Community activists, residents and political leaders gathered at Macomb Community College South Campus in Warren Saturday morning to discuss how they can help each other and how voters can be better engaged — particularly in municipal and school board elections. The...
Michigan
Tlaib introduces Safe Storage Saves Lives Act to reduce firearm deaths of children
During National Gun Violence Awareness Month, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-12th District), member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), and Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10) introduced the...
Oxford mother advocates for national parent group
A chance meeting in Lansing led to one Oxford parent joining a group looking to push back against extreme views being brought before school districts around the state. Cara Erskine was in Lansing earlier this year to testify on new weapons laws being proposed in the...
What are local schools doing for student safety?
The list is long, as are our memories, of youths who have been victims of school shootings. And as the public cries for a solution become deafening, it is left to school districts and law enforcement to fortify schools with what amounts to bandaids as prevention as...
Stateside Podcast: The parents on the other side of the phone
On the night of the shooting at Michigan State University, students faced four hours of a shelter-in-place order. During that time many students were in communication with their parents; texting and calling them. On the other end of the phone, parents had to manage...
After Oxford, gun violence advocates felt helpless. But there’s hope for change in Michigan now.
Kelly Dillaha, the mother of twins who attend MSU and were barricaded in their room just off campus during the mass shooting, said the school could not have done anything differently to prevent Monday’s violence. What would make a difference, she said, is gun reform....
‘We all ran for our lives’: MSU students describe mass shooting as a never-ending nightmare
Michigan State University students are angry. Yes, they are traumatized; yes, they are overwhelmed with grief and sadness. They know they will need mental health support in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. But, right now, in the wake of three students being...
MSU mom, anti-gun violence advocate calls for solutions after campus shooting
A Michigan State University mother and anti-gun violence advocate says Monday’s deadly shooting on campus reinforces her efforts to achieve sensible gun control. Kelly Dillaha’s phone was flooded Monday night with messages from concerned friends asking about her twin...
Michigan State Mom, Activist Hopes Shooting Will Lead To Gun Reform
Kelly Dillaha and her husband, Scott, were watching television in their Birmingham home Monday evening when their phones started blowing up with texts asking if their twin sons, Aidan and Brandon Johnson-Hill, students at Michigan State University, were OK. They...
Good News Alert: Democrats Might Actually Flip the Michigan Legislature
When Michigan voters go to the polls, they’ll also be deciding whether to enshrine abortion rights in the Michigan Constitution, or to let stand a 1931 law that would essentially ban abortion in the state. Kelly Dillaha, Michigan Program Director for the grassroots...
Recent Posts
Watch This: How RWB Women Found Joy in 2025
As we reflect on 2025, we’re in awe of how much the women of Red Wine & Blue accomplished. It’s beautiful to see that even while facing the rise in extremism, we’re still able to find joy in our work together. See for yourself! Take a minute to watch this video...
Read This: Dear 2026
The end of 2025 is in sight, and for a lot of us, that is cause for celebration! The year started with the inauguration of the Trump administration, and from day one, they took actions that harmed average Americans. From dismantling the Department of Education, to...
Do This: Join Us for Wins in 2026
We’re still riding the high of all the local election wins we celebrated earlier this month – not just because it feels good to win, but because it means common sense and human decency are leading the way again in so many of our communities. Let’s take one more...
Watch This: Celebrating 2025 School Board Election Wins
Last week’s elections gave us a lot to celebrate. We’ve already highlighted some exciting statewide and municipal wins. Now let’s take three minutes to watch a round-up of inspiring school board victories: This is exactly what we mean when we say “going local”...
Read This: Celebrating 2025 Local Election Wins
Voters made a big statement this week: Common sense and human decency are still our values, and we’ll keep showing up to fight extremism head-on. You’ve probably heard about some exciting election wins, including Virginia electing its first female governor, Abigail...