Authentically Detroit

The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson! Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season. On this episode, Reverend Larry Simmons rejo...

Last week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Mary Sheffield to discuss her vision for Detroit’s future. This episode is the fourth in a series of interviews with candidates in the race for Detroit’s 76th mayor. Mary Sheffield is a native Detroiter with a demonstrated track record of service,  empowerment and leadership in the community. Currently serving as the City Council President, Mary has earne...

The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson! Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season. On this episode, they are joined by the Dire...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Fred Durhal III to discuss his vision for Detroit’s future. This episode is the third in a series of interviews with candidates in the race for Detroit’s 76th mayor. Fred Durhal III is a Detroit City Councilmember, representing District 7 since 2021. He also serves as the Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Standing Committee and Vice-chair of the Pla...

The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million  presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson! Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season. On this episode, they are joined by author,...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Saunteel Jenkins to discuss her vision for Detroit’s future. This episode is the second in a series of interviews with candidates in the race for Detroit’s 76th mayor. Saunteel Jenkins is a lifelong Detroiter, former Detroit City Council President, gun violence prevention advocate, and former CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW), where she kept families...

The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson! Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season. On this episode, they are joined by communit...

This week Donna and Orlando hosted a live episode at the  Stoudamire Wellness Hub with Yodit Mesfin Johnson, the President and CEO of Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW) to discuss navigating the new normal. Utilizing facts published by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, they define the new normal as the dismantling of our government’s systems and institutions. Together, they come up with p...

The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson! Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season. On this episode, they are joined by Kamau Cl...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Cartographer and founder of Detroitography , Alex B. Hill to discuss how data-driven neighborhood classification aids in the discrimination of Detroiters.  Detroitography is a project started by Alex to bring together Detroit cartographers and their work. In 2021, he wrote that although over the past decade, redlining has received increased attention in p...

The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million present: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson! The purpose of this podcast is to encourage Detroit's citizens to stay vigilant in the fight for justice and equality, with a special call to action for Black Detroit. We seek to build awareness of our history as a...

This episode marks the first in a series of interviews with candidates in the race for Detroit’s 76th mayor. First up, Donna and Orlando sit down with Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. to discuss his vision for Detroit’s future. Rev. Solomon Kinloch, Jr., was born to the late Solomon, Sr. and Janie Kinloch on July 28, 1973.He has been a minister since the age of 14, beginning under the tutelage of rev. Rob...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Ebony Walls and Anne Marie Veneroni of Big Brothers Big Sisters to discuss their upcoming annual event and Imani Elie, the founder of The Detroit Travel Company (DTC) to discuss how she’s revolutionizing the way people think about travel.  The Detroit Travel Company was created in December 2016 by Detroit native and Navy veteran, Imani Elie. Created as a...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Vaulted Youth Voices participant, Kenneth Russell and the curator for Umoja Fine Arts to discuss the Youth Artist Workshop, an initiative dedicated to celebrating African American creativity.  Kenneth Russell is a young artist and sophomore at Southeastern High School who has been learning to combine his artistic background with civic engagement through t...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Sam Robinson, independent journalist and founder of Detroit one million, to discuss Michigan’s Democratic Convention plus the Mayoral and City Council races! The trio discussed Sam’s insights about the convention and the implications for Detroit’s residents and leadership. Together, they explore the future of Detroit’s governance and how it will impact th...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with journalist Aaron Mondry and the President and CEO of The Operations School or “OSchool,” Racheal Allen.  Launched in 2019 by serial entrepreneur and nonprofit executive Racheal Allen, OSchool serves more than 1,200 students per year free of charge, helping them get their businesses legal, branded, operational, noticed, profitable, and ready to scale.  All...

This week, Donna and Orlando took an opportunity to catch up with each other on current events local and nationwide! Detroit's current political landscape is buzzing with anticipation as the mayoral race heats up, with key candidates vying for the position amid pressing social issues and community needs.  This discussion highlights the desire for compassionate leadership and deeper engagement...

Authentically Detroit presents a special interview with Detroit-born director and writer, Lawrence Lamont! Lawrence Lamont got his start shooting music videos for Grammy-Nominated Artist, Big Sean. Previously Lawrence directed multiple episodes of HBOMax's Rap Sh!t Season 1 and 2, produced by HOORAE Productions. He also completed a pilot for HBOMax and shot the Detroit Pistons branding campai...

This week, Donna was joined by guest host Dwan Dandridge and Marc Alexander, the founder of Lite Tuition. Together, they discuss the transformative potential of economic solidarity and the strategic navigation of social circles to overcome systemic obstacles. Marc’s story is a testament to the collaborative spirit that can drive significant social change. In 2009, Marc Alexander was a senior at Ke...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Sarah Alvarez, the founder and editor-at-large of Outlier Media, to discuss their groundbreaking SMS System. Sarah Alvarez, the visionary force behind Outlier Media, believes the best local reporting is a service that responds directly to community needs and reduces harm. In 2016, Outlier Media began as a “Txt Outlier” a texting service delivering critica...

This week, Donna and guest host Chase Cantrell sat down with the founders of Detroit Mulch, Brooke & Casey Oberg plus multi-talented artist, Megan Kashat. Brooke and Casey started Detroit Mulch with the mission of recycling trees as sustainably and efficiently as possible, while creating local jobs in the process! Together, they’re transforming Detroit’s landscape in an innovative and eco-frie...

This week, Donna and Orlando held the final book club meeting of 2024 with celebrated poet, author, and cultural arts curator, jessica Care moore to discuss her impactful work, “We Want Our Bodies Back.”  An award-winning poet, recording artist, book publisher, activist, cultural arts curator, and filmmaker, jessica is executive producer and founder of Black WOMEN Rock! - Daughters of Betty, a 20-...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with the Founder of Be Well Beautiful People Demarra West to talk about her story of overcoming trauma and building a supportive community for those who need it most! Be Well Beautiful People is a 501c3 organization with a deep-seated commitment to bridging significant gaps in accessible healing and liberation support while disrupting systems that cause harm....

This week, Orlando sat down with the Executive Director of SHARE Detroit , Janette Phillips and the Executive Director of Black Artists Archive, Dr. Kelli Morgan to discuss innovative strategies for nonprofit fundraising and fostering a nurturing environment where Black artists can thrive.  The mission at Black Artists Archive is to dismantle conventional art history by highlighting the experience...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with the Founder and Executive Director of What About Us Inc., Tammara Howard and, a rising star in Detroit’s music scene, Niko Noir Together, they unpacked the emotional aftermath of the 2024 Election while navigating how love and hope can sustain us in uncertain times. Community organizing takes center stage as they dissect varying political narratives and t...