The Metro

Black girls and women are disproportionately impacted by violence, trafficking, and systemic neglect. And that neglect leads to higher rates of disappearance when compared to white counterparts and far less urgency when they go missing.

The loss of a Black girl doesn’t just affect a family. It ripples through entire communities, through classrooms, neighborhoods, and peer groups, leaving behind fear, grief, and anger that rarely make headlines.

"Unseen" is a new production by Teen Hype that confronts this silence head-on. 

It invites audiences into a necessary conversation about what young people—especially Black girls—are facing today, and what it means to be unseen in moments when visibility can save lives.

Teen HYPE is a Detroit-based organization dedicated to empowering young people through education, advocacy, and holistic creative expression.

"Unseen" is directed by Teen Hype alum Mallory Childs, who is currently a sophomore at Spelman College in Atlanta. She and Teen HYPE co-founder Ambra Redrick join the show to talk about the project.  

White officers shot at Ike McKinnon during the 1967 Detroit uprising while he was in full police uniform. No one was ever held accountable. He went on to become the city's second Black police chief and spent five years rebuilding community trust.

Now 82, McKinnon recently testified before the Michigan Senate in support of banning law enforcement masks. He joined Robyn Vincent to discuss what anonymous enforcement costs communities.

Super Bowl 60 is this weekend. Yet, the teams playing in the game have gotten less attention than who’s performing at the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show. 

Bad Bunny is the first solo Latin and Spanish speaking musician to lead the show. The selection of the Puerto Rican born artist sparked conversations across music, sports, and culture—making this more than just a halftime performance. 

In his announcement, he said this is for his people, culture and their history. 

So, what does this moment mean for Latino representation? And furthermore, what does this performance say about the American public’s idea of what it means to be American?

Alejandra Márquez is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University. She joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to discuss Bad Bunny’s performance and its significance to Latino culture. 

Most everyone wants students to have good teachers. But how do we adequately prepare educators, and keep them in the profession? Ten years ago, only a handful of Michigan school districts reported permanent teaching vacancies. Today, that number has exploded: More than 150 districts now have jobs they can’t fill.

Some in the state are trying to fix this. Jack Elsey leads the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative. His nonprofit is launching a collaboration with some public universities in the state to change the way teachers are trained, and to keep them in the field. He spoke with Robyn Vincent.

Plymouth, Michigan is home to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Over the years, players who train there have gone on to represent the U.S. in the Men’s World Championships, the Four Nations Face-off, and the Olympic games. 

Several alums are suiting up to play in this winter Olympics in Italy this year.

Assistant Executive Director for the development program, Scott Monaghan, joined the show to explain the work it takes to develop young hockey players.

Detroit has a lot of needs, including things like bus transit, policing and security, and trash pickup. Those things cost money — money that can be difficult to come up with in a city of relative poverty. But with more people spending time in Detroit, and even moving to the city, it also has more opportunity to raise revenue.

The Citizens Research Council investigated whether a sales tax could benefit residents by generating $72 million a year. Madhu Anderson is the council's senior research associate for local government affairs. She believes a sales tax isn't a great idea, but offered other possible ways Detroit could raise revenue. Anderson spoke with The Metro's Sam Corey.

As conversations about climate change continue to evolve, the College for Creative Studies (CCS) is being proactive about the role its students will eventually play. The art and design college is holding a series of conversations that interrogates how artists and designers build a future that is more sustainable.

CCS president, Donald Tuski, joined the show to explain why they are encouraging more sustainable and innovative designs.

Before the Mayflower, before highways and European colonization, stories were written on the Earth. And what is left behind are stories that aren't easily found in text books. 

"Nokee: The Last of the Great Lakes Mound Builders" asks us to listen to a history that was nearly erased. 

Through the fictional character of Nokee, we’re brought face-to-face with a culture that shaped the Great Lakes landscape, long before it had a name on a map.

As one of the last keepers of an ancient tradition, Nokee learns the mounds are not simply monuments of the past. They were living places where ancestors danced, cried, and convened. These massive structures were raised by human hands, often shaped like animals, and aligned with spirit and season. 

Steve Rheaume is the author of "Nokee." He is also a former federal biologist and geo-hydrologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. 

He joined The Metro’s Tia Graham here to discuss memory, loss, and what it means when a civilization survives with a fragmented history. 

Ismael Ahmed’s life was rooted in community and guided by the belief that people are stronger when brought together. Born in 1947 to a working-class Arab immigrant family, he grew up in Dearborn’s South End, shaped by factory work, public education, and a commitment to justice that defined his life’s work.

He co-founded the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), helped establish the Arab American National Museum, and later served as Michigan’s first Arab American cabinet member. Music was central to his activism. Through founding the Concert of Colors and hosting This Island Earth on WDET, Ahmed used music to break down barriers and connect people across cultures.

Ismael Ahmed died January 31, 2026. He was 78 years old.

Transit agencies across Southeast Michigan say the system has stabilized after years of disruption. Host Robyn Vincent speaks with Noah Kincade of Detroit Documenters about how recovery is being defined, what riders are experiencing, and why documenting public meetings matters as transit enters its next phase.