Livonia Citizens Caring About Black Lives Two-Year Impact Report : simplebooklet.com

Much has transpired since Elizabeth, Hilary, and Paige started the Livonia CitizensCaring About Black Lives Facebook group two years ago. As a wary observer inthose first few days, I watched the group grow exponentially by the hour. In themidst of a global pandemic and national reckoning with racism, LCCABL was amagnet for people who believe that equity, unity, and peace are the beacons of abright future for Livonia. As a proud leader today, I'm grateful for shared spacewith people who tirelessly work to make that future a reality. When I consider the impact of our shared history on current times, I think of HarrietDeGarmo Fuller, People of Livonia Addressing Issues of Diversity (PLAID - 1990),and Churchill High School's Anti-Racism Task Force (1995). I'm sobered by what ittakes to enact successful change. I'm also inspired by the fighting spirit that keepsthe fires of justice burning through even the darkest of times.Over the last two years, we've strategically engaged every part of the communitytoward the goal of advancing racial equity and inclusion. Many who live in andnear Livonia continue to bring forth gifts of time, talent, generosity, and ideas fortransformational change. Thank you. Your actions and voices are reflected in thisreport and I hope you feel proud of what we have accomplished together so far.Finally, a warm welcome to everyone who is willing to work together toward thebest Livonia for all. I hope you'll read this report and see yourself in it, and that youwill exercise your power to engage on these issues in a manner that will driveaccountability and reform. Together, we can make an incredible difference.In Solidarity,Delisha UpshawChair, Livonia Equity & Anti-Racism Network (LEARN)A Message From Our Chair03Impact Report - www.sunuplivonia.com

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Our StoryHow it started...Livonia Citizens Caring About Black Livesbegan in May 2020 with a few Livoniaresidents who were concerned about theincreasing racial tension and division inour community and schools. Outraged bythe deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, BreonnaTaylor, and George Floyd, we felt anincredible responsibility to not just saysomething, but to act. On June 7, more than 2,000 peoplemarched with us to proclaim the value ofBlack lives. Our peaceful, powerful protestproved that the time for change in Livoniawas at hand. The time to remedy theeffects of racial injustice and inequity inour own community was "now."We found tremendous hope in theoverwhelming response, but we knew itwould take more than a protest to createchange. Rooting diversity, equity, andinclusion to the core of all that we do inLivonia has and continues to take timeand thoughtfulness.Two years later, we are a vibrant andgrowing anti-racist organization and theprimary organization advocating for racialevolution in Livonia. This report details theprogress we've made in bringing ourmission to life. Today, we are avibrant andgrowing anti-racistorganization andthe primarygroupadvocating forracial evolutionin Livonia.Impact Report - www.sunuplivonia.com04

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Livonia has an unfortunate history as a SundownTown - an "all white" community that excludednon-white people through discriminatory laws,restrictive housing covenants, intimidation,policing, and threats of or use of violence.These implications are present today. We facethis reality head-on and address these issues infour ways - community, action, philanthropy, andpolicy. Our goal is to rid Livonia of this residue,thereby making our city a "sunup" town whereeveryone is welcome and safe at any hour ofthe day.Livonia Equity & Anti-RacismNetwork (LEARN)A newly formed 501(c)(3) non-profitcommitted to uniting our Livonia-area community through anti-racistaction, education, and alliances forequity and peace. With a moreinclusive focus and membershipoptions for individuals, families, andbusinesses, LEARN offers Livoniansa unique opportunity to join themovement for equity and inclusion. ACTIONLivonia Citizens for ProgressPolitical Action CommitteeLCP-PAC supports anti-racist,inclusive candidates and policiesfor Livonia. We register voters, developcampaigns, knock on doors, andeducate the community on thelocal election issues that mattermost. POLICYPHILANTHROPYImpact Livonia Women's GivingCircleImpact is a core group of anti-racist women joining together in agiving circle. Ten months of givingresults in $100,000 to share withlocal charities. By joining together, we cantransform our community throughthe strength of collaboration andcollective giving - on our terms.Livonia Citizens Caring AboutBlack Lives (LCCABL)An online communityestablished on May 30, 2020for Livonians to support theBlack community and organizea peaceful protest in solidaritywith the modern movement forBlack lives. LCCABL existstoday to support, educate, andencourage members who arecommitted to anti-racism.COMMUNITYOur StoryHow it's going.,,Impact Report - www.sunuplivonia.com05

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Our Initial PrioritiesWe focused on action and impact.Early on, we established three areas of focus that we believed would bring aboutthe most impactful and immediate change in Livonia. They reflect collectiveexperiences of marginalized communities, often missed or not included in officialdata. They are actionable and accountable at the city level and measurable withspecific goals and indicators.Public Safetyfor AllPublic Education &EngagementCommunity Building& InclusionReflective police force:Recruit and retain anincreasingly diverse force. Culturally responsivepublic safety staff:Demonstrate culturalresponsiveness in publicsafety interactions. Community Engagement:Build trust/long termrelationships betweenwith diverse communities. Transparency: Beresponsive; operate withmaximum accountabilitytransparency. Safety for vulnerablecommunities: Protectl bl lCommunications:Celebrate/reflectdiversity.Outreach & Engagement:Reduce barriers, promotecivic engagement. Education: Prioritize LPSEquity work.Leadership Development:Invest in new leaders forlocal government. Reflective Government:Shape policymaking andboards to reflect thecommunity.Cultural Celebration:Promote celebration andsharing of culture throughcommunity events. Acknowledge diversity inpublic spaces: Recognizecommunities of color andshared history. Welcoming city: PromoteLivonia as a welcomingcity and support cross-cultural relationshipbuilding. 06Impact Report - www.sunuplivonia.com

