The Metro: Black history is Detroit’s history
Today on The Metro, we’re looking at what Black history means to the city of Detroit.
Three boys, identities unknown, pose in front of a five and dime store in Detroit’s Near East Side. The area includes the Brush Park, Paradise Valley, and Black Bottom neighborhoods, 1930s-1940s.
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It’s Black History Month, and we want to recognize that Detroit is one of few cities in the country with a majority Black population, and with Black people in powerful positions.
Black Americans today still face major systemic obstacles. In the face of that adversity, Black leaders and thinkers are still finding ways to uplift the community and envision a future where Black people can thrive.
Today on The Metro, we’re looking at what Black history means to the city of Detroit.
Guests:
Roy E. Finkenbine: History professor and department co-chair at University of Detroit Mercy. He’s also the director of the Black Abolitionist Archive.
Lauren Hood: Professor of practice in urban planning at the University of Michigan. She is also the founder of the Institute for AfroUrbanism, an action lab working at the intersection of Black aspiration and community transformation.
More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 19, 2025:
- It’s been 60 years since a pivotal moment in the fight for equality in America. In March 1965, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led protestors on a three-day, 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Marchers were met with violence by Alabama State Troopers. The appalling scene was broadcast on live television on what is now called “Bloody Sunday.” To reflect on this historical moment, we’re joined by Vice President of the Brennan Center for Justice Kareem Crayton.
- Tomorrow night is the final instalment of the Love@Nite:The Sun Inside series. The evening is sponsored by local non-profit Arts and Scraps and audiences can expect live soulful performances from three local artists. Executive Director Kwaku Osei joins the show to talk about the event.
- The 7th annual Rags $2 Riches fashion show wants to highlight thrifted clothes, give them a high-end twist and show you can still look fly in second hand apparel. Founder of the show Stephanie Bedell joins the show.
- One WDET listener is desperate to know if Gen Z knows about one of the greats of Detroit rock music. In this episode of CuriosID, WDET’s Madison Ganzak takes some old records off the shelf to find out if the under-40 crowd remembers the one and only Bob Seger.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
