“I belong anywhere I want to be.’ That moment snapped the energy for this episode, where Kiana Montgomery dives deep into her legacy as a third-generation Detroiter and how her public relations work is rooted in uplifting Legacy Black Detroit. She shares, “If you want to engage with that audience… that’s the audience I’m looking to connect with,” weaving stories of family reunions enduring a 74% decline, summers spent in New Jersey, her grandfather’s journey from Alabama with just a dollar in his pocket, and building a business servicing Detroit’s cultural gatekeepers. Along the way, she reflects on how her military brat upbringing and HBCU experience at FAMU shaped her voice and how the city—with its cold winters and resilient communities—became her chosen home during the turmoil of 2020. You'll hear how she strategically connects national brands to local narratives, the power of organic networking (even through "statement piece" shoes), and why Detroit is “Clique‑ish”—a badge of respect she leverages to elevate neighborhood voices on a national stage.

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'm working on my obituary," Alex Washington says with a laugh, but the weight of her words hits home. In this intimate, in-depth conversation with Khary Frazier, journalist and culture writer Alex Washington dives deep into her Detroit roots, her love of storytelling, and the fierce loyalty to her city’s people and legacy. From memories of Renaissance High to her first feature in the Free Press, she reflects on how being raised by union workers and a village of elders shaped her vision for journalism. Her start in Detroit hip hop journalism during the mixtape era—covering artists like Big Sean and Danny Brown—revealed the city’s raw cultural power and inspired her commitment to documenting the stories others overlook. “Detroit taught me how to be a neighbor, a friend—it taught me how to love people.” Alex opens up about the grind of Black journalism, content creation, and why the stories that don’t go viral—like the woman hand-making Kwanzaa kinaras or the mom-and-pop flower shop on Six Mile—matter the most. She also unpacks the state of Detroit journalism today, from shrinking newsrooms to the shifting roles of legacy institutions and independent outlets. “Detroit is not a monolith,” she reminds us. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who cares about preserving the authenticity of Detroit’s Black legacy while imagining its 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.

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“He didn’t say he wanted to die. He said he didn’t give an F about dying. That’s different.” — Victoria Camille. In this powerful and deeply sobering episode of the Detroit is Different podcast, host Khary Frazier sits down with Victoria Camille of the Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability (CPTA) to examine the disturbing details surrounding the July 12, 2024, shooting death of Sherman Lee Butler.

“Nothing about this looks like self-defense to me.” — Khary Frazier. Sherman Butler was killed during an eviction at his apartment on Manderson St., near Palmer Park in Detroit. He was tased by Detroit Police officers and then fatally shot by a Wayne County Bailiff—while recovering from foot surgery and experiencing mental distress. “We all have a story. Show compassion. Sherman deserved to live.” — Victoria Camille

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Detailed Analysis of the Footage: Victoria Camille and Khary Frazier analyze the DPD-released bodycam footage, breaking down how the incident escalated—despite clear protocol violations.

Critical Facts Revealed: The bailiff used a DPD-issued radio improperly. DPD officers did not follow policy requiring them to control the scene. Mental health teams were called but failed to respond promptly. Tasers were used on a person visibly in mental and physical distress—against DPD policy. A DPD officer read the eviction notice, an act outside of their scope.

“Nothing about this looks like self-defense to me.” — Khary Frazier

“This wasn’t just a policy failure; it was a moral one.” — Victoria Camille

After Months of Advocacy: The community organized protests, FOIA requests (led by Taura Brown), and weekly meetings demanding transparency. On December 23, 2024, a partial video was finally released. Victoria Camille’s Op-Ed led to a formal Citizen Complaint, triggering a deeper investigation by the Board of Police Commissioners’ Office of the Chief Investigator.

Policy Violations Found: At least 10 DPD policy violations identified by the OCI. Mental health co-response teams were eating at McDonald's while the call was active. The bailiff continued to conduct evictions after the shooting.

What the Community Demands: Accountability from DPD, Wayne County Prosecutor, and the media. Clarity on reforms for Bailiffs and Officers. Passage of the Video Release Ordinance by MLK Day 2026—requiring release of all use-of-force videos within 7-37 days.

