DETROIT To own and grow a small business, one has to have that special drive -- and theres one Black business owner who is using his own success to help others get in the game and thrive. RELATED: Black business owners in Detroit on the importance of community supportI was raised in the hair salon. He opened Directions Salon in Detroit in 1988. When we got downtown, there werent a lot of Black businesses at all, Ginn said. Most of the help I get is from the stylists here and the people that work in the bar, Ginn said.

DETROIT In the past few weeks weve heard a lot of talk about supporting Black-owned businesses especially during the month of August. Local 4s Evrod Cassimy sat down with several Black businesses owners and they explained why its so important now more than ever. In the Black community often times I think we dont really push entrepreneurship the way that we should, said Detroit District 5 Councilwoman Mary Sheffield. Mary Sheffield is an advocate for supporting Black owned businesses. These business owners believe in supporting Black-owned business so much theyre even putting their money where their mouth is.

DETROIT As the movement for racial equity continues, a lot of people have been making an effort to support Black-owned businesses. RELATED: Push to support Black-owned businesses intensifies amid Black Lives Matter movement, JuneteenthA new app is making it easier. It launched in Detroit a few weeks ago, but has already garnered attention for bringing Black-owned restaurants to customers who might not have found them. I just noticed like I would have to search for these Black-owned restaurants, Cabello said. In Detroit, theyve found at least 100 Black-owned restaurants with dozens already on the app.

The Michigan branch of NextGen America is hosting a virtual performance Saturday with Flint-based musician Tunde Olaniran as part of their Pride Week of Action.The musician is expected to offer a new performance created specifically for the event. The Nigerian-born, Flint-based musician is known for their unique and eclectic sound, fusing fast dance, electronic and hip-hop styles with socially-conscious lyrics. Olanirans first album, Transgressor, debuted in 2015 and their latest album, Stranger, was released in 2018. The musician has been featured on NPRs All Songs Considered and in New Yorker and PitchFork magazines, among others. Protestors are marching to demand change and decry racism and police brutality in the U.S.RELATED: Lawmakers use protest momentum to push state racial reforms

DETROIT Recent killings of Black Americans have triggered a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement nationwide, and many people are looking for ways to support the cause. One initiative aimed to support the movement has taken the internet -- and Detroit -- by storm: Shopping at Black-owned businesses. Across the country Americans are calling on one another to vote with their dollar by seeking out and supporting small Black-owned businesses. By shopping at Black businesses, White Americans and non-Black people of color can directly fund the Black community in support. The push to support Black-owned businesses ramped up this week amid Juneteenth celebrations in addition to the national protests.

So now you must be wondering what the U.S. would look like without its traditional policing system: Heres what some researchers and advocates are proposing as an alternative. Community-led safety initiativesAdvocates believe that a new approach to public safety is necessary to ensure the safety of all American lives -- especially Black Americans who are disproportionately arrested, sentenced and killed by police around the country. There has been significant research conducted on potential community-based public safety systems as alternatives to traditional policing for years. It is important not to confuse a community-led public safety initiative with community-oriented policing, as these two practices are actually quite different. The reimagined public safety system is designed to exist apart from the traditional policing system, while community-oriented policing is a practice that works in tandem with traditional policing.

Police reform is not a new topic of conversation, however; police reform dates back to the mid 1800s and was continuously encouraged all throughout the 20th century. These past grievances, past harms by law enforcement, need to be addressed before even attempting to move forward.What does police reform look like? Police reform happening nowIn response to the national outrage over Floyds and Taylors deaths, police departments around the country have committed to police reform. Alternative to police reformSome advocates are calling to defund the police instead of promoting police reform following Floyds death. Defunding advocates argue that procedural police reform does not adequately address systemic racism in the U.S. and therefore wont effect enough change to make a difference for marginalized communities.

The now-former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with unintentional second-degree murder in addition to third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers involved in the incident have been charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second degree manslaughter. Still, Ellison says he is committed to prosecuting the former Minneapolis police officers to the fullest extent of the law. For 100 years after that, we were held as second-class citizens -- including in the north, like in Detroit and Minneapolis. His message comes just days after Minnesota agreed to ban police chokeholds and neck restraints following the killing of Floyd.