HISTORY | LEGAL | AUTOPSY | EDUCATION | ART | TECH | MENTAL HEALTH| PHYSICAL HEALTH | FINANCE | CONTACT
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
RESOURCE GUIDE
APRIL 13, 2024
HELLO AND WELCOME
Welcome to the Know Your Rights Camp Detroit Resource Guide! We are proud to provide a comprehensive list of local and national resources aimed at empowering our community. Knowing your rights is about understanding the laws that protect us and knowing where to turn for support and assistance when those rights are challenged. By equipping ourselves with knowledge of available resources, we ensure that every individual has access to the support they need to navigate legal, social, and economic challenges. Whether it's accessing legal aid, finding mental health support, or connecting with community organizations, these resources are essential tools in safeguarding our rights and promoting justice and equity for all. This resource guide further emphasizes that there is community support that reaffirms Know Your Rights Camp's 10 core principles: you have the right to be free, healthy, brilliant, safe, loved, courageous, alive, trusted, educated, and you have the right to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!
Download the KYRC App + Connect with us:
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History
Local
General Baker Institute
https://www.generalbakerinstitute.org/
The General Baker Institute (GBI) is a non-profit organization whose focus is to educate the community on the history of Detroit and Highland Park and how the history has impacted global movements. We were honored to have two speakers from GBI to present at our camp! We encourage you to follow their social media for events and opportunities to be involved!
Detroit Public Library - Burton Historical Collection
https://detroitpubliclibrary.org/research/burton-historical-collection
The Burton Monroe Collection is a collection of books that speak to the history of Detroit, and the city’s impact in Michigan, the Old Northwest, and all throughout the nation. You may book appointments for guidance and information using the information on the website linked above. Reading is knowledge, and knowledge is power!
The Charles Wright Museum of African American History
The Wright Museum of African American History is a museum that highlights African American history, as well as the history of Detroit! They also showcase exhibits to highlight Black artists, designers, and more! As of April 2024, The Wright Museum offers free admission every 2nd Sunday of the month!
The City Institute
https://www.thecityinstitute.com/
The City Institute offers city tours that focus on highlighting the rich history, assets, and challenges of Detroit so that residents and visitors can contribute to the advancement of the city! The organization also promotes local social justice and anti discrimination organizations to join and or be involved with in Detroit linked below!
The Black Scroll Network:
https://blackscrollnetwork.weebly.com
At Black Scroll Network History & Tours we specialize in history tours that focus on African & African American history, especially, but not exclusively, African American history in Detroit.
National
National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Digital Collections:
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/collection
The Smithsonian Institution offers online access to a vast collection of artifacts, photographs, documents, and multimedia items related to African American history and culture.
National Archives African American Heritage:
https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans
The National Archives offers online exhibits, educational resources, and access to historical documents related to African American history, including records of the Freedmen's Bureau and the Civil Rights Movement.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Digital Collections:
https://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg/research
The Schomburg Center, part of the New York Public Library, provides access to digital collections related to the global Black experience, including photographs, manuscripts, and audiovisual materials.
Google Arts & Culture - Black History and Culture:
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/black-history
Google Arts & Culture offers a curated collection of online exhibits, artwork, and historical documents related to Black history and culture from institutions around the world.
The HistoryMakers:
https://www.thehistorymakers.org/
This digital archive features thousands of video interviews with African American trailblazers in various fields, providing firsthand accounts of their experiences and contributions to history.
Bates College Program in Africana
https://www.bates.edu/africana/
Africana adopts progressive interdisciplinary approaches to the understanding of people of African descent in the Atlantic world: Africa, the Americas— with special attention to the United States—and Europe. Our courses examine conceptualizations of “race” and its use as a tool of critical analysis. Attention to the intersection of “race” with other social and political identities informs all aspects of the intellectual project of Africana at Bates.
UC Berkeley The Department of African American Studies & African Diaspora Studies
The Department of African American Studies is an intellectual community committed to producing, refining and advancing knowledge of Black people in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Africa. A key component of our mission is to interrogate the meanings and dimensions of slavery and colonialism, and their continuing political, social and cultural implications.
Ernest Crimm III - I use Black History to empower, educate & create equitable systems.
