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Detroit is Different

  • Latest episode: “From Project ADAPT to Building Black Futures with Quan Neloms and the Power of Detroit Mentorship”
  • Latest episode: “Everything We Need is Already Here Najah Woods on Grassroots Leadership”
  • Latest episode: “The Man Behind the Sound Rob Brown on House Music Black Detroit and Building a Legacy”

  • Latest episode: “From Project ADAPT to Building Black Futures with Quan Neloms and the Power of Detroit Mentorship”
  • Latest episode: “Everything We Need is Already Here Najah Woods on Grassroots Leadership”
  • Latest episode: “The Man Behind the Sound Rob Brown on House Music Black Detroit and Building a Legacy”

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What Detroiters Should Expect if Mary Sheffield Becomes Mayor

“I felt like I could truly have a greater impact if I came back here.” Antonice Strickland’s journey from basketball, to college, to Washington DC, and back home is a story of Black excellence, relationships, and the power of controlling our own narratives. At 98Forward, Antonice helped lead communications and public relations for Mary Sheffield’s historic campaign to become Detroit’s first woman mayor. “We knew it was going to be historic.” The victory carries generational significance: 98Forward founder Georgella Muirhead began her career in Coleman A Young’s administration, Detroit’s first Black mayor. Antonice also reflects on the firm’s work with Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and why Detroit talent deserves opportunities to tell Detroit stories. “She put the work in. We just helped amplify the story.” From family roots in the Great Migration to helping shape a new chapter in Black Detroit political leadership, Antonice reveals what happens when preparation, community relationships, and cultural understanding meet a historic moment.

“I didn’t have a choice but to lean into what I already had.” Alandra Chuney’s journey from Detroit’s east and west sides to opening The Sister’s Couch on Grand River is a story about trusting your gifts, honoring your roots, and creating space for Black women to heal. A Detroit triplet and Cass Tech graduate, Alandra traces her family history back six generations, including a great-great-great-grandmother remembered as an early Black woman realtor near Tireman and Beechwood. Her path through Michigan State, social work, therapy, and nonprofit leadership eventually brought her back to a childhood love of art and creativity. “The shit’s not glamorous. It’s hard,” she says about healing, challenging the polished version of mental health presented on social media. From building a business to honoring her grandfather Thornton Jackson, whose love for Detroit shaped her own, Alandra reminds us that community care begins with knowing ourselves. Hear how family legacy becomes a foundation for creating something the next generation can inherit.

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“I really love black people.” That simple declaration tells you plenty about Teron Haynes., but his journey to advocating for Detroiters is anything but simple. Raised in the St. Louis Metro East area, Teron enlisted in the Army at 17, earned his degree from Methodist University, and eventually made Detroit home. His father instilled a love for Black people, while his mother’s advocacy for his two younger brothers with autism demonstrated what lifelong commitment looks like. Now serving on the Renaissance Center and East Riverfront Projects Neighborhood Advisory Council, Teron is questioning who benefits when billions in development reshape Detroit’s riverfront. “Oh, I got elected,” he explains about entering a process where community voices too often struggle to influence decisions. From Southern Baptist family roots to organizing for economic fairness, Teron connects generations of Black advocacy to Detroit’s future. His conviction is clear: “Detroiters don’t deserve it,” when development creates harm instead of opportunity. Hear why representation means more than having a seat at the table.

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