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Outlier Media •

Collard Green Cook-Off elevates Black culinary tradition in Detroit

Picture this: The aroma of garlic, cayenne and paprika. Food trucks and shopping stalls scattered around the area. Black people enjoying community — and their share of homemade collard greens. 

“It’s a flavor from my childhood,” Michaela Ayers, a Collard Green Cook-Off participant, said. “And I feel like as I’ve gotten older, it’s become a comfort for me. Sometimes, I cook (collards) for myself to remind me of my grandparents.” 

This deep cultural significance is why Detroit is Different found...
Arts Midwest •

How Opal Grove Games Is Fostering a Third Place for Black Gamers in Detroit

Co-founders Aisha Blake and Ben Lippi opened the store to create an inclusive community — and a little cooperative competition — for new, casual and diehard tabletop players.

Opal Grove Games co-owner Aisha Blake gives a demonstration on how to play Magic: the Gathering on Feb. 11. Photo credit: Zaire Daniels

This story was originally published by Outlier Media, a groundbreaking nonprofit newsroom designed to center and respond to Detroiters’ needs.

Aisha Blake and Ben Lippi have been gamers
WDET 101.9 FM •

DTE Energy is working to reduce power outages. Can Detroiters afford to wait?

Utility poles leading up to the new DTE substation in Detroit's Islandview neighborhood.

A new substation is set to be completed in Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood later this year — upgrading old, dirty technology.

In February 2023, an ice storm caused over 300,000 DTE Energy customers in Metro Detroit to lose power. Some residents went without electricity and heat for over a week.

Severe thunderstorms are having the same effect this summer, causing widespread outages and cutting off air co
WDET 101.9 FM •

Detroit muralist showcases Black bodies to fight stereotypes

Award-winning painter and muralist Ijania Cortez is a self-taught artist working in Detroit.

Cortez often depicts young Black men in her work, and the murals that she paints are individuals within the neighborhoods they live in. Her work further advances the showcase of Black bodies in the arts.

“I decided to primarily paint Black men because I felt like they were misunderstood. And I really started my practice kind of on the rise of [the] Black Lives Matter movement, and all these things that
Outlier Media •

Five impactful ways W.K. Kellogg Foundation shows its love for the kids of Detroit

This story was written by Shardonay Feggins, Tyler Parlor and Zaire Daniels, with contribution from Darralynn Huston. It is the first in a series of 9 stories funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that aims to highlight stories written by emerging writers in Detroit.

This is sponsored content in collaboration with W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The upcoming school year is fast approaching to the delight of parents everywhere. And while most organizations focus attention on kids during the month of S
WDET 101.9 FM •

36th Detroit Senior Olympics returns after 3-year hiatus

Celo “Sarge” Beal Jr. (middle) smiles with other Detroiters at the 2023 Senior Olympics.

The Senior Olympics celebrates healthy and active aging and gives seniors a chance to be social.

The Detroit Senior Olympics returned earlier this month for a 3-day event featuring 19 indoor and outdoor recreational activities, plus a special section for Baking and Arts & Crafts. This was the first Senior Olympics to be held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event celebrates healthy and active
NPR.org •

Rooted in Motown, Detroit style skating rolls on into the next generation

Rooted in Motown, Detroit style skating rolls on into the next generation

Angie McClendon has been roller skating since she was 5 years old. Now 61, she's a veteran of the Detroit skating community. McClendon is a Detroit style skater – every move is rhythmic, following and matching a beat. "Everything is in sync because it's from the Motown era," McClendon explains.

Motown's music legacy is well known — think: Smokey Robinson, The Supremes and The Temptations — but not everyone is aware of th
Metromode •

'More than a park': Nonprofit community space braces for another year of filling learning gaps

It’s hard to believe that the neatly-decorated house at 19470 Lenore Ave. is any different from the rest on the block. A sign on the wooden fence at its perimeter is the first hint that visitors have arrived someplace truly unique: the SDM² Project Education community house and Moore Park.Founded 20 years ago, SDM² has evolved into an organization that hosts multiple events for the community including a Back to School Bash, homework and literacy programs, a weekly Food Fair, a community garden,
Model D •

Q&A: Cellist Cole Randolph on breaking racial barriers as a classical musician

On June 4 the Scarab Club opened up its outdoor garden to feature a string duet, showcasing the talents of Velda Kelly on the violin and Cole Randolph on the cello. The program for the day included a brief piece on how Randolph got involved in music, and his journey. The 24-year-old was born in Washington, D.C., and joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2020 as an African American Orchestra Fellow, after earning his degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in mathematics, music (perfor
Planet Detroit •

Riverwalkers aims to educate Detroit River anglers community on how to eat fish safely

On Detroit’s far east side, Mariner Park is a hot spot of activity for local fishers. But the river bottom here is also a hot spot for pollutants that make their way into fish.

