Dearborn Blog

As Dearborn considers a new bond proposal, community concerns over property tax burdens and transparency have resurfaced. With a millage rate among the highest in Michigan, working families are questioning the city’s spending priorities. This comes on the heels of voter rejections of past bond initiatives — including a $245 million school bond in 2021 ...

A proposal to shift Dearborn’s City Council to a ward-based representation system faces a major hurdle as nearly 50% of petition signatures were rejected — prompting alarm from community leaders, especially in Arab and Muslim circles. The grassroots group Dearborn Wants Wards says the city’s signature verification process disproportionately flagged names common in their communities ...

Dearborn High School football is entering a bold new chapter with Coach Matt Giarmo taking over the program. Giarmo, a veteran coach known for his run-heavy, fundamentals-first style, brings both strategic vision and renewed excitement to a team on the rise. This summer, Giarmo’s impact was immediately visible. Over 100 players came out for preseason ...

In a powerful and urgent declaration, the National Urban League has officially announced a “state of emergency” for Black Americans, citing a coordinated dismantling of civil rights protections and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives under the second Trump administration. Speaking with NPR’s Consider This, Urban League President Marc Morial warned that the aggressive rollback ...

Fresh off a courtroom win that reopened Main and Center Streets to vehicle traffic, the group “Let’s Open Northville” is back in court — this time aiming to eliminate all outdoor dining set up in parking spaces across downtown. In a new legal filing, the group argues that sidewalk dining violates the spirit of a ...

In a major win for grassroots politics, the Green Party has secured 10 new elected offices across the country in 2025 — marking a significant milestone for third-party advocates pushing for systemic change. These victories span a range of local positions, from school boards and city councils to mayoral seats, in diverse states including California, ...

In a chilling development, Dearborn Blog has obtained an exclusive image showing an ICE officer wearing tactical gear with a visible Proud Boys insignia during an enforcement stop in Southwest Detroit, a majority Latin American neighborhood. The Proud Boys, a far-right group designated as a hate organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), are ...

On May 1, a new chapter of interfaith dialogue and community connection began in Livonia. Bridging Hearts, a grassroots initiative focused on fostering understanding and compassion across religious lines, held its first event at Madonna University — coinciding with the National Day of Prayer. The gathering drew over 250 people from various faith traditions, including ...

In an era of heightened immigration enforcement, knowing your rights and staying informed is more important than ever. The Stop ICE Alerts Network helps immigrants and allies stay safe by sending real-time alerts about ICE activity—with no app required. Over 476,000 people across the U.S. have already joined the mobile alert system, which allows users ...

After more than a decade of planning, fundraising, and construction, Dearborn officially opened the MaryAnn Wright Animal Adoption and Education Center, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to saving and sheltering animals in need. The $12.5 million center, funded through community donations and led by Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit, will house over 200 animals and serve ...

At a time when much of the world is calling for an end to Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza, 422 members of Congress — including many who brand themselves as “progressive” — just voted to continue funneling $500 million in U.S. taxpayer money into Israel’s missile defense system, the Iron Dome. The vote was on ...

In the age of TikTok takes and reaction content, sometimes a debate cuts deeper — and reveals where we really are as a country. In a recent episode of Jubilee’s viral series, “1 Progressive vs. 20 Far-Right Conservatives,” journalist and political commentator Mehdi Hasan found himself at the center of a disturbing moment that’s now ...

Every summer, the city of Ann Arbor transforms into a walking, talking, painting gallery — and 2025 will be no different. From July 17 to 19, the Ann Arbor Art Fair returns with all the creative energy you didn’t know you needed. If you’ve never been, just imagine: 30 city blocks packed with over 1,000 ...

Brace yourselves, Dearborn — because this is big and ominous. Trump has just signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law, pumping a jaw-dropping $170 billion total into enforcement. ICE alone has grabbed $75 billion, a budget balloon that now surpasses the budgets of the FBI, DEA, and even Italy’s military. What’s the plan? Hire 10,000 new ICE ...

You thought you were just going to Ann Arbor to look at some paintings, didn’t you? Surprise — you witnessed democracy in action. At this year’s Ann Arbor Art Fair, something historic happened: Pat Zabawa, Executive Director of Rank MI Vote, proudly signed one of the first official petitions to bring Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) ...

Yalla habibi — it's that time of the year again! The Arab and Chaldean Festival is coming back to Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit on Saturday and Sunday, July 26–27, 2025, and it’s shaping up to be another legendary weekend. This marks the 52nd annual celebration, and let’s just say, if you haven’t been yet… ...

It looks like Dearborn won’t be the only place where the sound of digging means progress. A team of former Waymo engineers — yes, the same crew behind those robotaxis cruising around — is now getting serious about another kind of machine: the kind that digs dirt. Bedrock Robotics, founded by Boris Sofman (a Carnegie ...

