Podcast
Detroit is Different
Hosted by Detroit is Different · EN
The Detroit is Different podcast is about exposing artistry, business, ideas, and dynamic people, places, and things that make Detroit a mecca. Tune in weekly and subscribe to get the true stories from the people shaping the culture of an American classic city.
48episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Built for the Ride: Tiffany Gunter’s Detroit Transit Story
Yesterday01:09:27Tap to summarize“I truly believe I was built for what I do.” Tiffany Gunter, General Manager of Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), joins Detroit is Different for a conversation rooted in family legacy, Detroit grit, and the future of regional transit. From her great-great-great grandfather coming north from Columbia, South Carolina for automotive opportunity, to her father’s 30-year career in the airport industry, Tiffany’s life connects “planes, buses and automobiles” through generations. A proud Northwest Detroiter from Seven Mile and Outer Drive, she reflects on walking through the neighborhood and learning entrepreneurship early selling Kool-Aid cups and cookies during backyard basketball tournaments. Her mother’s lesson—“you can’t make me your supplier and then don’t cut me in on a deal." She shares how working in a church office at 13 taught her compassion, listening, and patience with people facing real life issues. Now leading SMART, Tiffany sees beauty in 3 a.m. bus pullouts and the scale of service that moves workers, families, and communities. This interview connects Detroit’s past mobility struggles to a future built through understanding, service, and regional cooperation. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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Global Swagger of the Motor City, Drake Phifer talks Detroit Diaspora 2026
Yesterday00:18:49Tap to summarize“We got the goods for you here.” Drake Phifer returns to Detroit is Different to share the heart behind Detroit Diaspora, a cultural festival built around the music, movement, art, food, vendors, and unmistakable style Detroit has carried across the world. In conversation with Khary Frazier, Drake frames the event as a homecoming for Detroiters and descendants of Detroiters whose families, creativity, and influence now live across the globe. Detroit Diaspora honors the DJs, dancers, visual artists, makers, and community builders who keep the city’s spirit alive wherever they land. More than a festival, it is an immersive celebration of Black Detroit’s cultural reach—connecting Paris, Berlin, Washington, D.C., Thailand, and beyond back to the city that shaped the sound. 8th Annual Detroit Diaspora Day Fest is a 12-hour celebration of global Black culture where the family reunion, art opening, house party, marketplace, cipher, and block party meet.This year’s musical experience brings together selectors, artists, and cultural storytellers, including: DJs will move the crowd, artists will showcase visual stories, vendors will share fashion, food, jewelry, wellness, and cultural goods, while canopy lounges create space to connect. Experience cultural storytellers from Detroit, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, D.C., St. Louis, Cleveland, and beyond. Explore the Detroit Diaspora Pop-Up Art Show curated by Kirsten Jordan, Jonathan Kimble, and Drake Phifer, featuring Dwele, Asia Hamilton, Anita Sewell, Anthea Calhoun, Alecia Robinson, Audrey Johnson, Brian Nickson, Corey Chavis Jr., and more. Explore the Detroit Diaspora Pop-Up Art Show featuring Dwele and more. Detroit is Different will be live onsite capturing features. Come ready to dance, shop, view art, connect, remember, and celebrate. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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The Black Church is Still the Healing Balm for our Community, Dr. Charles Williams
Yesterday01:47:38Tap to summarize“The Black church has the ability to do so much—and it can do so much more.” Dr. Charles Williams, pastor of historic King Solomon Baptist Church, joins Detroit is Different for a powerful conversation on faith, family, organizing, and the sacred responsibility of serving Black Detroit. Dr. Williams opens up about how Dr. Charles Simmons of the Hush House, a member of King Solomon, connected him to the legendary church over a decades ago—a house of worship where Malcolm X delivered “Message to the Grassroots,” Dr. King spoke, Joe Louis gave, and generations organized for freedom. Now Michigan Chair of the National Action Network, Dr. Williams reflects on his Detroit roots, his family’s migration story, and the wisdom he gained as a young reverend from Rev. Horace Sheffield II and Rev. Jim Holley. He shares how King Solomon continues to be more than a church: “a social center,” a place of advocacy, community action, and healing. With his wife’s work in health and well-being shaping their ministry, and his doctorate from the University of Michigan grounding the Black Church’s role in the Black family, this interview bridges Detroit’s past and future. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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Queen Mother Helen Moore’s Fight for Detroit Children for Over 50 Years
