BTL Journalist Receives Lansing for Cesar E. Chavez Committee's Humanitarian Award

Over a simple meal of habichuelas and rice, the Lansing area Latino community came together over the Easter weekend to celebrate the life and legacy of Caesar E. Chavez. About 200 people attended the dinner to honor the civil rights legend as well as celebrate the renaming of Grand River Avenue in the Old Town neighborhood of Lansing after the icon. Old Town is also home to Lansing's two LGBTQ bars.
Also on the agenda, Between The Lines reporter and activist Todd Heywood was honored with The Lansing for Cesar E. Chavez Committee 8th Annual Humanitarian Award.
"Todd was chosen unanimously out of 5 individuals because of what he stood for. Cesar Chavez was not about white or black or just Hispanic. He did what was best to work for both sides," said Al Salas, president of the group. The committee chose to honor Heywood because of his history of research and his national recognition related to hate groups and hate violence.
"He himself was assaulted and beaten up. He decided one of the things he was going to do in life is to work against hate crimes," said Salas. "What better way than to honor someone from Lansing to honor what we believe? That's Cesar Chavez."
Heywood's questions generated a community response in Lansing after two incidents in 2017. The first: the murder of a local gay man, Kevin Wirth, outside of his home. Heywood questioned police practices in alerting the LBGTQIA community of bias crimes. Lansing police initially failed to identify Wirth as gay man, a decision that could have been detrimental for the safety of citizens while Wirth's murderer was at large.
Emily Dievendorf, President of Lansing Association for Human Rights, cited Heywood's relentless questioning as a reason for his success.
"Todd's work has always been unsettling," she said. "It has been productive in how uncomfortable his questions make you. And that is how real change happens. Real change requires seeing the whole truth."
In July, the second incident arose: an undocumented immigrant from Mexico was brutally assaulted while walking home, a sign stapled to his body, "Go back to Mexico, wetback."
It took a week for police to alert the public. Heywood alerted leaders in the Hispanic community after the victim approached him. A swift press conference was organized by civil rights leaders to alert Lansing's large population of immigrants. Allena Tapia of Lansing, an activist of Michigan United, joined in on the response.
"Todd's diligent research brought to light the 2017 hate crime that ended up mobilizing the community and led to several new safety initiatives," she said. "I find his work on monitoring hate groups brave and valuable, not just for my neighbors of color here in the city, but for all of us. He plays an important role in our goal of an inclusive, equitable community."
Speaking before the crowd at the Cesar Chavez dinner, Heywood called for human commonalities to rise above hate groups and fear.
"That hatred is rooted in a deep, gut-wrenching fear. If we want to end the hatred, we are going to have to step up and hear the pain and the fear underlying the hatred. We are going to have to listen, bear witness and then help those espousing this vile hatred to see our common humanities, our common fears and, most important, our common dreams," Heywood said. "We must reach out and help others to understand that as a city, a state, a country, a world, we are stronger and better together working cooperatively to lift all people up."
Heywood's approach shaped best practices in policies that led a Lansing health center in receiving coveted national recognition in LGBTQIA services. Ingham County Commissioner Kara Hope praised Heywood's volunteer work with the center.
"Todd's work as a journalist has raised awareness of the hardships and, in many cases, the injustices faced by folks with HIV as well as the LGBTQ community. He is someone who uses his platform to advocate for care and fairness for people who are often marginalized," she said. "I know that his work with the Ingham County Health Department and our community health centers is one reason Ingham County has been recognized as a leader in providing healthcare to our LGBTQ residents."
Sam Inglot who serves on the Ingham Community Health Center Board echoed Hope's sentiments.
"Todd is an open government and transparency purist. No violation is too small," Inglot said. "All realms of the public, city to Federal level — we need that now more than ever. Lansing is very lucky to have him."