Our system rests on a legacy of exploitation. We can do better. In the midst of Black History Month, it’s a particularly important time to reflect on the historical contributions of Black workers–perhaps more important than ever in the present context of the global pandemic. Indeed, while the pandemic has taught us much about what …
Black Labor and America’s Capitalist Exploitation Read More »
Locally owned, small businesses are essential for a resilient economy. Over the past 10 months, many small businesses have struggled to stay afloat amid levels of economic distress unseen in decades. While a majority of the nation’s most profitable corporations have increased their profits throughout the pandemic, small businesses have not seen similar results: at …
The food waste non-profit, Refed, “estimates that 24% of all food in the U.S. – 54 million tons – goes to…” waste. I strongly believe this number is understated and underreported. Food and organic waste consume the majority of the world’s solid waste. As the inhabitants of Earth, we need to leverage the value of …
Essay by: Abner C. Nomen No examination of US labor history would leave-out the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which was signed into law in 1938 at the height of the Great Depression. When President Roosevelt signed the FLSA into law, he said, “Except perhaps for the Social Security Act, it is the most far-reaching, …
By: Student Intern, Eileen Gao Even before I started earning an allowance, my dad brought me to the local credit union as a fifth grader to open my first bank account. Most of my friends soon followed, so I gave little thought to what a credit union was and the specific benefits of banking locally. …
By: Monica Plawecki, SMSBF Staff Writer In the few short months that have passed since a week of heavy rain caused the failure of the Edenville and Sanford Dams, much of the news coverage of the disaster has focused on the finger-pointing that has arisen in the aftermath. On one end, many have been quick …
Fix the Damn Dams: Rethinking Excessive Privatization of Public Infrastructure Read More »
By, Mike Shesterkin, Exec. Dir. SMSBF What is a Prosperous economy? Prosperous is defined as “successful” and economy has to do with management of resources. In this sense, we define successful as just, equitable, sustainable, democratic, and oriented toward creating triple bottom line – people, planet, profit – value. With all that is going on …
Op-Ed Essay By: Mike Shesterkin, Exec. Dir. SMSBF Many of us are wondering – and rightly so – about where we’re headed as a nation, and more broadly, as a species of the Earth system. Many of us are anxious about what is seen as a significant loosening of the threads that bind our society …
What Does Paid Sick Leave Have to do With The Romans Read More »
What does Sustainability mean to YOU? The word sustainability can mean many things to many people. It’s also a word that all too often is misunderstood and misused. The City of Detroit’s Office of Sustainability is led by Joel Howrani-Heeres. Working alongside him is Justin Fenwick and Whitney Smith. In addition, a number of other stakeholder …
I began writing this blog post in a positive, good feeling tone about all the great work companies are doing to improve their sustainability and corporate responsibilities. I was then going to link that to the role government plays in those successes. To be honest, I couldn’t think of anything with our current administration. If …
Sustainability Leaders Emerge despite setbacks from Government Read More »
