Michigan is home to some of the largest Arab-American communities in the U.S., and one of the largest populations of Jewish university students, some of whom have close ties to Israel.
Through a series of stories reported throughout the fall and winter, Michigan Public reporter Briana Rice showed that for these communities, the war between Israel and Hamas is not just a distant event. The war brought the destruction of family homes, the deaths of family members, and real questions about safety and security for people in Michigan amid a rise in reported incidents of Islamophobia and antisemitism.
Briana devoted weeks to gaining the trust of people across communities that often feel at odds with each other. Her reporting process ensured that we made room for people to share stories of fear and loss that are often left unheard. Her stories show that the war thousands of miles away is, in fact, close to home for many people in Michigan. And, crucially, it showed that there is hope in the state for strengthening some of the fragile bonds between disparate communities.
