The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners is considering eliminating virtual public comment and the option to provide comment via phone during meetings. If the motion is approved, public comment will be restricted to in person only.

District 1 Commissioner Henriette Ivey proposed the idea at last week’s meeting. She told BridgeDetroit in an interview that the goal is not to stifle anyone’s voice, but to build relationships with residents face-to-face.

Organizations Detroit Disability Power, Riverwise Magazine and Warriors on Wheels are speaking out against the motion. They say it would silence the voices of people with disabilities, seniors, and working families. The  board will vote on the motion at the the board’s next meeting on Sept. 3 at 3 p.m. at the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters. 

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026

Sensory-Friendly Concert: Dance Party

Detroit Disability Power is teaming up with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to present the Sensory-Friendly Concert: Dance Party. The free concert welcomes teens and adults with neurodivergent, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.

Cancel Monday Band will play for the 45-minute concert. The concert will feature a limited audience size for reduced crowds, low lighting throughout the concert, flexible seating, noise-canceling headphones, fidgets, and a quiet break room.

The concert will be held at The CUBE on 3711 Woodward on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2:00 p.m. For tickets visit DSO.org and look on under the events page. 

Afterschool arts

The national nonprofit ProjectArt is offering free afterschool arts programs in Detroit for K-12 students. The program partners with professional artists and libraries. Registration is open for the 2026-2027 school year. ProjectArt has served hundreds of children in Detroit since 2016 in partnership with Detroit Public Library.  

In Detroit, students will work with Stephanie Mae Howells, Chloe River, Irene Perez, Amber Abboud, and Olivia Eshe Holt.  

Registration is open for September. Classes begin at the end of the month. Visit projectart.org/detroit to enroll. 

Birth Detroit celebration

Birth Detroit, Detroit’s first freestanding birth center, is hosting a celebration to share the impact of five years of service. People will learn about Birth Detroit’s impact report and future plans.  

The event will take place on Sept.18 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Whiskey Factory—1000 Maple St. in Detroit. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Getting a college degree in Detroit has never been easy. More than half of all children in Detroit live below the poverty line. Many Detroit public school graduates do not enroll in college within a year of finishing high school. And of those who do enroll, most don’t earn a degree within six years.

Detroit Public Schools just recorded its highest graduation rate in nearly two decades. 

But it’s always been a hard race for Detroit kids. And right now, it could be getting more difficult. 

Student loan rules are changing in July. The programs that help low-income students get to college are on the chopping block in President Donald Trump’s latest budget. And, the department that oversees all of these things has cut its workforce in half. 

How are students impacted by these changes? How are they interpreting them? And, how do we close the college education gap between Detroit and suburban students.

The folks at the Detroit College Access Network have a sense of this. They work with students to help them navigate financial aid, applications, and what comes after. They’re want 60% of Detroit residents to have some form of postsecondary education by 2030. 

Cyekeia Lee is the executive director of the Detroit College Access Network. She spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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