Civil Rights on the Agenda: Michigan Hosts 2025 Civil Rights Summit Amid Rising National Tensions

This week, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights hosted the 2025 Civil Rights Summit in Detroit—a three-day event that brought together legal experts, policymakers, activists, and community leaders to discuss the state of civil rights in America. And the timing couldn’t be more urgent.

With recent federal rollbacks on immigration protections, the gutting of DEI initiatives, and the weakening of civil rights enforcement mechanisms, the summit became less of a think tank and more of a war room.

BNCL followed the summit closely, recognizing that while our firm is based in California, the issues at stake are national. This is not a time for silos—it’s a time for solidarity.

What Sparked the Summit

While Michigan has long been at the forefront of civil rights advocacy (home to both Rosa Parks and the birthplace of the NAACP’s modern urban expansion), it was recent federal actions that spurred urgency:

• The Trump administration’s executive order eliminated disparate impact liability.

• ICE raids escalating in Midwest sanctuary cities.

• Ongoing legal battles over affirmative action, gender identity protections, and voting rights.

With these flashpoints in mind, the summit’s theme was direct: “Protecting Progress, Preparing for Pushback.”

Key Topics and Takeaways

1. Rebuilding Legal Tools

Panelists, including civil rights attorneys from across the country, focused on the urgent need to codify rights under state constitutions and laws as federal protections erode.

In one session titled “State Shields Against Federal Failures,” experts discussed how California, New York, and Michigan can lead the way in building state-level equivalents to federal civil rights statutes.

2. Technology and Civil Liberties

Another highlight was a fiery panel on surveillance, AI, and facial recognition. While tech advancements can benefit society, they’re also being weaponized, often disproportionately against communities of color.

One speaker from the Electronic Frontier Foundation warned that without immediate action, “algorithmic discrimination will be the new redlining.”

BNCL couldn’t agree more. Our firm is currently monitoring the increasing use of facial recognition in policing and the risk of Fourth Amendment violations, especially in predominantly Black and Brown communities.

3. Mental Health and Policing

Mental health advocates and civil rights attorneys led a powerful session on the criminalization of mental illness. The consensus? Until police are removed from the frontlines of mental health response, the body count will keep rising.

Speakers emphasized the need for community-based crisis teams, a cause BNCL champions in our ongoing cases involving police use of force against individuals experiencing mental health crises.

4. Strengthening Community-Led Movements

Grassroots organizers were loud and clear: legal action means nothing without community support and visibility. Activists from Flint to Grand Rapids spoke on the power of storytelling, mutual aid, and protest.

“Justice doesn’t trickle down from courtrooms—it rises up from living rooms,” said one youth organizer from Lansing. That line drew a standing ovation—and set the tone for the summit’s closing keynote.

BNCL’s Takeaway

This summit wasn’t just about Michigan. It was about what happens when federal power turns its back on justice, and states decide to fight anyway.

BNCL believes deeply in state-level resistance. We’ve already begun drafting strategy guides for activists, community members, and city officials on how to leverage California law to protect civil rights when federal protections fall short.

This summit affirmed what we already knew: we’re not alone, and we’re not powerless. The law may be under attack, but the resistance is organized, informed, and growing.

What Comes Next

• Michigan is expected to introduce a series of state-level bills in the coming months, modeled after protections once provided by the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act.

• Legal alliances formed during the summit are planning joint litigation against several federal initiatives.

• BNCL will be launching a free public webinar series this summer titled “State Resistance, Civil Defense” to share actionable legal tools for communities nationwide.

Final Thoughts

Progress is under siege. But moments like this remind us: the law is not static. It evolves. And it bends—when enough people lean on it with truth, strategy, and collective power.