Community
UDM News for our Neighbors
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Black Excellence Tailgate & Greek Night set for Feb. 20
Thursday February 19, 2026
Kick off a Titans men’s basketball game while celebrating Black History Month at the Black Excellence Tailgate & Greek Night pregame event on Friday, February 20. All are invited.
The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Whitty Student Fitness Center on the McNichols Campus with camaraderie and food trucks, and just before the 7 p.m. tip, attendees will join a Cass Tech High School Marching Band drumline-led march from the Student Fitness Center into Calihan Hall.
The Titans men’s basketball squad hosts the Milwaukee Panthers, with a special Black History Month celebration featuring a Divine Nine performance at halftime. This event is co‑hosted by the Black Student Union and University Athletics.
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UDM features Detroit poets Brittany Rogers and Tommye Blount for reading and conversation, Feb. 24
Thursday February 19, 2026
Detroit Mercy’s Department of English will host a special night of poetry and conversation with poets Brittany Rogers and Tommye Blount on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m., in Room 114 of the Chemistry Building.
A reception and book signing will precede the event at 5:30 p.m., where copies of Rogers’ Good Dress and Blount’s Fantasia for the Man in Blue will be available for sale. All are invited to attend this free event.
Blount, a native of Detroit, is the author of the chapbook What Are We Not For and the full-length collection of poetry Fantasia for the Man in Blue, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the Lambda Literary Award in Gay Poetry. A graduate from Warren Wilson College’s MFA Program for Writers, Blount is the recipient of many commendations, fellowships and grants including from the Desert Rat Residency, Cave Canem and Kresge Arts.
Rogers is a multidisciplinary artist, educator and lifelong Detroiter. Her work has been published widely, including the Academy of American Poets, Lit Hub and Oprah Daily. Her poetry collection Good Dress was a Michigan Notable Book for 2025 and finalist for both the NAACP Image Award and the Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Poetry. Rogers was awarded the Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award and a Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellowship.
This event is co-sponsored by the African American Studies Program and Student Life.
Reserve tickets here.
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Black Student Union, TENN to hold Jazz Night during BHM, Feb. 25
Monday February 16, 2026
Detroit Mercy’s Black Student Union (BSU) and Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN) will host an evening of music and community at Jazz Night on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the Fountain Lounge of the Student Union.
Enjoy great food, fun games and a live jazz band in celebration of Black History Month. All are invited to this event.
Please email Chelsea Manning at mannincp@udmercy.edu with any questions.
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CBA alumni week keynote event ‘The Renaissance of Detroit’ features alumnus Hakim Berry
Monday February 16, 2026
The College of Business Administration (CBA) Alumni Board will host a keynote event during Alumni Week featuring Hakim Berry ’07, former chief operating officer for the City of Detroit. Berry will share his insights on The Renaissance of Detroit.This free event will take place on Friday, March 20, at 5:30 p.m., in the Student Union Fountain Lounge.
Refreshments will be available, and attendees are encouraged to reserve their spot in advance.
RSVP here. -
DMTC presents ‘Poor Clare’ in new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre, Feb. 13-22
Thursday February 12, 2026
Detroit Mercy Theatre Company (DMTC) continues celebrating the inaugural season of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre with Poor Clare by Chiara Atik, a hilarious and anachronistic retelling of the true story of St. Clare of Assisi.Six performances will run in back-to-back weekends, Friday through Sunday, Feb. 13-22.
Set in Italy in 1211, the play follows Clare, a wealthy medieval “It” girl whose privileged life is upended when she meets Francis, a man who has renounced his wealth and social status in service to the poor. Inspired by his radical devotion, Clare begins to reexamine her own life, questioning what it means to live with purpose and integrity.
“There is so much to mine in this play, and the sacrifices that both Clare and Francis made for the greater good really gives one pause to take stock in our own lives. They both listened to the call of God and took great strides to answer and take action and personal accountability,” said director Kez Settle. “It is a story that is topical and timeless in its relevance. And—if you are a history buff—this will provide you with lots of questions for the google search and history book deep dives!”
This production is the second in the Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre, which opened in fall of 2025 and returned theatre back to UDM’s McNichols Campus.
“This story deeply reflects the University’s mission to educate competent, compassionate leaders who are prepared to serve the world,” said Sarah Rusk, managing director of Detroit Mercy Theatre Company. “It offers a meaningful way to celebrate the shared charisms of the Society of Jesus and the Religious Sisters of Mercy that guide our work, and it felt especially fitting to incorporate those values into our first season back on campus.”
The DMTC Ticket Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., with tickets being available for purchase anytime online. Individual tickets are $25 for adults, $18 for seniors and Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and alumni, and $10 for veterans and students (ages 4-college). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To schedule your group, contact Sarah Rusk at 313-993-3273.
