http://www.aadl.org/video/feed/audiohttp://media.aadl.org/logo.jpg2013-04-11T12:52:42-04:00This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States Licensehttp://www.aadl.org/video/view/17188Ann Arbor District Library2013-04-11T12:52:42-04:00This 11th annual event focuses on the 2013 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book selection "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander and will also explore this year's theme 'Understanding Race.' The Keynote Speaker will be one of America's most influential civil rights attorneys - Connie Rice, Co-Director for the Advancement Project, Los Angeles, and renowned for her unconventional approaches to tackling problems of inequity and exclusion. California Law Business Journal twice designated Connie Rice as one of the top ten most influential attorneys in California. She is a civil rights lawyer who engineers systemic fixes to entrenched inequality and injustice. Through impact litigation, campaigns and inside bureaucratic maneuvering, Connie Rice has led coalitions and clients to win more than $30 billion in damages, bonds and policy changes. Bus riders, death row inmates, folks abused by police, school kids, whistleblowers, cops and sufferers of every stripe of discrimination, (sex, race, disability, age) have sought her counsel. But so have her opponents, like the Los Angeles Police Department she sued for 15 years but which now reserves a parking space for her at their new headquarters. Connie grew up all over the world in an Air Force family headed by her parents Anna, a biology teacher, and Phillip, a pilot and Colonel. She graduated from Harvard-Radcliffe colleges in 1978, achieved her black belt in Tae Kwon Do in 1981 and entered New York University School of Law on a Root Tilden Scholarship. In law school she worked extensively on capital punishment cases at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and after graduating from law school in 1984, she clerked for the Honorable Damon J. Keith at the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit for two years before winging it west to California where she joined the law firm of Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco. She rejoined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in 1989 as Western Regional Counsel, won several landmark cases and in the words of one magazine, established herself as "the voice of Los Angeles' oppressed." Together with Co-Directors Molly Munger, Penda Hair and Steve English, Connie launched The Advancement Project, a policy action and technology organization in 1998, and in the words of Los Angeles Magazine, "picked up where Clarence Darrow left off." Connie serves on the board of public radio station KPCC and as chief of staff to Sinbad, her jet black cat. Doors for this event will open at 6 pm to offer the opportunity to connect with local community agencies and representatives who will be staffing resource tables in the lobby. There will also be time following the event to interact with these local organizations. Copies of "The New Jim Crow" as well as Connie's book "Power Concedes Nothing: One Woman's Quest for Social Justice in America, from the Courtroom to the Kill Zones" will be for sale and the event will include a book signing This is a key event for the 2013 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads program, which this year focuses on the theme of "Understanding Race."http://www.aadl.org/video/view/16376Ann Arbor District Library2013-04-11T12:35:14-04:00Jordan Anderson, an African-American who moved to Ohio when he was freed from slavery in 1864, is famous for his "Letter from a Freedman to His Old Master," addressed in response to a request from his former master that Jordan return to help restore the farm after the Civil War. The letter became an immediate media sensation with reprints in the New York Daily Tribune and other publications and has been described as a rare example of documented "slave humor" of the period - its deadpan style compared to the writing of Mark Twain. In the famous letter, Anderson asks his former master to prove his goodwill by paying the back wages he and his wife are owed for 52 years combined of slave labor and asks if his daughters will be safe and able to have an education, since Jordan would rather die "than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. He concludes with, "Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me." Professor Roy E Finkenbine, Chair of History at Detroit Mercy College, is a specialist on slavery, abolition, and the Underground Railroad, and is writing a biography on Anderson and the famous letter. Join us on MLK Day as Dr. Finkenbine discusses his search for information about Anderson's fascinating life and the history of the famous letter. He will also share his personal experiences involving the heritage of race and slavery in America while on this research journey. Dr. Finkenbine co-edited the five-volume "Black Abolitionist Papers, 1830-1865" and "Witness for Freedom: African American Voices on Race, Slavery, and Emancipation." He recently completed a second edition of "Sources Of The African American Past" and was appointed to the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission. This event is held in conjunction with Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2013. This year's Reads' theme is 'Understanding Race.'http://www.aadl.org/video/view/16715Ann Arbor District Library2013-04-11T12:30:48-04:00In conjunction with this