Jerome Vaughn

The United States of America is celebrating its 250th anniversary this week. There will be parades and fireworks and lots of speeches. But does this holiday mean the same thing to African Americans as it does to other Americans? Vincent Hutchings is a political science professor at the University of Michigan. WDET’s Jerome Vaughn asked him about the meaning of “Independence Day” for the country’s Black citizens.

Most of Michigan’s lower peninsula, including all of Metro Detroit, remains under an extreme heat warning until tomorrow night. Temperatures are forecast to rise into the upper 90s Thursday, with high humidity. The heat index could rise dangerously high, between 105 and 110 degrees. The weather could cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat exhaustion occurs when the body overheats and has a hard time cooling down. Symptoms might include heavy sweating, dizziness and fatigue.

Thirteen years ago, a local businessman and an agriculture expert joined forces to change a chunk of Detroit’s east side. They started an experiment, planting thousands of trees in empty lots, in an effort to force out blight. That experiment is called Hantz Woodlands. You’ll see some of the results if you drive up McClellan or Belvidere, just north of Kercheval. Mike Score is the President of Hantz Farms, the company that owns and manages the woodlands. He spoke with WDET’s Jerome Vaughn.