Michigan Matters - Brenda Lawrence's new gig, mental health across the region and roundtable discussion

(CBS DETROIT) - Former Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence surprised many when she opted not to seek re-election last year and appears on CBS Detroit's Michigan Matters on Sunday to talk about her new job as executive director of Spill The Honey, a national organization dedicated to social justice, civil rights and more. 

Lawrence talked with Carol Cain, Senior Producer/Host, about her work with the late Congressman John Lewis while both were in Congress which led her to Spill The Honey, an organization focusing on African Americans and Jewish people working together to tackle important issues. She's hoping to inspire a new generation through her efforts. 

Lawrence also talked politics as she lamented the lack of an African American Democratic candidate in the 2024 U.S. Senate so far as that seat is open after Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced she would not seek re-election. 

Lawrence answered a question politicos might wonder: would she be interested in running for that job?

Then the roundtable of Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, Denise Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Enterprises, and Detroit City Councilman Coleman Young II talks about the 2024 presidential race, which is heating up as President Joe Biden announced this week he was seeking re-election. 

They talked about the presidential contest and how former President Donald Trump, who announced he was running a few weeks ago and currently dominates among GOP candidates in most polls,  would focus on Michigan. 

Hackel discussed his county's growing focus on mental health, and Young talked about Detroit and Wayne County and how it was stepping up to help the community deal with mental health issues. 

Ilitch, a regent at the University of Michigan, talked about Carol Hutchins, who is the NCAA's winningest softball coach with 1,707 victories during her 38 seasons at U of M. The university formally named the school's softball stadium after Hutchins or "Hutch" as she's known, in a ceremony last Saturday. 

Watch Michigan Matters Sunday at 8 a.m. on CBS Detroit.