George Wallace’s observational humor, and masterful storytelling have earned him a place among comedy’s most iconic figures. 

As a comic, writer and actor he has been casted in “Seinfeld,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Mr. Deeds” and so many more staple TV shows and films. Wallace is perhaps best known for his iconic “I Be Thinkin’ routines and his signature “Yo Mama” jokes. He currently stars alongside Laverne Cox in the comedy series, “Clean Slate.”

In 2004, Wallace headlined his own show at The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. It was initially only greenlit for 30 days, but the show became so popular it ran for over a decade. That’s how he earned the nickname “The New Mr. Vegas.”

Wallace joined the The Metro to discuss all the things he appreciates most in his life.

He will take his impeccable timing and authentic insights to the Fisher Theatre stage Saturday October 25th.

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The internet and the social platforms that exist there have been both an interesting and unsettling experiment. When we look back at how it’s changed—and changed us—one can only wonder whether we are better or worse off because of it.

The web can be a useful tool for connection and amplify some of the more unsettling parts of society.  This plays out with consumer reviews. While being a useful way to find out the quality and value of an item or service, reviews can have unintended consequences.

Some issues with review platforms stem from walking the tightrope between serving customers and businesses. It’s also hard to be truly representative when not everyone decides to leave reviews. 

Michael Luca is a professor at Johns Hopkins whose work focuses on the design of online platforms. He joined the show to provide some perspective on how platforms work and tell us why all of this matters.

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Sam Tallent is an entertainer who has spent two decades on the stage as a musician and comedian. Sam, like many comics, has told jokes that didn’t land with the crowd, so he pivoted in real time. He turned those moments into lessons that refined his craft.

It’s a relentless grind that he illustrates best through the perspective of a fictional comedian in his recent novel “Running the Light.”

He joined the show ahead of his run of stand-up shows October 16-18 at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak to discuss his process, his inspirations, and his new book. 

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Voter turnout in Detroit is low. Only a fraction of registered voters cast a ballot when Election Day comes. But there are people and organizations that want more people to be heard. 

Lift Every Voice and Vote is a non-profit that aims to educate citizens about the election process. The organization is partnering with the Black church community to help mobilize more people. 

Al Williams is a business owner and active in local politics. He also coordinates the ground efforts for the non-profit. He joined the show to discuss how their efforts educating members of Detroit churches about the benefits  of voting can shift how they understand voting, share that knowledge, and hopefully improve turnout. 

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The thousands of domestic violence calls Warren police receive annually are pushing law enforcement to act differently, to move faster and meet survivors where they are.

In May, city police launched Operation Cycle Break, a new program designed to close the gaps in how domestic violence cases move through the system. The goal is fewer repeat calls, and fewer incidents overall. The effort brings together the Warren Police Department, prosecutors, a nonprofit that supports survivors, and researchers at Wayne State University.

Detective Sergeant James Twardesky and Captain Brent Chisolm of the Warren police department are the architects of Operation Cycle Break. They joined the show to explain the initiative. 

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and one local non-profit is recruiting men to help end the abuse.

While men are typically the perpetrators of violence, 23% of men in Michigan experience intimate partner violence, rape or stalking. This places men in a very unique place in which they can discuss, amongst themselves, both the impacts of violence on victims and discuss how their experiences could lead to violence.

Haven, a non-profit in Oakland County, has been calling on men to raise their voices on this issue. The organization aims to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault and provides resources to survivors in their time of need.

Haven is currently recruiting 100 men to lend their voices and support their communities in eliminating domestic violence. There’s a Men of Haven recruitment event coming up on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 6-8 p.m. at Haven’s headquarters in Pontiac.

Christine Kinal is the CEO of Haven. She joined the show to discuss men’s roles in addressing this very important issue.

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Dance is typically understood as a physical artform. A non-verbal expression of creativity, emotions and narratives. Dance is a cultural pillar that brings communities together under shared goals: to create and perform. 

Ajara Alghali is a cultural organizer and connector, who believes that dance can also be a tool for transformation and equity and a connection between ritual and our shared environment. With these principles in mind, she co-founded the TéMaTé Institute for Black Dance and Culture in 2018. 

The organization hosts an annual dance convening that demonstrates that vision through workshops and performances from experts who span the African diaspora. This year, it takes place October 18 and 19 at the Andy Art Center and Detroit School of Arts.  Ajara joined The Metro to discuss the upcoming event.

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Employees at the Exclusive Brands Marijuana & Cannabis Dispensary have been striking for over a month. They say they’re expected to work more without any additional pay and that when they express their concerns, their hours are cut. Employees are attempting to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which already represents cannabis workers in Michigan, but they say Exclusive refuses to recognize their union.

Emily Hull, a striking budtender at Exclusive Brands in Ann Arbor, and Megan Carvalho, the national campaign coordinator for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union’s cannabis program, joined the show to discuss the working conditions at the dispensary and the state of the strike.

The Metro contacted the head of Exclusive Brands’ Ann Arbor facility. We have not heard back.

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During the Great Depression, auto workers organized a march from Detroit to the Ford Rouge Factory in Dearborn. Thousands of people took to the streets to fight for jobs when nearly half of workers in Detroit were unemployed. The event is now known as the Ford Hunger March, and it was one of the most significant events leading to the creation of the United Auto Workers union. 