1w ago00:51:26Tap to summarize“A lifetime over 50 years”—Queen Mother Helen Moore returns to Detroit is Different inside the very building that now carries her name, the Helen Moore Recreation Center, formerly Dexter-Elmhurst Recreation Center. In this triumphant conversation, Moore sits with Khary Frazier and reflects on decades of revolutionary organizing, education advocacy, and community protection rooted in love for Detroit children. She remembers how the center became “a way to show people what people could do,” and why she made it her mission to “keep this center and never leave it,” even when many said the building should be torn down. Moore shares how she and neighbors built bonds across generations, welcoming young people, elders, athletes, families, and even those facing street conflicts with a firm standard: “Look, don’t bring none of that in here.” This episode uplifts the power of Legacy Detroit organizing—how respect, persistence, and collective care can save public space and shape the future. From Wayne State to Detroit College of Law to the frontlines of education justice, Queen Mother Helen Moore’s story is a lesson in community ownership, revolutionary patience, and what it means to fight for our children. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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There’s No Place on the Planet that Loves Joe Louis like Detroit, Joyce Barrow-Henderson, Daughter of Joe Louis
1w ago01:02:48Tap to summarize“There’s no place on the planet, and I mean that, that loves my dad the way that Detroit does.” Joyce Barrow-Henderson, daughter of boxing legend and Detroit champion Joe Louis, brings warmth, history, and family truth to Detroit is Different as she prepares for the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership birthday celebration honoring her father on Saturday, July 23, 2026, at 10am at the Warren Trailhead, 7241 McDonald, Detroit, MI 48210. In this powerful conversation, Joyce shares why Detroit’s love for Joe Louis still feels personal, saying here he is not distant history—he is “Uncle Joe.” She opens up about the Joe Louis Foundation’s mission, rooted in his “kindness,” “generosity,” education, and community connection. The interview moves beyond the boxing ring into Joe Louis’ impact on Black Detroit business, culture, sports, and pride—from Brewster Recreation Center to Black Bottom, Flame Show Bar, golf, horses, family, and the doors he opened for others. Joyce reminds us, “If you think he was a great boxer, he was an even greater daddy.” This episode connects Detroit’s past and future through legacy, land, love, and community memory. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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Four Cities, 29 Miles, One Detroit Story: Leona Medley on Legacy, Leadership & Green Space
1w ago01:11:31Tap to summarize“It’s a once in a lifetime project,” Leona Medley says, describing the Joe Louis Greenway as more than a trail, but a neighborhood-centered vision connecting Detroit, Dearborn, Highland Park, and Hamtramck through “four cities, 29 miles of trails.” In this Detroit is Different conversation, Medley opens up about her Detroit story, from family roots on the west side near Seven Mile and Prevost to becoming rooted on the east side for 30 years. She reflects on her mother, “my rock,” her family’s Palmer Woods legacy, and the lessons of movement, protection, and possibility that shaped her. Medley shares how leadership found her after more than 25 years in work history and community development, saying the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership role felt like “a dream come true.” As Executive Director, she carries forward a people-first approach: encouraging the skills, talents, and gifts of everyone around her while advocating for beautiful green space in Detroit neighborhoods. This interview connects Detroit’s past of family, migration, industry, and resilience to a future of access, health, and shared public life, leading into the grand celebration of Detroit champion Joe Louis on Saturday, July 23, 2026, at Warren Trailhead. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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One Detroit, Real Detroit: Portia Powell on Banking with Heart
