Detroit is Different

“We hung in there, man. We got some of the best clients that I could ever ask for.” That powerful reflection from Pierre Roberson captures the heart of a conversation about vision, resilience, and the courage to build something bigger than yourself. In this Detroit is Different episode, Pierre shares the journey from growing up in Detroit to becoming an accomplished architect before taking the lea...

“Honestly, I am blessed. What up Doe?” That joyful introduction sets the tone for an unforgettable conversation with AJ Williams , a journalist and storyteller whose words have helped shape Black culture while remaining grounded in the lessons of family, migration, and Detroit. From reflecting on being “used to asking the questions” to tracing her roots from Newark to Chicago and ultimately Detroi...

"You won't even be trying to laugh and it's like damn he got me." That quote perfectly captures the genius of Detroit comedy legend Foolish as he joins Detroit is Different for a conversation that is equal parts hilarious, historical, and deeply reflective. From memories of knowing Khary Frazier before Detroit is Different, when he was immersed in hip hop, to stories from BET Comic View,...

"I am really humble I'm used to being the person asking all the questions" is how Tunesia Turner opens this unforgettable Detroit is Different conversation, revealing the curiosity, confidence, and purpose that have shaped her journey as an entrepreneur, singer, actress, and cultural leader. From memories of her grandmother's home in Southwest Detroit to stories of growing up in Royal Oa...

“There was Detroit before Coleman Young and after Coleman Young and they’re two different cities.” That powerful reflection from Khary Turner sets the tone for a conversation that moves effortlessly from laughter to legacy, reminding us that the stories we tell shape the future we build. What begins with the hilarious reality of the two Khary's constantly being mistaken for one another evolves int...

"I am Detroit. My people still live here... and I'll be buried in Detroit soil." That declaration sets the tone for one of the most heartfelt conversations ever shared on Detroit is Different as Marsha Carter reflects on the Eastside neighborhoods, family roots, and church upbringing that shaped her life long before audiences knew her as a celebrated spoken word artist. Growing up betwee...

"I wasn't just collecting artifacts—I was protecting the evidence that Black people have always defined ourselves." That reflection from Dr. Khalid el-Hakim anchors one of the most profound conversations ever recorded on Detroit is Different. Long before earning his doctorate, Dr. el-Hakim was rescuing books, photographs, newspapers, flyers, artwork, and priceless artifacts that many dis...

"Sports is not the only way for us to get through some of our problems, but it is a vehicle." That lesson, shared with Leland Stein III by legendary Georgetown University coach John Thompson, anchors this compelling Detroit is Different conversation about journalism, legacy, and the power of Black storytelling. While his foundation was built in Detroit through institutions like the West...

“I just grew up thinking that was normal.” For John Sloan III , a childhood surrounded by music, theater, and Detroit's rich cultural traditions became the foundation for a life dedicated to using the performing arts as a tool for transformation. In this episode of Detroit is Different, John reflects on a career that has taken him from the stage as an actor to directing, producing, choreographing,...

"I'm trying to put a beacon out so I can find my people." That powerful declaration from Lauren Hood captures the heart of this Detroit is Different conversation—a thoughtful exploration of belonging, leadership, and what it means to build community without sacrificing your peace. Recorded on the Fourth of July, this episode opens with reflections on Frederick Douglass and the enduring t...

"The vision is bigger than the no.” Amber Ewing , Director and Executive Producer of *Cooking with Comedians Challenge*, brings a Detroit story rooted in family, art, womanhood, and the will to create anyway. In this Detroit is Different conversation, Amber shares how her imagination was shaped by Rosedale Park, Detroit schools she calls “the original HBCUs,” DSA, Oakland University, and the...

“People call lawyers not because they want to, because they need them when they have a problem.” Mayor Byron Nolen’s Detroit is Different conversation reveals how his success in law became the foundation for his public leadership in Inkster. With no lawyers in his family and no law firm pipeline before law school, Nolen built his career through study, courtroom discipline, and hustle, first taking...

“The idea that things can fundamentally be better—and that we can make that happen—is what pulled me into organizing.” On this Detroit is Different episode, Chris Gilmer-Hill , candidate for Michigan State House District 8, connects his campaign to family history, Black Detroit memory, and years of grassroots political work. He traces his roots from his great-grandmother Annabelle coming from Loui...

