We want to acknowledge the real pain and suffering that is occurring across the country right now, particularly for Black people. While the current circumstances and sentiments have sadly become all too common in America, each of these moments has the potential to be a watershed moment. The tragic and unjustified killing of George Floyd and so many others should lead to real, systemic change in the United States.
People of color continue to face experiences, injustices and threats that others will never experience. It is hard to comprehend and impossible to truly understand. The deep-seated racism and idea that people of color are ‘less than’ has persisted—through slavery, segregation and ‘separate but equal’ to the new Jim Crow, mass incarceration and police brutality.
For a variety of reasons, including longstanding racism and fear, racial profiling, and both explicit and implicit individual biases, Black people and other people of color continue to be overrepresented in every area of the justice system. People of color are more likely to be pulled over, searched, charged, and convicted, often receiving steeper fines and sterner sentences. But the most disturbing fact of all is that Black people are inordinately killed or beaten in police custody, too often without justice or repercussions for those responsible.
We must find a way to stop this violence against communities of color. The protests around the country and the dialogue they are generating is a start. But that dialogue must lead to awareness and that awareness must lead to action.
Racism is entwined in every aspect of our lives, and combating racism must be fought on multiple fronts. As an organization and as individuals, we continue to strive to be explicitly anti-racist in our language and our work. This includes speaking out against injustice as well as drawing attention to racial inequities and necessary policy changes to reduce or eliminate them. Undoing ingrained, systemic issues born out of racism is not an easy task, but it can start with identifying biases and inequities, calling them out, and working together across racial, economic and political lines to challenge the system and rebuild it in the name of justice.
Nothing should distract us from the important work that is ahead in addressing the police brutality that is a threat to black and brown people. But we also need to continue to tackle the pervasive racial disparities in health, housing, education, incarceration and other policy areas—racial disparities that have been magnified by COVID-19. This includes undoing decades of damage that policies and practices have done to people of color.
We remain committed to doing everything in our power to promote racial equity and justice, and we are grateful for your support and partnership in this effort.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
