The Metro
"The Metro" covers local and regional news and current affairs, arts and cultural events and topics, with a commitment to airing perspectives and uncovering stories underreported by mainstream media in Detroit.
Most Recent Episode
22-acre park opens on Detroit’s riverfront
There’s a new park on the riverfront in downtown Detroit, and you can’t miss it.
The 22-acre Ralph C Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park is located along Detroit's riverfront between the Ambassador Bridge and the Renaissance Center. It features a whimsical playground and splash pad, two covered basketball courts, hundreds of newly-planted trees and a water garden.
The park's opening is the result of 8 years of outreach, planning and design. The seed funding was provided by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the project was led by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
Jim Boyle, Vice President of Programs and Strategy at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation told The Metro the new park connects neighborhoods that border downtown via the Joe Louis Greenway and the Riverwalk.
"It's a regional asset that's an economic driver for talent, and a major place where people want to be. But, it's also a neighborhood amenity that makes living in those neighborhoods that much better."
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Centennial Park is now open to the public on Detroit's Riverfront.
More Episodes
Is The Masonic Temple haunted?
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.
What future workplaces could look like
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.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
What it looks like to repair Detroit homes
One of the biggest issues Detroiters face has to do with their homes. There are a fair number of homes in the city, but over 20,000 of them are in dire need of repairs. That includes leaky roofs, electricity issues, and asbestos in the walls.
The problem is large, but one retired firefighter, Gary Ringer, is trying to chip away at it. He joined The Metro to discuss the challenges he encounters and why he volunteers around the city.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Expert says curfew penalties don't work
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 joined the show to discuss the impact of the fines and potential alternative solutions.
What Americans make of President Trump's foreign policy
President Donald Trump has been pushing an "American first" foreign policy, one that is stricter on immigration, and tougher on China and our global trading partners. What do people make of this approach?
Rebecca Lissner is a Senior fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Brady-Johnson distinguished practitioner in grand strategy and lecturer with the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University. She joined The Metro to discuss.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Passenger Recovery Community Center provides a safe space for artists
Arts and culture in Hamtramck are thriving, yet not many know about its community and resources offered to a wide array of people.
Passenger Recovery was founded in 2016 with the goal of helping traveling artists maintain sobriety with tools and resources to allow for safe experiences on the road.
Now, the artistic and sobriety space, Recovery Community Center, is trying to do even more to foster and protect local and visiting talent, and to expand its programming. They've found they often partner with the Hamtramck Queer Alliance, providing a safe space for many different groups in the area.
Bryan Wolf is the Director of Passenger Recovery and Passenger Radio, a music and sound professional and educator. Tim Price is the Outreach and Marketing Director of Social Media for Passenger Radio WHCK. He is also the founder and curator of the Christopher Street Gallery in Hamtramck.
Bryan and Tim joined The Metro to talk more about what’s being happening in Hamtramck’s arts and culture scene.
MOCAD celebrates 20 years of bringing fine arts to the community
Jova Lynn, co-director of the Museum of Contemporary Arts Detroit, joined The Metro to talk more about renovations, new exhibitions and 20 years of MOCAD.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
How Detroit's next mayor can reduce homelessness
Poverty is going up in Detroit. So too are the costs of food and housing. All of this means that many are struggling to pay their bills, and homelessness — particularly for kids — is on the rise.
Anthony Eid, the senior director of public policy for the Community Development Advocates of Detroit, and the policy and advocacy coordinator for COTS, a housing agency in the city, joined The Metro to discuss.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Legendary Comic George Wallace on tour in Detroit
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.
Whitmer’s pardon and the immigration law gap: the case of Lue Yang
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has now pardoned Lue Yang, a Hmong refugee and father of six facing deportation to Laos — a country he’s never lived in. Just before that decision was announced, The Metro’s Robyn Vincent spoke with immigration attorney Aisa Villarosa of the Asian Law Caucus about Yang’s detention, due-process concerns, and the calls for his release.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Equal access at Comerica Park
At Comerica Park, deaf and hard-of-hearing volunteers say they were excluded from a concessions program after a confusing interaction with a “secret shopper.” Now their lawsuit, led by the Sugar Law Center, is testing what equal communication means under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Co-host Robyn Vincent speaks with attorney Liz Jacob about access and accountability.
