"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 the nerd with a hundred X-Men toys, making up universes,” Shaun recalls. But his imagination and deep ancestral lessons from his grandfather—"Jesus is...
May 15, 2025•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 117
"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 and tech legacies to state politics and AI innovations, Fred Durhal III’s life is a masterclass in leadership forged through Detroit's unique cultura...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Season 6Ep. 116
"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 reflects on her time at Aisha Shule, calling it "one of the most enlightening and enriching experiences in my life," and opens up about the real grind behin...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 115
“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 knew what email was, and becoming a key engineer behind ad systems that generated billions at Google. With family ties to tech pioneers and civil rights...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Season 6Ep. 114
“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 a lineage of powerful Black women like her grandmother Lula White—"block club president for real"—and shaped by organizers like Ron Scott and the Bogg...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 113
“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 pride, permanence, and purpose. From his early days in Saginaw, working at Chuck E. Cheese and joining the Navy Reserves just to find a path to college, t...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Season 6Ep. 112
"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 Boulevard and the halls of Redford High, Orena’s life journey has been one of intention, perseverance, and spiritual grounding. “I’ve always been a serva...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Season 6Ep. 111
“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 a powerful narrative of transformation, memory, and resistance through his journey from Chicago's Puerto Rican Humboldt Park to Detroit's vibrant but ...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Season 6Ep. 110
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 womanhood in the heart of the city, the impact of protection and stability in relationships, and the vision she and Jasahn share for healing Black families...
Apr 23, 2025•44 min•Season 6Ep. 109
"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 wife, Krystal Larsosa, Jasahn unpacks the complex journey from his early ideals shaped by television portrayals of Black family life to the real-world m...
Apr 23, 2025•45 min•Season 6Ep. 108
“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 launching her own store after midnight shifts in psych hospitals, Jessica's journey is one of resilience and intention. “It sounded crazy, but I felt ...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 6Ep. 107
“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 Hastings Street. My grandfather ran numbers,” Hill recalls, grounding his storytelling in generations of Detroit legacy, from his grandmother Mabel White te...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 39 min•Season 6Ep. 106
“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 his Cuban roots in Havana where “it’s like being in 1984,” Spanky brings humor and heart. His reflections on Hollywood hit just as powerfully: “To be a...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 105
"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 and spoken word champion to founder and CEO of SASHA Center, Detroit’s leading resource for sexual assault healing centered on Black women. "Hip hop pre...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Season 6Ep. 104
"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 global funk and house music legacy rooted in community and Black excellence. From making cassette deck beats as a kid to orchestrating full string arra...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 103
“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 pastor turned community pillar in Ecorse during the turbulent years of Detroit’s rebellion—to the political tutelage under Rev. Dr. Fred Sampson at T...
Apr 10, 2025•50 min•Season 6Ep. 102
“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 Different, Silver reflects on a life shaped by horses, privilege, and a growing awareness of inequity. “I grew up in a bubble,” he admits, describing his...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 46 min•Season 6Ep. 101
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 a time when their union was illegal. At 24, he came to Detroit seeking his father and instead discovered “a kinship with everybody I encountered” and ...
Apr 03, 2025•35 min•Season 6Ep. 100
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 from salvaged materials on Detroit’s east side that sparked a friendship and a story worth telling. This episode traces Draus’s own path from Chicago to...
Apr 03, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 99
"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, so my whole life, so I'm rooted in Detroit. This is my city." From family dinners at grandma's to her mother’s addiction and her own battles with anger...
Apr 03, 2025•26 min•Season 6Ep. 98
"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 passion was sparked by early roots in environmental justice organizing through EMEAC, where she witnessed the brilliance and resilience of Black women leadi...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Season 6Ep. 97
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, military discipline from her time in the Marine Corps, and a passion for building stronger family and community connections through service. Raised in ...
Mar 27, 2025•58 min•Season 6Ep. 96
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 when a young Darralynn immersed herself in magazines like The Source, saying, “How else can you find out about who’s the king of New York hip hop?” Her...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 6Ep. 95
"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 awareness, fostering community engagement, and preserving Black history in the city. From Harlem’s jazz era—where her father played saxophone with Duke Ell...
Mar 19, 2025•55 min•Season 6Ep. 94
"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 Detroit’s political scene, Thomaesa shares her passionate journey of advocacy, civic engagement, and Black political power. She’s not just talking policy...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 93
"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 who has carried the torch of self-determination, justice, and empowerment from Detroit to Jackson. Facing politically motivated charges, Mayor Lumumba...
Mar 13, 2025•51 min•Season 6Ep. 92
“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 intersection of systems that shape young people’s futures. From her South Side Chicago roots, where activism was as common as dinner table debates...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 44 min•Season 6Ep. 91
"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 passion for photography led her to create a safe, empowering space for women through boudoir photography. We dive into her family's deep Detroit roots, her ...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 90
"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 travel agency. From navigating military life on an aircraft carrier to mastering the art of curating unforgettable travel experiences, Imani takes us thr...
Mar 06, 2025•56 min•Season 6Ep. 89
"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 to airbrushing murals that became landmarks in the city. From sharpening his pen game in Detroit’s battle rap and comedy scenes to building a sustainab...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 88