2w ago01:23:21Tap to summarize“I’m vested in Detroit,” Portia Powell says, and that line carries the power of this whole conversation. In this Detroit is Different episode, One Detroit Credit Union President & CEO Portia Powell shares a story rooted in Black Detroit family legacy, Eastside resilience, and the financial wisdom she first witnessed through her mother’s life. From growing up near Mack and 75, watching her mother rise from hardship into homeownership and real estate, to learning firsthand that “credit and financial knowledge are gateways to opportunity,” Portia reflects on how those lessons shaped her path. With more than two decades in banking, she has truly walked the road “from a teller to a CEO,” bringing both sharp expertise and a community-centered heart to her leadership. This interview is bigger than personal success—it connects the past and future of Detroit by showing how family teaching, neighborhood identity, and access to financial tools can help build stronger communities. Portia’s story matters because it reminds listeners that institutions can still feel human, leadership can still feel local, and Detroit’s future grows from the people who never stopped believing in us. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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Raised by Grandparents, Led by Purpose: James White’s Detroit Story
2w ago01:25:01Tap to summarize“It tattooed something on my brain about public service and tragedy.” That line from James White sets the tone for a deeply personal and powerful Detroit is Different conversation about trauma, service, healing, and the future of community care in Detroit. The CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network opens up about being raised by his grandparents on Detroit’s west side, growing through the pain of family loss, and how witnessing grief at a young age shaped his sense of duty. What began as a childhood calling toward policing evolved into a broader, more human understanding of public safety—one rooted in empathy, mental health awareness, and recognizing how trauma lives inside families and neighborhoods for generations. With moving reflections on Detroit family life, the guidance of elders, and the emotional realities too many Black families know firsthand, James White connects his personal story to a larger vision for community wellness. This episode matters because it honors the past while pointing toward a future where healing, compassion, and mental health support are central to how we build safer, stronger Detroit communities. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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Black Mothers Deserve More: Leseliey Welch on Birth Justice in Detroit
2w ago01:26:08Tap to summarize“I’m happy to be here with you” sets the tone for a powerful Detroit is Different conversation with Leseliey Welch, CEO of Birth Center Equity and co-founder of Birth Detroit, Detroit’s only Black-led self-sustaining birth center. In this rich dialogue, Leseliey reflects on family roots stretching from Detroit’s east side to Mississippi and Louisiana, her journey through Saginaw, Southfield, Oak Park, and public health, and how those lived experiences shaped her commitment to Black families and community-based care. Calling herself a “professional dreamer,” she shares the vision, discipline, and cultural grounding required to create space for BIPOC-led birth centers in a city that deserves care rooted in dignity, trust, and tradition. This episode is about more than childbirth. It is about Black leadership, the wisdom of our mothers and grandmothers, the systems that have failed our people, and the future we must build ourselves. Leseliey’s story connects Detroit’s past of migration, survival, and organizing to a future where birth justice is part of healing the whole community. This is a conversation about life at the very beginning—and what it takes to protect it. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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I Set Up Shop and Built the Vision, Jason Phillips on Art, Ink, and Detroit Legacy
3w ago01:18:59Tap to summarize“I really knew that I could do something with it when I started making money with it,” Jason Phillips shares in this rich Detroit is Different conversation, opening up about how artistry became both his balance and his pathway to opportunity. Rooted in four generations of Detroit family history and shaped by the West Side around Myers and Joy Road, Jason reflects on childhood memories of bike rides, neighborhood parks, Dairy Queen runs, and the kind of community life that formed his imagination. He talks about growing up in a home where creativity was always present, then realizing his gift was different when his talent in art began earning him recognition and cash in high school competitions. That same passion has now expanded across painting, mixed media, murals, tattoos, and the building of Detroit Ink Spot on West McNichols as a living gallery of his vision. With lines like “I’ve been here just about my whole life” and “I could push the envelope,” Jason’s story connects the legacy of old Detroit neighborhoods to the future of Black creative enterprise, showing how art can be both personal healing and community-building power. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
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