The Metro

"Divining Freedom," the debut novel of Donna Givens-Davidson, follows Black Detroit families across five generations. 

The story spans more than a hundred years, following multiple families' hopeful journey to success and prosperity. The fictional narrative covers characters during the emancipation, the Detroit rebellion, and the modern day. 

Givens-Davidson served as a community builder for 40 years before embracing her role as a historian and organizer. She also hosts Authentically Detroit, a podcast that stems from her presidency at the Eastside Community Network. She joins The Metro to foreshadow what these chapters are all about and how the content stands as a testament to ancestors from the city.

 Over half a million Michigan customers lost power over the Fourth of July — some for five days, in 90 degree heat. At a Farmington Hills senior living home, staff dressed residents in the dark. Now the state is investigating DTE and Consumers Energy, giving them until Aug. 27 to explain themselves. It isn't the first time: Michigan regulators have investigated storm outages at least 10 times since 1991.

Farmington Hills Mayor Theresa Rich doesn't own the wires or set the rates, but when the power goes out, her residents call her. She joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what her city is owed and what she thinks should happen next.

Over the past four months, northern Michigan has experienced a series of extreme weather events.

In March, an ice storm caused tens of thousands of utility customers to lose power. In April, record-breaking precipitation caused rivers and lakes to flood, ripping apart roads. Now, smoke from Canadian and Minnesota wildfires has been creating air quality alerts.

Climate change is affecting everyone, but effects can very depending on the location. What are things like for residents of northern Michigan? Vivian La is a climate solutions reporter for Interlochen Public Radio and Grist. She spoke about the northern Michiganders trying to adapt to climate change — and those who are trying to maintain the status quo — with The Metro’s Sam Corey.

An outbreak no one can pin down has shaken confidence in the grocery aisle. A Detroit grower who studied infectious disease before turning to agriculture argues for shrinking the distance between soil and plate — and is honest about what going small can and can't solve. She joins Robyn Vincent to talk trust, control, and where dinner really comes from. Have thoughts? Email the show at [email protected]

Michigan has recorded more than 4,000 cases of cyclospora — more than the rest of the country combined — and no one can say which food carried it. Food safety expert Barbara Kowalcyk, who came to the work after losing her son to contaminated food, joins host Robyn Vincent to discuss what this moment reveals about the systems meant to protect us. Have thoughts? Email the show at [email protected]

For the last month Americans have been watching soccer with the World Cup being played on U.S. soil for the first time in more than 30 years.  The final game is this weekend.

Videos on social media have shown people from Europe coming over and being impressed by the food. That raises the question of what makes the culinary landscape in the U.S., a country founded by immigrants, so different.

Chef Nick Sanchez is an immigrant who serves as the director of the Patchwork Culinary Project. He joins The Metro to discuss the impact of immigrants and refugees on the country’s culinary landscape.

The Concert of Colors is celebrating its 35th anniversary and commemorating Ismael Ahmed, who co-founded the event and passed away earlier this year. Building on a spirit of inclusivity and collaboration, the festival organization is now led by Njia Kai.

“One thing Ismael was clear about is that we are all brothers and sisters, and that we should all take care of each other,” says Kai.

Dozens of musical performers and bands from around the world join Detroit-area artists on the festival lineup including Sheila E, The Don Was Detroit All Star Revue, Dengue Fever, Charity Ward, Kasan Belgrave, Steel Pulse and Martha Redbone.

Beyond music performances and a memorial for Ismael, there will be a community forum at the Majestic Theatre Complex presented by the Arab American National Museum.  The conversation will be led by NPR’s Neda Ulaby. There will also be a grant writing workshop, youth programming, and a story circle at N’Nambi Center for Contemporary Art.

Njia Kai, Concert of Colors festival organizer, joined The Metro to discuss this year’s festival.

A Detroit officer shot 18-year-old Alonzo Lee-Perkins before the Ford Fireworks over a suspected gun. He survived and was charged — but the two sides tell very different stories, and the body-camera footage that could resolve them is stalled by a police union lawsuit. Free Press investigative reporter Violet Ikonomova joins host Robyn Vincent to discuss what's known, what isn't, and the potential pattern behind it. Have thoughts? Email the show at [email protected].

Many Michiganders feel powerless over their own electrical power. That’s because, despite approved rate hikes, when a storm hits the power can be out for days before utility companies like Consumers Energy and DTE Energy are able to restore it. But while many are disappointed with the performance of Michigan’s utility companies, some regulators point to progress as outage time has decreased by about 23% since 2019.

Dan Scripps is the chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates DTE Energy. He joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what is being done to improve the state’s aging grid, and why the utility company is sometimes too slow to restore power. 

The Ann Arbor Art Fair welcomes nearly half a million visitors from July 16-18. 

There will be a thousand juried artists from across Michigan and the entire country. They will serve at three simultaneous nonprofit events:

- The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original
- The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair
- The Ann Arbor State Street District Art Fair

A Youth Art Fair and Kids Collectors Club is also present for grade school creatives.

Karen Bauer has been the executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair for twenty years, while Teesha Lieber is a Detroit marbling artist from Spontaneity Works.

They join the show to talk about youth participation and keeping art authentic during the digital age.