It is sometimes hard for me to believe, but for 42 years I have had the honor and privilege of serving our community through my work at Comerica Bank.
And during that time, one of the relationships that I am most proud of is Comerica’s partnership with the Michigan Chronicle.
Staying true to the proud history of the African American press, which has always reset the terms of public conversation, the Michigan Chronicle continues to be a catalyst for progress in our community. I join my colleagues at Comerica in wishing the entire staff of the Michigan Chronicle — past and present — a happy 75th anniversary.
I also would like to salute the Chronicle for using this occasion to pay tribute to the many contributions made by Detroit’s faith-based community during that 75-year period. Many of my friends affectionately refer to me as “the church lady” and I smile each time I’m described this way because I want to be known as a person who works alongside our faith-based community; it’s a passion for me.
In the same spirit, I know the Chronicle is often referred to as “the “church paper” and while I cannot speak for the Chronicle, I think the staff should take pride in that description, because it speaks to the excellent manner the paper has reported on our faith-based community throughout its history. In fact, the Chronicle’s coverage of our faith-based community is unrivaled.
At Comerica, we are very proud of our commitment to our community. This commitment and my role in it have kept me highly motivated for 42 years and counting. But for that commitment to remain reality, we need help — tons of help, actually — and more times than I can even remember that help has come from our faith-based community. Our area churches are more than worship centers, they are focal points of our community. And together they comprise an important component of community and social development throughout our region.
I have been fortunate to be a part of many successful projects targeting community development, education and financial literacy. In virtually every instance, there have been significant contributions from our churches that ensured the initiative’s success. I believe this ongoing partnership that Comerica has maintained with our dedicated churches represents teamwork in its finest form.
However, after we work alongside our faith-based community to provide assistance and resources that address critical human needs in our region, there remains one more important step to guarantee our job is done well.
And that step involves handing the baton to the Michigan Chronicle, which performs the vital task of spreading the word and helping to make sure that our residents are aware of opportunities and information that have the power to transform lives.
Like a fine-tuned relay team, we have been able to register many victories in our community, but much more work is needed, and Comerica looks forward to continuing this important work with the help of our faith-based community and the Michigan Chronicle for many years to come. Working together with all segments of our community we can make a difference, and the process begins by having faith.
A proud Detroit resident, Louise Guyton is Comerica Bank vice president of Public Affairs and Community Reinvestment Act manager.