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Detroit is Different

  • Latest episode: “Detroit Homecoming 2026: A City in Motion, A Legacy of Connection, A Future of Possibility”
  • Latest episode: “Who Really Benefits from the Renaissance Center Deal? Teron Haynes is Fighting for Detroiters to”
  • Latest episode: “Why Local Elections Matter More Sheila Cockrel on Power Politics and the People of Detroit”

  • Latest episode: “Detroit Homecoming 2026: A City in Motion, A Legacy of Connection, A Future of Possibility”
  • Latest episode: “Who Really Benefits from the Renaissance Center Deal? Teron Haynes is Fighting for Detroiters to”
  • Latest episode: “Why Local Elections Matter More Sheila Cockrel on Power Politics and the People of Detroit”

“‘Don’t send me home—I’m in pain.’ That’s what I told the ER doctor. If she hadn’t listened, I probably wouldn’t be here today.” Lisa Whitmore Davis sits down in the Detroit is Different studio on Mother’s Day and unpacks a journey that touches the soul and strikes a chord in every Detroit family. From her upbringing in Benton Harbor—”We were the only Whitmores in the phone book”—to leading cultural change in organizations like AARP, Lisa’s story is rich with service, legacy, and resilience. In this powerful interview, Lisa speaks candidly about her battle with breast cancer, the power of Black women’s voices in healthcare—”I had to fight to be believed”—and the documentary project birthed from her pain. Along the way, she shares why she chose Detroit over Birmingham, how her daughter’s school sat next to the Charles H. Wright Museum, and the spirit of service instilled by her missionary father and nursing mother. This episode dives deep into culture, caregiving, spirituality, community, and the healing power of storytelling. “Culture is identity,” Lisa says. And her identity is deeply Detroit.