Authentically Detroit

On the eve of the 2024 Election Day, Donna and Orlando sat down with the Executive Director of Building Community Value (BCV), Chase Cantrell. BCV is a Detroit-based non-profit organization dedicated to equipping residents with tools to shape their neighborhoods. They recently announced the launch of their first-ever online course, “Real Estate Development: Building Value in Your Community.” Hoste...

This week Guest Host Chase Cantrell joined Orlando to discuss politics in Detroit, Michigan, and at a National level. Together, the duo shined a light on critical issues impacting women's health, particularly breast cancer patients. Jenna Wright, co-president of the Shades of Pink Foundation shared insights about the patient journey and the foundation's mission to ease the financial burd...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with the Executive Director of Umoja Debate League, Jerjuan Howard to discuss his trip to Ghana with 15 Detroit students! Umoja Debate League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses debate as the vehicle to teach Detroit youth ages 11-18 transferable life skills, such as critical thinking, confidence, conflict resolution, increased literacy, and self-e...

This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Aisha J. Morrell Ferguson, Chief Development Officer at COTS Detroit and the founders of Black Tech Saturdays Alexa and Johnnie Turnage Alexa and Johnnie Turnage are visionary leaders dedicated to reshaping the landscape of technology and fostering inclusivity. As the co-founders of Black Tech Saturdays, they have pioneered a groundbreaking movement aimed...

This week Donna and Orlando sat down with Bernadette Atuahene of the Coalition for Property Tax Justice, to discuss their recent win, getting homes worth under $40,000 removed from the foreclosure list! Founded in 2017, the Coalition for Property Tax Justice is a collective of several long-standing Detroit grassroots organizations formed to accomplish three goals: Stop unconstitutional property ta...

In July, Donna and Orlando became the first podcast to ever grace the African World Festival! Bryce Detroit joined the duo on stage to discuss his ‘ Hood Closed to Gentrifiers ’ campaign in light of events and news stories coming out of the city. They also spoke with Kevin Davidson, Director of Design and Fabrication for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History to learn more about...

This week Donna and Orlando sat down with Researcher and Policy Advocate, Amber Hendley to discuss her fight to reclaim her grandfather’s church! Amber is an accomplished researcher and policy advocate, known for her work in fair lending, wealth creation, and financial systems reform, particularly focusing on Black outcomes. During her childhood, Amber and her mother resided in Detroit alongside h...

This week Donna and Orlando sat down with Interdisciplinary Artist, Halima Cassells and Founder of Sidewalk Detroit, Ryan Meyers-Johnson! Together, they discussed a collaborative art installation at Eliza Howell Park that teaches people about the impact of microplastics on the environment and the importance of sustainable practices for keeping our earth clean. Sidewalk Detroit is an organization w...

This week Donna and Orlando sat down with the Author of the Natural Hair Dictionary, Mo Williams. Mo Williams, founder of Such a Natural, a Black-owned hair salon in Metro Detroit, authored and published the world’s first ever Natural Hair Dictionary® , a new book that defines exactly what natural hair and hairstyles are. As a sequential reference guide, The Natural Hair Dictionary’s: Natural Hair...

This week, the organizers of the Afro Nation Festival plus a group of Detroiters who worked together to create an equitable development framework joined Authentically Detroit! Donna and Orlando sat down with Smade - Co-founder of Afro Nation Festival, Josh Koram - Festival organizer/Lead Talent Booker, and Essosa - Festival organizer/ Communications and Social Manager. Together they discussed this...

Last week Authentically Detroit pulled up to Next Chapter Books for a book club discussion! Donna and Orlando were joined by a live audience inside of the family-owned bookstore on Detroit’s east side. Tananarive Due is an award-winning author who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA. A leading voice in Black speculative fiction for more than 20 years, Due has won an American Book Award,...

The Business of Food in Detroit with Marcus Reliford Jr. and W.E. Da’Cruz This week Donna and Orlando traveled to the Eastern Market for a live podcast featuring Business Strategist, Marcus Reliford Jr. and CEO of The Mushroom Angel Company, W.E. Da’Cruz. The conversation titled, ‘From Incubation to Acceleration: Stories of Scaling a Food Business,’ is part of a larger series where industry vetera...

This week Donna and Orlando returned to the studio after a brief hiatus to catch up on everything that’s happened in the city and their lives! The dynamic duo covers everything from the Ford Fireworks debacle, the Riverfront Conservatory Scandal, to the growing housing crisis in the city.  They also introduce the Detroit Playlist Live, a monthly music series co-produced by Authentically Detroit an...

