Take Back the Night

Two years ago, the thick border of trees surrounding Marygrove College was thinned out. By virtue of disease or age, many trees came down, revealing the stately campus for all to see, for the first time in years. The metaphor for change and revelation is undeniable for Kalimah Johnson, LMSW, ACSW, who grew up in Detroit but had never seen beyond the trees: “I remember driving by and thinking, oh, what a gorgeous campus! I’d like to learn more about Marygrove.” Soon after, Johnson was recruited as Assistant Professor of Social Work, and began to break down some barriers of her own. 

A former community organizer, Johnson brings with her a host of contacts who love to help people, especially women. In the spirit of our founder and sponsor, the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary—she is a fierce advocate, shedding light on important women’s issues, like sexual assault and abuse. Johnson joined forces with another Marygrove champion of women’s rights, Darcy L. Brandel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English, to co-sponsor the third and most successful Take Back the Night–Detroit (TBTN-D) event, an evening dedicated to sexual assault awareness.

Read more: Take Back the Night Sheds Light on a Painful Reality for Women and Children.

Recovery is a journey. “It takes courage and resolve to face the challenge of re-focusing your life,” says Diane McMillan, LMSW, Associate Professor of Social Work at Marygrove College. “People in recovery are often compelled to help others who struggle, which makes them excellent candidates for the Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC) program here at Marygrove.” McMillan has helped lead a successful collaboration between Marygrove’s Division of Continuing Education and Career Enhancement, Department of Social Work and Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) since September, 2009.

Read more: Redemption 101: Coursework that Changes Lives

Reminder: The Bauder Contemporary American Authors Lecture will take place on Friday, April 15, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. This year's event features poet and literary scholar Harryette Mullen.

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For more information:

(313) 927-1383

This event continues to be free and open to the public.

Read more: Bauder Lecture Series, Friday April 15th

Don’t forget that in 1961, a group of 400 courageous black and white activists called the Freedom Riders challenged the Jim Crow laws of the day by riding buses and trains across the segregated south. Don’t forget that they risked their lives, even though these were peaceful demonstrations. Don’t forget that it was an important precursor to stabilizing black voting rights and the Civil Rights Movement. Don’t forget.

The program includes a preview screening of Freedom Riders, the film by award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson which will debut on PBS stations across the country as part of the “American Experience” series beginning in May. The film is based on the original book by Raymond Arsenault.

“We are very proud to be involved,” says Dr. Brenda Bryant, Dean of Community-Based Learning and co-founder of Marygrove’s Social Justice Program. “This is the kind of information we need to bring to the forefront, to keep it alive.” She adds that whenever history has presented unjust acts—outrageous incidents of discrimination, deprivation or exclusion—we, as a society must learn all we can to fully understand. “Remembering the Freedom Riders 50 years later brings the story back for new generations to learn, older generations to gain strength and for all to heal,” Bryant said.

Read more: We Celebrate the Freedom Riders and the justice they represent