Legal
National
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG):
For over 80 years, the NLG has acted as the legal arm of social movements and the conscience of the legal profession. The NLG is dedicated to the need for basic change in the structure of our political and economic system. The NLG is anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and anti-racist and we strive to bring in anti-oppressive practices to all aspects of our organization
https://www.nlg.org/know-your-rights/
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU):
The ACLU is a civil liberties organization in the United States that works to defend and preserve individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI):
EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR):
The CCR works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, we have taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Too often, the law supports systems of power that violate our most fundamental rights and prevent people from living with dignity.
National Immigration Law Center (NILC):
https://www.nilc.org/get-involved/community-education-resources/know-your-rights/
Established in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is one of the leading organizations in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of immigrants. NILC focuses on issues related to immigration law and provides resources to help individuals understand their rights in immigration matters. Their website includes fact sheets, toolkits, and guides in multiple languages.
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC):
SPLC is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.
https://www.splcenter.org/about
Human Rights Watch (HRW):
HRW is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. They focus on issues such as freedom of expression, LGBT rights, and women's rights.
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LOCAL
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan
The ACLU of Michigan is a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending civil liberties and rights guaranteed by the Constitution. They advocate for justice, equality, and freedom through litigation, advocacy, and community engagement. Their work spans diverse issues including racial justice, LGBTQ rights, reproductive freedom, free speech, and government accountability, striving to ensure that all Michiganders can live with dignity and equality under the law
Legal Aid and Defender Association
https://ladadetroit.org/about-us/
The Legal Aid and Defender Association is a non-profit organization that provides civil legal services to those who cannot afford it in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties in Detroit. Their mission is “to provide holistic, innovative legal services that improve the quality of life and empower vulnerable and underserved individuals, families and communities.”
Michigan Legal Help
https://michiganlegalhelp.org/
Michigan Legal Help provides resources to understand your legal rights as well as tools to find legal services! Their site offers a tool to Find a Lawyer that will help you to find a lawyer and determine whether or not you qualify for free legal services.
Wayne County Teen Court Program
https://www.waynecounty.com/elected/prosecutor/teen-court.aspx
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Trespass Project
The Trespass project is a non profit justice media network founded by Know Your Rights Camp- Detroit’s legal co-presenter, Cayden Brown. Their mission is to empower young people to understand their legal rights and advocate for themselves despite their age.
Autopsy Initiative
https://www.knowyourrightscamp.org/autopsyinitiative
National
Autopsy Initiative Legal Program Director: Nicole Martin
Email: nicole@knowyourrightscamp.com
Phone: (323) 327-8131
Autopsy Initiative Contact Us Page:
https://www.knowyourrightscamp.org/autopsyinitiative-contact
Autopsy Initiative Request Form:
https://www.knowyourrightscamp.org/autopsyinitiative-form
National Police Accountability Project (NPAP)
NPAP is a nonprofit organization created to protect the human rights and civil rights of individuals in their encounters with police. NPAP also has an Attorney Referral Listing.
https://www.nlg-npap.org/about-npap-justice/
Mapping Police Violence Database
Tracks police deaths nationwide
EDUCATION
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LOCAL
Detroit College Access Network (DCAN)
A collaborative network between communities, local schools, and organizations with the goal of increasing college access, and making a degree and or credential an attainable goal for Detroit students!
Detroit College Access Network (DCAN) College Match Tool
https://detroitcollegematch.com/
The Detroit College Match is a tool designed to help students, parents, and advisors to find colleges and universities that they are qualified to attend. Additionally, the tool serves as a data-informed approach to selecting a college as a student from Detroit!
Detroit Promise
The Detroit Promise is a scholarship for eligible Detroit residents for a tuition free associate degree, bachelor degree, or technical degree or certificate.
Michigan Achievement Scholarship
https://www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/programs/michigan-achievement-scholarship
Scholarships given to recent Michigan high school graduates to attend college with the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, or to attend a career training program with the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship.
NATIONAL
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
https://www2.ed.gov/programs/gearup/index.html
A competitive grant program under the U.S. Department of Education that aims to increases the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education
Upward Bound
https://www2.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/index.html
Provide academic instruction in mathematics, laboratory sciences, composition, literature, and foreign languages.
TRIO
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html
The Federal TRIO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Boys & Girls Club
To enable all young people, especially those from under-resourced backgrounds, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.Boys & Girls Club provides a number of different services such as tutoring, college access workshops, extracurricular opportunities, and more!