That’s where Riverwalkers come in. The program, staffed by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Wayne State University, and community volunteers, walks the Detroit River shoreline every year with one goal: To make sure people who fish the Detroit River are educated about health implications of consuming th
Model D •

Meet the ‘Sojourner Girls’: A friendship that grew from Detroit’s controversial housing project

Paula Love Washington-Donald recalls her first encounter with Lynnett Richardson-Brown after getting into a fight over a bicycle.“We were poor, I didn't have a bike and I asked [Richardson-Brown] if I could ride her bicycle,” says Washington-Donald. “She told me no. I tried to push her off her bicycle but she beat me up, and we've been loving friends ever since.”For four women who grew up in the Jim Crow era of segregation and social unrest, the friendship they formed in a controversial housing
Outlier Media •

Russell Industrial Center raising rent, skimping on repairs, tenants say

In recent months, the Russell Industrial Center, one of the largest remaining artist spaces in the city, has been sharply raising rents on some of its tenants, even doubling or quadrupling rates in less than a year and a half. The increases are putting pressure on the tenants—mostly artists and craftspeople like painters, photographers, glassmakers and woodworkers who use the Russell for studio space.

At the same time, the owner of the multi-building complex at 1600 Clay St., property speculato
Planet Detroit •

We’re Fixin’ to Fish aims to recruit the next generation of Detroit anglers

Tracy Webb loves to fish. Raised by a single mother who taught her older brothers to fish, Webb caught the fishing bug at a young age when her older brother Kevin taught her the ways of the water. Webb continued the tradition when she became a single mom, teaching her own son to fish.

These days, Webb works as a nurse, but she still heads out to the water with a rod and bait whenever she can. In fact, she enjoys the hobby so much that she recently began a grassroots organization called We’re Fi
Model D •

5 public parks you can reach by public transit

Summer is still here, and what better way to enjoy your leisure time than to check out these 5 local parks using our public transit system?I know riding the bus isn’t always the most expedient way to get where you’re going in Metro Detroit, but a nice ride through the city gives you a chance to see the post-pandemic reemergence of metropolitan life. Plus, public transit will also save you some money when those summer gas prices start to rise. Bus fares start at $2 for 4 hours of transit use and
Planet Detroit •

PARKS REPORT: Forest Park offers visitors an escape from the city life

Find your way to this park!

Ready to get outside? So are we. Come along with Planet Detroit’s new parks reporter, Zaïré Daniels, as he embarks on a quest to visit a new Detroit park every week.

There are 359 parks within the city limits according to SEMCOG, so we’ve got enough territory to keep him occupied until it snows again. Daniels will be posting about his adventures on Planet Detroit’s Instagram every week under the hashtag #detroitparkspathfinder. Follow Zaire’s journey on Instagram @p
Planet Detroit •

Introducing Zaïré Daniels, Planet Detroit’s parks reporter

Ready to get outside? So are we. Come along with Planet Detroit’s new parks reporter, Zaïré Daniels, as he embarks on a quest to visit a new Detroit park every week.

There are 359 parks within the city limits according to SEMCOG, so we’ve got enough territory to keep him occupied until it snows again. Daniels will be posting about his adventures on Planet Detroit’s Instagram every week under the hashtag #detroitparkspathfinder.

Got a question about parks in Detroit? You can always Ask Planet D
Planet Detroit •

Upcycling Kitchen converts rescued food to nutritious meals for food-insecure Detroiters

Many people experiencing food insecurity don’t have access to the tools to turn raw ingredients into healthy meals. Upcycling Kitchen bridges that gap while addressing food waste.

When I entered the Upcycling Kitchen at Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, I was greeted first by the overwhelming sight and aroma of organic vegetables. Chef Ederique Goudia and her cadre of volunteers were hard at work, turning that produce into something delicious to feed over 200 local Detroiters facing food in
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