year's Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads which focuses on Michelle Alexander's book "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness" - Professor David Moran, Co-directer of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, and student lawyers Shannon Leitner, Susan Shutts, and Klara Stephens, discuss their work identifying and rectifying wrongful convictions and their commitment to exonerating innocent individuals and combating injustice. At the Michigan Innocence Clinic at Michigan Law, clinic students investigate and litigate cases on behalf of prisoners who have new evidence that may establish that they are actually innocent of the crimes for which they have been convicted. Unlike many other innocence clinics, which specialize in DNA exonerations, the Michigan Innocence Clinic focuses on innocence cases where there is no biological evidence to be tested. Innocence Clinic students work on all aspects of the cases, including investigating new evidence, preparing state post-conviction motions, conducting hearings and arguing motions in conjunction with these motions, and filing appeals to the state and federal courts. The Clinic has already exonerated several of its clients since its inception in 2009. For more information about Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads, check out the website at aaypsireads.org. This event is for adults and teens (grade 9 and up).http://www.aadl.org/video/view/16868Ann Arbor District Library2013-04-10T12:12:39-04:00Nationally-known sewing expert Gretchen "Gertie" Hirsch is a passionate home seamstress, a sought-after sewing teacher, and the creator of one of the most popular sewing blogs on the web - Gertie's New Blog For Better Sewing - a place to share tutorials and lively posts about sewing as it relates to fashion history, pop culture, body image, and gender. A sewing enthusiast from Beacon, New York, Gertie has a love of all things retro. Now - meet Gertie in person, right here at AADL!! Hear about her blog, her craft and her book "Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing: A Modern Guide to Couture-Style Sewing Using Basic Vintage Techniques." An extension of her blog, this brand-new book is packed with lessons on couture techniques, customization and Gertie's spirited, modern style. The event includes a book signing and books will be for sale. This event is for adults and teens (grade 6 and up).http://www.aadl.org/video/view/13488Ann Arbor District Library2013-04-10T12:09:26-04:00Depression is not simply a bad mood or a passing case of the blues. It is a real illness which affects not only the individual, but everyone who cares about him/her. Friends and family members can find themselves dealing with a whole range of uncomfortable emotions of their own when living or interacting with someone who is depressed, including frustration, confusion, anger, and guilt. Helping a loved one cope with depression can be key to his or her recovery, but it isn't always easy. To provide greater understanding of the ways in which family and friends can offer helpful support (and take care of themselves), the University of Michigan Depression Center will present this Bright Nights Community Forum. Laura Nitzberg, LMSW, Assistant Director, Psychiatric Social Work, UM Dept. of Psychiatry; Adjunct Faculty, UM Medical School and School of Social Work; and member, UM Depression Center, will outline some of the challenges of providing support for a friend or family member with depression, as well as some helpful strategies. Her presentation will be followed by audience Q&A with panelists Ann Hendrick, Visual Arts teacher, Skyline High School; Bob Nassauer, Volunteer Board Member for the Local Affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); Kathy Schoof, LMSW, ACSW, Clinical Social Worker, UM Dept. of Psychiatry and member, UM Depression Center; and Cathy Hanson, Co-chair, Patient and Family Centered Care Committee, UM Dept. of Psychiatry. For more information on the Depression Center, please visit the Depression Center website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495 or meyerpa@umich.edu.http://www.aadl.org/video/view/17300Ann Arbor District Library2013-04-10T11:50:26-04:00The U.S. is experiencing a childhood obesity epidemic! Over the past 30 years childhood obesity has doubled in children and tripled in adolescents. Being obese increases a child's risk for serious childhood medical problems. In addition, research over the last 40 years tells us that overweight children are at greater risk of becoming obese adults, with all the health problems associated with obesity lasting through the lifespan. Join experts from the University of Michigan Health System as they present information on the childhood obesity epidemic and community and clinical programs that are trying to reverse this dangerous trend. Information on Project Healthy Schools, a school-based program to increase physical activity and encourage healthier food choices, will be provided. Behavioral and surgical treatment options for children and adolescents with obesity will be additionally be covered, along with the use of mobile technology to enhance treatment outcomes. Speakers include: Kim A. Eagle, M.D., M.A.C.C., the Albion Walter Hewlett Professor of Internal Medicine; Chief of Clinical Cardiovascular Medicine; Director of the Cardiovascular Center at the University of Michigan Health System and the Founder of Project Healthy Schools, a Community-University of Michigan