When the framers of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights penned the first draft directly after World War II, the definition of peace took on new meaning. Global peace was defined in the most basic and general of ways—a way that allowed the western world to breathe collective sighs of relief from totalitarian barbarism and expansionism.

It’s safe to say that the authors, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, could not have envisioned how the meaning of peace would evolve—or how oppressive forces would find other, more insidious ways to seep into our world in the form of civil rights abuses, the privatization of war, or Internet security breaches. Sixty-three years later, there is a new peace declaration germinating at the United Nations (UN)—and Marygrove is taking an active part in its birth.

Read more: Making History. Marygrove answers the global call for peace.

MONROE, Mich. – You enter the IHM Sisters’ Motherhouse – a convent, retirement home, administrative headquarters, health care center, and national model of sustainable renovation.

How do all those pieces fit together? How did the IHM Sisters’ 166-year story unfold? Take a step around the corner of the lobby and you’ll find out. A tour through the new, state-of-the-art exhibit in the sisters’ Green Room explains it all concisely, creatively, and with electronic pizzazz.

Read more: Exhibit Showcases IHMs' History

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

 

Read more: Director of Michigan Department of Human Services to speak at Marygrove Commencement

DETROIT, April 8, 2011— Marygrove's English and Modern Languages Department is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Amy S. McCombs/Frederick P. Currier Writing Award held in conjunction with the Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series. This year's winners are:

Mia Balbin-Cuesta, "Harryette Mullen, John Cage, and the Significance of the Avant-Garde," essay
Percy Pierce, "It's All About the P & E's," poem 
Emily Sese, "Moving through Mullen," essay
Theresa Spiteri, "Harryette Mullen's Critique of Women's Fashions: From Constraints to Liberation," essay 
Della Young, "Goldilocks Goes to Jail," essay

Read more: Amy S. McCombs- Frederick P. Currier Writing Award Winners Announced

DETROIT, April 6, 2011 — The Federal government estimates that at least 8.3 million Americans will become the victims of identity theft this year alone. That is why Marygrove College has partnered with ed2go to offer this important online, instructor-led course designed to enable you to avoid being the next victim of identity theft - "Protect Your Money, Credit and Identity."

Participants in this course will learn to spot the scams and rip-offs that can cost them money or ruin their credit. They will explore threats including identity theft, Internet and credit card scams, and deceptive sales practices. In addition, they will learn how to slow down or stop a foreclosure, and how to end harassing phone calls from debt collectors.

Read more: Marygrove College Introduces New Online Course: Protect Your Money, Credit and Identity

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.

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Marygrove College, along with Ford and DTE Energy Foundation is proud to sponsor an evening of remembrance in celebration of the 50thAnniversary of the Freedom Riders at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Tuesday, April 5. The forum will air on Detroit Public Television’s American Black Journal hosted by Stephen Henderson, featuring the Executive Producer of “American Experience” Mark Samels, and some of the original Freedom Riders.

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

DETROIT, March 25, 2010 — This year Marygrove’s Department of English and Modern Languages inaugurated a new writing competition held in conjunction with its Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series (CAALS): the Mary Helen Washington Writing Award Contest, open to high school students who participate in the CAALS Master Class at Marygrove. Named after nationally-renowned scholar, editor, essayist, and teacher Dr. Mary Helen Washington, and supported through the generosity of series sponsors Lillian and Don Bauder, this annual contest asks students to write essays in response to the works of the CAALS guest artist. The top four winners receive cash prizes.

For this inaugural year, students wrote their essays on the works of award-winning poet and literary scholar Harryette Mullen.

Read more: Mary Helen Washington Writing Award Contest Winners Announced