"People don’t care about policy—they want to know if you care about them." Detroit is Different is back in studio with District 1 Detroit City Councilmember James Tate, and we’re getting deep. Tate returns to the mic not just as a policymaker but as a Black man opening up about what it truly means to protect your crown—mentally, spiritually, and po…

"If you don’t impact your environment, your environment’s going to impact you." That’s how Glenn Wilson, President and CEO of Communities First Inc., sets the tone in this powerful Detroit is Different episode. What started as a casual connection in New Orleans blossoms into a deeply honest conversation about housing, healing, and hope. Glenn share…

"Hip hop wasn’t just music—it was a mirror, a movement, and a megaphone for the unheard. We weren’t just playing records; we were broadcasting revolution."Detroit is Different episode featuring Brother Sayeed Sanders, executive producer of the legendary 1990s Detroit/Windsor-based hip-hop TV show Kicking Knowledge. From Mississippi roots and snowy …

"Man, I felt taller, lighter — like I lost a burden I didn’t even know I was carrying.” That’s how Ray Stone describes the moment everything changed. In this powerful and provocative Detroit is Different interview, Stone breaks down the realness behind his health journey, the legacy of Detroit’s Black neighborhoods, and the deeper meanings of heali…

"I saw who murdered my son—why won't the justice system believe me?" In this gripping and emotional episode of Detroit is Different, Shamayim "Mama Shu" Harris returns to the studio to share a raw and heartbreaking account of the murder of her son, Chinyelu Humphrey, in the winter of 2021. Mama Shu opens up about the pain of witnessing the crime, t…

"You can't fix what you don't understand, and I understand Detroit because I've lived it." This week on Detroit is Different, Saunteel Jenkins takes the mic and the city into her heart as she opens up about growing up on Joy Road with six kids, one bathroom, and more love than space. “I didn’t even know we were poor,” she laughs, describing a Detro…

"You’ve got to have something you control—and for us, that’s Soul Detroit." Zana Smith, founder of Spectacles Boutique, as she reflects on 41 years of fashion, funk, and fearlessness in Detroit’s ever-changing downtown. In this deep-dive episode of Detroit is Different, Zana opens up about starting on Dexter in the psychedelic '70s, when “we were o…

"If you want to make $100K as a filmmaker, all you need is $11.40 an hour—24 hours a day." That’s the kind of paradigm-shifting wisdom Timashion Jones drops in this electric episode of Detroit is Different. From childhood summers flipping on mattresses in west side alleys to building cinematic masterpieces screened on Tubi and PBS, Timashion shares…

"I came to Detroit and realized—this ain’t a city you read about. This is a city you live." In this Detroit is Different episode, Joshua LaMere unpacks a cultural journey that spans from North Minneapolis to the heart of Highland Park, and what it means to truly fall in love with a city that keeps it real. “Detroiters don’t wait for a crisis to car…

"Are you gonna paint that, or feel that?" Sydney G. James drops that kind of heat in this no-holds-barred Detroit is Different conversation. She brings the stories behind the Blackout Walls, the politics of public art, and the legacy of Black family in Detroit into vivid focus. “People don’t understand—when I painted at MOCAD, folks walked in and s…

“I had to unlearn the industry to remember my soul.” That’s the heartbeat of this Detroit is Different episode featuring Sarah Jane Mark—a fiber artist, educator, and spiritual architect of community healing. In this conversation, Sarah Jane shares her journey from the fast-paced fashion world of Los Angeles to the soulful streets of Detroit, where…

"‘Don’t send me home—I’m in pain.’ That’s what I told the ER doctor. If she hadn’t listened, I probably wouldn’t be here today." Lisa Whitmore Davis sits down in the Detroit is Different studio on Mother's Day and unpacks a journey that touches the soul and strikes a chord in every Detroit family. From her upbringing in Benton Harbor—"We were the o…

