The Story of the album that took a decade to create featuring Jazz, Hip-hop, Soul, Gospel, and Detroit. Boldy James and Sterling Toles masterpiece Manger on McNichols is told in these in-depth interviews. Producer Sterling Toles shares the story of meeting Boldy James and crafting an orchestra arrangement around the heartfelt story of what led him into street life. The Manger on McNichols album is already acknowledged as one of the most dynamic and creative works of 2020. Introduce yourself to the collaborative brotherhood that created this expression of Detroit Life.
Corey Williams is a business owner that develops property, sells homes, and leads a Black Father’s organization. Corey’s work runs deep throughout Westside Detroit neighborhoods. Families, friends, and colleagues all rely on the work of Corey to offer perspective and advice. In this Detroit is Different interview we explore more on the relationship between Police and the Black Community in America. Corey’s original Detroit is Different interview (June 18, 2018) Corey shares the stories of him facing Police Brutality as young as 13 years old and more over time.
This is an in-depth heart to heart discussion as I (Khary Frazier) share perspective as well.
Community Development in Detroit Discussion II featuring Raul Echevarria, Khary Frazier, and Yusef Bunch Shakur Tuesday, March 10, 2020, at the University of Detroit School of Architecture in the Peter Peirce Room.
Presented by Community Movement Builders, Detroit is Different, Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, and the University of Detroit
In this discussion, I (Khary Frazier) framed information and questions to focus on the business (money) of community development.
My premise was many corporations are using the distressed status (perpetually marketed by media of Detroit) to leverage subsidies, tax relief, unchecked lending, and neglectful investment. In this talk defining these practices with Yusef & Raul was important.
CDFI’s (Community Development Financial Institutions) of Detroit have received over 182 Million dollars connected to the CDFI program that was established to assist housing, businesses, and non-profit organizations in community development. The CDFI program was started from the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 (here is a link to the act that establishes CDFI’s surprisingly very thorough https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/8000-5400.html). In 1996 the first Detroit CDFI monies from the US Treasury were sent to Shorebank receiving 3.75 million dollars. Here is an article by NYTimes as a brief overview of why Shore Bank failed (according to many financial analysts) https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/business/23cncshorebank.html, many felt that the risks with homeowners were too much for Shorebank.
Currently, CDFI’s have no needed oversight but there is a third party ranking system developed by Aeris that many use to audit their effectiveness. Here is a link to the Aeris website: https://www.aerisinsight.com/ . CDFI’s can also receive funding from banks (like Bank of America) and foundations (like Kresge) in the form of investment and/or grants. Many banks pay for and submit the Aeris audit request to verify the livelihood and financial legitimacy of the CDFI (which I think is problematic because traditional lending has been so racist, here is a great book about the practice released last year: https://www.amazon.com/Color-Money-Black-Racial-Wealth-ebook/dp/B076526LW5).
Ron Taylor is the new President and CEO of Detroit Area Agency on Aging. For over a year he’s taken the helm of the organization that was run by Paul Bridgewater for years. Ron’s experience in organization, aging, and leadership has taken his travels through Atlanta and now he’s in the original chocolate city of Detroit. In his interview, we discuss his upbringing in Toledo, family, and aging care. We also talk about why so much Funk music was coming out of Dayton? This was a great introduction to Taylor’s understanding of developing relationships and building a team.