Stay Informed. Stay Active. Share This. This episode isn't easy to hear—but it's necessary. Join us in healing community through truth, culture, and advocacy.

Support the Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability (CPTA) Email: [email protected] Website: DetroitCPTA.org

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DetroitIsDifferent #JusticeForShermanButler #PoliceAccountability #VictoriaCamille #DetroitCPTA #EvictionCrisis #MentalHealthJustice #PoliceReform #CommunityHealing

“I wish I could just clone myself…have a digital version of me doing the work while I get paid” – that line from Brandon Cooper set the tone for this electric conversation on Detroit Is Different. In this compelling episode, Khary Frazier sits down with Brandon Cooper—Detroit native, former Apple Senior Advisor, meditation advocate, and the visionary CEO behind Aphid AI—to explore the intersections of legacy Black Detroit, tech innovation, and ancestral wisdom. They take listeners on a journey from Rosedale Park and Seven Mile playgrounds where bike‑built forts and street basketball sparked young Brandon’s creative ingenuity, to the spiritual practices—including chakra work and Qigong—that awakened him to the concept of energetic frequencies shaping our lives. Along the way, Brandon reflects on growing up fatherless, witnessing his mother’s unshakeable strength, and navigating elite spaces like DAP‑CEP and Michigan State where stepping outside comfort zones shaped his worldview. As he shifted from hip‑hop culture and early app‑store entrepreneurship to managing end‑to‑end Mac troubleshooting at Apple, Brandon developed a rare blend of technical fluency and spiritual insight. Now, with Aphid, he’s building “digital clones” that can replicate human work through autonomous AI agents—positioning Black creators and founders on the leading edge of a future Detroit can command. Whether unpacking the power of intuitive flow or calling for banishing violent rap from the soundtrack of youth, Brandon’s perspective holds one central thread: the stories we write in Detroit’s past light the path to transcendent, tech‑empowered futures.

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]

“I started taking piano lessons when I was four… and by twelve I had swapped classical sheet music for jazz improv—I was playing from my head, not the page,”—Ian Fink dives deep into the layered roots of Legacy Black Detroit, bridging generational migration, jazz lineage, and the raw ingenuity of Detroit’s music scene. In this rich, in-depth episode of Detroit is Different, host Khary Frazier sits down with Ian Fink—a pianist, producer, and conduit of Detroit’s legacy Black culture—to unpack how jazz camp with Rodney Whitaker and Marcus Belgrave set the tone for his artistry, how early classical training at age four paved the way for profound improvisation, and how his classical-jazz foundations seamlessly birthed a sonic switch into house and techno influenced by Detroit icons like Theo Parrish and Scott Grooves. They dig into family history—from Dexter/Linwood’s Jewish-Black narratives to movement between Detroit and West Bloomfield—bringing light to how personal origin stories shape cultural creation. Ian chronicles his transition from working through Video Seven—an artist collective of critical thinkers turned performers—to independently launching Freak Press, producing annual showcases during Movement Festival, and crafting a forthcoming solo piano album under his label. Along the way, he reflects on the significance of reading Black liberation texts, embracing intergenerational Black resistance, and returning to musical performance with ‘a revitalized sense of purpose.’ By threading together stories of legacy, creativity, and reinvention, this episode shows how Detroit’s past and future collide in the sound and vision of a modern-day local legend.

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]

