This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with the President and CEO of the Hudson Webber Foundation, Donald Rencher to discuss the election, Detroit’s housing market, public safety beyond policing, and expanding access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs from historically marginalized communities.

Donald Rencher assumed the role of President and CEO at the Hudson Webber Foundation in February 2024. Prior to his tenure at the foundation, Rencher served as the Group Executive for Housing, Planning & Development for the City of Detroit, a role he held since January 2021.

Rencher's impact on Detroit's landscape is undeniable, having held progressive leadership positions within the city for nine years. Rencher's leadership and commitment to equitable urban development make him a driving force in shaping the future of Detroit's built environment and ensuring opportunities for all its residents.

To learn more about Donald Rencher and his work with the Hudson Webber Foundation, click here.

FOR HOT TAKES:

VOTER TURNOUT WAS UP DURING MICHIGAN'S 2024 ELECTION. FIGURING OUT EXACTLY WHY MAY BE TOUGH.

IN THE PAST 50 YEARS, WE'VE LOST MORE THAN 150 MAJORITY-BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS

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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.

On this episode they discuss the significant issues around gender bias in candidate coverage and how a troubling generational gap in voter participation skews elections toward older residents' interests.

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

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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.

On this episode Bryce Huffman, Bridge Detroit’s Engagement Editor, joined Donna and Sam to discuss how Detroit's mayoral and council races are unfolding as candidates learn from each other and adapt their platforms to community feedback, creating a dynamic competition of ideas that could reshape the city's political landscape.

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

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Last week, Abdul El-Sayed sat down with Donna to discuss his candidacy for the U.S. Senate!

Abdul is running for the U.S. Senate because he believes life in Michigan shouldn’t be this hard — or this expensive. After a successful career of making government work for Michiganders, he wants to take his vision to Washington and make the United States Senate work for you.

He was born and raised in southeast Michigan and proudly attended public schools where he captained his high school football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams. Abdul was raised by his father, Mohamed, an Egyptian immigrant, and his stepmom, Jackie, whose family has lived in Gratiot County, Michigan, since the 1800s. he graduated from the university of michigan with the highest distinction and played on the wolverines men’s lacrosse team. Abdul earned his medical degree from Columbia University on an NIH-funded fellowship and a second doctorate at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.

Abdul currently lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Sarah, and their two brilliant young daughters, Emmalee and Serene.

To learn more about Adbul El-Sayed and his vision for Michigan, click here.

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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.

On this episode they discuss the importance of participating in Detroit’s August 5th primary election. They go over how political endorsements are creating interesting divisions, District 5’s diversity of interesting city council candidates, low projected voter turnout (13%-18%), and whether or not Zohran Mamdani’s victory for democratic socialists in NYC could have an impact on Detroit’s politics.

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

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On this episode, Donna and Orlando sat down with Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II to discuss his vision for Michigan’s future. This episode is part of a series of interviews with candidates in various political races throughout the state of Michigan.

Garlin is running for Governor to build on the progress of the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration by bringing bold new ideas to help Michiganders thrive. Growing up in Detroit, Garlin knows what it feels like to be part of communities across Michigan, the Midwest, and country that have been forgotten.

Prior to serving as Lieutenant Governor, Garlin worked at Microsoft as a software engineer that helped build SharePoint into the fastest growing product in the company’s history. As the City of Detroit’s Director of Innovation, he created the Improve Detroit smartphone app that allows residents to report issues for the city to address like running water, potholes, damaged street signs, and other issues.

Garlin is the highest ranking Black elected official in Michigan history.

To learn more about Garlin Gilchrist and his vision for Michigan, click here.

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This week, Donna and Orlando sat down with Joel Haashiim to discuss his vision for Detroit’s future. This episode is the ninth in a series of interviews with candidates in the race to become Detroit’s 76th mayor.

Joel Haashiim believes that for radical change we must refocus our energy from fighting the old, to building the new. At 20 years old, he opened up his first store called brothers party store on 7mile and Hartwell. Afterwards, he opened two more stores. Later, he sold those stores and became a wholesaler and distributor. Throughout his career, he sold to chain stores like Kmart, Spartan, and Wynn Dixie.

He has experienced and witnessed the many ups and downs Detroit has gone through. That's why he stepped up to the plate. He believes he understands what is needed for our city to come out of the mud and regain the crown we once had. For Joel, this is about us and making sure we Detroiters will have a say in the revitalization of our great city.

To learn more about Joel Haashiim and his vision for Detroit, click here.

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Last weekend Authentically Detroit teamed up with Daily Detroit, Outlier Media, and Eastside Community Network to bring together some of the top polling candidates in the running to become Detroit’s 76th Mayor!

Candidates in Attendance:

• Fred Durhal III
• Saunteel Jenkins
• Todd Perkins
• Mary Sheffield

The debate included questions and topics specifically highlighted by the audience members. If you’re interested in watching the full debate, click here.

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