’s worth, he is White.… Read More

a poem for Trans day of visibility

"what does trans visibility mean to me?" visible to whom? i must ask myself to cis eyes? society? The government? the medical complex? what it means to me is suspicion. … Read More

What It Really Means to Be Pro-Life: The Absurdity of Abortion Legislation in the U.S.

Right now, we are waiting. Waiting to see how our bodily autonomy will be infringed upon AGAIN. It harkens back to the unspoken rule about black bodies in this country.… Read More

Across borders real and imagined, Palestinians have to fight for the right to die — and live — in peace

Photo by H.A. Photo caption: On May 11, 2021, thousands of anti-occupation protestors gathered outside the Israeli Consulate General in Manhattan to decry Israel's bombing of Gaza and ethnic cleansing… Read More

An Analysis Brief on Sections of Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa The Importance of Questions: A Revolutionary Pedagogy and Praxis for 2022 Detroit

It is important to remember that in the preface to How Europe Undeveloped Africa (HEUA), Dr. Walter Rodney, at age 30, begins by focusing the reader’s attention to the fact… Read More

Some call it Liberated Zones – Others: Peace Zones, Freedom Zones, Beloving Community and Healing – We call it HOME

For decades Detroiters have witnessed gentrification, displacement, marginalization, corporate and elite political control, and sale (stealing) of land. This is while simultaneously engaging in struggles to end water shut-offs while… Read More

Stop Arresting Kids, Start Listening to Them

After the tragic shooting at Oxford High School on November 30th, 2021, hundreds of schools across Michigan received copycat threats that caused them to cancel school, enter lockdown procedures for… Read More

CAN YOU SEE ME

I greet family, friends and strangers with a sunny smile, dressed in my best attire, they glance at me and say, “You look good.” Not seeing me as they could.… Read More

The Well-Formed Practice of Negus Vu

Developing Leadership from Within: The Well-Formed Practice of Negus Vu By Johnny Ricks If you want to have a sit down with Negus Vu, chances are you’ll have to do… Read More

Pam McGhee’s Winding Path To Community

Pam McGhee's Winding Path to Community Riverwise Interview by Eric T. Campbell While city officials clamor over how much to concede to corporate interests and private real-estate poachers scavenge for… Read More

We Shall Return, For It Is Our Birthright

We Shall Return, For It Is Our Birthright By Imani Ma’At AnkhmenRa Amen If your ancestors were enslaved, it is your birthright to make that voyage to their native lands.… Read More

Riverwise Summer/Fall 2019 Editorial: Healing As We Build

Riverwise Summer/Fall 2019 Editorial Healing As We Build How do we heal? Throughout Detroit neighborhoods and gatherings people frequently ask this question. This question acknowledges the pain we carry.… Read More

What Does the Earth Have To Teach Us?

What Does the Earth Have To Teach Us? By Sanaa Green Being taught by the earth, for some in Western, modern cultures, is an oxymoron based on the premise that… Read More

Mama Lila Cabbil Tribute: Pushing Us Toward Deeper Thought, Still

I always knew Mama Lila Cabbil did a lot. There was rarely an anti-racism event, a water justice event, or a social justice event that I didn't see her… Read More

Nandi’s Knowledge Cafe Feels Like Home

In her own words: Nandi's Knowledge Cafe Feels Like Home Riverwise Interview It hits you as soon as you cross the threshold and peer into the latest iteration of Nandi's… Read More

Eastside Convergence Asks, Community Or Chaos?

photos by Barbara Stachowski The east side of Detroit is at a critical moment. Just before the holiday season General Motors announced the closing of the Poletown Plant. By late… Read More

Youth Arts Furthers Transformation of Heidelberg Project

In the interest of full disclosure and to facilitate a more objective reading of the following article, it should be noted that Keisa Davis is a Heidelberg Arts and Leadership… Read More

Why Black Bottom Matters: Black History Informing Black Futures

During Black History Month, Black people are reminded about the importance of history. It is a time of posts spotlighting the significant advancements of exceptional Black elders and ancestors, a… Read More

Strange Fruit Quilt: A Loving Ancestral Remembrance

The quilt, Strange Fruit, is named after a song by the late Billie Holiday, and it is dedicated to Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, an African American newspaper journalist and author… Read More

A Ceremony For Hearing Our Own Wisdom

For most of history, stories have been passed down from person to person, sharing tools, lessons, values, forewarnings and healing. I recently hosted a story and ceremony workshop, sponsored by… Read More

The Theft of Belle Isle

photos taken at Belle Isle by Kenneth Smith Every spring, access to Belle Isle is shut down. The most popular end of the island is closed to Detroiters for almost… Read More

A Call To Do-It-yourself Community Health

Reconnecting to Nature and the Land Saved My Life by Lottie Spady In 2014 I started my formal herbal education and healing journey. In many ways I had lost my… Read More