News in Detroit

Detroit consulate becomes first U.S. stop for Lebanon’s biometric passport rollout
SOUTHFIELD — As part of Lebanon’s broader digital transition to make official documents easier to obtain, reduce forgery and ease the burden on Lebanese expatriates, the Consulate General of Lebanon in Detroit completed the procedures for issuing the first Lebanese biometric…

Improving Arab and African American relationships beyond responding to crises
There was an unfortunate series of events which took place last week, which have renewed conversations in Metro Detroit regarding tensions between Arab American and African American communities. An incident in the Warrendale neighborhood in Detroit involving an Arab American…

Detroit women lead fight against decades of pollution in Southwest neighborhoods
Joyce Collins has lost nearly her entire family to cancer. Now she and a new generation of young advocates are demanding Michigan change how it regulates pollution in Southwest Detroit's 48217 ZIP code, one of the state's most heavily industrialized communities.

Voices: Supporting Detroit’s urban farms boosts city’s resilience
Detroit's urban farms transform vacant lots into food sources, but extreme weather and tax policy threaten their future. A proposed land value tax could protect farmers while climate adaptation becomes essential.

Community rallies around Samir Alnasir after serious soccer injury
DETROIT — A GoFundMe campaign has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the family of an Arab American man who suffered serious injuries while officiating a Catholic High School League soccer game in August. Samir Alnasir, 51, was struck in the head by an errant ball during a…

Detroit native looking to keep legacies alive
DETROIT – A local cultural anthropologist is working to help Arab and Muslim families capture their elders’ stories and keep their history alive. Zarinah El-Amin, a Detroit native, has worked in book publishing since 2009 but said that everything shifted for her when she lost her…
CatchLight selects Planet Detroit for grant to report on climate anxiety among Detroit youth
Planet Detroit receives a national grant to report on how climate change and pollution affect the mental health of young Detroiters through Climate Cafés, photography workshops, and youth-led storytelling.