We all know music can be a powerful conduit to tell stories, exchange energies and connect across cultures. One note can paint a thousand pictures or tell thousand year old histories. 

Xiao Dong Wei is an internationally recognized erhu master. Her journey into music began in China at the tender age of 5. Her work has taken her across the globe and landed her in the Detroit area. 

She blends traditional Chinese instrumentation with contemporary styles like jazz, rock, and orchestral performance, playing over 20 instruments.

On April 24, 2026, the Michigan Philharmonic presents “Sounds of the Pacific Rim,”. It invites audiences to explore the sounds of the Oscar-winning score for Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

The concert creates a space for global conversation with local connections. A pre-concert talk, featuring Pacific Rim instruments, erhu, and Japanese taiko drums. 

Xiao will also premiere her own piece “Hometown Reflections.” Xiao and Charles Ezra Ferrell joined The Metro to talk more about her music and global connections in Detroit. 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

The Anishinaabe alliance makes up the the Three Fires Confederacy. It includes Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi. This land was and remains spiritual.

It was a place to gather and hunt. A place to convene with nature and flow with the river, no matter where it led. 

A new land acknowledgement plaque is being unveiled this weekend at Greenfield Village. It’s a step toward visibility, toward truth-telling, and toward honoring a history that too often goes untold.

But moments like this are about more than a plaque, they’re about the ongoing work of making Indigenous voices seen and heard.

Heather Bruegl is the curator of political and civic engagement at The Henry Ford. Travis Schuyler is director of programming for the North American Indian Association of Detroit. They joined The Metro to talk about the unveiling and the new plaque.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Detroit is a city where culture doesn’t just live, it moves like the river that shares a name. And this weekend, that energy comes together in a powerful way in Waawiyaatanong.

The Curved Shores Concert: A Native Artists Showcase takes over Spot Lite Detroit on Saturday, bringing together a unique lineup of Native American artists and storytellers.

It’s part of the larger Concert of Colors Neighborhood Programs, an effort to bring global sounds and meaningful conversations directly into Detroit’s neighborhoods. 

SouFy is a Southwest Detroit native and Native American hip-hop artist. When he’s not on stage performing, he’ll be helping bring this entire experience to life as co-founder of Vibes With The Tribes, the producers of the showcase.  

Charles Ezra Ferrell, the director of neighborhood programs for Concert of Colors and SouFy, joined The Metro to talk more about the event and its importance to Detroit’s diverse Native community.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

More stories from The Metro

About 1 in 31 children in the U.S. is now diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD. Behind every statistic is a family trying to figure it out in real time, searching for support, resources, and spaces where their children feel understood and included.

One Detroit mother hustled harder for more. 

After her eldest son was diagnosed with autism, Tiera Moultrie saw first-hand just how much was missing for families like hers.

In 2020, she founded Autism In The D, with a mission to build community and create safe, inclusive spaces for children on the spectrum and their families. Since its founding, Tiera has had three children, with two living with ASD. The work she does is personal but it’s about more than her family. 

Autism In The D is hosting its 6th annual Weekend of Inclusivity, one of Detroit’s largest autism awareness walks. It’s not just about awareness, it’s about access to resources, connection, and making sure families don’t feel alone. This year will also welcome Detroit’s first autism-inclusive adaptive kids gym.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

The WNBA and its players association have reached a new collective bargaining agreement, one that many say could reshape the future of women’s sports.

The momentum was already building.

Before the announcement, The league was already set to expand to 18 teams by 2030, with new franchises launching in Toronto and Portland this year, followed by Cleveland in 2028, and Detroit and Philadelphia in 2030.

Of course, player salaries are going up, but this seven-year deal goes far beyond pay.

The WNBA isn’t just adding teams, it’s adding games. The regular season could grow from 44 to as many as 50 games by 2027, and 52 games by 2029. 

And just as important, the agreement addresses what players call “cadence” or the pace of the schedule. It’ll add in new safeguards aimed at reducing long road stretches and improving travel demands.

Risa Isard is Director of Research and Insights at Parity. She joined The Metro to discuss why this deal is so crucial, and what means for the future of women’s professional sports. 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Sometimes, history reaches out to make itself known. 

A historic preservationist was going through an old, forgotten truck when she discovered something extraordinary: decades old journals. 

As she began to read through them, she realized they held more than family memories, they held the words of her mother’s journey to the United States. The long forgotten journals revealed a surprising connection to one of Detroit’s most famous figures. 

During World War II, Albert Kahn, the legendary architect who shaped much of Detroit’s skyline, quietly helped support her family. 

Nancy Finegood is the former director of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, preservation consultant and a board member of the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation Detroit. 

She joined The Metro and explained what she found and the unexpected ways the past can show up in our lives.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Something a little different is happening at Michigan Science Center— something that blends culture, community and creativity in a way you don’t see every day.

“House of Harlōw 011: The Quantum Rave” is taking over, turning a space that’s usually about inspiring curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and math, into a dance floor.