This week Donna and Orlando spoke with the youth of the Vaulted Youth Voices Podcast Program - Alex, Charles, Corey, and Faith - about current events in the city and how they feel about the new Detroit.  Vaulted Youth Voices is a podcasting program for high school students interested in the intersection of community organizing and media. Youth participants meet for biweekly sessions where they lea...

This week Donna and Orlando spoke with Darell “Red” Campbell Jr. about The Yunion’s Keys 2 Life (K2L) performing arts summer camp, offering youth the opportunity to learn with some of Detroit’s most experienced musicians, mentors, instructors, and industry professionals. The program's director, Darell "Red" Campbell Jr., is a platinum, stellar--award winning producer, musician, song...

This week Cindy Eggleton, co-founder and CEO of Brilliant Detroit sat down with Donna and Guest Host Chase Cantrell to discuss how they’re improving literacy rates while tackling blight! Since 2016, Eggleton has guided Brilliant Detroit’s growth through its community-led approach. Her leadership has propelled the organization to 18 neighborhoods by transforming a house in need of repair into a cre...

This week Drake Phifer of Urban Organic joined Orlando and Guest Host Kat Stafford to discuss the 6th Annual Detroit Diaspora Day Party.  Urban Organic Arts and Culture company was founded in 2001. They curate events and promote visual, cinematic and performing artists.   This Sunday, May 26th, they will host their 6th Annual Diaspora Day Party. This vibrant event will showcase an exceptional line...

This week Donna and Orlando sat down with Michelle Renaud, the founder of Urban Solace to discuss the importance of mental and physical health! As a Detroit native, Michelle sought to improve access to quality health education and wellness programming within her community - through Urban Wellness Group, which was founded in 2001 and has offered mobile corporate programming and community fitness in...

This week, DiAnna Solomon of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA) joined Donna at The Stoudamire to share news of their Health Care Taskforce! The DAAA is a nonprofit agency that serves older persons, adults with disabilities, and caregivers residing in Detroit, Hamtramck, Harper Woods, Highland Park & the 5 Grosse Pointes. They are one of 16 Area Agencies on Aging in the state of Michigan...

There’s no NFL Draft in the city without Authentically Detroit! In honor of the NFL Draft in Detroit we welcomed Charity Dean of the Michigan Black Business Alliance (MBBA) plus NFL power couple, Channing and Aja Crowder! Charity walked our hosts through how the NFL partnered with the MBBA to make sure Black Businesses in Detroit weren’t left out of the economic boom brought by the draft and also...

This week, Stefen Welch joined Donna and Orlando in the studio to discuss his journey as a leader, role with the Detroit Pistons, and the war on DEI. Stefen Welch serves as vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. A Detroit native, Welch focuses on the team’s strategy to attract and acquire diverse talent, professional development opportunities for em...

This week, Rick Sperling and Nafeesah Symonette joined Donna and Orlando in the studio to discuss the Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA) Launch Awards. The Launch Awards are a transformative opportunity for creative youth in Detroit, created by DEYA in collaboration with the Detroit Youth Arts Provider Network. The microgrants are specifically tailored to fill gaps in artistic development, ma...

This week Chase Cantrell joined Authentically Detroit as guest host and Akil Talley, Lanay Gilbert-Williams, and Malik Yakini of the Detroit People’s Food Co-Op gave a sneak peek into how they’re changing Detroit’s food ecosystem. Opening on May 1st, the Detroit People’s Food Co-Op is a Black-led and community-owned grocery cooperative. Following a model developed throughout the world as a way to...

This week Authentically Detroit sat down with nurse and life coach, Patrice Wilson-Graham! Charity Dean joined Orlando as guest host for our final celebration of the women making history in the city of Detroit. Born and raised on Detroit’s east side, from a young age, Patrice faced challenges that would break even the strongest of spirits.  However, armed with a desire to prove her doubters wrong,...

Last November Khary Frazier, Co-Host and Founder of the Detroit Is Different podcast, joined us on Authentically Detroit. So, it’s only right that Donna and Orlando joined him on his show! Detroit is Different is known for exploring guests, Detroit story, or how they and/or their family came to be in Detroit. On this episode, Donna shared her family’s Detroit story, dating back to the early 1900s....