The white supremacist rally that interrupted the mayor's lunch in Howell on Saturday wasn't overly impressive, really — just a dozen or so nitwits, and one ghost. The nitwits were chased off by a woman from the local library board. The ghost has had more staying power, but the city is trying to get rid of him, too. Robert Miles, at one point the grand dragon of the Michigan Ku Klux Klan, felt at home in and around Howell for decades before he died in 1992. Even after he claimed to have resigned from the organization, he'd sometimes burn a cross on his farm, just for the practice and the glow.

He and his brethren helped make Howell synonymous with racism and militia-level lunacy, and it's not a great leap to think that's why a dozen anonymous bigots chose the largest city in Livingston County as the place to pass out their little pamphlets and get heckled on a sunny afternoon.

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City of Howell, MI — 20 July 2024 — This afternoon a group of about a dozen demonstrators chanting "Heil Hitler" with their faces covered and carrying white supremacist signs gathered on the Livingston County Courthouse lawn. They proceeded to march down Grand River Ave to continue their demonstration on the lawn of the Howell Carnegie District Library. A library board member confronted them and told them that they did not have permission to be there and needed to leave. They then dispersed and proceeded to their cars, all the while being monitored by City of Howell police.

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Meet Jaqueline Valota
We are so excited to launch this new segment, our Volunteer Spotlight, this month featuring an incredibly talented, giving and super sweet human, Jaqueline Valota, known to us as Jaque!
Jaque has been volunteering her time and expertise with the Livingston Diversity Council for a little over a year and her contributions have been immeasurable!

Let's learn a little about Jaque:
Jaque was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and met her now husband, Vini Marcelino, in Aracaju in 2011.

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[Livingston County, 11/15/2023] - Pride Alliance of Livingston (PAL)–a community-based organization promoting an all-inclusive community for our neighbors through LGBTQIA+ education, collaboration, and advocacy for equality–is excited to announce the availability of mini-grants available to community agencies and individuals..

In an ongoing commitment to support initiatives that foster understanding, inclusivity, and awareness, PAL is pleased to offer mini-grants to empower community members and organizations to execute projects that contribute to the betterment of the local LGBTQIA+ community.

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October 1 - 7 is Nationally known as “Banned Books Week”, and here in Michigan, the Michigan Library Association (MLA) is changing the narrative. If you are not already aware of this shift, we thought you might enjoy hearing about what this means. Before we share information from the MLA, we asked Holly Ward-Lamb, Director of our very own Howell Carnegie District Library, to share her thoughts on this shift. “I applaud the Michigan Library Association for focusing on the Right to Read during the week of October 1-7. A core feature of a public library is protecting Americans' First Amendment Right to access the information they seek. This means that public libraries provide a safe space for different perspectives and ideas while allowing our users to decide what is suitable for them and their families. These choices happen every day at your local public library”.

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As we wrap up our collaborative series (MLK 101) celebrating the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., we are thrilled to invite you to our final event , Legacy and Liberation: A gospel tribute to MLK, Jr. and the civil rights movement.

The event, hosted on Saturday, April 22nd 6:00-7:30 pm, brings live gospel music to the Howell Carnegie District Library in an after-hours event! This concert features a gospel choir directed by Lynn Williams and honors the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the legacy of the civil rights movement. It reflects on gospel music’s cultural and historical significance and advocacy for equality and freedom, featuring song selections from 1954 to today.

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February is Black History Month and the Livingston Diversity Council is hosting a series of events that is sure to have a little something for everyone!

Kicking off the month on Thursday, February 2nd, the Livingston Diversity Council will present a film screening of “I am MLK Jr” at the Historic Howell Theater. This film is a documentary that explores the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and his impact on civil rights through the years. A panel discussion follows the film. Panelists include Victoria Burton-Harris, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office; Dr. Patricia Coleman-Burns, Assistant Professor Emerita of Nursing and Black Studies at the University of Michigan; and Anthony Lewis, Director of Community Engagement for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

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On Friday, January 20th the Livingston Diversity Council partnered with Howell High School’s History Department and Innovation Academy to provide a once in a lifetime experience for their 10th grade US History students. Irene Miller, a brave and incredulous Holocaust Survivor, joined these students at the Rod Bushey Performing Arts Center to share her story of survival, overcoming obstacles, and persevering to achieve success. Miller took students on a journey through her life; sharing the story of fleeing Poland, her time in a Siberian labor camp, years spent in orphanages, and how she went on to become a teacher, healthcare executive, and author.

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