Ahlan Beirut! Detroit-to-Lebanon Flights Drop to $674 for November—Here’s Why You Should Pack Now If you’ve been waiting for a sign from the universe (or your mom) to book that long-overdue trip to Lebanon, this is it. Roundtrip flights from Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) to Beirut (BEY) are now as low as $674 on Royal ...

Yalla, Dearborn Heights—big news! Sokol Detroit, the oldest nonprofit in Metro Detroit, is hitting a major milestone—150 years of community, culture, and strength. And you’re invited to the 46th Annual Czech & Slovak Festival at the Sokol Cultural Center, July 19–20, at 23600 W Warren Ave. 🎶 What’s on the Menu? Live entertainment daily, including The Kolomeyka Ukrainian ...

Yalla, Dearborn—grab your hibiscus tea because Michigan’s about to turn up the heat... literally. According to MLive, a serious heat dome is rolling in this week, pushing temps toward the upper 80s and low 90s. And that’s not all—a “clump of robust thunderstorms” is set to barrel through Wednesday afternoon and evening, bringing heavy rain, ...

Yalla, Dearborn fam—this one hits deep. Arab Narratives just dropped a powerful report centering community voices on intimate partner violence (IPV) in our town, and boy, does it pack a punch. 🔍 What’s Going On? Through local art by Nada Hassan and honest conversations, the report reveals how deep silence and stigma run in our ...

🕌 Dearborn Shuts the Door on Airbnb — But at What Cost? Alright, folks, grab your Turkish coffee and settle in. The Dearborn City Council just said “yalla bye” to short-term rentals (like Airbnb & VRBO) in our single-family neighborhoods. Come January 2026, only the downtown zones, think East and West Core, can keep guests ...

Tonight at 8pm ET with former presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein, and featuring special guests Medea Benjamin, Butch Ware, Briahna Joy Gray and Jason Call! Here is your zoom link to attend the event! https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84540830281?pwd=qaF0VtY8je8BKxbgSqwA3tFRRcPRIH.1 As Jill says "Now, as the duopoly doubles down on genocide and censorship, the environment unravels, recession looms and fascism ...

What further avenues help us to reach Palestine? We witness repeated attacks and compounded injustices against unarmed Palestinians, day after day. The baffled world is stunned into silence. Helpless, we merely fill hours exchanging stories of others’ suffering, citing merciless actions repeated hour-after-hour by Israeli forces. “We never knew; we never knew”, we repeat, learning ...

Should I, or shouldn’t I? Can I, or can’t I? I may be alone. No villager who had accompanied me to protests 6-8 years ago hinted they might attend Saturday’s “No Kings” rally. Of more than 2,000 nationwide events, I’m heading to one of only three in upstate New York. Will today mark a watershed ...

Condemning Militarized Policing, ICE Raids on Communities, & Standing In Solidarity with Latino American Community To our communities, allies, and fellow Greens, We write to you today with deep sorrow and unwavering solidarity. In recent days, we have witnessed a renewed wave of violent and militarized raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across California—sweeping ...

I refer to Caitlin Johnstone and her Notes from the Edge of the Narrative. It’s worth putting aside a forthcoming commentary to direct you to one of the most clear-headed English writers in the world today: Caitlin Johnstone. (Commentators frequently quote one another or hyperlink to each other’s work, but we don’t often devote a ...

Power is with the people ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ...

June 1, 2025 — Vara Juice, known for its fresh, locally sourced ingredients and bold Middle Eastern-inspired flavors, is shaking up the smoothie scene once again. Starting June 1, 2025, all Vara Juice locations will introduce a new product line featuring seven different Turkish Milk Cake desserts. The Turkish Milk Cake line includes: ● Dubai ...

Ravens Day 2025 Showed Up and Showed Out💚🤍💚🤍 Ravens Day at Riverside Middle School was everything it needed to be—fun, loud, full of smiles, and powered by community. Hosted by the Amity Jr. Club, this year’s event brought families together for face painting, photo booths, cheering, and nonstop energy. Thank you to advisors Mrs. Rita ...

We are writing this weekly email to summarize several key developments that are impacting our communities. Our team continues to monitor and provide regular updates on a range of federal policy changes on our website. This was a busy week that was dominated by the House passage of the budget reconciliation bill and courts weighing ...

JVP envisions a world where all people — from the U.S. to Palestine — live in freedom, justice, equality, and dignity. ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ...

Greetings friends, This is your friendly reminder that the Arab American National Museum's (AANM) 20th Arab Film Festival is happening this week; May 7-11!! Individual tickets for each screening + passes are available throughout the festival. While many of our screenings will take place at AANM, we are excited to bring screenings to Detroit, Flint ...