Appeal to Assist

Hello collective there is an extremely important development in Detroit that warrants our participation and support.

Please note for background the following information:

Fight White Privilege: A Urgent Appeal to Help EMEAC

Re-post - Corrected with direct link to help EMEAC

August 13, 2026

Peace and Power!                                                                            

This is Gregory Hicks. I join with Kwasi Akwamu, who originally authored this letter. We are both board members with the East Michigan Environmental Action Council (EMEAC), and this letter is a direct appeal for your support.

https://givebutter.com/support-legal-defense-of-the-commons-c9qvpt 

This black-led nonprofit organization (EMEAC) is fighting to save our building, widely known as the Cass Commons, located at 4605 Cass Ave at the intersection of Forest, Detroit, Michigan. Our building is a massive historical structure that was given to us in 2013 by the First Unitarian Universalist Church (FUU). (Maybe you've attended or hosted an event in this space before?)

The building was deeded to EMEAC by way of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU). The Commons has been a location for a wide range of non-sectarian community and cultural events and activities serving Detroit's majority-black population. A little over a year ago, officials from the church has sought through duplicitous means to reclaim this building arguing EMEAC violated the terms of the MOU. These officials never approached anyone in EMEAC with their concerns, but attempted to sue us in court to reclaim the building. 

In their rush to blindside us, they failed to even read the MOU which specified that any disputes be adjudicated via arbitration. Their suit was rejected in the court on that basis. Still, they never approached anyone in EMEAC about any of their concerns, but proceeded to make spurious claims that we failed to uphold our side of the agreement, which included allowing a Church member to attend our board meetings (which we did, and which they once engaged but at some point, stopped attending). Other provisions of the MOU sought to maintain the historical character of the building; and allowed the FUU to continue to hold congregational Sunday services in the sanctuary (which they continued to do).

After FUU’s lawsuit received unfavorable results, FUU undeterred and encouraged by the systematic operation of Trumpian styled white privilege continued in their efforts to attack black institutions, organizations, and individuals. FUU filed to reclaim ownership under Arbitration, forcing EMEAC to again, lawyer up and prepare to fight! At this point the Arbitrator is showing favorable leanings toward FUU. Our legal counsel will be filing an objection to the arbitrator’s preliminary award to receive a more legally supported judgement from the arbitrator and failing this approach we will seek relief for EMEAC in Circuit Court.

Our highly experienced attorney specializes in property disputes, and has been very attentive to details. Having led us through arbitration, and even bringing in a renowned architect and expert in historical properties who testified that much of the problems in the building were the result of deferred maintenance, not immediate or unrecoverable damage to the historical structure, the Arbitrator nevertheless decided to show favor to the Church which failed by every legal metric relevant to this dispute to defend their weak claims that EMEAC altered the historic character of the building and that the organization has allowed the building to deteriorate jeopardizing its historical character. 

As a nonprofit, EMEAC has poured a half million dollars into upgrades and repairs in the 13 years of its stewardship of the building. In the past two years, we experienced challenges with building heating as the boiler repair costs ($90K) exceeded our immediate ability to fix. In the meantime, we opted for a temporary remedy to enable continued building usage. The sanctuary, it should be noted, was unaffected and continued to have heat. Nevertheless, with no discussion or inquiry with EMEAC, the church leaped upon this as an opportune time to seize the building they volunteered to grant us.

Allow me to be blunt. The church with its dwindling congregation handed over the building that they themselves could not afford to maintain and could not sale. Yet, as the neighborhood surrounding the Cass Commons is undergoing widespread gentrification and investment, it is highly suspicious that the Church all of a sudden has a renewed interest in a building that they so willingly handed over just over a decade ago. Additionally, as our national political structures have turned more and more anti-black and extremely conservative, traditional philanthropic funding have largely disappeared for self-determined organizations like ours. To survive, we must depend on your goodwill! Our need is immediate and we hope you act today!

Returning to my opening statement, this is a letter seeking your support. Though EMEAC lost our battle in Arbitration, we are appealing this defeat. We aim to maintain ownership of this building and continue opening our doors to Detroit's majority-black community. We refuse to be shut out of this section of our city. However, your support is critical to continue this fight! We need your financial support to help sustain our legal challenge and pay legal fees as well as to keep the lights on. 

We welcome whatever level of support you can afford to offer. Anything received is generous and we, on    behalf of EMEAC, thank you in advance. The attached link is where you can send your donation (2026 Givebutter -group funding website), whether large or small, we gladly accept your gracious support!  We also ask that you acknowledge our funding appeal so that you can receive a doner letter from the East Michigan Environmental Action Council, a 501(c)(3) Public Charity – EIN23-7241219. 

https://givebutter.com/support-legal-defense-of-the-commons-c9qvpt 

Thank you, and feel free to reach me directly with any questions, concerns, or ideas to advance this righteous battle!

Dr. Gregory Hicks PhD.

