Here’s to 2024’s sincere efforts — and quirky responses

The temptation in a year-end review is to remember only the last quarter, October, November and December. That explains Trump voters. Yet, the year 2024 offered more important national, state and local events and people than I can present or even think about in 900 words. But here’s my best on a year filled with life.

The whole year was building up to the dreaded November election, but then in July Vice President Kamala D. Harris, a Black woman, became the Democratic Party candidate for POTUS, pumping desperately needed energy and enthusiasm into SOL national politics.

I still don’t get how she lost.

Many people are hoping the health insurance CEO shooting in Manhattan will lead to a change in the way the industry conducts business. Cutting back on profiteering from people’s misery would be nice.

What’s nice is those cats in Detroit. Lions won eleven straight NFL games and are still in it. Tigers gave a great roar as well.

In October, the Upper Peninsula wildfire devoured 265 acres behind the rabbit’s ear in Baraga County before being put out by water dropping airtankers called Fire Bosses. Sounds cool, uh?

The first Michigan poet laureate since 1959 — proof the state needs more attention to the arts — was Nandi Comer. The Detroit native finished her tenure with a 2024 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship of $50,000.

Who knows why the tip credit issue failed to get action in the Legislature, but that neglect, my friends in the restaurant business say, just might cost them their ass.

In Lansing, many people new to politics, including me, jumped into the May special election to pick nine Lansing City Charter Commission commissioners. I added to the diversity of the 36-candidate field that included nine women; and eight Black people (3 women, 5 men). I finished 15th.

With the usual city government gadflies attending, commission meetings started in May, but the most impressive presence is Julie Vanden Boom, who missed winning a commission seat by a heartbreaking 18 votes.

A stalwart figure in Lansing, Joel Ferguson put Lansing, sleepy capital city, in the national spotlight through the Democratic national party. At age 85, he died Oct. 19. I met him years ago when I was writing Lansing Black history. A hometown boy, he leveraged a small show of civil unrest in 1967 into a seat on the Lansing City Council. A political and then business career followed. A 1965 Spartan alum, he held a seat on the MSU Board of Trustees for four terms, 12 years as the chair.

Add to Lansing’s legacy leadership losses Neogen businessman James L. Herbert, Jr., 83, and hat-wearing woman politician Alfreda Schmidt, 97. (See Those We Lost on Page 7.)

Like them, State Sen. Sarah Anthony, D- Lansing, takes care of her own. This Lansing native who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee (read that as power plus money) brought home badly needed state support. Her published flyer “Senator Sarah Anthony Budget Wins for Mid-Michigan” is a testament to how hard Black women do work.

She helped win Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan, which took over Sparrow Health System in 2022, a $5 million state grant for emergency response. I thought we were going to need it the day eastside residents saw the yellow block M letter go up on buildings. Whattt???

Lansing City Hall needed replacement in the worst way; Anthony helped secure a $40 million grant for it. I don’t know how she managed to get the money — surely some struggle involved — but who would have imagined a Council would refuse to receive it? This was widely reported.

 Two new Lansing Council members promised Mayor Schor they had his back to accept the money, but at voting time the youngsters said, the bid process wasn’t fair to all bidders, we should do it over, etc. etc. Whoever pulled their coattails, thank you, because a few days later they reversed course and Lansing was able to pocket the money.

Now a new city hall will be built at 425 Grand Ave. at Lenawee Street. Not the best decision considering all the beautiful empty historic buildings available. But the point is, long-suffering city workers will finally get a decent place to work, and a new hotel will revive the architectural gem City Hall really is, and put valuable real estate on the tax rolls.

Anthony’s attention to youth needs included Everett High School’s track and field facility and the track; the track ($2.5 million); Turning Point of Lansing mentoring program for tricounty area African American boys, grades 7 through 12 ($500,000); Ingham County juvenile justice facility ($12.5 million); and Building Twenty One teen center ($320,000).

After a summer of stress about gun violence, youth groups need more care.

In 2024, the long wait ended for the re-do of our main drag, Michigan Avenue. The first of two construction periods started in March at highway 127 and ended in October at Fairview Street. The three layers of new asphalt feel sooo smooth.

The state kicked $3 million over to the Lansing Economic Area Partnership for mixed-use housing and retail development on the new Michigan Avenue. Again, thanks Sen. Anthony.

We need more leaders like you.

(Dedria Humphries Barker is the author of “Mother of Orphans: The True and Curious Story of Irish Alice, A Colored Man’s Widow.” Her column appears the last issue of each month.)