From Joy Road Roots to WDET’s “The Metro” with Tia Graham

“I got the best of both worlds, country and as well as Detroit.” Tia Graham, co-host of WDET 101.9 FM’s ‘The Metro,’ brings that layered truth into this Detroit is Different conversation, tracing her family’s journey from Alabama and Arkansas to Detroit, where factory work, survival, and community shaped generations. From her grandfather “fleeing the Klan” to her Joy Rd upbringing near Exit 9, Tia opens up about the past that built her and the neighborhood that raised her. She remembers block parties, kids playing football in the street, the Boys and Girls Club, the Belle Isle strip with her Big Sister, and the everyday beauty often hidden from national & traditional media’s Detroit narrative. “It was just our neighborhood McDonald’s,” she says, challenging the way people talk about Joy Rd. This interview matters because it connects migration, memory, media, and Black Detroit’s future. Tia’s story shows how community survives through elders, siblings, culture, laughter, and people who choose to tell the truth with care. Listen to hear how a Detroit voice behind the microphone became a witness to the city’s resilience, rhythm, and responsibility.