Detroit’s Mother Moore on literacy, justice, and showing up

Longtime journalist Helene St. James has covered the Red Wings since 1996 and has written three books about the team. We learned more about the storied history and importance the team holds in Detroit.  Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

The Detroit Red Wings have a long, gritty history that mirrors the city it calls home. To celebrate and commiserate the last 100 years, a new exhibition is on display at the Detroit Historical Museum.  Detroit Red Wings at 100 will have a unique array of artifacts on display that capture the franchise from 1926 to today. The exhibition will be on display through 2026. Jeremy Dimick is the lead curator at Detroit Historical Museum. Marcel Parent is the Director of Curation & Collections at Ilitch Holdings. Both joined The Metro to talk more about the exhibit and Detroit Red Wings history.  Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

America’s health insurance is distributed in a patchwork way. There are public health insurers, like Medicaid and Medicare, and then there are private ones. That insurance may become harder to come by for over 200,000 residents. Two health insurance agencies — Health Alliance Plan and Molina Healthcare will no longer offer coverage through the Affordable Care Act in Michigan. And Meridian Health Plan will be significantly shrinking its coverage for state residents. That’s happening as premium costs are expected to go through the roof because the Republican-controlled Congress did not include an extension of health insurance tax credits in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Brian Peters is the CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. He spoke with Robyn Vincent. 

Birthing is a fragile process. That’s why pregnant women need a lot of care. A new report shows we're not doing that well.  About 1 in 6 babies born in Detroit were born prematurely. And this issue is directly related to that of infant mortality and maternal health. Two years ago in our country, over 20,000 babies died before their first birthday… the highest rates occurring in the South and Midwest regions. Tamika Jackson, a reproductive justice and maternal health organizer for Mothering Justice, spoke about the issue, and how to resolve it, with Robyn Vincent.

Movies are a window into a different world. They can take us from our lived reality and submerge us into the point of view of a people or a time that may be different from our own. But, if the mainstream lens through which stories are told only focuses on a handful of perspectives, how do we uplift and nurture the stories from communities that have are often left out?  Detroit Narrative Agency is a local organization that makes a point to highlight compelling storytelling from people of color.  Through its Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship, Detroit Narrative Agency selects four filmmakers to receive mentorship, funding, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities to support the creation of a short film.  In Sequence — A Premiere Showcase of the Detroit Narrative Agency ’24-25 Fellowship Films debuted at Senate theater.  Ashley Calhoun is Interim executive director of Detroit Narrative Filmmaker Fellowship and Lindsay Robillard is a Director of Development at Detroit Mercy and a volunteer with Senate Theater. They joined the show to talk more about supporting metro Detroit’s film community. 

Alzheimer's research has come a long way in recent years. Blood tests to identify an abnormal protein called ptau217 can mean diagnosing Alzheimer's disease before symptoms like memory loss show up.  Early intervention is key, says Dr. Rany Aburashed, a neurologist and CEO of Neurogen Biomarking. "The whole game now is determining as early as possible if you have these plaques developing in the brain. The earlier we know, before the symptoms are significant, the more we can interact and actually change the disease itself." The blood tests identify sticky amyloid plaques and tangled fibers, which are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Diagnosing Alzheimer's based on biology instead of symptoms means early interventions could reduce progression or severity of Alzheimer's symptoms later in life. "Just because you have a genetic predisposition, it does not mean you're going to progress to dementia [...] but you can only change that if you're in front of it," says Dr. Aburashed. Some people have genetic predispositions, and lifestyle factors in 40's, 50's and 60's can trigger the disease, especially drinking alcohol and smoking, adds Dr. Aburashed. The FDA approved several new tests for Alzheimer's diagnosis this year.

Earlier this week, residents of Dearborn, MI were confronted with Islamophobic rallies. They resembled the Quran-burning demonstrations that took place there in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Florida US Senate Republican candidate Jake Lang was one of the leading agitators, he spoke at a Dearborn City Council meeting. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud issued a statement in response. WDET’s Russ McNamara looked at what happened this week, and its place within the larger conversation over free speech in the United States.

When federal food aid stalled, millions were left scrambling. At the same time, mountains of edible food continued to meet their fate in dumpsters. Goodr founder Jasmine Crowe-Houston joins Robyn Vincent to talk about the system she built to connect those two realities — and why she believes hunger is less about supply and more about how we move it. Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

For more than 50 years, Helen “Mother” Moore has been a force in Detroit’s struggle for education justice — confronting school boards, fighting state takeovers, and pushing for literacy as a civil right. Now the city is honoring her legacy with the reopening of the newly renovated Helen Moore Community Center on Dexter. Robyn Vincent sits down with Mother Moore to trace the moments that shaped her, the battles she’s still fighting at 89, and what Detroit must do to ensure that every child can find opportunity close to home. Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

If you saw a young person on the street, maybe waiting on a bus, would you know if they were homeless or not? Would you care?  Covenant House Michigan has been serving the state's homeless youth population for nearly 30 years.  For the past 12 years, the organization has hosted “Sleep Out Detroit”. The annual event is a part of an annual movement held across the globe. It's also during National Youth Homelessness Month.   On November 20, more than 100 people will camp out to financially support and bring awareness to youth homelessness. Megan Dunn and Detroit-based artist and public speaker Phillip Simpson joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to talk more about “Sleep Out Detroit” and the importance of spreading awareness.  Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.