When it comes to sports history, Kenny Washington isn’t a household name like Jackie Robinson. At least one writer wants to see that change by telling Washington’s story of becoming the first African American football player to sign a contract in the pro league. Joshua Neuman wrote the article “Why Isn’t Kenny Washington An American..
Yemeni woman honors culture and traditions with catering business Taste of Aden
“Communities of Hope" features Detroiters from communities of color who have been looking for ways to persevere during the pandemic. Cathy Manna is the owner of Taste of Aden, a catering business serving Yemeni foods like sambosa, pastries stuffed with ground beef and minced vegetables, and khubz tawa, a square multilayered flatbread made with browned butter. She..
“The Birds Aren’t Real” movement hopes parody can save us from false conspiracies
The Gen Z-fueled "The Birds Aren't Real" movement says birds are all actually government drones sent to surveil us from the skies, the streets and in our own backyards. Sound ridiculous? Well, it is. And that’s the point. "What I find most interesting is it's an attempt to change peoples' beliefs about conspiracy theories by..
Ruth Ellis Center will open a brand-new mixed use community development on Detroit’s northwest side
The Ruth Ellis Center was created as a safe haven for the LGBTQ plus community in Metro Detroit in 1999. This June, a new location on the city's northwest side will open, expanding the services offered including a pharmacy and medical building to assist LGBTQ plus youth and the neighborhood. Ruth Ellis was born in..
New book “Let’s Talk About Hard Things” explores how to have difficult conversations during the pandemic and beyond
We’re two years into a pandemic that has killed more than 850,000 Americans and disrupted all facets of life. And the places that so many of us enjoy and turn to for solace — schools, churches, bars — have become more restricted and sometimes scary. All of these changes have taken a toll on our..
Dearborn inauguration ceremony highlights changing political demographics
Dearborn’s mayor Abdullah Hammoud and other elected officials were sworn in over the weekend. Hammoud made history as the city’s first Arab American and Muslim mayor. Two imams and a reverend opened prayers to begin a historical swearing-in ceremony Saturday at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. But the focus of attention during the..
Michigan’s top doctor urges people to protect themselves from omicron as hospitals fill
The omicron wave is still sweeping the state and the world with thousands of Michiganders getting sick every day. Trying to help Michigan navigate through this wave of COVID-19’s newest variant is Michigan’s new Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, a key adviser to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. As part of the weekly series MichMash, WDET’s..
Tracked and Traced: How thousands of American Muslims ended up on the terrorist watch list
Listen and subscribe to Tracked and Traced: Apple Podcast — Spotify — NPR — Stitcher — Google Podcasts After the 9/11 terror attacks, American Muslims were subjected to surveillance, suspicion and put on the terrorist watchlist — a database shared by law enforcement agencies for suspected and known terrorists — leading to fear and paranoia of Islam and Muslims. Fatima Salman first..
Khana Detroit brings Pakistani street food to Michigan, one pop-up at a time
Khana Detroit is likely the only place in metro Detroit where you'll see twists on Pakistani and Desi dishes like butter chicken nachos and masala-rubbed fish and chips. [caption id="attachment_124093" align="alignleft" width="300"] Pakistani fish and chips at Khana Detroit's pop-up at Frame Bar in Hazel Park.[/caption] Those twists are the vision of Maryam Khan, who..
“Book Smugglers” exhibit arrives at the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills
"Would you risk your life to save a book?" That's the question at the new exhibit "The Book Smugglers: Partisans, Poets and the Race to Save Jewish Treasures from the Nazis." It's on display now through May 31 at the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills. It tells the story of Jewish residents who helped..