“I wanted to come back to the city that raised me.” Jasmine Brooks’ commitment to Detroit students is rooted in a life shaped by family, faith, education, dance, and service. Raised near Aretha Franklin’s childhood home, nurtured at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, educated at Renaissance High School, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State, Jasmine traces how Detroit institutions and Black community traditions prepared her to pour into another generation. As a child, Jasmine was introduced to dance and taught by legends like Penny Godboldo (RIP) and Gina Ellis. That foundation in creativity—and in learning how to find her place and space on stage, in rhythm—helped prepare her to navigate the many paths toward success. Today, her connection with the students of Graduate313 brings that journey full circle. “It’s an opportunity to learn even more about myself and what my future self is looking to get into,” she says of what young people should experience through Graduate313. Her vision reaches beyond college admission toward “their upward mobility for life.” Listen for a Detroit story about what happens when the people who were poured into decide to become somebody else’s bridge.
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.
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“I had a knack for putting things together with my hands.” Before the architecture schools, international travel, installations, and Studio M, Melinda Anderson was a Detroit child turning shoeboxes into houses, coffee creamers into tiny toilets, and dioramas into whole worlds where “people [were] swinging from the ceiling.” That imagination became a calling. Raised on Detroit’s east side, Melinda remembers her father taking her to ethnic festivals and the Festival of the Arts, making creativity, art, and design feel inseparable from life itself. Cass Tech gave that instinct language through architecture and drafting; U of M opened her eyes to a larger world, even as she navigated classrooms where “there weren’t many of us.” Years later, that childhood imagination produced a 10-foot-tall, 20-foot-wide boombox for Movement that showed her how strongly people respond to design installations. When COVID stopped gatherings, a heart installation commissioned by Bedrock for Parker’s Alley became the pivot that helped save her business and opened another lane for her creativity. Today, with clients asking her to create installations abroad, the heart of her story remains remarkably consistent: the child who said, “I could just look at stuff and I could put it together,” is still there. Listen for what can happen when we protect the imagination we had before the world told us what was practical.
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.
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Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
"I'm old school." That simple declaration opens a conversation that quickly becomes a masterclass on why history, creativity, and community are inseparable. Artist, educator, gardener, mother, and cultural storyteller Halima Cassells returns to Detroit is Different to reflect on a lifetime of creating work that invites people to slow down, look deeper, and rediscover Detroit through a new lens. From revisiting a forgotten Belle Isle installation that "came with instructions" to exploring Indigenous history, family influence, and the importance of asking questions, Halima reminds us that "I really love digging into history... I want to know the story behind stuff." That passion now lives inside her Detroit-themed coloring book, where landmarks, heroes, movements, and cultural icons become opportunities for learning, reflection, and healing. Together, Khary Frazier and Halima explore why art is more than something to admire—it's a tool for preserving memory, strengthening identity, and reconnecting generations to the stories that shaped Detroit. This conversation challenges us to see history not as distant facts but as the lived experiences of real people whose sacrifices continue to shape our neighborhoods today. As Detroit imagines its future, Halima shows that understanding where we've been is essential to creating where we're going, proving that creativity remains one of our community's greatest acts of cultural preservation and collective liberation.
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.
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Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
"I'm an east sider until I die." That declaration from Joshua Roberson sets the tone for a conversation rooted in legacy, accountability, and love for Detroit. From an unexpected reunion in a neighborhood grocery store to an in-depth discussion about four generations of family history, Joshua shares how his great-grandparents journeyed from South Carolina and Georgia during the Great Migration, planting roots that continue to shape his purpose today. He reflects on being raised in a family that proudly claimed Detroit, the friendly rivalry between King and Kettering High Schools, and why neighborhood identity is about far more than geography—it's about responsibility. As someone who serves on the board of a financial institution while remaining deeply connected to everyday Detroit life, Joshua challenges the idea that leadership should ever be separated from the people. His story reminds listeners that institutions become stronger when they remain accountable to community, and neighborhoods become stronger when generations preserve their history while investing in their future. This episode is a powerful reflection on how family legacy, economic empowerment, and authentic relationships create the foundation for thriving Black communities. Detroit's past lives through people like Joshua Roberson, and its future depends on carrying that commitment forward, one conversation, one neighborhood, and one generation at a time.
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.
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Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing [email protected]
Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
"You don't know who's in there. Some of the biggest opportunities have always happened when nobody was watching." That lesson becomes the heartbeat of this unforgettable Detroit is Different conversation with Deidre 'DSSense' Smith, an emcee, spoken word artist, educator, healer, and lifelong cultural worker whose journey reflects the evolution of Black Detroit itself. From rocking nearly empty rooms during the Hamtramck Metro Times Blowout to becoming a respected professor and community trainer, DSSense reminds us that purpose is built through consistency, faith, and showing up long before recognition arrives. Alongside stories of cold nights, freestyle sessions, and Detroit's underground hip-hop culture, she reflects on growth, saying, "Everything in Divine Order," while acknowledging that she now has "a bit more to offer and talk about." Their conversation celebrates artistry not as performance alone, but as a pathway toward healing, education, and collective transformation. Khary and DSSense revisit the relationships, risks, and resilience that shaped Detroit's creative community while offering wisdom to every artist who wonders if their work matters. This episode bridges Detroit's hip-hop past with its future, showing how culture creates opportunity, how mentorship preserves legacy, and why investing in authentic community voices today ensures that future generations inherit more than stories—they inherit a blueprint for healing, creativity, and liberation.
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.