The show is for all ages and is a pay what you can event. It’s built around the idea of giving people a space to decompress through music and movement.

So what does it look like when a science institution opens its doors to a cultural movement like this? DJ With Love, Harlow and MI-SCI’s managing Director of Engagement Melanie Depcinski,  joined The Metro to talk about the upcoming event.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

The preservation of history doesn’t belong only to institutions, it lives in the hands, voices and memories of everyday people. In Detroit, a new generation of community historians is stepping forward.

Through oral histories, archival research, and creative storytelling, Black Bottom Archives’ Preserving Black Legacy Fellowship, builds living records of Detroit’s footprint. The year-long program trains Black Detroiters to document, preserve, and share the stories rooted in their own neighborhoods.

All of the fellows’ work will culminate in a public exhibit and a festival in 2026 celebrating Black Detroit history.

Lex Draper Garcia Bey is Director of Community Engagement and Programs for Black Bottom Archives. 

We begin the conversation talking about “From the Bottom, Up,” an exhibition by Black Bottom Archives on display at the Detroit Historical Society. It’s guided by the principle of Sankofa: “go back and get it.” Its closing ceremony is April 5 at the museum. 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Detroit’s musical contributions can not be denied. Musicians from across the globe have planted roots here in Detroit that have influenced the sound of Detroit for generations. 

Now, another genre of Detroit’s musical legacy is ready to take center stage nationally and internationally at South By Southwest, a yearly film and music festival that acts as a talent pipeline.

Headlining the showcase are:

• Bruiser Wolf
• Nasaan 

Additional featured artists include

• Neisha Neshae
• DJ Beastie
• B Free
• Asaka The Renegade
• 2Down
• Demaciiio
• Golden Boy Noel
• Que The Boy
• South North Southwest

Adrian Tonon is co-producer of Detroit 313 Selects and former night mayor of the city of Detroit. Neisha Neshae is a recording artist and a featured artist in this year’s showcase. 

Detroit 313 Selects is a local organization with the goal of putting Detroit’s artists in front of global audiences, while growing the creative economy in the city. 

Both Adrian and Neisha stopped by the studio to talk more about Detroit’s Hip Hop community, being an independent artist and the excitement surrounding this year’s SXSW showcase. 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

The music once sung by enslaved Africans is foundational to modern Christian and Gospel music. The music that was once used to give hope is preserved in various places throughout the co untry, including right here in Detroit. 

In 1972, The Brazeal Dennard Chorale was founded by Brazeal Dennard, an American educator and arranger. He wanted to discover new musicians while preserving the spiritual music of the African American experience and culture.

On the evening of October 29, 1978 in Detroit, the first Classical Roots Concert happened on the eastside. The concert included the best musicians in the area, local leaders and spiritual leaders.

Dr. Daniel Washington is a bass-baritone and tenured Professor of Music – Voice at the University of Michigan. Dr. Washington is also a board member for the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) and president of the Detroit Musicians Association.

LaToya Cross is the Communications and Advancement Content Specialist at DSO. Both join Tia Graham on The Metro to talk more about the exhibition and the importance of diversity within classical music.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Right now, across the country, communities are facing growing pressure from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to the American Immigration Council, six people died in ICE custody in January of this year alone, in Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and California, raising concerns and fears about what could happen next.

So how are people responding? How are communities making their voices heard? For some, the answer is public art.

Outdoor exhibitions have long had the power to democratize art. Displaying the works outdoors brings it out of galleries and into public spaces. It allows any and everyone to engage in shared cultural experiences and meaningful community connection.

A new installation called “ICEBREAKER”, created by multidisciplinary artist Rogerio Pinto, honors the lives lost to ICE and in detention centers.

He joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to talk more about the exhibition and the impact ICE has had on communities.

“ICEBREAKER” will remain on display at the corner of Harbrooke Avenue and Arbana Drive in Ann Arbor through April 19.

Names honored in the exhibit

Listed below are names featured in the exhibition.

Names of Lives Lost to DHS Enforcement

• Genry Ruiz Guillén
•  Serawit Gezahegn Dejene
•  Maksym Chernyak
• Juan Alexis Tineo-Martinez
• Brayan Garzón-Rayo
• Nhon Ngoc Nguyen
• Marie Ange Blaise
• Abelardo Avellaneda Delgado
• Jesus Molina-Veya
• Johnny Noviello
• Isidro Pérez
• Jaime Alanis
• Tien Xuan Phan
• Chaofeng Ge
• Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez
• Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas
• Oscar Rascon Duarte
• Silverio Villegas González
• Santos Banegas Reyes
• Ismael Ayala Uribe
• Norlan Guzman-Fuentes
• Miguel Ángel García Medina- (shot by a sniper)
• Huabing Xie
• Leo Cruz-Silva
• Hasan Ali Moh’D Saleh
• Josué Castro Rivera
• Gabriel Garcia Aviles
• Kai Yin Wong
• Francisco Gaspar-Andrés
• Pete Sumalo Montejo
• Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani
• Isaias Sanchez Barboza
• Jean Wilson Brutus
• Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir
• Delvin Francisco Rodriguez
• Nenko Stanev Gantchev
• Keith Porter
• Ray Ruben Martinez (not included on Fences)

2026

• Geraldo Lunas Campos
• Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres
• Luis Beltrán Yáñez-
• Renee Nicole Good
• Parady La
• Víctor Manuel Díaz-
• Heber Sánchez Domínguez-
• Alex Pretti
• Lorth Sim
• Nurul Amin Shah Alam
• Emmanuel Damas
• Alberto Gutierrez Reyes
• Daphy Michel 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

They called her the girl behind the camera, but make no mistake, Leni Sinclair wasn’t standing in anyone’s shadow. She was shaping history from the other side of the lens.

