The first week of February is African Heritage and Health Week. It's an integral part of launching the February observance of Black History Month. What is the week all about? African Heritage and Health Week celebrates the healthy foods, distinct flavors, and cooking techniques/traditions of four regions of the African Diaspora—West and Central Africa, the American South, the Caribbean, and South America. How did it start? It’s an observance held by Oldways, a nonprofit organization that "develops resources and initiatives to promote the healthy foods and delicious eating traditions of African Heritage for good health and community." What can we learn? According to Oldways, “This is more than just about food. This is about shaping people’s identity and how they see themselves . . . how they see their culture as a part of their health solution.” The movement helps people rediscover and embrace healthy, sustainable joys … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2021
Cradle-to-career program at Marygrove campus serves Detroit’s littlest people
By Anna Clark | Published online February 1, 2021 On a Tudor Gothic campus designed for college students, a $15 million, 28,000-square foot educational center designed for Detroit’s littlest people aims for a grand opening in Fall 2021, despite the uncertainties for both construction and school programming brought on by a global pandemic. It has been just over a year since the closure of Marygrove College, a beloved institution of higher learning founded in 1905. But a massive intervention by a number of collaborators, along with a $50 million investment from the Kresge Foundation, spared the west side neighborhood from being hit with 53 acres of vacancy. The emerging cradle-to-career program at Marygrove, or P-20, is intended to use education as a form of community investment. Priority enrollment is given to families who live within 1 to 2 miles of campus. The new early childhood center has a “foundational role” in the P-20 program, said principal Celina Byrd, but she … [Read more...]