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VAAC in the News: Amplifying Every Voice on Election Day
Executive Director Angela Davenport Shares Why Voting Access for All Matters On Election Day, Voting Access for All Coalition was featured on FOX 2 Detroit, where Executive Director Angela Davenport spoke about the critical importance of civic education, outreach, and year-round engagement across Michigan communities. In the interview, Angela emphasized how VAAC works to ensure…
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Claim Your ID, Claim Your Power: Save the Date for December 5
Join VAAC and Partners at the Ypsilanti District Library Event Details📍 Ypsilanti District Library🕐 Thursday, December 5, 1–5 PM🔗 Learn more and RSVP Having a state ID should never stand between you and your right to vote, apply for housing, or rebuild your life after incarceration. Yet thousands of Michiganders face barriers when trying to…
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Michigan Voices: Ending Prison Gerrymandering
VAAC Executive Director Angela Davenport calls for fair representation in Michigan Prison gerrymandering distorts democracy. It occurs when incarcerated people are counted as residents of the prisons where they are held rather than their home communities during redistricting. The result is an artificial imbalance: rural districts where prisons are located gain political power and resources,…
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Join Us for VAAC’s Next Friday Community Meeting
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Connect, collaborate, and stay engaged in Michigan’s fight for voting access and justice: November 21 Our next VAAC Friday Community Meeting is coming up on Friday, November 21, from 12:30 to 1:30 PM (EST). These weekly gatherings are a space to connect with organizers, advocates, and community members across Michigan who are committed to expanding…
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Michigan Lawmakers Discuss Prison Oversight in Committee Hearing
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Lawmakers consider granting state legislators unrestricted access to correctional facilities Yesterday, the House Government Operations Committee heard House Bill 4669, which would grant state legislators unrestricted access to Michigan correctional facilities at any time and without prior notification. This measure is a vital step toward transparency and accountability within the Michigan Department of Corrections. Access…
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Reentry Is Never Simple: Why HB 4211 Matters
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Michigan’s reentry expansion bill recognizes what every returning citizen knows: coming home is hard work Our coalition was built by people who have lived it. VAAC co-founder Daniel Jones survived a sentence of life without parole imposed when he was a teenager. When he finally returned home years later, he stepped into adulthood for the…
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Building Power Together: Community Conversations on Voting
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VAAC joins the Centers for Family Development to talk about civic engagement and community leadership Earlier this month, VAAC had the privilege of joining the Centers for Family Development at their Saturday community gatherings to discuss voting, civic engagement, and ensuring every voice is heard. We were especially inspired by the young people who showed…
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Housing Is a Human Right: Join Today’s VAAC Friday Community Meeting
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A Weekly Space for Connection, Updates, and Collective Power Join us today for the VAAC Friday Community Meeting, where directly impacted people, organizers, and advocates come together to talk about the issues shaping our communities. This week’s discussion, “Housing Is a Human Right,” centers on the urgent need for safe, stable housing for all Michiganders…
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Thank You, Michigan: Together, We Build Power
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Gratitude for Every Voter, Volunteer, and Voice To everyone who voted in this election and to everyone who knocked doors, made calls, shared information, checked in on a neighbor, gave someone a ride, tabled at events, or simply reminded someone they matter — we see you. This work is about more than one Election Day.…
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Standing With Women at the Valley: Support Freedom and Second Chances
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Responding to Ongoing Abuse With Action and Care Earlier this month, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that a former officer at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility has been charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The news underscores what many have reported for years—systemic abuse, neglect, and unsafe conditions inside the state’s only women’s…
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Out in the Community: Clearing Barriers, Celebrating Early Voting, and Making Every Voice Count
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VAAC in Action Across Detroit Over the past week, Voting Access for All Coalition (VAAC) has been on the ground helping people across Michigan exercise their right to vote — from clearing warrants to celebrating early voting and sharing clear, accurate information about how to cast a ballot. Fresh Starts at the Warrant Clinic At…
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“I Don’t Understand”: Prison Video Exposes Abuse of Writer Demetrius Buckley
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A rare glimpse behind Michigan’s prison walls A newly released Detroit Free Press video shows Michigan prison staff in riot gear twice spraying chemical agents on award-winning writer Demetrius Buckley—while he was handcuffed and confined inside a shower cage. The disturbing footage, now part of a federal civil rights lawsuit, was made public only after…
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Expanding Electoral Engagement Among Justice-Impacted People
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What the research says — and how VAAC puts it to work A new policy brief (10/29/25) reviews strategies that help justice-impacted people participate in our democracy. An estimated 4 million Americans remain disenfranchised due to felony convictions — down from 5.9 million in 2016 after advocacy restored rights in many states. But even when…
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Join VAAC This Weekend for Storytelling & a Pre-Election Brunch
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Building Power, Connection, and Courage Across Michigan VAAC is proud to co-host two powerful events this weekend that bring together community voices, shared learning, and collective action ahead of Election Day. From East Lansing to Ferndale, we’re creating spaces to uplift stories, strengthen democracy, and remind one another that our voices matter. Saturday, Nov. 1…
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Liberated Zones Weekend: Assata’s Legacy
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Renewing Our Fight for Black Liberation Join Detroit for three days of unity, art, and resistance across Detroit as we honor the ancestors and continue the work of liberation. Liberated Zones Weekend: Assata’s Legacy brings together community, culture, and conversation to remind us that the struggle continues — and that joy itself is a form…
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