“We love some collard greens. Black folks love collard greens.” – Khary Frazier. In this deeply flavorful episode of Detroit is Different, the mic flips as host and producer Amber Ewing interviews Khary Frazier—founder of Detroit is Different and creator of the Collard Green Cook-Off—about the cultural power and future of this beloved community gathering. From Chandler Park to ancestral Vicksburg, Mississippi, Khary roots the cook-off in Black agricultural legacy, experiential marketing, and family storytelling: “The collard green traveled with us during the Middle Passage. That’s our culture in every leaf.” They explore how a dish once dismissed by colonizers now brings together urban farmers, soul food chefs, and thousands of Detroiters in celebration. With over 480 pounds of greens, a live show, and a judging panel featuring Detroit legends like Howie Bell, Coco, and Orlando Bailey, the 2025 Cook-Off is more than food—it’s a movement. The conversation dives into creativity (yes, collard green sushi), cultural pride, regional expansion, and the power of turning “slop” into sacred. This episode embodies what it means to honor Legacy Black Detroit—by nourishing body, memory, and future through community.

“Detroit gives me free concerts, the architecture, the river — I told my friends, ‘Detroit got this.’” In this rich and inspiring episode of Detroit is Different, Cheryl Ajamu joins Khary Frazier to share her journey from Memphis to the woman behind the revival of the Detroit Football Classic. Cheryl is the Owner & Executive Producer for the 2025 Detroit Football Classic August 30, 1pm at Ford Field, Central State University vs Kentucky State University. Cheryl recounts arriving in Detroit in 1996 and falling in love with the city’s cultural soul—its historic architecture, its cooler summers, and its abundance of free concerts: “95 is much better than a hundred.” From ad sales at BET Detroit to helping promote the city’s neo-soul underground through Urban Organic, she describes how she “lived on both sides of the equation”—connecting Black creatives with major brands while keeping community at the center. But this story isn’t just about the past; it’s a roadmap for the future. Cheryl discusses ownership, empowerment, and strategy as she brings back the Classic—not as a nostalgic tribute, but as a declaration of Black cultural and economic power in Detroit. “I own this,” she says proudly, marking her place in a space traditionally dominated by men. This episode weaves Detroit’s historical Black pride—from Paradise Valley to Motown to the architecture she once explored alone—into a call for intentional cultural preservation, community building, and ownership. Cheryl’s story is a powerful reminder that Detroit’s legacy isn’t just history—it’s still in the making.

“My dad quietly made some very significant contributions… he brought Rosa Parks to Detroit for the first time.” In this powerful episode of Detroit is Different, Khary Frazier sits down with Jane Fran Morgan of JFM Consulting Group. As the conversation moves forward, she recounts how her academic wanderings—through sociology and vet science at Michigan State—led her to urban planning and community-driven data work. The heart of the episode pulses in her help brinbging to life the Neighborhood Vitality Index: a Detroit-born tool designed by residents, for residents—measuring safety, housing quality, upward mobility, and community pride. Advocating for neighborhood voices in policy conversations, Jane weaves together personal narrative and professional purpose, showing how data becomes power only when the people shape it. This interview is essential listening for anyone invested in the soul of Legacy Black Detroit—and in what it takes to heal and rebuild through culture, connection, and collective data-driven action.

“I belong anywhere I want to be.’ That moment snapped the energy for this episode, where Kiana Montgomery dives deep into her legacy as a third-generation Detroiter and how her public relations work is rooted in uplifting Legacy Black Detroit. She shares, “If you want to engage with that audience… that’s the audience I’m looking to connect with,” weaving stories of family reunions enduring a 74% decline, summers spent in New Jersey, her grandfather’s journey from Alabama with just a dollar in his pocket, and building a business servicing Detroit’s cultural gatekeepers. Along the way, she reflects on how her military brat upbringing and HBCU experience at FAMU shaped her voice and how the city—with its cold winters and resilient communities—became her chosen home during the turmoil of 2020. You’ll hear how she strategically connects national brands to local narratives, the power of organic networking (even through “statement piece” shoes), and why Detroit is “Clique‑ish”—a badge of respect she leverages to elevate neighborhood voices on a national stage.