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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals canchange the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."~ Margaret MeadLivonia Police Department increased transparency andaccountability by publishing select data/policies on theirwebsite, adjusting citizen complaint investigation resultlabels to match industry standards, designating an officefor managing complaints, hiring social workers, increasingthe diversity of officers, adding/updating policies onchokeholds/bias-based policing, adding dates topublished policies. Data also suggests a more racially-equitable distribution of traffic citations.We supported Farmington/Hills, Royal Oak, Ferndale,Rochester, Plymouth, Plymouth Township, and Detroit's "8Mile Suburbs" in addressing race-based traffic stops andpursuing police accountability and transparency.We hosted four FREE Pullover Prevention/Brake LightRepair clinics; helping 100+ people avoid unnecessary,costly, and potentially dangerous traffic stops.City Council passed a resolution on racismOver 400 participants for the 21-Day Anti-RacismChallenge (Black History Month 2021)Advocated for prompt communication, feedbackloops, standardization, and family support ininstances of racial and gender harm in our schoolsMore non-traditional candidates in local electionsfor City Council, LPS, and Schoolcraft CollegeEstablished PAC Fund for local candidates andpoliciesSupported development of proposed Non-Discrimination Ordinance for LivoniaPUBLICSAFETYPUBLIC EDUCATION&ENGAGEMENTOur Influence on ProgressAn overview of change.07Impact Report - www.sunuplivonia.com

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First ever Livonia Juneteenth celebration (2021)Community Conversation events on Hispanic HeritageMonth, KwanzaaFirst ever Pride Flag Raising at City HallSocial media campaign for Black History MonthFundraised for diverse children's books in our librariesPartnered with Livonia Kiwanis Early Risers to donatemore than 7500 diapers, 5000 baby wipes, and over 3900ounces of baby formula to Methodist Children's SocietyDetroit Resource Center.Eradicated $1K+ LPS Student lunch debt for RAOK month.Delivered "love" to seniors in nursing homes in the form of180 hand-made ValentinesCollected and delivered more than 175lbs of new andunused personal and home care items to RedfordInterfaith ReliefHosted a free virtual community conversation with apanel of family therapists on school shootings and theirimpact on the mental health of our children and families.Cleaned Rotary Park for MLK service project Hosted "Take a Hike Livonia" series to encourage health,community, and appreciation for our green spacesProvided 313 children with more than 1,200 gifts designedto build self-esteem, empathy, and appreciation fordiversity through our Celebrating Diversity Toy DriveAccepted invitations to discuss anti-racism from LivoniaRegional Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Roundtablefor Diversity & Inclusion, Livonia Rotary AM Club,Schoolcraft College panel on Sundown Towns Past &Present, Human Relations Commission, Suburban Anti-Racist Collaborators, and more.COMMUNITY BUILDING&INCLUSIONOur Influence on ProgressAn overview of change continued....08Impact Report - www.sunuplivonia.com

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We advocate for accountability and transparency as the best way to build trust between lawenforcement and the community - especially those parts of the community with whom this trust hasbeen damaged. After a month of peacefully protesting, initiating difficult conversations, educating,listening, writing letters, making phone calls, requesting meetings, speaking at city council meetings,participating in the Western Wayne Conference/NAACP Partnerships for Progress Listening Tour, andusing our own dollars to submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, we delivered 655+signatures on a petition for transparency and accountability from the Livonia Police Department. OnJuly 6, we erected a billboard highlighting complaints about race-based traffic stops. The billboardgarnered international media attention and sparked a difficult, yet necessary conversation here inLivonia.What happened after the billboard?The racial disparity in traffic citations shifted with a more equitable distribution among allraces - especially for "judgment call" citations like obstructed view and dirty license plates.Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan established the Office of Professional Standards to addressconcerns and complaints and tasked Human Relations Commission to create opportunities forconversations on diversity, equity, and inclusion for the city. (Detroit News, July 11, 2020) Livonia Police Department-Unveiled Police And Community Together (PACT) site with traffic citation, arrest, and select data. -Select policies/procedures and publish dates were later added including a biased-policing policyand an updated Use Of Force Policy (March 2021) which included an update to the use of Chokeholds.An initial communication titled "#8can'twait: Livonia Didn't Wait" published in June 2020 stated"chokeholds have been prohibited for 25 years..." but was found to be in contradiction to actualpolicies that existed during that time. Chokeholds are only banned when collecting evidence.-Announced the retirement of Police Chief Curtis Caid after 10 years as chief and 42 years of serviceand the addition of social workers to the force through a partnership with Livonia-based Hegira Health-Made progress toward becoming a more diverse and reflective police force.*Thank you to the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy for partneringwith us toward the goal of understanding and improving policing and policy in Livonia.Our Impact on Public Safety Life after "the billboard."

