After decades of decay, Detroit’s historic Packard Plant could be on the road to redevelopment.

The city announced a letter of intent with a developer to give 28-acres of the site new life. The plant as a whole has been a significant structure throughout Detroit’s history. It has seen the heights of the automotive boom and the consequences of disinvestment and neglect. 

When auto manufacturing operations at the plant came to an end in the mid-20th century, another generation reimagined the space. So which moments deserve to be preserved in its next chapter? 

Dave Marchioni, the industrial and automotive curator at the Detroit Historical Society, and John Lauter, Packard Plant historian, revisit key moments throughout it’s history. 

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As we draw closer to the Christmas season holiday cheer is right around the corner. What better way to bring in the Christmas vibes than a holiday concert extravaganza?

This Thursday, Holiday Detroit will put on a one night only showcase of music and dance featuring artists both near and far. Professional dancers, singers and musicians team up with students from Voyageur College Preparatory High School to put on this holiday performance. 

Lisa McCall is a renowned choreographer and a producer of the show. She joined the program with one of the showcases’ featured artist: The Temptations lead singer, Tony Grant.  

Tickets are available at holidaydetroit.com

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The Eastern Market just got a guardian to watch over the site.  The Robocop statue commemorating the 80s sci-fi film was finally installed after over a decade of planning. 

The sculpture was crafted by Venus Bronze Works and artist George Gikas after a crowd sourcing campaign sparked the idea in 2011.

The movie that inspired it centers Alex Murphy, a Detroit police officer who was killed on the job by criminal. A corporation tasked with reducing the city’s crime rate then uses his body to create a crime fighting cyborg.

The movie explores humanity, corporate greed and makes clever critiques of American politics and culture. The concept spawned multiple sequels, comics, an animated series, action figures and more. 

But what about the movie resonated so deeply with fans in Detroit that they were willing to help fund a sculpture to honor it?

Curtis Sullivan is the owner of the Vault of Midnight comic book stores and a member of the Robocop fanbase. He joined the program to discuss the significance of the film, its relevance to Detroit, and the new sculpture

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What policies do Black residents in Michigan want to see?

The Center for Community Uplift at the Brookings Institute measured the quality of life for Black residents across the state of Michigan. They found that Black residents own less homes, have a lower life expectancy and make less money than the state average. But they also discovered Black communities in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and some Detroit suburbs bucking that trend.

The team lead by Senior fellow Andre Perry surveyed residents in those areas and others across the state asking which policies and programs were working. After 150 Black residents responded, the team compiled that feedback and published a list of 29 policy recommendations in October.

Perry joined the program and broke down some of the findings from the report. 

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After a family trip to Syria at the tender age of ten, Michael Ibrahim’s parents handed him an oud. The lute or guitar-like instrument is prominent in Arab music, and it became a gateway that connected Ibrahim to his heritage.

Ibrahim insists that he, like any other kid, fell in love with playing music that reminds him of family and of home. Unlike many other kids, he grew older and constructed an entire orchestra to honor it. In 2009, he founded The National Arab Orchestra, and in the years since, the group has performed across the country and established itself as a national leader in Arab music.

Locally, the orchestra partners with public schools  to teach students about Arab culture and it performs regularly at the Detroit Music Hall. Michael Ibrahim joined the program to share his musical origins, how the orchestra came to be, and why he believes music can bring communities together.

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Trust in major news organizations is at an all time low.

According to a 2024 Gallup poll that has tracked trust in media for over 50 years, 30% of people said they do not trust mass media. Only 6% said they lack trust in the media when the survey was first taken in the 70s. 

When Danielle Brown, a professor of journalism at Michigan State University, asked Black communities in states like Michigan if they trusted the media, she discovered that they have trusted messengers for news. She joined the show to discuss her findings. 

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A legendary Detroit band has been recognized with one of music industry’s highest honors. 

The White Stripes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this month. With that distinction, the band is now alongside some of Detroit’s greats, like Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger, and Aretha Franklin.

The duo exploded onto the national scene in the early 2000s and  released six studio albums across ten years. Songs like “Blue Orchid,” “Icky Thump,” and the iconic stadium banger “Seven Nation Army” are examples of the raw textures and driving beats that characterize their approach to garage-punk. 

Meg and Jack eventually split after 2011 but their contributions to music in Detroit and America will be forever recognized.  Mike Latulippe, host of The Detroit Move on WDET, played with Jack White back in the day. He joined the program to discuss the band’s legacy.

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The relationship between sports and gambling is getting complicated. 

