The Metro

Since 1941, the Wayne State University Press has published over 2,000 titles that explore a number of topics from literature, to history to politics.

Senior Director Stephanie Williams joined the program to discuss its offerings this season.

To counter President Donald Trump's agenda, liberals aren't discussing democracy. They're talking about the issue of affordability.

In November, Democrats ran across the country — and won — on reducing the cost of living. Last month, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer unveiled a plan to make America more affordable.

But what, exactly, is an affordability agenda? And how are politicians trying to resolve the affordability crisis?

EJ Dionne is a New York Times opinion writer, a professor at Georgetown University, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.

Affordability. That’s the word that’s been buzzing around politics. In November, Democrats across the country won on the promise of reducing the cost of living. But it’s not just liberals that are embracing an “affordability agenda.” Conservatives and libertarians are latching on as well.

Jarrett Skorup is the vice president of marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which appreciates the free market and criticizes government regulation. In this conversation, The Metro's Sam Corey spoke with him about why he thinks unregulated capitalism can help free people from the burden of rising costs.

Malcolm X was a leader during the Civil Rights Movement known for his more radical approach to advancing Black Americans rights. But he was also a young man that grew up in Michigan, known as Detroit Red.

Though most only recognize "Malcolm X," he went by several names throughout his life. His birth name is Malcolm Little, which progressed to Malcolm X. He ended his life as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

Who was Detroit Red and how did his name change reflect his personal transformation?

Dr. Tareq A. Ramadan is an anthropologist, historic preservationist, and interdisciplinary adjunct professor of Anthropology and Near Eastern Studies at Wayne State University and at Henry Ford College. He's also the co-founder of The Malcolm X House Historic Preservation Project along side Aaron Sims.

This month, Ramadan will take part in The Black Cannon’s program "Martin and Malcolm" where they will discuss the lives and legacies of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. 

Tareq joined The Metro's Tia Graham to discuss how Detroit Red became Malcolm X.

The McDougall-Hunt Neighborhood on Detroit's east side has been home to the Heidelberg Project since 1986, when artist Tyree Guyton came back to the neighborhood he was raised in and began turning empty lots and abandoned houses into works of art.

The installation celebrates 40 years this year, preserving the history of the space and while reimaging the neighborhood where three generations of his family lived. 

Tyree Guyton is a life-long Detroiter, a painter and visionary place maker and this year's Kresge Eminent Artist. At 70 years old, he's being honored for his life’s work improving community through the arts. 

Guyton and the former manager of The Heidelberg Project Jeanne Whitefield joined The Metro to talk about life, legacy and the future of Detroit Heidelberg Project. 

Federal vaccine recommendations have been overhauled, dietary guidelines rewritten, and public trust in health institutions continues to slide. In the first installment of a monthly series on public health in Michigan, Oakland County Health Officer Kate Guzman talks with Robyn Vincent about how public health departments are engaging with residents and battling misinformation.

Many have been actively engaging and organizing against federal immigration enforcement and the killings of Americans at the hands of immigration agents. It’s been true in Minneapolis, where thousands have taken to the streets. And it’s spread from there to Detroit and many other places across the nation. All these actions have us wondering: What has been the efficacy of these protests against ICE thus far? And, when, exactly, is a protest successful?

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is a professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She’s also the author of “A Protest History of the United States.” She joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.

Of all the architects in Detroit, one of the best known may be Albert Kahn. He designed some of the city’s most treasured buildings, including the Belle Isle Conservancy, the Fisher Building, and the Detroit Athletic Club.

 Even still, a lot of people don’t know that much about Kahn. They don’t know how or why his work changed architecture in Detroit, or any of his design preferences.

Chris Meister is the author of the new book, “Albert Kahn's Daylight: An Architect Reconsidered.” He spoke with The Metro’s Sam Corey about why much of Kahn’s work prioritized natural light.

For decades, Native American children in Michigan were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools designed to erase their languages, cultures, and identities. Many of these schools remained open far longer than the public understands, leaving deep and lasting harm across generations.

In this episode of The Metro, Leora Tadgerson — director of Reparations and Justice for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan and co-chair of Michigan’s Truth, Justice, and Healing Commission — discusses the history of Native boarding schools in the state, their enduring impacts on families and Tribal nations, and why this legacy continues to resonate amid contemporary debates over family separation, government power, and accountability.

Detroit and art go hand-in-hand. It’s held in the same regard as the automotive industry as one of the city’s great exports. But unlike the auto and manufacturing industries, the work can be a lot less stable, the recognition can be less visible, and the pay can be inconsistent.

So what does an artist in Metro Detroit striving to make a life here do? What supports exist and is it enough? Artists Sydney James and Halima Cassells join the program to discuss.