Detroit is changing fast. Everywhere you look, headlines celebrate new investments: the Renaissance Center redevelopment, the redesign of I-375, and the Michigan GOP’s latest tax incentives for big businesses. From afar, it may look like our city is finally getting the attention it deserves. But Detroiters on the ground know the truth: for many Black families, these deals don’t translate into real benefits. Take the Renaissance Center — a $75–$100 million redevelopment pro

Recently, I found myself in a heated but respectful debate with a friend — a former state legislator and fellow public servant. He’s a proud progressive Democrat, and I’m what I like to call a pragmatic capitalist. Our disagreement wasn’t about whether we care about our community. It was about how we believe progress should happen. He argued that as a capitalist, I’m all about myself. I told him that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m about building wealth that lasts

Detroit, it’s time for some real talk. After Tuesday’s election, one thing is clear: following “MAGA Mike Duggan” down his independent path was a mistake. For the preachers, community leaders, and voters who thought leaving the Democratic Party to follow him was a bold new move — the results speak for themselves.

I’ve always believed in affordability — especially now, when so many people are struggling just to buy the basics. From groceries to gas to rent, prices keep going up while wages and opportunities stay the same. Every conversation seems to come back to one word: affordability. But for Black communities like mine, that word has always meant something deeper. It’s not just about what things cost. It’s about whether we even have access to them in the first place.

In 1964, Malcolm X challenged America with a question that still echoes today: the ballot or the bullet. He was speaking to the urgency of power — the kind that comes not from protest alone, but from participation. Sixty years later, that message has evolved into a new reality here in Michigan: we must move from the block to the ballot box. Our communities don’t suffer because people don’t care — they suffer because opportunity and access are not available. Politicians and

Detroit doesn’t have an affordability problem — we have an availability problem. When access to opportunity and resources is blocked, prices rise, poverty deepens, and hope fades. For years, the conversation has been about making Detroit more “affordable.” But that misses the real issue. You can’t afford what you can’t access. In too many of our neighborhoods, the basics — fresh food, safe housing, quality education, good jobs — simply aren’t available. While the poverty

Conservatives have weaponized “woke” and “crime” as wedge issues to stir fear, divide the electorate, and preserve white supremacy’s grip on power. These talking points are less about facts and more about distraction, shielding the structural inequities that continue to define American life. At the center of the MAGA movement is a convicted felon who pardoned insurrectionists from January 6th, rails against immigrants while being a child of one himself, and demonizes Black an

Detroit has always been the city where Black dreams took root — where Motown gave us a soundtrack, where John Conyers fought for...

Too many of our children are being buried before they’ve even had a chance to live. Too many families are barely holding on. Too many...

In the 1990s, Superintendent David Snead represented stability, leadership, and vision. DPS wasn’t perfect, but under Snead, it was led by someone who believed in our children and our neighborhoods. He wasn’t just managing schools—he was protecting the soul of the city. But Snead’s leadership threatened the power brokers. Ed McNamara, the godfather of Wayne County politics, saw DPS as a political prize. And like many others who’ve hijacked Detroit’s future, he didn’t attac

From the moment the opening ceremony began, the energy was electric. The campus buzzed with excitement as athletes in brightly colored uniforms gathered with their teams, exchanging high-fives and words of encouragement. The Courageous Games are more than a competition—they are a festival of possibility and promise, where young people come together to test their limits and form lasting friendships. 

In a moment clouded by confusion, distraction, and division, Black voters stood firm—with clarity, memory, and discipline. While much of America hesitated or fell for the noise, we showed up with purpose and voted—not just against Donald Trump, but for the future. We voted for Kamala Harris. Not because she’s perfect, but because we understood the stakes. Donald Trump was never just another candidate. He represented a return to everything we’ve survived: racial dog whistles

This piece raises a provocative but essential question: Are some Black leaders today more committed to maintaining their own status than to advancing the collective freedom and prosperity of Black communities? It challenges the assumption that all leadership is automatically aligned with the needs of the people, especially in moments when silence, compromise, or self-preservation seem to outweigh action. Using the legacy of former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young as a measuring s

A Moment I’ll Never Forget at Cody High School

At a recent school assembly at Detroit Cody High School, Wayne County Sheriff, motivational speaker, and author Keith Williams issued a bold challenge to students. Known for his powerful book Obstacles Conquered, Williams urged students to read the book and submit a compelling report—offering a cash prize to the best submission. But what happened next was more than just an academic exercise; it became a powerful story of grit, heart, and quiet leadership. Not every student he

In the Detroit I grew up in, the block had rhythm—fathers at work, kids at school, elders holding it down. It wasn’t perfect, but it was pow

Across Detroit, you’ll see the echoes of what once was: abandoned storefronts that used to anchor communities, schools that sparked futures, and churches that held the soul of the block. The pain is visible—but so is the power. The truth is simple: no one is coming to save us. And that’s not a reason to despair—it’s a reason to act. Black Bottom wasn’t built with grants. Motown didn’t wait for permission. Our legacy is one of creati

There’s a growing split in the reparations movement. Some want more studies and reports. I want ownership, wealth, and a future we control.

We marched. We bled. We won. We integrated the schools, the lunch counters, the buses. We made America live up to its promise—at least on paper. But nearly 60 years after the Civil Rights Act, too many Black people in Detroit—and cities like it—are still trapped in poverty, priced out of opportunity, and locked out of ownership. It’s time to say it plainly: Civil rights got us access. But only silver rights will secure our future. Silver rights are about more than equality

A Century Later: The Fight for Urban Education Lives On On what would’ve been Malcolm X’s 100th birthday, we’re reminded that his call for educational justice still echoes loud and clear. Despite his belief that “education is the passport to the future,” that passport remains denied to many in urban schools—trapped behind underfunding, inequity, and systemic neglect. This isn’t just about remembering Malcolm’s words—it’s about finishing the work. True tribute means action: eq