Black velvet paintings take center stage at Michigan History Museum

This year’s Detroit Auto Show marks the second time the event has been held since returning to its traditional winter date. While it isn’t as large as it once was, there are still plenty of new vehicles to kick the tires on. WDET reporter Alex McLenon attended the latest auto show. He shares his insights on what's changed and what's driving the auto industry to new frontiers. 

With immigration enforcement intensifying in the United States and federal authorities expanding arrests and deportation efforts, the question of what it means to be an American is under scrutiny. Who gets to be an American today? And, how has that changed over time?  The Metro's Robyn Vincent spoke with Marc Kruman, a retired professor of history at Wayne State University and the founding director of its Center for the Study of Citizenship, to learn more. 

Halfway through the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Pistons look like a strong contender in the Eastern Conference. The team has only 10 losses through 42 games, which is the second best record in the league. This sort of performance rivals the championship days of the early 2000s.  Omari Sankofa II, the Pistons beat writer for the Detroit Free Press and co-host of the Pistons Pulse podcast, joined the show to explain what's fueling the team’s success and outline the key to sustaining it through the rest of the season.   

Over the last few years, The Detroit Repertory Theatre has been producing August Wilson’s plays in chronological order. Now through March 15, the group is performing “The Piano Lesson.” In this story, family ties are tested when a pair of siblings disagree on what to do with a piano that holds significant value. Detroit Repertory Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director Leah Smith, T. Pharoah Muhammad, who plays Wining Boy, and Delanti Hall, who plays Boy Willie  joined the program to discuss the play's main themes and their artistic approach to the work.

Latinos in this country continue to fight for the right to exist. Through battles unknown and battles seen in full color, Latinos and their contributions to this country can not be denied. That includes contributions to art. For many in Detroit, we’re familiar with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo but what about the lesser known artists and artforms?  Black Velvet paintings were important artworks on display in most Latino households during the early and mid 20th century. For many, seeing the paintings was a normal part of everyday life. But a new exhibition highlights how the paintings are more than a kitschy item for the home, they are a cultural love letter to art itself.  “Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic” is an exhibition at the Michigan History Museum that invites visitors to learn more about black velvet paintings and their place in Latino and Chicano history. It’s open through November.    Detroit community and labor activits Elena Herrada and Librarian Emeritus at Michigan State University Diana Rivera joined The Metro to talk more about the exhibition and the importance of the artworks.   

Every fall, college campuses refill with energy and voices from around the world. This year, many of those voices never arrived. Visa delays and political uncertainty are reshaping who chooses to study in the U.S.—and what campuses lose in the process. Gabriella Scarlatta, interim chancellor of the University of Michigan–Dearborn and a former international student, joins Robyn Vincent on The Metro to reflect on what that absence means.

In the Republican-controlled House, lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill banning cell phones in charter and public schools. The bill had strong bipartisan support. Now it’s headed to the Michigan Senate, where Democrats hold the majority. Mark Tisdel is a Republican representing Rochester Hills in the state legislature, and the sponsor of the cell phone ban bill. He spoke with The Metro's Robyn Vincent.

Artist Andre Barker is a Detroit born and bred painter. Since graduating from Wayne State University and Columbia College Chicago, he spends his time schooling the next generation of artists as a professor.  In Barker's latest exhibition, he responds to the social and political pressures that make daily life difficult for Black Americans. He illustrates simple acts like existing and rest as mechanisms to find peace and power amid those struggles through his portraits of Black life in Detroit. Barker's exhibition entitled "Rest Is" is currently on display at the M Contemporary Art gallery in Ferndale through Feb. 14.

In the wake of protests following the killing of Renee Good, communities from Minneapolis to Detroit are turning grief into civil disobedience. In this episode, The Metro's Robyn Vincent explores how race, economic power, and accountability shape today’s protest movements with Saqib Bhatti of the Action Center on Race and the Economy.

In October of 2025, 32,000 home care workers in Michigan voted to secure protections and the right to unionize. Home care workers assist the elderly and people with disabilities, doing essential work. The win comes at a time when unions and the fight for workers rights has taken center stage around the country. From Starbucks to Amazon, workers want to feel secure in their positions.  Ethan Bakuli is an independent journalist based in Detroit. He’s been following the Michigan Home Care Workers United campaign for nearly two years.  He recently wrote in Capital and Main about the victory and what it could mean for other professions looking to unionize. Ethan joined The Metro to talk more about the union and what it means for the future of organizing in the country.