After emigrating to the United States in 1959 and studying at Wayne State University, Sinclair immersed herself in the cultural pulse of Detroit. In the 1960s, she documented revolution, both musical and political, capturing icons like Aretha Franklin and the raw passion of the MC-5. 

Her photographs didn’t just freeze moments in time, they helped define an era.

Leni wasn’t only observing movements, she was leading them. A political activist, cultural catalyst, and champion for generations of artists, she transformed Detroit’s creative landscape while chronicling it.

The Detroit Historical Society is honoring Sinclair’s extraordinary legacy with a year-long exhibition, “Leni: Looking Through the Lens”.

The celebration kicks off March 12 at the Detroit Historical Museum. The evening will be moderated by WDET’s Ann Delisi with an ensemble performance led by Kasan Belgrave, son of legendary trumpeter Marcus Belgrave.

Leni joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to chat briefly about her career and upcoming event.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

For generations, we’ve all heard fairy tale love stories. We learn early on in life who gets to be loved and who doesn’t. 

Oftentimes, those characters from those stories are written through a specific lens. Rarely do these great romantic tales center Black characters or characters of color at all. 

Black love stories are seen as a niche genre.

The State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing Study tracks the publication of books written by authors who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color) in the traditional romance genre.

According to findings, only 11% of the books published within the romance genre were from writers of color. 

So, what does it mean to call Black love “niche”? And who decides which love stories are universal?

Sylvia Hubbard is an author of over 70 romance novels. She joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to talk more about diversity within the romance genre.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

“As I Die and Wheeze” is a melodramatic comedy following the impact a death has on the family. Southern twin sisters, complete opposites, thought the sky was the limit until the death of their daddy.

Now, the twins face debt, scheming suitors and a spicy, sharp tongued aunty. “As I Die and Wheeze” is showing at Planet Ant theatre through the end of the month.

It is written by Katie McGraw and Maggie O’Reilly and directed by Bryan Lark. Maggie and Bryan joined us on The Metro to talk more about the play and the importance of theater and laughter right now. 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

 Food is a connection to the past and a living memory. It has a way of reminding the senses that love existed.

It’s never just about the food. It’s about who taught you. It’s about who was there to help you stir the pot and give you the spoon to lick the cake batter. It’s about the traditions passed down on purpose and by accident. And sometimes it’s about learning the hardships that put the food on the table.

Ifayomi Christine is a writer, director, and lens based artist. She recently directed the film “Until It Feels Like Worship,” which untangles generational grief and trauma through remembrance and release.

Cornetta Lane-Smith is a Detroit-based filmmaker, writer, producer and the founder of Studio 8278. She wrote and executive produced the docu-series “Recipes of Resistance.” The series explores how food and conversation help unpack human complexity. 

They both joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to talk more about the film and docu-series. 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Sacred Spaces is more than a tour,  it’s a celebration of cultural stewardship, collaboration, and the powerful role Black creatives play in shaping the city’s identity.

Throughout the month, nearly twenty Black-owned galleries, cultural institutions, and creative spaces have their doors open and are cross-promoting one another, inviting residents and visitors alike to experience the depth, diversity, and resilience of Detroit’s art ecosystem.

Misha McGowan is the gallery director and co-founder of Irwin House Detroit on West Grand Blvd. She also is the creator of Sacred Spaces.

We begin the conversation learning more about its origins and what’s happening right now to keep Detroit’s arts ecosystem connected. 

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

On this episode of The Metro, we tackled a really serious topic: online child exploitation.

It’s a criminal act that targets the most vulnerable people in our communities, kids and teens. Online child exploitation comes in many different forms, including online grooming, enticement and solicitation.

Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar is a professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University and an expert in the psychosocial and technological factors associated with cybercriminal behavior. She focuses on the criminological characteristics and grooming strategies of online child sex offenders.

Seigfried-Speller offers advice on keeping minors safe in our modern digital landscape.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

According to the National Crime Information Center more than 271,000 girls and women were reported missing in 2022 alone. 36% of them were Black.

These are not just numbers. They are daughters, sisters, classmates, and friends. And too often, their stories are underreported, or not reported at all.

Black girls and women are disproportionately impacted by violence, trafficking, and systemic neglect. And that neglect has consequences. It has led to higher rates of disappearance than their 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.  

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

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.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro