Slotkin secures funding for ‘State of Black Michigan’ report

FRIDAY, July 31 — Federal funding is back on the table for Michigan State University to revive its annual “State of Black Michigan” report on systemic inequities across the state.

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin announced this morning that federal funding has been secured as part of an omnibus appropriations package that passed the House yesterday, allowing for MSU to restart its annual report on persistent inequities facing Black residents in areas like housing, health care, education and more. MSU last published the report in 2007.

The measure that includes the funding must still clear the Senate and the White House.

A spokeswoman for Slotkin’s office said the funding comes from a $1 million pool of funding through the Institute of Education Sciences, which provides grant opportunities for academic research around inequality. The move enables MSU to apply for the new grant.

“This amendment comes directly from my meetings with African American leaders in my district in the wake of the killing of George Floyd,” Slotkin explained on the House floor.

“Without a source of dedicated funding, we have been without the knowledge this report has provided. Now as the country once again confronts systemic racism and inequality, we must acknowledge and learn from the underlying facts to build effective policies.”