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS- Feb. 13: Opening Night Celebration. Join the cast and crew following the performance for a reception in the lower level of the Student Union.
- Feb. 14: Community Night. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with $10 ticket for all patrons.
- Feb. 15: Detroit Theatre Discussion Project. Join in the discussion following the first Sunday’s matinee performance as we welcome Heather Hill from the English Department and Fr. Greg Banazak from the Department of Religious Studies at Detroit Mercy to expand upon themes and ideas from the performance in a talkback.
- Feb. 20: Pre-show Mass and Reception. In the spirit of St. Clare and the Franciscan tradition, the Office of Mission Integration invites you to join us for a Mass and reception before the performance. Mass, presided over by Capuchin Franciscan Fr. Johan Paul, will begin at 6 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. A reception with food will follow in the Zalke Lounge of the Student Union, just outside the theatre, prior to the 7:30 p.m. performance. The Mass and reception are free and open to all; tickets are required for the performance.
- Feb. 20: College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (CHASS) at the Theatre. Join CHASS in celebrating the arts on campus with $5 tickets for CHASS students and alumni with coupon code CHASS_5. Free tickets to faculty/staff of CHASS by calling 313-993-3270 or email theatre@udmercy.edu.
- Feb. 21: High School Night. Free tickets and talkback with student cast and crew following the performance for high school students and their families. Call 313-993-3270 or email theatre@udmercy.edu for details and reservations.
- Feb. 22: Closing Night
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Resources, Centers and Clinics
Center for Social Entrepreneurship
The Center provides business expertise and acumen as well as mentors to assist local entrepreneurs, beginning with the “Boost” workshop that aids entrepreneurs in developing business plans to achieve a greater social impact.
Counseling Clinic
The clinic provides no-cost counseling services to Detroit residents who otherwise may not have access to mental health services.
Dental Center
Detroit Mercy Dental offers dental services and education through two clinics, nine outreach clinics, a mobile dental clinic and a school-based dental sealant program.
Dental Mobile Clinic
The clinic travels to local participating schools in Detroit and Wayne County to provide comprehensive care for K-12 children.
Detroit Collaborative Design Center
The design center provides design services to non-profit community and civic organizations to engage communities and enhance neighborhoods.
Detroit Mercy Eye Institute
The Detroit Mercy Eye Institute includes the state-of-the-art equipment and technology needed to diagnose, monitor, and treat numerous eye conditions. The clinic will also provide affordable eyecare to the uninsured and vulnerable populations.
Law Clinics
Detroit Mercy Law provides legal assistance to Detroit area residents through six clinics: Immigration Law Clinic, SADO Criminal Appellate Clinic, Criminal Trial Clinic, Veterans Law Clinic, Juvenile Law Appellate Clinic and Intellectual Property Law Clinic.
Pre-College Programs
Detroit area students in grades 4-12 participate in more than 15 outreach programs annually through Saturday classes, summer camps, and innovative curricula in the sciences, technology engineering, mathematics, architecture and design.
Psychology Clinic
The Psychology Clinic provides assessment and counseling services for approximately 300 clients annually. Fees are based on ability to pay.
Rx for Reading Program
This program increases access to children’s books and supports families in reading to their children. The program has distributed more than 2,000 children’s books a month at a variety of locations, including low-income health, dental and WIC clinics; homeless shelters; and Head Start programs.
Summer Camps
A variety of summer activities available on UDM Campuses. Some are hosted by UDM; some are simply located on our campuses.
Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN)
TENN is a student-led and community-driven food justice program that delivers fresh produce to 60 families in New Martin Park Neighborhood and 80 seniors at Theresa Maxis Senior Apartments.
Alliances and Initiatives
Reimagining the Civic Commons
University of Detroit Mercy serves as one of the institutional anchors for the “Reimaging the Civic Commons” initiative, which is funded through the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant. The initiative focuses on the City of Detroit’s neighborhood revitalization priority: the Livernois/McNichols area. The project’s goal is to revitalize the neighborhoods between its two anchor institutions, Detroit Mercy and Marygrove College, creating a denser and more diverse urban community.
Live6 Alliance
University of Detroit Mercy helped to launch the Live6 Alliance in August 2015 to strengthen the Livernois Avenue and McNichols Road commercial corridor in northwest Detroit.
Service Immersion Days / Trips
These experiences give students opportunities to serve in shelters, soup kitchens, after school projects, urban farms and many other important community based projects both locally and nationally.
Directories
Media Experts Guide
Detroit Mercy scholars are experts in their fields and many have agreed to be available to media. Note that experts' views are their own and may not reflect the views of their colleagues or University of Detroit Mercy.
Migration Research Directory
The AJCU Migration Research Directory is an open-access resource for high-quality research on migration, provided by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Faculty members from Jesuit universities around the world provide important migration and refugee research from a wide variety of perspectives.