In the years since the Supreme Court legalized sports betting across the nation, professional athletes have been in a lot of trouble.

Last month, NBA player Terry Rozier, assistant coach Damon Jones and Pistons legend Chauncey Billups were arrested in a wide-ranging federal investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker game schemes.   

Billups is accused of playing a role in a gambling scheme, not sports betting. But his potential role in a plot with ties to the Mafia raised many eyebrows, including those of longtime sports journalist Jemele Hill.

Hill is a Detroit native and someone who has been covering professional sports for years. She’s a contributing writer for The Atlantic and the host of Spolitics on iHeart. Hill joins the show to share her thoughts on how betting is changing sports and how the allegations against Billups impact his legacy.

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Controversy among local leaders in Oakland County is brewing.

A Detroit Free Press investigation uncovered gaps in the county’s laws that allowed multiple officials to engaged in conduct that experts say is a conflict of interest. Commissioners in Oakland County voted on contracts for organizations where they were also employed.

Detroit Free Press Investigative Reporter Dave Boucher joined the show to explain why those gaps exist and how to close them.  

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Thousands of women have been in the initial stages of a legal battle over hair products they believe made them sick.

In 2022, The National Institute of Environmental Health Science, found that women who use hair relaxers frequently increase their risk of developing cancer, and now over 10,000 women who have used the treatment are suing the manufacturers. The findings raise important questions about the risks associated with hair products—risks that are present everyday in a city dubbed the “Hair Capital of the World.”

Aisha Langford, a professor of public health at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine joined the show to explains the important takeaways for consumers and stylists who use relaxers.

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Leading up to this year’s election The Metro has discussed how Detroit’s turnout needs to improve. According to the city’s unofficial results, nearly 22,000 more people voted this year than in the 2021 mayoral election.

After a quick update on turnout in Oakland County with clerk Lisa Brown, we were joined by Al Williams, who leads ground efforts with Lift Every Voice and Vote in Detroit. The non-profit organization encourages voting by working with local churches. 

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In the 12 years since the city of Detroit declared bankruptcy, a new generation of voters came of age.

A sizeable portion of Gen Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—are now old enough to cast their ballots in Tuesday’s election. That group in 2022 voted at a higher rate in their first midterms than Millennials, Gen X, and likely Boomers when they were the same age, making them a relatively more civically engaged cohort. 

As we approach a different kind of off year election, when the keys to the future of Detroit are up for grabs, just how engaged is Gen Z in local politics?

Guests:

• Imani Foster – Communication lead with 482forward, a coalition that supports education in Detroit.
• Johnathan Shepard – Film marketing and journalism student at Wayne State University and the multimedia manager for the the school’s newspaper.
• Sedrick Huff – Policy manager at the Eastside Community Network.

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The Masonic Temple is a popular a venue on the edge of the Cass Corridor that hosts events and concerts. It opened in 1926 after being designed by architect George Mason. In addition to being a venue, it serves as a meeting space for the Free Mason fraternity. 

Around this time of year, rumors typically begin to spread about the history of the temple, George Mason’s passing and whether the building is haunted. 

Rob Moore, the Executive director of the Detroit Masonic Temple Library, Archive, and Research Center joined the program to set the record straight.

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It’s been over five years since the COVID-19 pandemic and local autoworkers are have taken steps to move its employees back into the office.

Ford Motor Company implemented a new policy in September that requires employees to be in office four days a week. General Motors is moving its headquarters to the brand-new Hudson’s site downtown. At the same time, co-working spaces continue to be a popular work place option for companies.

The mix between traditional office space, co-working space and hybrid work has us wondering what the future of the workplace could look like.

Melissa Fisher is an anthropologist whose work focuses on workplace culture and design. She joined the The Metro to discuss what employees and managers take into account when determining an ideal work place.

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Three teenagers and a four-year-old were killed in a string of deadly shootings in Detroit during the summer. In response, Mayor Duggan and Police Chief Todd Bettison announced plans to ramp up enforcement of the city’s curfew policy and more than double the penalty fees.

The city fines parents of teenagers who stay out past curfew hours without adult supervision. Officials say fines will encourage parents to step up and help reduce the violence, but experts argue this approach doesn’t work and that it could cause more hardship for families. 

Caitlin Cavanagh is a developmental psychologist who teaches in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. She recentaly wrote a piece in The Conversation, “Detroit parents face fines if their children break curfew − research shows the policy could do more harm than good.” She joined the show to discuss the impact of the fines and potential alternative solutions.

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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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