UP for Learning
https://www.upforlearning.org/
UP for Learning helps educational institutions across the country fully engage youth in their own learning and in reimagining and transforming education.
Tech
Local
Hidden Genius
https://www.hiddengeniusproject.org/about/
Hidden Genius is a non profit organization whose mission is to train and mentor young Black males to thrive as leaders, and in areas of technology and entrepreneurship. While Hidden Genius is a national organization, they have a chapter right in the city of Detroit!
Black Girls Code (BGC) Detroit Chapter
Black Girls Code is a national non profit organization whose mission is to empower girls of color ages 7-17 to be innovators in STEM (including tech). They offer workshops on coding, game development, robotics and more! BGC has a chapter in Detroit.
National
Unlock Academy
Online Gaming & Coding Courses for youth of all ages. youth coding guru, Jay, teaches kids how to learn to code through gaming, and how to build modern mobile-friendly apps and websites.
Instagram: @unlock.academy
Melanin.Tech
Melanin (dot) Tech is a networking and community building platform meant to inspire and encourage techies of color in every aspect of life.
Instagram: @melanintech
CODE
The CODE is a free online service that provides online courses and resources for coding. They are known for being user friendly for young people!
Codeverse
Codeverse is an award-winning creativity platform for kids ages 6+, inspiring and empowering kids to bring their ideas to life while developing skills that last a lifetime. This platform is useful for both beginners and more experienced coders!
App Academy
Software engineering bootcamps designed to help people with little to no coding experience become high-earning software engineers. As of 4/24/24, they offer a free bootcamp pre course to prepare you to apply for their official academy!
Art
Local
Inside Out: Literary Arts
Inside out is an organization whose mission is to transform lives through written and spoken word. They host after school programs as well as partner with schools to create programming to support students in an interest in literary arts!
The Heidelberg Project
https://www.heidelberg.org/mission-vision
The Heidelberg Project is an organization that works with the community in Detroit to embrace its diverse culture through artistic expression. The project creates opportunities for Detroit residents to create art as a means of expression throughout the city!
Living Arts Detroit
https://www.livingartsdetroit.org/
Living Arts Detroit is a non profit organization whose mission is to expose high-quality arts experiences to youth in Detroit! They aim to ignite creativity in the lives of Detroit youth through performing, digital, and media arts.
Allied Media Projects
The Allied Media Projects is a non profit organization based in Detroit whose mission is to cultivate liberation through areas of dance, music, art, fashion, design, and more!
National
Studio BE - New Orleans
Since 2016, Studio BE has developed itself as a landmark and cultural destination in New Orleans. A product of alchemy, a space for artists and the things they create. A space for the local community and the culture that comes from it , and a welcomed space for visitors across the globe - a place all those voices go to sharpen their critical voice and imagine a future that benefits us all.
Eternal Seeds
Eternal Seeds is a non-profit organization started by our Art speaker, B.Mike, and the Studio B team. They center their work in art as a means of liberation by education, empowering, and sharing history through art.
NXTHVN
A new national arts model that empowers artists, curators, and the community through education and access to a vibrant ecosystem.
Mental Health
LOCAL
Black and Brown Mental Health Providers in Detroit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DX_Wvd0VjmavfTUs9-zNWdt3FgH4xfOVC9NRZuutQ0U/edit
Above is a list of Black and Brown Mental Health providers in Detroit. The list is managed and consistently updated by Mental Health professionals in Detroit. We encourage you to connect with a mental health provider to maintain a healthy mental capacity!
Reach Us Detroit
https://reachusdetroit.org/ | 313-488-HOPE
Reach Us Detroit is a community based call center whose mission is to support those from underrepresented communities in areas that affect mental health.
National Organizations
Lifelines, Crisis Chat, and Hotlines
Don’t Call the Police
Don’t Call the Police is a Community-based resource that offers alternatives to contacting the police in your city. This can be used as an alternative to calling the police if a mental health related incident needs to be diffused.
BlackFULLNess
https://www.blackfullness.com/
BlackFullNess is an app a go-to resource for all things related to mindfulness and mental well-being specifically for Black people! It provides tools like guided meditations, relaxation techniques, and helpful articles, all designed to support your journey towards a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Call Blackline
https://www.callblackline.com/ | 1-800-604-584
Call BlackLine provides a space for peer support, counseling, witnessing and affirming the lived experiences to folxs who are most impacted by systematic oppression with an LGBTQ+ Black femme lens.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255 or 988
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline should be contacted if you or a loved one is experiencing thoughts of ending your/their life. The 800 number or 988 can be used via call or text.
