Last week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Mary Sheffield to discuss her vision for Detroit’s future. This episode is the fourth in a series of interviews with candidates in the race for Detroit’s 76th mayor.

Mary Sheffield is a native Detroiter with a demonstrated track record of service,  empowerment and leadership in the community. Currently serving as the City Council President, Mary has earned widespread admiration for her unwavering commitment to uplifting her constituents and fostering positive change. Mary's deep-rooted passion for her hometown fuels her tireless efforts to make a difference. 

In November of 2013, Mary embarked on her journey of service and made history by becoming the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council at the age of 26. Mary's visionary leadership and collaborative spirit have helped shape policies that promote inclusivity, equity, and opportunity for all Detroiters. 

With a keen focus on revitalizing neighborhoods, creating economic opportunities, and ensuring access to essential services, Mary has become a beacon of hope for residents across the city. 

To learn more about Mary Sheffield and her vision for Detroit, click here.

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson!

Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season.

On this episode, they are joined by the Director of Community Engagement and Organizing at MACC Development, City of Detroit Reparations Task Force member, and East Side Queen - Edythe Ford to discuss passing the political torch to the next generation of Detroiters. 

To learn more about Edythe and her legacy, click here.

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This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Fred Durhal III to discuss his vision for Detroit’s future. This episode is the third in a series of interviews with candidates in the race for Detroit’s 76th mayor.

Fred Durhal III is a Detroit City Councilmember, representing District 7 since 2021. He also serves as the Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Standing Committee and Vice-chair of the Planning and Development Standing Committee. 

Durhal’s legislative career began in 2014 when he was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives for the 5th House District. He quickly rose to leadership roles, including Assistant House Democratic Leader and Minority Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. 

Durhal’s passion for improving Detroit extends beyond his official duties, having volunteered with organizations like AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, and UAW Local 60006. His focus remains on stabilizing neighborhoods, increasing public safety, and fostering economic development throughout Detroit.

To learn more about Fred Durhal III and his vision for Detroit, click here.

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson!

Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season.

On this episode, they are joined by author, community builder, and founder of Umoja Debate League - Jerjuan Howard - to discuss how he went from law school hopeful to shaping the minds of Detroit’s youth with the art of debate. 

To learn more about Jerjuan and Umoja Debate League, click here.

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This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Saunteel Jenkins to discuss her vision for Detroit’s future. This episode is the second in a series of interviews with candidates in the race for Detroit’s 76th mayor.

Saunteel Jenkins is a lifelong Detroiter, former Detroit City Council President, gun violence prevention advocate, and former CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW), where she kept families healthy, safe, and warm.  

Saunteel worked as a social worker, director of the residential treatment center at the Mariners Inn homeless shelter for men in Detroit, national business development director for a private education company that provides services to low-income children in at-risk school districts, and at one time ran her own dessert catering company, Petite Sweets.

She is a proud graduate of Cass Technical High School and Wayne State University, where she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work.

To learn more about Saunteel Jenkins and her six priorities for Detroit, click here.

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson!

Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season.

On this episode, they are joined by community advocate and candidate for city council in District 7, Denzel McCampbell to discuss the role of city council in a strong mayor city, why he’s running, and what voters should expect. 

To learn more about Denzel and his campaign, click here.

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This week Donna and Orlando hosted a live episode at the Stoudamire Wellness Hub with Yodit Mesfin Johnson, the President and CEO of Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW) to discuss navigating the new normal.

Utilizing facts published by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, they define the new normal as the dismantling of our government’s systems and institutions. Together, they come up with practical solutions and also invite the audience to offer wisdom and share strategies of resistance. 

As President & CEO of NEW, Yodit stewards their bold vision, strategic direction and overall operations. A mother, poet, strategist, and champion for human rights and social change, she first joined NEW as a consultant in 2008, and became CEO in 2020. 

Yodit thrives in building community around the questions that matter most; how can we unlock the potential and possibility needed to radically transform our communities, see the ecosystem and the whole, and design and act in ways that bend the long arc of history towards balance and harmony?

For more information on Yodit’s work with NEW, click here.

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson!

Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season.

On this episode, they are joined by Kamau Clark, the Southeast Michigan Lead Organizer for We The People Michigan, to discuss how he got into organizing, his role in this year’s elections, and how to engage young people in local politics. 

Topics of Discussion include:

• The opening of the Hudson’s building
• The validity of research methodology of Black and Hispanic wealth increases
• Community Violence Intervention (CVI) as an alternative to policing
• The male loneliness epidemic and right wing messaging 
• Defining the working class
• Journalism's role in highlighting the working class

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This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Cartographer and founder of Detroitography, Alex B. Hill to discuss how data-driven neighborhood classification aids in the discrimination of Detroiters. 

Detroitography is a project started by Alex to bring together Detroit cartographers and their work. In 2021, he wrote that although over the past decade, redlining has received increased attention in popular press and across academic disciplines, there’s a larger story of spatial racism before and after redlining. 

Alex argues that spatial racism is not limited to a single set of maps, but is embedded within institutions. Now, he wants the long history of spatial racism teased out and examined as new data-driven practices have resulted in “orange lining” that generates inequitable opportunities for Detroiters. 

To read Alex’s full write up of how spacial racism is impacting Detroit, click here. 

FOR HOT TAKES:

DETROIT CHAMPION, FATHER, HUSBAND, DIES AFTER CORONAVIRUS DIAGNOSIS 

DETROIT 67 EXHIBIT BECOMES PERMANENT, DEDICATED TO MARLOWE STOUDAMIRE

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit one million present: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson!

The purpose of this podcast is to encourage Detroit's citizens to stay vigilant in the fight for justice and equality, with a special call to action for Black Detroit. We seek to build awareness of our history as a gateway to freedom, a beacon for justice, and a laboratory of liberation. Together, Donna and Sam will illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season.

On this inaugural episode, they are joined by the one and only Reverend Larry Simmons, the Executive Director of Brightmoor Alliance who has been a fixture in the city of Detroit for decades. Topics of Discussion include:

• Emergency Management vs. DOGE
• Financialization of Detroit
• Race war vs. Class war
• Environmental Justice
• Immigrant labor exploitation and historical oppression of Black people
• The upcoming 2025 Detroit mayoral and city council elections

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