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Life | Social Justice

SOCIAL JUSTICE

'Hands off Palestine': Protestors gather at Lansing Capitol in support of Palestinians

On Thursday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m., Students United for Palestinian Rights, or SUPR, organized a protest called “Hands Off Palestine” to garner support for those in Palestine and tell Michigan’s state government there should be no American support for Israeli war crimes. The protest, which amassed over one hundred people, included Michigan State University students, members of SUPR, people of Palestinian descent and other supporters.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

MSU law professor creates project uncovering cases with legal citations of slavery

MSU Law Professor Justin Simard started the "Citing Slavery Project" in 2020 after researching sources for a project and stumbling upon citations of slave cases by modern judges. “The goal of the project is to document all cases involving enslaved people, either as litigants or as the property and dispute, and (we cite) all the cases... on our website,” Simard said. “It is essentially to get scholars and lawyers to recognize the important influence that slavery has played on the development of American law.”

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Whitmer plans for paid family and medical leave in 'What’s Next' address

During her “What’s Next” address on Aug. 30, 2023, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer explained that a majority of Michiganders support paid family and medical leave so workers can spend time with their newborns, care for a sick parent or recover after a severe medical procedure. Whitmer plans to enact paid leave in a way that would ensure “people have breathing room” between the time of their leave and coming back to work. 

SOCIAL JUSTICE

“Walk a Mile in My Shoes” rally promotes mental health, wellness

On Sept. 13 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., around 2,000 Michigan citizens surrounded the Michigan Capitol for the “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” rally to bring more attention to mental and public health and wellness. The main organization that held this rally was the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, or CMHA, with different associated organizations representing each county in Michigan.