Friends of the Rouge and the Fort Rouge Gateway Partnership joined forces to construct the Fort Street Bridge Interpretive Park to celebrate those who fought for workers rights and commemorate that pivotal moment in labor history. 

The first phase of the park project was completed in 2020 and construction for the second phase of the project started in mid-September. 

Paul Draus, a professor of sociology at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a board member of the Friends of Rouge joined the show to discuss the importance of this park and the history it honors. 

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Music is a form of creative expression, but it’s also an antidote that can put you in just the right head space at the right time. It can calm you down after a stressful day or hype you up before a night out. 

Music has the power to alter or reinforce our state of being and scientists like Daniel Levitin want to harness its power to heal us.

Levitin is a neuroscientist and a musician who has spent a lot of time studying the impact music has on our brains. His most recent book is called “I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine”.

He joined he show to discuss the book and explain how music can heal us.

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At the end of August, at least three women in Southeast Michigan were killed by a partner or family member. Those cases prompted questions about protection orders—processes through which victims of domestic abuse can protect themselves.

Do they make a difference, and what more can be done to prevent instances of abuse?

Chéree Thomas is the Co-Executive Director of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. She believes the responsibility to protect victims should not be placed exclusively on the justice system, it should also be placed on the shoulders of the broader community.

She joined the show to discuss how to collectively address and reduce domestic violence. 

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Over the past month, Southeast Michigan has been shaken by a string of killings. A mother and her 12-year-old son, a woman fleeing an abusive relationship, and a young woman, only 20 years old, were killed with days of each other by a partner or loved one.

These tragic events force us to address hard questions: Where can people living with abuse turn for help? And are the systems that are meant to protect them actually working?

Nushrat Rahman has covering been these instances for the Detroit Free Press. She joined the show to tell us more. 

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If you’re looking for an R&B artist who represents the spirit and sound of Detroit, look no further than Charity Ward. Her sound, sculpted from her upbringing as a preacher’s kid, inspired her debut album in 2020, “Tended Headed.”

After years as a part-time musician, and after a major collaboration with rapper Snoop Dogg on her single “Cruel,” she entered 2025 on a mission to commit to music full-time.

She joined The Metro during our fall fundraiser and shared how transformative her dedication to music has been and what listeners can expect from her upcoming album.

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September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to bring attention to a crisis that touches far too many families.

This month is a reminder that life can feel overwhelming as we juggle family, work, friends, and everything in between. Too often, what gets left behind is our own well-being. And when mental health goes unaddressed, the consequences can be devastating.

Suicide rates in the U.S. climbed between 2000 and 2018, dipped briefly, and remain elevated today. On average, one person dies by suicide every 11 minutes. Behind those numbers are real people—neighbors, loved ones, friends—whose struggles too often remain invisible until it’s too late.

Lori Edelson, a psychotherapist and the owner of Birmingham Maple Clinic, joined the show to raise awareness and share how we can spot the warning signs.
 

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In 1978, residents in the Detroit’s Cass Corridor resisted Wayne State’s plan to demolish historic buildings in the neighborhood. This act of resistance birthed the Dally in the Alley festival.

Since that year, community volunteers come together annually put on a block party that features local vendors, food, and musical performances.  Adriel Thornton, the president of the North Cass Community Union, which host the event, joined the show to discuss Dally.

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When protests on college campuses in response to the Israel-Hamas war erupted across the nation, leaders at some universities cracked down.

The conflict between demonstrators and university officials raises questions about the limits of free speech for college students, and it’s just one of many points of friction on campuses that major institutions must confront. 

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum is a psychologist who has spent over 40 years in higher education. She spent 13 of those years as the president Spelman College. Dr. Tatum believes these institutions need to create an environment to work through deep divisions. 

She joined the show to discuss her new book “Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times” and how officials at major institutions can do that. 

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In November, Detroit residents will vote for the next mayor and fill seats on the city council. It will be the first change in the city’s mayoral leadership since 2013, when Mike Duggan was elected as a write-in candidate.

There has been positive momentum in Detroit since that time. City services have improved, new development continues to pop up in the downtown and midtown areas, homicides are down and the city’s population is increasing. But despite that, a key issue in our politics lingers.

Only a fraction of Detroit residents show up to vote. 

According an analysis by the Detroit Free Press, voting in municipal elections has dropped over the last 20 years while turnout in presidential and gubernatorial elections remains steady.

Free Press editorial page editor, Nancy Kaffer, joined the show to discuss their findings and share why residents in low turnout areas aren’t voting.

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It’s hard to find a more home-grown Detroit artist than Beth. You can tell the second she lays her silky-sultry vocals on the track that the singer-songwriter is a direct descendent of the Motown sound.

From touring around the world as a backup vocalist for legendary artists KEM and Anita Baker, to her time in the music competition show The Voice, it’s clear that Beth’s sound is widely sought after. 

Today, Beth joined The Metro and shed light on her experiences navigating the entertainment industry.  

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In her latest book “Original Sin: The (Mis)education of Black and native Children and Construction of American Racism,” author, poet, and University of Chicago sociology professor Eve Ewing uncovers historic wounds that she believes explains how education today falls short, particularly for children of color.

“Original Sin” situates the construction of Americans schools alongside American slavery and the attempted genocide of Native Americans. She argues they are used as a tool to condition Black and native communities.

While schools here in Michigan are struggling to develop student’s reading and math skills, producer Cary Junior II explored why Ewing believes the way we measure and define intelligence is inadequate.

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