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Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
"It went from me wanting leggings that fit my body on my weight loss journey to people wearing them at the airport." That single moment captures the heart of Ashley Nicole's Detroit Is Different conversation. Ashley reflects on transforming a deeply personal health journey into a nationally recognized athleisure brand featured by Oprah and Good Morning America, while remaining grounded as a wife, mother, business owner, and creative spirit. She shares how authenticity, consistency, and showing both victories and setbacks built a loyal community that believed in her l"It went from me wanting leggings that fit my body on my weight loss journey to people wearing them at the airport." That single moment captures the heart of Ashley Nicole's Detroit Is Different conversation. Ashley reflects on transforming a deeply personal health journey into a nationally recognized athleisure brand featured by Oprah and Good Morning America, while remaining grounded as a wife, mother, business owner, and creative spirit. She shares how authenticity, consistency, and showing both victories and setbacks built a loyal community that believed in her Filled with stories about social media, branding, family, faith, and resilience, this episode explores how one woman's commitment to herself became an invitation for thousands of others to believe in themselves. Ashley reminds us that when Black women create solutions rooted in lived experience, they build businesses that strengthen families, inspire future generations, and leave a lasting legacy for the Detroit community and beyond.
Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
"The first thing I like to say when I talk to anybody who filled out the survey thank you thank you." That simple expression of gratitude opens a powerful conversation with Marnita Harris of the Detroit Regional Chamber, revealing how something as ordinary as a neighborhood survey can become a blueprint for the future of Detroit. As Khary Frazier reflects on being selected for yet another survey, he realizes these questions were different because they centered families, neighbors, and the lived experiences of Detroiters instead of statistics alone. Marnita explains why every response matters, reminding listeners that authentic community voices shape the policies, investments, and decisions that will define the city's future. Filled with humor, memories of Nielsen ratings, YouTube playlists, and the unexpected ways people participate in research, the conversation builds into a deeper examination of trust, representation, and civic engagement. **"Who did they survey Who is really taking them"** becomes more than a joke; it becomes a challenge for communities to recognize their own power in telling their stories. This episode connects Detroit's long tradition of neighborhood organizing with the emerging tools of community research, showing that the future is strongest when it is informed by the wisdom of everyday people. Listen to hear why your voice is not just counted but needed.
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.
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Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing [email protected]
Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
"It's our park," Danielle Jackson declares, setting the tone for a conversation that reminds every Detroiter why Belle Isle is far more than an island in the Detroit River—it's a living symbol of community, resilience, and shared responsibility. In this episode of Detroit is Different, Danielle, representing the Belle Isle Conservancy, explains how "we're the nonprofit partner" helping preserve one of Detroit's greatest public assets while inviting residents to reclaim ownership through participation and presence. Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, she shares how "you could literally get a prescription to go to the park," describing the national ParkRx initiative that encouraged healing through nature, movement, and fresh air. Khary connects those memories to the emotional significance of the Belle Isle memorial honoring lives lost during the pandemic while reminding listeners that "as far as us being citizens and appreciating the asset that's right here in our city—get there." Together they unpack Belle Isle's complicated governance, its deep place in Detroit's identity, and why protecting public spaces requires community engagement across generations. This conversation honors Detroit's past, celebrates the people working today to steward its treasures, and challenges listeners to imagine a future where Belle Isle continues serving as a place for healing, education, recreation, and collective pride for every family that calls Detroit home.
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.
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Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing [email protected]
Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
"Everything I know is Detroit." That powerful declaration from Dafina Brown sets the tone for a conversation that explores why our roots matter just as much as our innovation. Growing up in Highland Park after her parents made Detroit home, Dafina explains how the city's culture became the lens through which she sees the world, insisting, "When I go to Ohio... it's not us. Go to Chicago, it's not us." From reconnecting with Khary Frazier years after they worked together to leading conversations around artificial intelligence, technology, and digital equity, Dafina shares why Black Detroit cannot afford to be spectators in the AI revolution. This episode journeys through family history, neighborhood identity, Detroit pride, and the responsibility to ensure emerging technology reflects the voices and experiences of our community. Filled with stories of Highland Park, TechTown, African World Festival, and the relationships that continue to shape Detroit's future, this discussion reminds listeners that innovation without culture is incomplete. As Detroit has always transformed industry, music, and movements for justice, the next chapter demands that we also shape artificial intelligence with the wisdom of our ancestors and the imagination of future generations. If we do not help build the future, someone else will build it for us—and Detroit has always been a city that leads rather than follows.
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.
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Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing [email protected]
Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co
“We hung in there, man. We got some of the best clients that I could ever ask for.” That powerful reflection from Pierre Roberson captures the heart of a conversation about vision, resilience, and the courage to build something bigger than yourself. In this Detroit is Different episode, Pierre shares the journey from growing up in Detroit to becoming an accomplished architect before taking the leap into entrepreneurship with Framework E. He opens up about walking away from the security of a career, surviving months without pay, exhausting his savings, and trusting that faith, preparation, and consistency would carry him through. “We were already setting all that groundwork of being very reliable,” he explains, revealing how reputation is built long before opportunity arrives. Pierre also reflects on balancing business ownership with family life, establishing boundaries with clients, and designing spaces that strengthen communities instead of simply filling them. The conversation closes by connecting his personal journey to Detroit's larger legacy of Black entrepreneurship, inspired by leaders like Coleman A. Young who expanded opportunities for others. “Whatever is in us, we should be trying to break down whatever barriers for as many people as we can.” This episode is a blueprint for anyone determined to build a lasting business while creating opportunities that shape the future of Detroit.
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 [email protected]
Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co