Riverwise is a periodical magazine emerging from organizing, arts, culture & liberation work being done in Detroit, produced by a multifaceted collective of community members
There is something irresistible about being a part of spaces aimed at overthrowing systems which pit human beings against one another. From passionate debates in community centers over strategic visions… Read More
fly for Detroit u Fly so fly back fly black to industrial complexes feeding on soul food lick fingers till they drip poems till they raise souls unfinished rebuke anyone… Read More
In June 2021, tens of thousands of homes were flooded as massive and unprecedented rainfall in Detroit met inadequate and disinvested water and energy infrastructure. The highways filled to the… Read More
“Nexus” Original Photograph by William T. Langford IV What they don't tell you about bridge-building is that it’s all about the rivets. You see, the industrial strength braided steel cables and iron bar-reinforced… Read More
I believe that art is a universal language. It is a form of communication that every individual can understand, no matter their origin, no matter the language that rolls off… Read More
beneath the high altar, where icons watch, flicker in candleflame, direct below, and precisely so, a kitchen stovetop flames for decades, bringing to boil a rotation of hearty soups (confess… Read More
Poverty stirs me awake. I press to the window for a ray of sun to hit my upturned face. I see the cool waters of Spring bubbling up through the… Read More
On June 24th, 2022, the United States Supreme Court ruled against constitutional protections for the right to receive an abortion. For one this ruling has massive implications for bodily autonomy… Read More
Participants in action at the Build a Chair = Reframe a House workshop, Detroit Reuse Collective. Editor’s Note: Note: A previous version of the essay was published in Log 54 Centering… Read More
“Oh my god I can’t believe my teacher just . . .” “Y’all see this tweet from the superintendent?” “When’s winter break start?” “They just changed up my schedule and… Read More
“Separate and unequal” Has an evil sequel: The devilish creation Of racial segregation Is abject subjugation And clear discrimination. So found ‘Brown Versus Board of Education.’ True reconciliation And total… Read More
Dr. Martin Reinhardt is president of the Michigan Indian Education Council, lead singer, and songwriter for the band Waawiyayaa (The Circle). He is a tenured professor of Native American Studies… Read More
Photo by Laura BaileyBrandon taken on the North Country Trail in Wilderness State Park (Carp Lake MI) A retrospective of the author’s last six years, retiring from community activism in… Read More
Photo by Laura Bailey Brandon Community Support Networks & Services Alternatives for Girls: alternativesforgirls.org Back Alley Bikes: backalleybikes.org Black To the Land Coalition: On FB @ BlackToTheLandCoalition Church of the… Read More
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
IMAGE: Standing next to a handmade crucifix, Bill Wylie-Kellerman reads the meditation in front of Detroit Police Headquarters. Photo credit: Three Lyons Creative Each Holy Week for 47 years, the… Read More
IMAGE: Nakia Wallace restrained in a chokehold by Detroit police at Detroit Will Breathe Protest. Photo by Adam Dewey. We are celebrating that since the writing of the following article… Read More
Diop was founded in Detroit in 2018, just in time to provide beautiful facemasks to help us get through the pandemic. Diop produces reusable, cotton, washable facemasks, including sizes for… Read More
Background Art: During the Chinese New Year celebration, there is a tradition of offering gifts — especially to the children — in brightly decorated red envelopes that convey best wishes… Read More
IMAGE: Parchaváyn (Shadows) by Navjeet Kaur. Watercolor, coffee, charcoal, hair, and thread on paper. - 2016. India is in the midst of the largest protest in human history during a global… Read More
As summer approaches, we are reaching out tentatively to one another, slowly finding ways to re-establish connection with family, friends, and community. Marked by incalculable losses and sorrow through the… Read More
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