Black folks have been sounding the alarm for years about Michigan. Don& #39;t get it twisted that just because it is home to Detroit, a majority-Black city, that racism and bigotry isn& #39;t rampant in this state. This has been present and bubbling under the surface for a very long time.

The details of the threats/plot against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are shocking & disturbing. But for many Black Michiganders, the mere existence of these groups is not a surprise when you& #39;ve been raised with a keen understanding of the racist history of this state.

This is coming from my own experience of living in Michigan but also that of many Black residents I& #39;ve interviewed over the years, especially within the past several months. Black folks love this state and the natural beauty it offers but it hasn& #39;t always loved us back.

Oh, hey. Free story idea/advice since I& #39;m off: Whatever time your news outlet plans to spend backgrounding these men/groups to piece together "how they got to this point," spend more time talking to Black & brown residents who that hatred may have actually been exacted upon.