“His story had to be told” is the kind of line that stops you in your tracks, and in this powerful Detroit is Different conversation, Shushanna Shakur brings that truth to life with love, clarity, and revolutionary purpose. As the sister of the legendary Chokwe Lumumba, author of Memories of My Revolutionary Brother: Chokwe Lumumba, and Founder and Director of Heritage Youth Program, Shushanna reflects on the pain of losing her brother, the urgency of preserving his story, and the responsibility of telling it from the view of someone who had “a front row seat in his life.” She shares how, immediately after his passing, she knew “who better than me could tell the story,” grounding the interview in family, movement history, and the healing power of writing. This episode is more than remembrance—it is a lesson on grief, political legacy, and why our stories must be documented by the people who lived them. For Detroit, for Black freedom struggles, and for future generations building community, this conversation reminds us that memory is organizing, storytelling is protection, and legacy is a living responsibility.

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 remembered that I wanted to be a teacher” is the kind of line that grabs you because Mama Nozibele’s (Susan Kelsey-Brewton) story is not just about a career, it is about a calling. In this rich Detroit is Different conversation, the Michigan Department of Education’s 2025 Regional Teacher of the Year for Detroit (Region 10) reflects on roots in Black Bottom, growing up on Detroit’s east side, learning through sports, family, and neighborhood life, and building a path from Head Start to the transformative space of Aisha Shule under the love and leadership of Mama Imani Humphrey. With warmth and wisdom, she shares how education, athletics, and culture shaped her belief that “we can do multiple things,” and how teachers can pull gifts out of young people with intention and care. The episode also opens another side of her artistry through her love for crochet, showing how creativity and teaching are stitched together in Black community life. This is a conversation about the past that raised us and the future we still must build—one where children are seen, culture is centered, and community remains the classroom. Connect with her at Crochet with Nozibele: [email protected].

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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“We come from the same family, we got the same blood running through our veins, but my path got to be this just by virtue of who my parents were and your path is this by virtue of who your parents are.” That line captures the depth of this powerful Detroit is Different conversation with John Conyers III, as he reflects on his book My Father’s House: An Ode to America’s Longest-Serving Black Congressman, the legacy of his father John Conyers Jr., and his own path into public service through his campaign for Michigan’s Third District State Senate seat. This episode is rooted in Detroit, family, and truth, as Conyers III shares stories from Black Bottom, the West Side, and the neighborhoods that shaped his political vision. He offers more than memories—he gives listeners a clear understanding of how legacy, race, opportunity, and access all shape the lives of Black Detroiters. “I didn’t grow up how y’all think John Conyers III would grow up,” he explains, opening a conversation about class, identity, and what it means to carry a historic name while building your own purpose. This interview connects the past and future by showing how Black political legacy can still inspire community power, deeper equity, and a stronger vision for Detroit’s next generation.

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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“Detroit has always been a magical city, always been a place of love and a place that welcomes,” says returning guest Ber-Henda Williams, and that spirit carries this powerful Detroit is Different conversation into the heart of the upcoming Modern Day High Priestess Book Signing Detroit, happening Monday, April 27, 2026, from 6pm–8pm at Teen HYPE. Ber-Henda shares how she is one of the lead organizers, authors, and artists connected to the internationally bestselling anthology The Modern Day High Priestess, a truth-telling project rooted in women moving through “their own dark nights of the soul” and finding healing, purpose, and power on the other side. With voices and presence connected to Carina Jackson, Tiara Boyd, Jennifer Seafrit, Trish Meekins, and Lauren Dickinson, this episode explores the leadership of Black Women, caregiving, mother wounds, community healing, and why Black women remain central to cultural transformation. When Ber-Henda says, “we’re chronicling our stories,” she speaks to both Detroit’s legacy and its future: women brave enough to tell the truth, break generational cycles, honor spirit, and build intentional community in real time at Teen HYPE, one of Detroit’s sacred spaces for youth, love, and possibility.

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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“Detroit has definitely created its own ecosystem for the film world,” and in this Detroit is Different conversation, Return Mark “MJ the Don” Jackson brings that truth to life with the sharp vision, humor, and hard-earned wisdom of a creator growing into his next chapter. Revisiting the podcast to build beyond earlier talks centered on music, MJ opens up about writing scripts with Comedian CP, developing new tools for film writers, and navigating Detroit’s rising independent film scene with both caution and confidence. “You want what’s in your brain to magically pop up on the screen,” he says, capturing the challenge every visionary faces when turning ideas into real work. From stories of pitching projects, learning the business, and seeing CP’s journey unfold, to reflecting on patience, growth, and the responsibilities of raising daughters, MJ offers more than creative insight—he shares a deeper testimony of maturation. This episode connects Detroit’s long tradition of self-made artistry to a future where Black creatives build their own systems, platforms, and legacy. It matters for community because MJ’s story speaks to how wisdom, collaboration, and faith in your gifts can shape not just content, but culture itself.

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 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.

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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

“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.

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Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

“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.

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Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

“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.

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Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

“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 [email protected]

Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co