"I used to think I had it all together—until I saw my own Facebook post saying I was studying in the library the same semester I failed every class." This brutally honest, powerful, and uplifting Detroit is Different episode features Shawntae Harris Mintline, Detroit Center Director for Grand Valley State University’s OMNI program, who shares her i…

"If you never lived in a beloved community, you'll never know what it's all about." In this powerful and personal episode of Detroit is Different, Coach Kellogg known on the ballot as Kevin Jones—steps into the studio not just as a lifelong Eastsider but as a griot of the neighborhood he loves and serves. From growing up on St. Aubin and Leland to …

"You only sustain a business when your team feels like family and your customers feel like home." In this powerhouse episode of Detroit is Different, entrepreneur and Good Cakes and Bakes founder April Anderson returns to the studio to deliver game like only she can. From rocking Chadsey gear around the Northwestern representer, territory to diving…

“The breath is the spirit, and your diaphragm is the altar.” In this episode of Detroit is Different, Bryce Detroit opens the mic and the mind. From respiratory therapy to rap, ancestral stories from Lexington, Mississippi to Kinston, North Carolina to the East Side of Detroit, Bryce reveals the roots that shaped his revolutionary rhythm. “You know…

"You don't know Detroit 'til you know Vinewood!" In this deeply-rooted, powerful conversation, Victoria Camille takes us on a journey through generational migration, community transformation, and grassroots organizing. From her granddad “Kid Heney” the boxer at Joe Louis Arena, to growing up in River Rouge and Santa Rosa, to facing the harsh realit…

"Supporting your people isn’t always convenient—but it’s powerful.” That’s the gospel according to poet, author, and creator Shaun Moore-Bey. In this soul-stirring Detroit is Different episode, Shaun takes us on a journey from Conant Gardens to the Cass Tech classrooms, from Mississippi family reunions to standing-room-only poetry readings. “I was …

"I never ran for office thinking that I was going to be rich. I already knew. How did I know? Because your dad, my dad, we weren't poor as folks would like to say. Folks don't like to use the word poor anymore. But we weren't in poverty, or we weren't unfortunate in a lot of ways, but we weren't rich. We still had tough times." From family councils…

"I sang before I could talk,” says Steffanie Christi’an, capturing the essence of a voice born in rhythm and raised on soul. In this powerful Detroit is Different interview, Steffanie weaves a narrative of musical lineage rooted in Southfield, church choirs, and impromptu jam sessions with her grandfather who taught her guitar and blues. She reflec…

“My grandmother taught me how to program when I was seven,” Bryan Campbell shares, setting the tone for a story that stretches from East Side Detroit roots to Silicon Valley boardrooms. In this powerful Detroit is Different interview, Bryan opens up about hacking school systems as a teenager, building websites for Michigan State before they even kn…

“An abandoned house is not an abandoned house unless I see it as that.” In this soul-stirring Detroit is Different interview, Kim Sherobbi reflects on her lifelong commitment to community, tracing her purpose from childhood fashion shows on Bethune Street to founding the Birwood House as a space of radical love and collective leadership. Guided by …

“You can’t put love into a house you don’t own.” That one quote encapsulates the spirit of Ken Elkins’ journey, vision, and mission as founder of Renewed. In this powerful Detroit is Different interview, Ken speaks truth to the generational impact of housing instability, sharing how growing up in a series of rentals shaped his understanding of prid…

"We are not here for ourselves—we are here for other people. Period." These words from Orena Perry don't just summarize her perspective—they declare her purpose. Her story, like so many rooted in Detroit, is a vibrant blend of faith, family, and fearless entrepreneurship. From her great-grandmother’s home on Calvert to the stages of Jazz on the Bou…

“You all live in the realm of impossibility because you’ve been conditioned by Western society to understand why a thing is not possible. Unlike you, my friends, I live in the realm of the impossible.” In this rich and deeply introspective episode of the Detroit is Different podcast, community organizer and cultural educator Raúl Echevarría shares …