Collaborative and Susan Woolford, MD, MPH , the Medical Director of the C. S. Mott Children's Hospital Pediatric Comprehensive Weight Management Center and an Assistant Professor in the Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit in the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of Michigan. The event is cosponsored by University of Michigan Brehm Center; University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center; Project Healthy Schools, a Community-University of Michigan Collaborative and C.S. Mott Children's Hospital Pediatric Comprehensive Weight Management Center. Several community and U-M health organizations will also staff resource tables at the entrance to the event.http://www.aadl.org/video/view/13487Ann Arbor District Library2013-02-20T15:33:01-05:00Just what goes on in a teen's brain? Adolescence is a period of rapid physical and emotional growth and development. The commonly held belief used to be that once a young person reached the age of 18, this developmental phase ended and adulthood began. But with use of brain imaging technologies, we've learned that elements of the brain continue to evolve and become more efficient throughout the teenage years, even into a person's 20s. What does this mean for teens? Dr. Paresh Patel, of the U-M Department of Psychiatry and the U-M Depression Center, discusses the neuroscience of a teen's brain and how its ongoing development affects the behavior and emotions of teens. A panel discussion and audience Q&A follows. Panelists include Daniel Keating, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics and Research Professor, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, U-M; Adrienne Pisoni, LMSW, private practice clinician, Ann Arbor; and Kathleen Diehl, LMSW, ACSW, Social Work Coordinator, UMHS, Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools. Cosponsored by the UM Depression Centerhttp://www.aadl.org/video/view/17023Ann Arbor District Library2013-02-16T13:04:12-05:00This first in a series of four discussions (held monthly and ending in April) centers on Sustainable Systems, including the impacts of current and predicted weather changes in the community and on the City's constructed and natural infrastructure. Building on the public forums from last year, the 2013 forums will focus on planning for change in the community. A think tank of local stakeholders, including University of Michigan faculty, representatives from community organizations, and city commissioners, join City of Ann Arbor staff and the public to discuss local sustainability concepts and efforts--past, present and future. Tonight's presentations will be given by Matt Naud, Environmental Coordinator, City of Ann Arbor; Dan Brown, Research Associate, UM Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessment; Jen Lawson, Water Quality Manager, City of Ann Arbor; Cresson Slotten, Systems Planning Unit Manager, City of Ann Arbor; Rick Norman, Director of Emergency Management, City of Ann Arbor; and Jason Frenzel, Adopt-A-Stream & Stewardship Coordinator, Huron River Watershed Council. The presentations will discuss conditions that are changing in the community and past and potential actions to adapt to change. Each program will also include tips for individual actions that residents may take. There will be an audience Q&A after the presentations.http://www.aadl.org/video/view/16481Ann Arbor District Library2013-02-16T13:01:50-05:00Learning that one's child has been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has often been described by parents as a challenging event. It frequently begins a life-long journey of discovery about the fluctuating meaning and implications of this complex behavioral diagnosis for their own child and family. This presentation, featuring Dr. Fiona Miller, will focus on describing the range of challenges that parents report, how those challenges change over time, and strategies for coping with them. Dr. Miller is a licensed clinical psychologist who supervises and practices in the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) program at the University of Michigan Center for the Child and the Family. This event is co-sponsored by the U-M Institute for Human Adjustment as part of their forum series, Adjustment Matters. This series is designed to educate and inform members of the community about a range of topics related to mental health, learning, and communication difficulties.http://www.aadl.org/video/view/16313Ann Arbor District Library2013-02-16T11:57:04-05:00Susan Whitall was one of a handful of women on staff at the brash, irreverent Creem magazine in the mid-1970s, the rock journal immortalized in Cameron Crowe's film "Almost Famous." In the late '70s she became one of the first women to edit a national rock magazine when she took over the top editor's job. She is the author of "Fever: Little Willie John: A Fast Life, Mysterious Death and the Birth of Soul" (Titan Books, June 2011), a biography of one of the greatest R&B singers to come out of Detroit, a favorite of Marvin Gaye, B.B. King and Aretha Franklin, best friends with Levi Stubbs and Jerry Butler. "Women of Motown," numerous feature articles for magazines and newspapers, and liner notes for albums, including the booklet essay in the "Chrome Collection" Spinners box set. Since the 1980s Susan has been a feature writer for the Detroit News, writing about pop culture, music and radio, often returning to stories about the R&B and soul music that came out of the Motor City.