Kate Davidson

Nearly 75 years ago, a sit-down strike at the facility in Flint, Mich., helped the UAW win recognition from General Motors. Now the former auto body plant and GM design center is home to a company that sells prescription drugs used to treat serious illnesses like cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS.

The formerly homeless residents of Emmaus House in Harlem recently buried their spiritual leader, the Rev. David Kirk. Kirk, who died at age 72 last month, believed in empowering the poor to serve the poor.