"Accessibility is key. We need access to the funders. We need access.” Najah Woods understands that opportunity means little when the people doing the work cannot reach the resources. Her story stretches from family roots in Alabama and Black Bottom to Inkster and Detroit, carrying the legacy of her grandmother Grace Rita Hampton, whose UAW advocacy opened…

“If you got an older family member now with the technology, just record them, record those stories.” Quan Neloms understands that preserving Black Detroit’s history begins with listening to our people. Born to parents who migrated from Georgia and Florida in the 1970s, Quan grew up in the Medical Courts near Eastern Market before moving west, where hip-hop…

Black women to heal. A Detroit triplet and Cass Tech graduate, Alandra traces her family history back six generations, including a great-great-great-grandmother remembered as an early Black woman realtor near Tireman and Beechwood. Her path through Michigan State, social work, therapy, and nonprofit leadership eventually brought her back to a childhood…

“I felt like I could truly have a greater impact if I came back here.” Antonice Strickland’s journey from basketball, to college, to Washington DC, and back home is a story of Black excellence, relationships, and the power of controlling our own narratives. At 98Forward, Antonice helped lead communications and public relations for Mary Sheffield’s historic…

“That work ethic that you get from those Southern people, that's in our blood as Detroiters.” Andre Terrell carries that legacy from his grandfather, who migrated from Macon, Georgia, and built Simmons Brothers from a wheelbarrow and shovel into a successful construction business. …

“I really love black people.” That simple declaration tells you plenty about Teron Haynes., but his journey to advocating for Detroiters is anything but simple. Raised in the St. Louis Metro East area, Teron enlisted in the Army at 17, earned his degree from Methodist University, and eventually made Detroit home. …

“Voting in your local elections actually matters the most." Sheila Cockrel has spent a lifetime understanding how power works in Detroit and why everyday people must have a voice in shaping it. From growing up in Detroit’s Catholic Worker movement to organizing against the notorious STRESS police unit, her story connects the city’s radical organizing…

“If my cat or you were hanging over a cliff I’m sorry man.” Jeff Horste returns to Detroit is Different with the kind of conversation where comedy becomes cultural criticism before anybody notices the turn. From remembering the Lions’ 0–16 season to breaking down Detroiters, navigating Los Angeles auditions, voiceover work, streaming culture, and the…

“I didn’t know how poor we were until really much later in life.” Wafa Dinaro came to America from Lebanon at three years old and grew up near Wyoming and Warren in East Dearborn, where Detroit was always part of her world. She remembers going to Focus Hope and experiencing assistance with dignity—an early lesson in what it means for resources to actually…

“When I arrived in Detroit in 1984, I thought I had come to another country.” Desiree Cooper remembers discovering a Detroit the national story rarely showed: Black people owning, leading, creating, gathering, and finding joy. Detroit is Different recorded this special Father’s Day event on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at Source Booksellers, celebrating the…