“Everybody was moving to the north for jobs,” Beverly Smith says, and in that one line she opens a powerful story of migration, Black ambition, and building something lasting in Detroit. In this Detroit is Different conversation, the founder and CEO of Detroit Smart Pages reflects on arriving in Detroit from Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1968, just after the rebellion, with her husband and young child, chasing opportunity and a bigger life. What unfolds is a rich journey through entrepreneurship, from early business ownership with Black Pages roots, to photography, to becoming a longtime publisher uplifting Black business, neighborhood stories, and Detroit’s living legacy. Smith’s voice carries the wisdom of someone “of the community, in the community,” and her reflections on mentors like David Rambeau and Ron Scott connect her personal path to a wider tradition of Black media, activism, and cultural documentation. This episode matters because it shows how Black Detroit has always created its own platforms, archives, and celebrations of “legends, luminaries and legacy.” Beverly Smith’s story is about more than publishing—it is about how community storytelling preserves the past while giving future generations a roadmap for self-determination, visibility, and pride.

Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different.

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“The right time is right now” sets the tone for this powerful Detroit is Different conversation with Portia Roberson, CEO of Focus: HOPE, as she breaks down leadership, legacy, and what it means to serve Detroit with purpose. From her years as a Detroit attorney learning to “really practice law” in Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, to working on Barack Obama’s historic 2008 campaign, to now guiding one of Detroit’s most iconic institutions, Portia shares a journey rooted in Black political possibility, organizational discipline, and community care. She reflects on Focus: HOPE’s origin after the 1967 rebellion, its role as an advocacy organization, and why she believes in returning to the core mission because “all money’s not good money.” This interview connects the past and future of Legacy Black Detroit through stories of partnership, food justice, early childhood education, workforce development, and multigenerational responsibility. Portia also offers deep insight into Black leadership, Detroit’s legal culture, the emotional meaning of Obama’s rise, and the ongoing work of building institutions that truly help families. This is a rich conversation about strategy, service, and sustaining community through change.

Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different.

Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher.

Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com

Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

“Housing is a human need, and policy has to meet people there.” Haley Stevens says in this Detroit is Different conversation, and that line sets the tone for an interview grounded in family legacy, public service, and a belief that community is built through organizing. Stevens reflects on her family’s deep ties to Detroit—from her grandfather coming for Ford work, to her father’s stories of Comstock Street, to her mother’s pride in working in the Fisher Building—and explains how a blue-collar, union-connected, small business-oriented upbringing shaped her understanding of people power. She shares how witnessing the labor movement, thinking deeply about racial justice as a young person, and later working on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign helped frame politics not as performance, but as bringing people together around real needs. The discussion also looks forward, as Stevens connects Michigan’s housing challenges to public policy pathways that can expand access, protect working families, and create more opportunity for residents. This is a rich conversation about Detroit’s past, Michigan’s future, and why organizing still matters.

Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different.

Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher.

Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com

Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co