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434 participants 99 cities 42 states4 countries394 enrolled and engaged on our Facebook Group We extend a heartfelt thank you to our Organizers,Content Creators, and Facebook Group Guides forhelping to make this Challenge a success! Lauren GothroTara MichenerMichelle NixonBrooke SullivanDelisha UpshawThank you for standing up for equity.Our 21-Day Anti-Racism Challenge was developed by UC San Diego Office for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and is based on thenotion that it takes 21 days to create a habit. We were honored to present a family-friendly version of the challenge to the Livoniaarea as a way to encourage discussion, action, and change in our community. Through this challenge, we used articles, videos,crafts, read-alouds for children, weekly Zoom small group sessions, and reflective questions to help participants identify andconfront the structural and behavioral norms that perpetuate civil injustice and systemic racial inequality.OUR PARTICIPANTSPUBLIC EDUCATION - OUR CHALLENGE= participating statesThank you for all your hard work! My mom, who doesn't dosocial media, is eager to explore these sources. I've lovedthe discussions here and honest reflections. I'd not thoughtabout many of those questions -- when were you first awareof race, etc. Thanks for making me think. - Sarah B.Thank you for these deeply educational, thoughtful,helpful articles. -CarolI've been designing a diversity and inclusionworkshop in South Africa and LOVE this challengeapproach to making it real - Kirsten V.As I was growing up, I thought my parents did well byus because they never said or did racist things. Theyjust taught us to be kind to all people. As an adult, Irealize how much we DIDN'T learn because we justnever talked about it. It's the difference betweenbeing not racist and anti-racist. Time to take that nextstep. -DebbieImpact Report - sunuplivonia.com 10

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Community ConversationsWe initiated courageous conversations.CongresswomanHaley StevensCongresswoman Haley Stevens joined us to discussthe Justice in Policing Act of 2020 and to highlighther success with "reaching across the aisle" onbipartisan legislation.Dan West, CEOLivonia Regional ChamberACLU Michigan, ChiefHadley, Sheriff Swanson,Dan West discussed chamber initiatives,challenges facing small businesses, and howwe can support their efforts to hire and serve anincreasingly diverse population. This timely discussion on progressive policingresulted in excellent recommendations to LPD,including the addition of social workers to theforce - an idea implemented six months later.Omar TroncosoGeneral MotorsA Hispanic Awareness Month conversationfrom an Afro-Latino perspective on theintersection of race, ethnicity, and identity inthe modern movement for Black lives.Impact Report - sunuplivonia.com 11

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Fundraising for ChangeWe invested in public safety, inclusion, & education.$1,647Diverse Books forLivonia Public Library$2,105Race-Based TrafficStop Awareness $4,305Livonia Traffic StopData FOIA FeesChildren's books with Black characters and/orBlack authors, purchased from Black-owned bookstores were donated to the Livonia Public Libraryto expand its offering of diverse stories. The initialfundraising goal was $500.A billboard was placed near the I-96/TelegraphRd. intersection for one week to bring awarenessto decades of complaints about race-based trafficstops and racial profiling in Livonia. The fundraisinggoal was met in less than 48 hours.Data related to traffic stops that do not result incitations or warnings is critical to understandingpolicing and addressing allegations andcomplaints of racial profiling. This includes theinitial reason for all stops. LPD agreed to providethis data with a price tag of $13,084.50. 12Livonia Public SchoolsStudent Lunch DebtOur Random Acts of Kindness Week effort raisedenough money to completely eradicate all existinglunch debt for LPS students in 2021.Impact Report - sunuplivonia.com

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These four programs take place five times each year and anchor our service to ourcommunity. Thank you to the following community partners who joined generous donors andvolunteers in helping to make them a success: Fausone Bohn, LLP, Schoolcraft College, UPSStore #3011, Domino's Farms, and Livonia Chamber of Commerce.Signature ProgramsWe innovated for impact.Pullover Prevention (Bi-Annual)Volunteers protect and serve thecommunity by replacing vehiclelights, conducting safety checks,and educating drivers to preventunnecessary, costly, andpotentially dangerous traffic stops. Holiday Gifting ProgramExperiencing diversity as childrenincreases our chance of becomingadults with empathy, healthy self-esteem, and appreciation fordifferences. Livonia area familiescan apply to receive such gifts. Wealso adopt a school withdemonstrated financial need. Back to School Supply DriveWe help LPS and Clarencevillefamilies and staff start the schoolyear off right with new Backpacksfilled with grade-appropriate schoolsupplies and Classroom Boxes forteachers and para pros. Monthly Community ServiceOur service projects have includedpartnering with Kiwanis Club ofLivonia Early Risers to supportChildren's Methodist Society,delivering hand-made Valentines toseniors in nursing homes, andcollecting pounds of personal careitems for Redford Interfaith Relief.

Livonia Citizens Caring About Black Lives Two-Year Impact Report

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