“I didn’t think if I stayed, I’d be alive’—that electrifying moment, when Konstance Patton revealed how everything changed the moment she stepped out of Detroit, sets the tone for this compelling episode. In a deeply resonant conversation with Khary Frazier, Patton weaves together the threads of her Black Detroit legacy—from ancestral roots in the Carolinas, Virginia, and New Orleans to intergenerational artistry that stretches back to her grandmother’s kiln in Brightmoor and massive bead‑worked Last Supper in a Petoskey museum. She reflects on formative childhood memories riding a bike past seven‑mile gravesites, the comfort of her grandmother’s quilts and pottery, and how early encounters with classical violin and swimming taught discipline and collaboration. Through her travels—from a shocking culinary awakening in London to soulful inspirations in Egypt, India, Italy—Patton found her voice in visual storytelling. Now, drenched in paint at her annual ‘potluck’ gatherings at Detroit’s Talking Doll Studios, her immersive events bring together healing, yoga, music, food, and multi‑generational Black creatives. She tears back the curtain on how grief, burnout, and pandemic‑era protests catalyzed her bold new goddess sculptures—resin and bronze Venus figures cast with beads and needles from her lineage—and how her guerrilla‑style Imani portrait in NYC still stops strangers in their tracks. With upcoming shows at the DIA and deep ties to Detroit institutions like Bird’s bar and Talking Doll Studios, this episode captures a living legacy—rooted in the past, dynamically shaping the future of Legacy Black 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.

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Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing [email protected]

“It’s not about me—it’s about my community waking up and taking back our future!” In this electrifying episode of Detroit is Different we welcome Michigan State Representative and 13th District U.S. Congress candidate Donovan McKinney for a powerful conversation that spans from the struggles of his childhood—“we lived in cars, we lived in shelters, we didn’t know where our next meal was coming from”—to his bold legislative victories like statewide community violence intervention funding. McKinney shines a light on Detroit’s legacy of resilience and the responsibility of service: “My life no longer belongs to me… When I meet my Maker, I want Him to say, ‘well done.’” This candid discussion is packed with personal milestones, critical truth-telling on gun violence, budget battles in Lansing, and the vision for a future rooted in legacy Black Detroit—a future he’s running to represent on Capitol Hill.

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]

“This is a movement, not a campaign—from the North End to the future of Legacy Black Detroit.” In this powerful, deeply personal episode of Detroit is Different, host Khary Frazier sits down with Todd Russell Perkins—attorney, community leader, and mayoral candidate whose roots run as deep as his passion for Detroit. Todd opens up about the intergenerational legacies that shaped him—from his father’s resume‑building work during GM layoffs to the entrepreneurial and educational values instilled by his parents. He traces Detroit’s historical pillars—its innovation, Motown legacy, and the foresight embedded in municipal law—and weaves them into a bold vision for the city’s future. With candid reflections on family, law, city governance, and mobilizing Detroit’s Black political power, Todd challenges listeners to see Detroit’s next chapter not as another election but as a movement rooted in purpose, unity, and generational uplift. Tune in to hear why this conversation matters—for the past, present, and future of Legacy Black 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.

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Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing [email protected]

“Most folks that came north from the South weren't migrants—they were refugees,” Jen Ingram declares, setting the tone for this powerfully layered conversation. In this Detroit is Different episode, we trace coins and culture with Numismatics Noir founder Jen Ingram, whose passion for Black coin collecting merges family legacy, precious metals, and African American storytelling. “I’m building this bridge for them,” she recalls from a poem her great-grandmother recited, honoring the journey of her fourth-generation Detroit family from Mississippi to a duplex on Whitney. Jen shares her Detroit roots, her professional climb through healthcare and philanthropy, and the entrepreneurial leap into calibrating cultural pride through currency. From Harriet Tubman’s golden likeness to the hidden Black faces of U.S. money, Jen reveals how coins hold both historical weight and future economic promise. This episode is a masterclass in legacy, wealth, and Detroit soul.

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]

"Solar power is just sunlight hitting your skin, because your skin is a semiconductor too." That quote from Ali Dirul of Ryter Cooperative Industries launches a Detroit is Different conversation that electrifies history and reimagines the future. In this powerful episode, Ali breaks down energy democracy, off-grid engineering, and building a sustainable Detroit from D-Town Farms to Highland Park's streetlights. "We’re not just placing panels—we’re placing power back in the hands of the people," he says. With stories tracing back to his grandfather’s Ford Model T factory job, African-centered schooling at Aisha Shule, and a capstone project at Oakland University, Ali ties Black legacy to Black futures. This is innovation rooted in community, fueled by melanin, and structured with purpose. It's a conversation that honors how Detroit built the world—and now might just rewire 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 [email protected]