Arab Detroit is constantly in flux. In the last 10 years, new communities of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Yemen have settled here. And each new community brings with them different perspectives of what it means to make it in America — to be American. 

The backdrop is that many have fled political crises that the U.S. has initiated or intensified. 

But when they arrive in the U.S., some Arabs in metro Detroit learn that speaking up about these conflicts can be a thorny matter. Still, the last 10 years have ushered in a new wave of political representation and engagement led by Arab lawmakers and residents.

The new book, "Beyond Refuge in Arab Detroit," explores how life is changing for Arab Americans in Detroit and what it means to thrive here during a time of intense political turmoil — both here in the U.S. and also in many of the countries Arabs have fled.

It weaves together writings from multiple contributors who delve into politics, environmental justice and sexual stigma and violence — all through the lens of Arabs in metro Detroit.

Sally Howell is one of the editors of the book, and a professor of history and Arab American studies at University of Michigan-Dearborn. She joined The Metro on one of the last days of Arab American Heritage Month to discuss the book.

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Almost 700 people a week died of gun violence in 2018 across the U.S., and that number has only gone up in recent years — rising to over 900 deaths a week in 2022.

An art installation opening soon at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) makes the case that numbers only tell a fraction of the story.

The Gun Violence Memorial Project, built to honor victims of gun violence, is made up of four homes filled with 700 glass bricks, containing relics of lost loved ones. The purpose of the installation is to serve as a reminder that gun violence statistics are more than numbers — they are people who lived lives and had families and loved ones.

Producer Cary Junior II spoke to designer at MASS Design Group Jha D Amazi and artist Hank Willis Thomas. Amazi and Thomas collaborated on the Gun Violence Memorial Project, which is on display at the MOCAD May 2 through Aug. 29.  

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Democratic state lawmaker Donavan McKinney announced this week his intentions to run against Congressman Shri Thanedar in the 13th District primary election next year.

McKinney, 32, grew up in the district on Detroit’s east side and is the second person to join the race, alongside former state Rep. Adam Hollier. 

He was first elected to the Michigan House in 2022 as a representative for the state's 14th district. He was reelected in the 11th House District last year, after district lines were redrawn. 

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with McKinney on the heels of his Congressional bid announcement to discuss his campaign priorities, which include advocating for clean air, clean water, and economic security.

Fact check: During the conversation, McKinney said the 13th District is the second poorest in the country. WDET couldn’t confirm that, but it is among the poorest districts in the nation. The Commercial Driver License law McKinney helped pass will also likely impact about one million Michiganders, not two million as he mentioned. 

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Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is one of 50 U.S. House Democrats demanding a full explanation of an alleged National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) data breach. 

Whistleblower Daniel Berulis, who did IT work for the NLRB, says a representative from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) did more than search for fraud and waste when it visited the agency last month. 

Berulis says DOGE appears to have uploaded a huge amount of data from NLRB’s computers, erased traces of what it did and then left all of the system’s security features turned off. Then someone with an internet address based in Russia repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, tried to access the NLRB computers. 

DOGE never requested access to their systems and the agency’s own internal investigation found no sign of a computer breach,  a spokesperson for the NLRB said. 

Dingell spoke to WDET Senior News Editor Quinn Klinefelter about her concerns and what DOGE could have done with the data. Klinefelter also joined The Metro on Tuesday to recap their conversation.

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Detroit youth organization Teen HYPE is celebrating its 21st year supporting local teens.

The youth development program, founded in 2004, aims to help teenagers build healthy habits to chart a better future. Teen HYPE Co-founder and CEO Ambra Redrick says the ultimate goal of the organization was to give young people the respect they deserve while uplifting them to be people who thrive in the world. 

Redrick joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss Teen HYPE’s work in the community. With a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Wayne State University, Ambra says she understands both clinically and holistically what it takes to care for our young people.

She is also a recent recipient of the 2025 Skillman Visionary Award, which is an award program that recognizes and supports visionary leaders in education. 

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Good teachers can be hard to find and even harder to keep, especially in districts with limited funding and high needs. 

But a recent report from Detroit PEER researchers at Wayne State University's College of Education found that Detroit Public Schools Community District has a teacher retention rate above the national average. 

To learn more about the report's findings, Metro Producer Cary Junior II spoke to its lead author, Bianca Burch.

Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, also joined The Metro to discuss changes the district is making to retain teachers. She also spoke about the unique and untold challenges teachers currently face.

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We’re four months away from the primary and already, there’s drama with Detroit’s city council race.

Unofficially, there are 45 people vying for nine seats on the council in the Aug. 5 primary election. District 6 Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero was supposed to be among them, but didn't make it on the ballot after being disqualified for failing to pay a campaign finance fee, according to the City Election Department. 

Santiago-Romero called her removal erroneous and "undemocratic," and is now suing the Detroit City Clerk's Office and Clerk Janice Winfrey to get her name restored on the ballot.

Detroit reporter Sam Robinson has been covering the story for his Substack, Detroit One Million. He joined the show to share the latest on the race.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is unveiling a new exhibition next month to help shine a light on the many contributions of local Black artists and thinkers in the world of tech.

Titled “Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art,” the project was first launched by The Kitchen — a New York-based artist-driven collective — to highlight the work of Black creative technologists in Harlem from the 1960s to the '90s. 

Opening at MOCAD on May 2, "Code Switch" will feature artists from across the country and highlight Detroit’s tech contributions. The opening reception is free and open to the public. 

To share more about the exhibit, Artistic Director and Co-Director of MOCAD Jova Lynne joined The Metro. Johnnie Turnage, co-founder and creator of Black Tech Saturdays — an organization that’s helping Black people thrive in Detroit’s burgeoning technology field — also joined the conversation.

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Just across the Detroit River in Windsor and throughout Canada, voters are headed to the polls to cast their ballots in federal elections. 

Political analysts are calling the election the most important in decades. Key issues at the ballot box include the economy, housing, tariffs, and how to address U.S. President Donald Trump's extreme policies.

In this election, Canadians will select Members of Parliament and the political party that will run the government for the near future. Five parties are vying for that power, including the Liberals, Conservatives, and the New Democratic Party. 

Lydia Miljan, a professor of political science at the University of Windsor, spoke with WDET news director Jerome Vaughn about the potential outcome and impacts of Canada's federal elections.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

For the first time since he won the role 12 years ago, Mayor Mike Duggan will not be on the ballot for Detroit mayor.

The longtime Democrat, whose term expires at the end of this year, announced in December that he'll instead be campaigning (as an independent) for Michigan governor — opening up a competitive field of candidates vying to succeed him as mayor.

During his more than 10 years as mayor of Detroit, Duggan prioritized ridding the city of blight, revitalizing parks and recreation centers, and decreasing crime with the help of initiatives like community violence intervention (CVI) programs. 

Now, with nine people running to replace Duggan, what should they prioritize?

Anika Goss is the chief executive officer of Detroit Future City, a local think tank and policy advocate organization. In a new report, the organization is encouraging the city's next mayor to focus on creating more middle class neighborhoods, generating more wealth opportunities for residents, and establishing a climate-resilient city. 

Goss joined The Metro on Thursday to discuss the report and the importance of this pivotal moment for the city.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.