Join in the fight to end menthol during this Juneteenth Lunch and Learn featuring Dr. Michael Eric Dyson
On Saturday, June 10, Making it Count Community Development Corporation (MICCDC) and Detroit’s own Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will host a Juneteenth lunch and learn experience starting at 2 p.m. at the Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave.
The discussion will be moderated by Munson Steed, CEO and publisher of Rolling Out media company, and the panelists will consist of Minou Jones, founder and CEO of MICCDC and Dr. Dyson.
The lunch and learn, titled Still Fighting for Freedom in America,” will center around learning the tactics that big tobacco companies use to keep the public in chains as it pertains to using menthol and other flavored tobacco products, particularly in the Black, Hispanic, and LGBT communities.
“I selected Dr. Dyson because of his roots to Detroit, social consciousness, and his thought-provoking
insights on race and social justice issues. He is a distinguished professor, author, and prominent
personality who gets it and will deliver it to you so you are without question when he is done,” stated
Jones.
“If you care about children and saving Black lives you should attend. If you are looking to learn more
about health equity and social justice, this is for you. We need more support and awareness from
foundations, philanthropists, and voters, especially those who have been impacted by tobacco,” Jones
went on to say.
Dr. Dyson is an ally in the fight to save Black lives and recognizes the harms caused by the tobacco
industry on the Black community. He’s a distinguished professor, gifted writer, and prominent media
personality. He has taught at some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, including Princeton,
Brown, and Georgetown, and is currently a distinguished university professor at Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Dyson has authored over 25 books, including seven New York Times bestsellers and has won
numerous awards for his literary achievements, including the 2020 Langston Hughes Medal, the
American Book Award, and two NAACP Image Awards.
Dyson had this to say about the anti-menthol movement: “In 2022, the FDA proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes, specifically citing how such a ban would save the lives of anywhere from 92,000 to 239,000 Black folk. We must redouble our efforts to combat the pernicious effect of menthol on our communities.
“There is a long and destructive history of menthol cigarettes being marketed to Black Americans. We
must pool our collective political and social resources and fight the plague of menthol before it destroys even more of our people.”
To hear more from Dyson and Jones, join them during this important lunch and learn conversation as they discuss how the tobacco industry uses preemption in Michigan to keep Blacks addicted to their products by targeting Black and Brown communities. This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Black Health and Equity.
Making it Count Community Development Corporation is a non-profit organization bringing
positive change to underserved communities through a series of programs and services, including their renowned M[END]THOL campaign. The campaign calls for ENDing the use of menthol and other flavors as an additive to mask the harmful effects of tobacco.