“Resources have been taken from the bottom and funneled up to the top.” Theo Pride , Organizing & Fiscal Operations Manager of Detroit People’s Platform and founding member of Detroiters for Tax Justice, returns to Detroit is Different with the kind of grounded political clarity that gives listeners “some game.” Recorded on Juneteenth, this conversation moves through Detroit’s past, present, a...

“I got the best of both worlds, country and as well as Detroit.” Tia Graham , co-host of WDET 101.9 FM’s 'The Metro,' brings that layered truth into this Detroit is Different conversation, tracing her family’s journey from Alabama and Arkansas to Detroit, where factory work, survival, and community shaped generations. From her grandfather “fleeing the Klan” to her Joy Rd upbringing near Exit 9, Ti...

“As a lawyer, I have to be tough—but as a mom, I balance that with my soft approach.” Attorney Renette L. Jackson , founder of Legally Mom and author of Act Like a Teen, Think Like a Lawyer, brings fire, wisdom, and Detroit-rooted love into this powerful Detroit is Different conversation. With “at least five” generations tied to the city, Jackson traces her story through veterans, nurses, Northwes...

“If you don’t have a strong foundation, that whole thing sooner or later is going to fall down.” Detroit City Council President James Tate returns to Detroit is Different for a grounded, candid conversation about the patience, pressure, and politics behind neighborhood transformation. From his early campaign days in 2009 to now serving as Council President, Tate reflects on how public leadership d...

“Food is a tough business,” and Chef Ederique Goudia, founder of In the Business of Food, steps into Detroit is Different to show why love for cooking must meet licensing, safety, strategy, and community care. Known as Chef E, she breaks down how Eastern Market, the Incubator Kitchen, and her workshops support everyone from “a food truck, a lemonade stand or a chain of restaurants” to entrepreneur...

“I am a lifelong Eastsider. I was born, raised, educated, and I still live on the East Side of Detroit.” Toinu Reeves , Michigan State Senate candidate for District 3, joins Detroit is Different with a story rooted in neighborhood, family, and economic vision. From being born at Hutzel Hospital to growing up near Mack and Chrysler, from Bates Academy to deep family roots in Jefferson Chalmers, Ree...

“I came here from her love an spirit of Detroit”—that truth opens a powerful Detroit is Different conversation with Yelena Ramautar , Community Engager for the Caribbean Community Service Center, about migration, belonging, memory, and the work required to truly become part of a community. Yelena traces her journey from Guyana to the Bronx, then to Detroit in 2015 after her adoptive mother told he...

“You carry this brilliance in you—this is something that’s in your DNA.” In this moving Detroit is Different conversation, Tiara Jones , owner of Black Beautiful & Brilliant, shares how love, grief, family, and purpose shaped her decision to continue the brand created by her late husband. Tiara traces her roots from Inkster to Alabama, connecting her family’s Great Migration story and the trau...

“Sometimes people think that because it don’t happen overnight, they’re not doing well… keep going. Don’t stop.” In this powerful Detroit is Different conversation, Rev. Alonzo Bell , Executive Director of The Redeem Team, traces a life shaped by East Side Detroit, faith, family, discipline, and the long work of community service. Bell takes listeners from his family’s Arkansas roots and Black Bot...

“I didn’t want to be any attorney. I wanted to be a second chance attorney for our people,” Jade Mathis shares in a Detroit is Different conversation that moves from Black Bottom ancestry to courtroom advocacy and City Hall leadership. Jade’s Detroit story begins with grandparents who migrated from Little Rock and Tuscaloosa during the Great Migration, met in Black Bottom, and built family roots o...

“Literally all of the creative gifts I have come from him.” Brittini Ward brings that truth into Detroit is Different with a conversation rooted in lineage, love, and the music that raises us. From tracing her family’s migration through Kentucky, Arkansas, Jackson, Mississippi, Parkside, Six Mile, Palmer Park, and Sherwood Forest, Brittini shows how “this creativity, this movement, this dance, thi...

“Detroit is a very special place… the Mecca for Pan-African thought and action.” Baba Mike Anderson, citizen of the Republic of New Afrika, joins Detroit is Different for a powerful episode recorded on Malcolm X Day rooted in Black liberation, memory, and movement. Baba Mike carries us from his North End childhood on John R, where “you didn’t have to leave the neighborhood,” into the political fir...