We need to be healed as a community.” Krystal Larsosa, co-founder of the Black Marriage Movement, sits down to share an intimate and powerful journey rooted in love, healing, and transformation through marriage. Raised on the same Detroit block where she met her now-husband Jasahn at age 12, Krystal opens up about the realness of growing into woman…

"The gift of God to us in marriage is that it perfects our love." In this powerful second installment of the Black Marriage Movement series, Jasahn Larsosa shares an emotionally resonant reflection on what it means to grow as a man, a husband, and a father within the framework of love, commitment, and community. Joined in life and purpose by his wi…

“You know Detroit is about the look, the feel, it’s a Detroit essence to the culture.” That essence radiates through Jessica Blair, the visionary behind Jessica Blair Beauty, a proudly Black-owned beauty supply store in the heart of Rosedale Park on Grand River. From learning hair care in her grandmother’s community-rooted home on Blaine Street to …

“God said, give 'em drum machines—and see what happens.” That’s the dream Mike Huckaby shared, and it’s the heartbeat of God Said Give 'Em Drum Machines, the acclaimed documentary by Detroit filmmaker Kristian Hill that restores techno’s true story—deeply rooted in Black Detroit creativity, culture, and resilience. “We had a grocery store on Hastin…

“I told my mama, ‘I want to take my dad to school,’ and she said, ‘Pick a man you like.’ I said, ‘Richard Pryor.’ She said, ‘All right, that’s your daddy.’” That’s how Spanky Hayes kicks off a raw, hilarious, and deeply Detroit story in his Detroit is Different interview. From dodging gang members in LA while wearing a bloody borrowed T-shirt, to h…

"My mother said, 'You are what you say.'" Kalimah Johnson—also known on Detroit’s hip hop scene as the legendary emcee Nikki D—graces the Detroit is Different studio with a life story that echoes through generations, cultures, and communities. This deeply moving and powerful episode journeys through Kalimah's evolution from North End storyteller an…

"This record is somebody's pathway to not jumping off that ledge." With that profound truth, Maurice “Piranhahead” Herd ushers listeners into a sonic and spiritual odyssey on Detroit is Different. A master craftsman of music and energy, Piranhahead unpacks how his Mississippi roots led through Muskegon to Detroit’s east side, eventually shaping a g…

“Detroit deserves to be known for its spirit—grit, grind, hustle, love.” With this rallying cry, mayoral candidate Jonathan Barlow sat down with Detroit is Different for a powerful, deeply rooted conversation that stretched far beyond politics and into the soul of a city. From the foundational lessons of his grandfather, Reverend Joseph B. Barlow—a…

“When I said I wanted to bring horses to Linwood, people started clapping before I could even finish the sentence.” David Silver’s journey from Westchester County, New York to Detroit’s 12th Street-Davidson area is anything but typical—but it's also exactly what makes his work with Detroit Horse Power so impactful. On this episode of Detroit is Dif…

In this powerful two-part conversation, Detroit is Different welcomes Carlos Nielbock—master craftsman, historian, and visionary artist—to explore his transatlantic journey of forging identity through the skilled trades. “I'm a child of occupation,” Carlos begins, recounting how he was born in Germany to a Black American GI and a German mother, in …

In this special two-part Detroit is Different episode, we dive into Forging Identity: The Story of Carlos Nielbock with Dr. Paul J. Draus, a University of Michigan-Dearborn sociology professor whose Detroit journey began back in 2005. “We first met Carlos through his creations,” Draus recalls, describing towering windmills and ornate gates built fr…

"I just took time for myself," says Ra'Marie, reflecting on the transformative journey that led her from childhood trauma to community healing. In this powerful Detroit is Different interview, Ra'Marie opens up about growing up on Fenkell, surviving instability, and rediscovering purpose through self-reflection. "I was born and raised in Detroit, s…