EMEAC Board Member

Detroit Michigan, 48202 – gregoryhicks@hotmail.com / 313.409.0490 See less

Support Legal Defense of the Commons

givebutter.com

Support Legal Defense of the Commons

The Sacred Nature of Life and Death

I believe life is a profound and sacred creation in our existence. A life that is ended because of suicide warrants words that seeks to heal and comfort the lives of the living that the dead leave behind 

Words that intentionally wound with evil and hate don’t deserve my respect nor condemnation, I rather take the time to express my thoughts and condolences in words,  I release into the universe for the dead and the family and friends of the dead

These thoughts and expressions are my condolences 

Greg Thrasher 

Director 

Plane Ideas 

Alternative Think Tank 

Plane Ideas Endorsement

Plane Ideas with incredible pride and purpose endorses 

MORE

MORE

The book that belongs in your mind and possessions

Plane Ideas

Repost Circa Now: Open Range aka Universal Candidacy

At every level of public governance across the country and here locally in our state there has been a huge outcry about the lack of quality candidates in the market place for voters to select from when a civil office is open and a election is required. The candidates who decide to run for public office on every level have in many elections left a lot to be desire from the nature of their platforms to the degree of their character. Voters are clamoring for a new paradigm in which to select candidates to represent their interests in all matters of public business and service.

There is simply a demand for a process which provides for more qualified candidates especially in venues where arbitrary residency rules and eligibility protocol often acts to limit the probability of better and more qualified choices for the electorate to select from. The basic truth is that many ex residents of a city still have a stake hold in the city and many seek to help and give back in a meaningful way but are banned from becoming elective candidates because they do not live in the jurisdictions of the public offices.

To addressed this political reality my firm has developed a protocol which has the potential to improve governance at every level of electoral politics. We created this transformative idea with respect for the legacy of democracy, one man one vote, home rule , voting rights act and our constitutional rights and safeguards.

PLANE IDEAS Political Construct:

ANYONE can run for an elected office regardless of their domicile but only the voters of that city, district, county have the vested right to cast a vote for a candidate . This posture allows for the local eligible voter to retain sovereignty and final control over their political affairs. No voter disenfranchisement exists and home rule remains the sole province of the voter. Exclusionary residency rules and other non-inclusive candidacy eligibility measures are not in play when elected public offices are up for grabs. This is not a paradigm for a metropolitan type of government.

This approach provides all voters with an increased pool of candidates and it does not penalize anyone because of one's domicile. What drives this enhanced approached is the voters demand for an larger pool of qualified candidates who are not precluded or banned from seeking public office because of the candidate's eligibility and domicile.

All citizens and voters deserve the best candidate in the marketplace not just those who live within the electoral borders . Citizens and voters should not be handicapped or handcuffed by the lack of qualified candidates when so many of them are available and seeking to serve

The Proxy Voting Option (c)

 The Proxy Voting Option(c)

America is ready for transformative change in our electoral voting process now!!!! Our present voting paradigm has failed the nation 

Our collective is engaging in creative and innovative and strategic narratives that will enhance voting participation and engagement that will be transformative 

We have recreated a construct we have labeled as ‘ Proxy Voting Option’ (c) exclusively for the public electoral domain.Thomas Jefferson while VP rejected it . We have improved it on this century 

Proxy voting is where a qualified elector aka registered voter can appoint to vote on their behalf … Many people in America have many reasons and excuses to not register to vote because of the entire voting in person process in America 

A designated and notarized proxy we believe should be able to vote for a designated number of registered voters with the appropriate consent of each individual registered voter!

The registered voter applies for a proxy authorization which declares their inability to vote in person and the basis to secure a designated proxy voter on their behalf !

In America there is already situations where Proxy Voting is quite legal and the norm in corporate voting situations and other business situations where BOD exists within the bylaws of an organization 

Now is the moment in our history to expand and insert ‘ Proxy Voting into public elections !,,,

Our ‘ Proxy Voter’ construct can be transformative evolution in the Democratic system and has the possibility of increasing voter in historical  numbers !

Greg Thrasher

Director 

Plane Ideas

Alternative Think Tank

USA

New Politics

The emergence of a shared agenda between the GOP and DEMS against Socialism and its ascendancy is evidence of a number of shifts and realities in our politics 

Our traditional partisan political landscape is simply obsolete and driven by agenda politics not the will of the people 

Americans no longer have the tolerance for the shortcomings of our binary politics in the governance of society via electoral politics 

Both the DEMS and GOP have failed Americans and now this reality has risen to a state of crisis with the prospect of destroying the ability and credibility of our Federal government to operate with stability , accountability and legitimacy 

Americans simply have no trust in the both the integrity and functionally of our Federal government including our military 

America is like of vessel lost at sea wandering in circles 

Plane Ideas

Elections in America

A strong healthy democracy requires a robust and informed electorate that participates in our elections. There are unfortunately many forces that seek to diminish the electorate in participating in our elections 

These forces include regressive and destructive partisan politics as well as lousy candidates, voter suppression campaigns and of course apathy with the electorate as well and other obstacles and barriers to robust electoral participation 

Rather than complain about the shortcomings of our electoral process , Democracy is better served by engaging and enhancing those voters that do vote with the very best and informed information and resources to equip them in the electoral process 

I look forward to our firm providing that assistance including a ‘Proxy Voting’ option 

Plane Ideas