On this episode, Donna and Orlando reflect on their evolution since starting the podcast in 2019 as Orlando bids farewell to Authentically Detroit. Together they look at how time sharpens politics and encourage Detroiters to keep showing up and building power where it matters.

They also sat down with the Co-Founder and Executive Director of 482Forward to discuss how their work helps Detroiters to become fully engaged participants in efforts to change Detroit for the better. 482Forward grew out of trial by fire. Many of the founding organizations had previous relationships and shared work in Detroit, but came together for a special purpose– to create the 482Forward network.

Molly Sweeney and Jamila Martin, founding co-directors, convened a roundtable of community-based partners at Excellent Schools Detroit who were interested in engaging in education organizing in their neighborhoods.

Together, they are creating a Detroit where every student graduates ready to become a fully engaged participant in the world, equipped with the character and the capacity to negotiate her environment and change it for the better.

Sign up to gather signatures and join Love Beats Greed actions here.

FOR HOT TAKES:

JAMES TATE SELECTED AS DETROIT COUNCIL PRESIDENT

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On this episode Orlando sat down with legendary public relations executive, Georgella Muirhead and Vice President of 98Forward, Antonice Strickland to discuss how Georgella’s career shaped Detroit's communications landscape and paved the way for the next generation of leadership at 98Forward.

After nearly five decades of shaping Detroit’s civic, corporate, and community narratives, Georgella Muirhead, a trailblazer in public relations and communications, will retire at the end of 2025. Her retirement marks the culmination of an extraordinary career defined by leadership, integrity, and impact — and ushers in a bold chapter for 98Forward, one of Michigan’s most experienced and respected strategic PR and communications firms.

As 98Forward enters this next chapter, the firm remains anchored in the principles that have defined it for nearly 30 years: authenticity, strategy, and impact. With a Detroit soul and a national reach, the agency continues to lead with purpose — telling the stories that move communities, conversations, and the industry forward.

To learn more about 98Forward and their work, click here.

FOR HOT TAKES:

THE MOTOR CITY CONTRACTOR FUND INVITES DETROIT CONTRACTORS TO PURSUE THE "ULTIMATE GIFT" THIS HOLIDAY SEASON: BIGGER, BETTER BUSINESS

MICHIGAN QUICKLY DELETES GOVERNMENT CHATS, RAISING TRANSPARENCY QUESTIONS

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit One Million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson!

Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season.

In this final episode of the year, they confront ICE targeting of Detroit students and families, press local leaders on silence and accountability, and weigh how Michigan’s political shifts will shape real safety, housing, and power.

For more episodes of the Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, click here.

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On this episode Donna and Orlando sat down with Sidewalk Detroit Program Director, Augusta Morrison and Earth Futures Fellow, Billy Mark to discuss the Echoes Soundmaps project and how they’re advancing public life through the lens of arts, culture, collaborative design and deep engagement with residents.

Sidewalk Detroit exists to advance public life and strong social infrastructure through the lens of arts, culture, collaborative design and deep engagement with residents. They practice an inclusive approach to creative city and neighborhood building that combines vision of residents, strategy, and artistic ideation to create engaging spaces, programs and experiences that improve communities across metro-detroit.

Echoes Soundmaps are created by placing audio files (voices, rhythms, poems, field recordings) onto specific zones on a digital map, like putting a pin on a google map, and then attaching/ uploading an audio file. Each zone can have its own shape, size, and behavior. These zones become invisible layers of sound over real places. When someone walks through the space with the echoes app, their phone’s gps triggers the audio in the zones they enter as they do the sound plays.

To learn more about Sidewalk Detroit, click here.

FOR HOT TAKES:

MICHIGAN OFFICIALS INSIST 2019 AUTO NO-FAULT LAW LOWERED CAR INSURANCE RATES. IT DIDN'T

PARAMOUNT LAUNCHES HOSTILE BID FOR WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY DESPITE NETFLIX DEAL

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit One Million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson!

Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season.

In this episode, they trace Detroit’s housing failures from the Leland House scare to a subsidy-first market that missed real demand, then turn to solutions that center seniors, families, and accountability. Then, Maxwell Murray shows how DCFC and the Urban Football League use street soccer, food, and learning to reclaim space and teach civic power.

Maxwell is a Detroit native and founder of The Urban Football League. He joined Detroit City FC in March 2024 to support youth programming and expand access to the game across Detroit. A proud Detroiter, he first connected with the club as a summer intern in 2017. He studied African and Black Diasporic Studies at DePaul University, where he founded The Urban Football League to use soccer as a tool for cultural expression and community building. At DCFC, he leads efforts to break down barriers to participation and chairs the Youth Travel Program’s Community Resource Group.

For more episodes of the Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, click here.

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On this episode Donna and Orlando sat down with the newly appointed and first CEO and Executive Director of Detroit Promise, Onjila Odeneal, to discuss how they’re opening the doors of higher education to Detroit’s youth. Onjila’s hiring marks a historic moment as Detroit Promise enters a new chapter.

Detroit Promise provides every eligible Detroit high school graduate with a tuition-free path to college or trade school. Since its launch in 2013, the program has supported more than 6,000 students, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent Detroit's students from pursuing higher education.

As Detroit Promise’s CEO, Onjila will focus on advancing the organization’s strategic priorities, which include increasing awareness of the program among middle-school and high-school students, strengthening partnerships with colleges and employers, and expanding student supports to improve persistence and completion rates.

To learn more about Detroit Promise and their work, click here.

FOR HOT TAKES:

WITH CLOCK TICKING ON 2025, MICHIGAN OFFICIALS EYE BIZ INCENTIVES DEAL

IMMIGRATION AGENTS ARREST TWO DETROIT TEENS, NOW HELD IN TEXAS

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On this episode Donna and Orlando sat down with Aaron Marsh and Noah Stricker of LifeBUILDERS Detroit to discuss how they’re pouring into a community on the city’s east side.

Established in 2005 with the mission to bring life and hope to the east side of Detroit, LifeBUILDERS seeks to restore a community that had suffered the devastating effects of disinvestment for nearly 20 years.

They seek to help form new connections in the neighborhood by providing a place for neighbors to come together and have times of fellowship and help form a neighborhood that’s based on mutual support.

After 18 years of effort, millions of dollars, and tens of thousands of hours of volunteer help, the Regent Park community is now in the spotlight of future development and investment plans by the City of Detroit. People have hope, and want to live in the community.

For more information on LifeBUILDERS Detroit, click here.

DETROIT BY THE NUMBERS WITH ALEX B. HILL:

1. 588 PAGES OF DETROIT REPARATIONS TASKFORCE REPORT.
2. 36.6% DETROIT HOUSEHOLDS RELY ON SNAP (25.9% OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN) (U.S. CENSUS, ACS 1-YEAR ESTIMATES)
3. $63M SPENT ON HOME REPAIRS IN 2024, MOSTLY FUNDED BY ARPA (43.5% OF FUNDING), 3058 HOME REPAIR INTERVENTIONS, 2,628 ADDRESSES
4. 11,021 RESEARCH-GRADE OBSERVATIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF DETROIT ON INATURALIST (DETROITDATA)

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The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit One Million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson!

Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season.

In this episode, they trace how a demolition contractor without proper bonding left subcontractors unpaid, raised environmental risks through contaminated backfill, and exposed failures in selection, oversight, and ethics. They also discuss the WNBA’s Detroit return and the debate over what to name the team. Finally, they break down a high-stakes fight over DTE rate hikes plus their proposed AI data center whose impact on the environment and customer rates remain unknown. Together they take a look at how statewide politics are shaping oversight and the future of environmental justice.

For more episodes of the Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, click here.

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