Case Study 1 – “We Deserve a Say, too”

A Valerie Jean Blakely photo Photo Description: A few of the amazing youth leaders from the ECN Youth group after a Riverwise Writing Workshop held at the ECN. Pictured from… Read More

Case study 2 – Knowing what keeps us safe: A report on the Green Lights Black Future’s Community Safety Survey

Photography by Rebecca Smith Graphic Images Designed by Lauren Williams. Knowing what keeps us safe: A report on the Green Light Black Futures Community Safety Survey Since Project Green Light… Read More

Case Study 3 – One Detroiter Looks Back: The Long Struggle for Cleaner Air

Photography by kim d. hunter Work to shut down the Detroit trash incinerator- at one point, the largest in the world- began even before the monstrosity was built. Three decades,… Read More

Case study 4 – Detroit’s Right to Counsel Victory Shows the Power of the People

Photographer is Adrienne D. Warren, Mrktg Consultant & Publicist People in the photo are Rea Maci, Bonsitu Kitaba, Tonya Myers Phillips, Mary Sheffield, Chinelo Onuigbo, Banke Llori, and Evan Villeneuve… Read More

An urgent call to secure medical care for trans youth

Photo courtesy of Getty Images Horrific anti-transgender bills are being pushed all over the nation that call for a ban on lifesaving medication for trans youth and jail time for… Read More

Let’s Reimagine together

Let's swim in 9ft deep Let's watch the pain away Let's be honest Let's be authentic Let's be fierce Let's not be afraid to hide Breaking glass ceilings Knocking shit… Read More

Anthony Adams lays out his mayoral plans

Interview with Khary Frazier Detroit Is Different KF: Can you share your background and relationship to Detroit? AA: I moved to Detroit in 1981. At that time I [had just] graduated… Read More

From campus racial equity activism to the Mayor’s Office

Maya Jones calls young leaders to step up to Detroit city politics (Detroit mayoral candidate Maya Jones’s story from an interview with Khary Frazier, June 30, 2021. Riverwise ed.) I… Read More

The Larsosa family’s going to help make it all Krystal clear!

Khary Wae Frazier, founder of Detroit Is Different podcast, interviewed mayoral candidate Jasahn M. Larsosa and Detroit City Council candidate Krystal Larsosa. The married couple discussed their Southern roots, their… Read More

If I Was Mayor Of My City

Photo by Marc Klockow If I was mayor of my city I would I would take care of my city Make sure everybody good right They ain't tryna make it… Read More

Why are there so many write-in candidates?

Circumstances caused by the pandemic created unique challenges that resulted in some candidates having their petitions rejected. As a result, the August 2021 local primary election has 31 write-in candidates… Read More

We remember these ancestors… When City Council Members Fought for the People

Let’s remember their names. Erma Henderson (1917-2009) Mel Ravitz (1924-2010) Maryann Mahaffey (1925-2006) Ken Cockrel, Senior (1938-1989) What does a caring, committed, activist local electoral leadership look like? What can… Read More

A Heart for the City. Show Up, Speak Up!

Khary Frazier Interviews Krystal Crittendon Khary Frazier: Thank you so much. We're trying to get information out for this local election season. But can you tell us a little about… Read More

It’s Election Time… What Kind of City Do We Want?

Riverwise has partnered with Khary Frazier’s Detroit Is Different to bring you this special issue on our citywide elections. We are deeply grateful to Khary for the enormous amount of… Read More

Generational Memory, Healing, and the Power of Ancestry

Relentless Bodies is a Detroit-based creative disability and healing justice collective. The collective currently consists of Owólabi Aboyade (Will See), a New Afrikan writer and cultural organizer, Taraneh Fazeli, an… Read More

Shirley Woodson

IMAGE: Shirley Woodson Photo Credit: Patrick Barber. I know Shirley Woodson as one of the matriarchs of art and culture in Detroit. She is a pillar -- as a former… Read More

THE RHYTHM OF DETROIT IS THE RHYTHM OF THE LINE

IMAGE: Background Art: Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera, 1932-1933, Detroit Institute of Arts. If you want to think about Detroit You have to think about the line That is,… Read More

Let’s Cultivate Detroit’s Own Assets

Image: Valerie Jean When we talk about the health of Detroit, whether it’s thriving or struggling, we’re usually talking about its physical health—how many buses are running, which schools are… Read More