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It’s amazing how Michigan voters and democracy activists aren’t cast as the protagonists in their own story.
Here's some important @MichiganAdvance reporting on Michigan voters and policies they want to see, starting with @HistoryLivesDet's interviews with Black voters in Detroit. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/08/black-voters-biden-couldnt-have-won-without-us/
. @donahual and @LainaStebbinsMI talked to young voters about why they showed up, even if some of them weren't voting for their first choice for president. via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/15/young-voters-showed-up-in-2020-what-brought-them-to-the-polls/
Alexis Stark interviewed LGBTQ voters who will be happy to see Trump's anti-gay policies halted, but are unsure about how much progress they'll see in a Biden administration. via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/13/lgbtq-voters-relieved-about-biden-win-uncertain-over-the-future-of-their-rights/
After years of Trump's anti-immigration policy, @AnnaGustafson talked to Michiganders across the state about what the election meant to them. via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/16/i-went-to-the-polls-for-humanity-immigrant-voters-want-daca-muslim-ban-and-child-separation-ended/
. @donahual talked to educators about why they voted and not surprisingly, Michigan native, school choice funder and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was mentioned a lot. via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/14/michigan-educators-hope-biden-admin-will-turn-the-page-on-devos-policies/
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris made history as the first African American, Indian American and woman to win the vice presidency. @AnnaGustafson reports on what Black and South Asian women in Michigan are looking for from Harris. via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/21/a-glass-ceiling-shattered-black-and-south-asian-women-celebrate-harris-election/
After a controversial meeting for the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, @HistoryLivesDet talked to Black voters and civil rights leaders about attempts not to count their votes. via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/18/detroit-naacp-chief-were-not-going-to-let-them-steal-the-election/
. @HistoryLivesDet spent Saturday before the Board of State Canvassers meeting covering pro-democracy activists in Detroit. via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/21/detroit-rally-calls-for-trump-to-concede-board-of-state-canvassers-to-certify-michigan-votes/
The @michiganadvance covered the politics of what happened in Michigan over the last three weeks, from Republicans convening an oversight elections panel to leaders going to the White House to the State Canvassers vote and I'm very proud of that reporting. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/11/23/state-canvassers-certify-mich-election-results-during-lengthy-meeting/
But I think telling the stories of voters and democracy activists is actually more important and I'm glad our reporters have done so, while providing timely and insightful coverage of partisan shenanigans.
(I was a history major but never subscribed to the Great Man theory).
Our mission at the @MichiganAdvance is to tell stories that other outlets don’t. The people we write for are the heart of our work. Yesterday was #GivingTuesday. If you’re able to donate to support our nonprofit newsroom, we thank you. https://www.michiganadvance.com/donate/
I'd like to do a Thanksgiving coda. I'm very thankful for our staff of @HistoryLivesDet, @donahual and @LainaStebbinsMI and all of our many contributing writers and photographers who tell these important stories that too often get overlooked.
I've been a journalist for 20 years and I can tell you writing about politics is the easy part. Talking to people outside the Capitol about how it impacts their lives and digging deeper is far more challenging. It takes talented, empathetic reporters to do that and I'm grateful.