"If we don’t tell our stories, who will? And if they do, will they tell it right?" — This question grounds the work of Marcia Black, a powerful cultural steward who’s leading the charge at Black Bottom Archives, celebrating 10 years of preserving and honoring Black Detroit’s legacy. In this Detroit is Different podcast, Marcia shares how her passio…

In this powerful Detroit is Different podcast episode, Officer Yahaira Gomez shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey from Guadalajara, Jalisco, to the heart of Southwest Detroit, painting a rich portrait of how her life, family, and cultural roots led her to serve as a Detroit Police officer. Her story intertwines immigrant perseverance, m…

From the spark of curiosity ignited in Detroit to the cultural epicenter of Atlanta, Darralynn Hutson has been scripting stories since “my first article was written in 1990 in the 1900s,” she jokes, weaving words with love and purpose across decades. “I've been writing for over 25 years on Black culture. I love it.” And that passion first bloomed w…

"You stay vibrant, you stay young, you stay healthy by participating in the life that's going on around you." On this episode of Detroit is Different, we sit down with the incomparable Theo Broughton, a true pillar of Detroit’s Black political and cultural community. As the co-founder of Hood Research, Theo has spent decades shaping political aware…

"Hate pushed me to leave the South, but love brought me to Detroit." In this electrifying episode of Detroit is Different, we sit down with powerhouse attorney, political strategist, and self-proclaimed vanguard of the New Great Migration, Thomaesa Bailey. From her roots in Eatonton, Georgia—home of literary icon Alice Walker—to making waves in Det…

"Our problem was never just the pothole—our problem is that we don’t control the decision-making process that determines whether the pothole gets fixed." In a time when Black leadership is under attack, Detroit is standing strong with Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. This special Detroit is Different show introduces you to a leader …

“We are in relationship with each other, and the perception of cultural difference is just a perception,” Angelique Power. In this thought-provoking episode of Detroit is Different, Angelique Power, President & CEO of the Skillman Foundation, sits down with Kari Frazier for a deep dive into the evolution of education, community organizing, and the …

"I know I'm not the only one that enjoys taking sexy photos, and I know I'm not the only one that may avoid it because of unwanted behavior." Photographer Bryana Williams takes us on a journey through her artistic evolution, from childhood violin recitals to finding her purpose behind the lens. In this engaging episode, Bryana shares how her passio…

"I never saw myself working for anybody as a kid. I said, ‘I want to be a celebrity. I don’t want to work for nobody.’" Imani Elie turned her love for travel into a thriving business, Detroit Travel Co., and in this episode, she shares her incredible journey from Detroit’s east side to the Navy, traveling the world, and finally building her own tra…

"I just want to add creativity and let it be okay to be your damn self." Detroit's own Mr. Cliffnote is a force in the world of art, music, and comedy, weaving together raw talent with an unapologetic authenticity that defines true creativity. In this in-depth conversation, he shares his journey from sketchbooks and rap notebooks as an only child t…

"When you set out to heal the world, you realize that you yourself have healing to do.” In this Detroit is Different episode, Dr. Demarra West, founder of Rest Like a Queen Retreat & Day Retreats in Detroit, shares her journey of self-discovery, purpose, and community impact. Having moved to Detroit just eight months ago, she reflects on how the ci…

"If You Don’t Own Land, You Don’t Own Power." Ownership is the key to generational wealth, but in Detroit, that power is constantly under attack. From over-assessed property taxes to deed fraud and predatory real estate schemes, Black Detroiters are losing land—and with it, the foundation of community stability and wealth-building. In this powerful…

"Detroit is more than a city—it’s a movement, a rhythm, a story waiting to be told." In a media landscape where legacy outlets are losing their grip and independent voices are rising, Detroit is Different brings you the raw, unfiltered stories that shape the culture and politics of the city. This episode features journalist Sam Robinson, a writer w…