Access a full transcript of their conversation at wdet.org.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
New Black Box theatre takes center stage at University of Detroit Mercy
While the arts and humanities are facing defunding and disinvestment nationally, there’s a brand new space to experience the arts in Detroit’s Live 6 neighborhood.
The Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre opens next month with a production of Shakespeare's “Twelfth Night.” It is the university’s first permanent theater on that campus, despite a 150-year history of theatre productions.
Previously, students in the award-winning theatre program had practiced and performed in temporary buildings and spaces, including a space in the YMCA in Downtown Detroit.
Jocelyn Boryczka, Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Science at University of Detroit Mercy, joined Tia Graham to discuss the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre and what it means for the future of arts programming in the Live 6 area.
She says the vision for the theatre extends beyond the university walls and invites residents of the Live 6 neighborhoods to be a part of the theatre now and in the future.
The Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre’s first production will be Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” with performances November 7-16. Tickets available online.
Detained on the way to Gaza
Michigan attorney Huwaida Arraf helped lead a humanitarian flotilla carrying aid to Gaza earlier this month. The ships were intercepted by Israeli forces, and she was detained before being deported.
She tells The Metro’s Robyn Vincent why she keeps returning to sea and what she’s witnessed as aid access to Gaza remains restricted.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
Why Michigan's clerks are against the ranked choice voting initiative
Last week, the local campaign to implement ranked choice voting took a hit. That’s because the Michigan Association of County Clerks came out against it. What are clerks' concerns? And, can they be resolved?
Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown joined The Metro to explain.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
InsideOut Literary Arts celebrates 30 years
For almost 30 years now, InsideOut Literary Arts has helped countless Detroit students find a love and passion for creative writing.
InsideOut was founded by Dr. Terry Blackhawk, a Detroit Public Schools teacher, who had a goal to inspire young people through the written and spoken word. Since 1995, the organization has expanded, offering classroom instructions, free performances and career opportunities after participation.
This year, the organization made it a point to fill spaces throughout the city with youth poetry. They purchased 30 billboards, replacing ordinary ads with student writing. And as you drive through the Avenue of Fashion, you’ll see a new mural by artist Oshun Williams.
To cap the end of its 30th year, a party at The Norwood celebrates the joy and impact InsideOut Literary Arts over the past three decades.
Suma Karaman Rosen is Executive Director of InsideOut literary Arts. Hajjar Baban is an InsideOut Alum and has a master's in fine arts from University of Virginia. She is an award-winning poet and currently a poetry reader for Muzzle Magazine.
They joined The Metro's Tia Graham to talk more about 30 years of poetry and more.
Detroit Women’s Commission could shape policy alongside the next mayor
The Detroit Women's Commission is a new group in the mayor’s office.
They’re meeting monthly to discuss challenges women face in Detroit and how to improve the lives and experiences of women calling Detroit home. It’s getting started at an interesting time. Detroit could have its first woman mayor in November, a mayor that this commission would be working with.
Producer Jack Filbrandt spoke with Detroit Documenters Colleen Cirocco and Noah Kincade to learn more about Detroit's Women's Commission.
Oakland County's new approach to increase vaccinations
It’s flu season, and that means public health departments are promoting vaccinations. Over the past few years, local vaccination rates have been down, and more people have become wary of vaccines.
Oakland County Health Officer Kate Guzman joined The Metro to discuss how her office is trying to change that.
The unintended consequences of consumer reviews
The internet can be both a useful tool for connection and simultaneously amplify some of the more unsettling parts of society. This plays out with consumer reviews. They are both a useful way to find out the quality and value of an item or service, but there can be unintended consequences to these platforms.
Some issues 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 the platform and technology works.
This Madison Heights mayoral candidate leads with care, collaboration and community
While much of the media’s attention on November’s elections has been on Detroit’s mayoral race, there are many other political contests happening outside the city.
One of them is in Madison Heights. That’s where a one-term city council member is running for mayor against the current Eastpointe police chief.
If elected, the council member would be the city’s first Black mayor. But what’s also interesting about this race is that he — not the police chief — won the endorsement of the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police.
How did City Councilor Quinn Wright do it? And why does he want to be mayor?
Last week, Producer Sam Corey spoke with Wright about that and more.
The Metro reached out multiple times to Wright’s opponent, Chief Corey Haines. We still have not heard back from him.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.