National Self-Injury and Suicide Hotline for LGBTQ+ (Trevor Project) | 1-866-488-7366
This hotline has experts trained in support for LGBTQ+ and or questioning folx who are experiencing a mental health crisis and or thoughts of ending their life. If you or a loved one are experiencing this, please use this hotline!
Physical Health
LOCAL
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Gleaners
Gleaners is an organization based in Detroit that provides households with access to sufficient, nutritious food and related resources. Their goal is to end hunger in Southeastern Michigan!
Forgotten Harvest
https://www.forgottenharvest.org/
Forgotten Harvest is an organization whose mission is to relieve hunger and prevent nutritious food waste. Their vision is to bring communities together to end hunger and increase individual, neighborhood, economic, and environmental health.
Michigan Fitness Foundation
The Michigan Fitness Foundation is an organization that supports and builds collaborative partnerships that improve health through access to physical activity opportunities, healthy food, and related education and events throughout Michigan communities.
Project Healthy Community
https://www.projecthealthycommunity.org/
Project Healthy Community is a non profit organization who provides health and wellness services and support to Detroiters from kindergarteners to seniors. They provide community based nutrition, fitness, and mental health education!
NATIONAL
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National Black Food & Justice Alliance
National Black Food & Justice Alliance NBFJA is a coalition of Black-led organizations working towards cultivating and advancing Black leadership, building Black self-determination, Black institution building and organizing for food sovereignty, land and justice.
Black Health Matters
https://blackhealthmatters.com/
This site provides relevant news and resources related to Black health. Knowledge is power and we encourage you to sign up for their newsletter to stay in touch with challenges and triumphs related to Black health!
Black Girls Run
Black Girls Run is a national organization whose mission is to reduce the health disparities among Black women and girls by encouraging physical exercise and healthy eating. The site provides a tool to filter by state and find a Black Girls Run community near you!
The National African American Male Wellness Agency
The National African American Male Wellness Agency is a non profit organization whose mission is to reduce the life altering impact of diseases and health challenges that impact the Black male community by providing screenings and resources for prevention across the United States!
LOCAL
Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan
Junior Achievement is an organization that provides financial programs delivered by corporate volunteers, community-based organizations, and educators. These programs include hands-on budgeting activities, financial understanding workshops, and more! While this is a national organization, this chapter is in Detroit!
Money Matters for Youth
https://www.moneymattersforyouth.com/
Money Matters for Youth (MMFY) is a non- profit organization based in Detroit whose mission is to equip youth with the knowledge and skills necessary for economic and financial success. MMFY hosts camps and other events to teach lessons on finance and the impact financial and economic stability can have on a person starting at a young age!
BUILD Institute
https://www.buildinstitute.org/
BUILD provides entrepreneurship training and resources for aspiring young entrepreneurs in Detroit, helping them develop financial management skills to start and grow their own businesses!
Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC)
UFSC is an organization whose mission is to improve the financial climate for people of ethnically and culturally diverse communities. They offer education programs about finances, home ownership, entrepreneurship, wealth building, economic development and more!
National
Millennial in Debt - Melissa
https://millennialindebt.com/links
Melissa was our Finance speaker at the Know Your Rights Camp in Detroit! She is an author, speaker, and the founder of Millennial in Debt, which is a movement to teach Millennials and Gen Z about how to build generation wealth and gain financial freedom. She is a great resource to talk through budgeting, travel, lifestyle, and more! Contact her via her instagram named below or her website linked above!
Instagram: millennialindebt
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a U.S. government agency dedicated to making sure you are treated fairly by banks, lenders and other financial institutions. They also provide financial education
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The Federal Trade Commission protects consumers from deceptive and unfair business practices through law enforcement, advocacy, and education. FTC helps hold financial entities accountable for your financial rights!
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Fig Restoration
A legal and ethical credit consulting firm trusted by the marketplace for its credibility in providing credit education and credit restoration services. If a young person or their family members need credit restoration and or knowledge around credit, this is a great resource!
Finance
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the resources provided please email us below.
