Several films are making their Michigan debut at the Freep Film Festival, including one about Detroit and its history of racial tensions and unrest. “The Riot Report” takes a look at the work of the Kerner Commission and the cause of the civil uprisings that erupted in the summer of 1967 in cities across the nation, including Detroit. Watch a preview of the documentary.
Read MoreThe 11th annual Freep Film Festival returns to various locations across Detroit and its suburbs, featuring a host of local documentaries with strong ties to the community. One local documentary, “The Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit,” explores the city’s innovative and influential jazz scene and its impact on the world. “American Black Journal” host Stephen Henderson talks with the film’s co-producer and writer Mark Stryker.
Read MoreThe city of River Rouge, just outside of Detroit, is the focus of the opening night film for this year’s Freep Film Festival. The documentary called “Rouge” was directed by local filmmaker Hamoody Jaafar. He talked to One Detroit Senior Producer Bill Kubota about the River Rouge High School Panthers and their long string of state championships.
Read MoreCinephiles and documentary enthusiasts are getting ready for the start of the 2024 Freep Film Festival April 10-14. One Detroit contributor Stephen Henderson, host of “American Black Journal,” talks with the festival’s Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Kathy Kieliszewski, and local filmmaker Razi Jafri, about what attendees can expect this year.
Read MoreA new PBS docuseries, “GOSPEL,” from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. delves into the origins and influence of gospel music on Black spirituality. Host Stephen Henderson talks with Stacey L. Holman, the director and producer of the docuseries, about gospel’s rich history, its impact on the Black church, Detroit’s connection to the genre, and how other music genres have been influenced by gospel.
Read MoreA 12-foot puppet of 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl “Little Amal” visits Detroit on her 6,000 mile Walk Across America, bringing attention to human rights and persecution.
Read MoreThe Detroit Regional Chamber and Business Leaders for Michigan have unveiled the results of a recent survey focused on residents aged 18 to 29. With Michigan grappling with a declining population and businesses struggling to fill job vacancies, the survey provides valuable insights into the factors influencing young Michiganders’ decisions about their future in the state.
Read MoreThe United Auto Workers union is using a new approach to walking out, called a ‘standup strike,’ and it is striking all three companies at once.
Read MoreOn the heels of The School at Marygrove’s successful first high school graduation and a new school year, Detroit Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti shares an update on the state of the district and what he’s prioritizing for the 2023-2024 school year.
Read MoreTwo Freep Film Festival filmmakers, Suzanne Joe Kai, director of “Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres,” and “Coldwater Kitchen” co-director Brian Kaufman, talk about the creative process behind each of their documentaries.
Read MoreDetroit’s iconic Boblo Boats have made their film debut. The two sister steamboats, the Ste. Claire and the SS Columbia, the oldest in America, are center stage for a new Aaron Schillinger directed documentary, “Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale.”
Read More“American Black Journal” previews a new PBS documentary series, “Making Black America: Through the Grapevine” by noted historian and storyteller Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., focused on the vast social networks, associations and organizations created by and for African Americans as a means of empowerment in the face of racism. Host Stephen Henderson talks with producer and director, Stacey Holman.
Read MoreDetroit radio fans likely know the name Dick Purtan, the Detroit radio legend and community philanthropist known for his whimsical mix of radio satire, one-liners and deadpan jokes, but do you know how the Detroit radio legend made his way to the Motor City? A new episode of Detroit Public Television’s “Detroit Remember When” documentary series looks at Purtan’s road to notoriety in Detroit.
Read MoreNearly four decades after the documentary “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” premiered, the filmmakers Christine Choy and Renee Tajima-Peña, alongside Detroit Public TV’s Juanita Anderson, join Detroit-area filmmaker Chien-An Yuan to talk about the making of the documentary, the civil rights movement they covered in real-time, and the significance the film still holds nearly today.
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POV, now in its 35th year as America’s longest-running independent documentary series, will present a special encore presentation of the gripping 1987 Academy Award® nominated film, “Who Killed Vincent Chin?”, by filmmakers Christine Choy and Renee Tajima-Peña, on Monday, June 20, 2022 at 10 p.m. ET.
Read MoreWRCJ 90.9 Radio Host Cecelia Sharpe sits down with the legendary Detroit jazz bassist Marion Hayden to talk about her introduction to music and the legacy of Detroit’s storied jazz culture.
Read MoreStephen sits down with ‘The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song,’ documentary producer and director Stacey Holman to hear her perspectives on the series’ impact and the importance of the church in the Black community.
Read MoreAs part of Detroit Public Television’s documentary “Detroit Designs the World,” we transport back to 1950’s Detroit when architect Minoru Yamasaki (1912 – 1986) began to make his mark on the Detroit skyline. Detroit architecture, design and history experts explore Yamasaki’s designs across Detroit, examine the beauty and diverse influences of his designs, and reflect on the legacy he left in the Motor City.
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One Detroit’s AJ Walkers met up with the Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Motown Museum to check out a preview of their upcoming ‘Higher Ground’ performance, which pays tribute to Stevie Wonder’s music. Then, Metalwork artist Virgil Taylor takes viewers inside his art studio to show some of the latest wearable art pieces and the ancient inspiration behind his works. Plus, hear more about Detroit’s architectural history and the impacts architect Minoru Yamasaki left with his designs in the Motor City.
Read MoreWhether it was the Highland Park Ford plant in 1910 or the Fisher Building in 1928, architect Albert Kahn revolutionized the architecture industry with his large, sweeping designs with lots of open space and his use of ornate artistry like sculptures and bronze work. Detroit Experience Factory Founder and Executive Director Jeanette Pierce, Michigan Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway, Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research Director Gregory Wittkopp, and President and CEO of Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. Alan Cobb discuss the lasting legacy Kahn left in the motor city.
Read MoreJoin us February 1 for this live virtual watch party event as we explore and honor the significance and history of the Black Church in Detroit.
Read MoreCatch a first glimpse of “Detroit Jazz City,” the upcoming half hour DPTV documentary on Detroit’s role in helping introduce jazz music to the world.
Read MoreOn the next American Black Journal, The New York Times Magazine’s “The 1619 Project,” takes a comprehensive look at the start of slavery in America 400 years ago. Stephen talks with two of the initiative’s contributors about how the controversial project reframes U.S. history around the arrival of the first African slave ship in August of 1619.
Read MoreOn the next American Black Journal, the Detroit chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity celebrates its centennial this year. Stephen talks with the president of the Gamma Lambda Chapter about the men’s commitment to community service and the anniversary gala planned for October.
Read MoreOn the next American Black Journal, Independent filmmakers from around the world are gathering in...
Read MoreIn this One Detroit report, Christy talks with Motor City Blight Busters founder, John George, about changes taking place on Detroit’s northwest side in the Old Redford neighborhood. She takes a tour of the area’s creative space known as Artist Village and gets the latest on new development plans in the community.
Read MoreIn a special report, One Detroit gives a behind-the-scenes look at a documentary film that tells Detroit’s story of housing insecurity, as seen through the eyes of a postal carrier in the 48202 zip code.
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Detroit 48282: Conversations Along a Postal Route explores the rise, demise and contested...
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DETROIT 48202: Conversations along a Postal Route’ explores the rise, demise and contested resurgence of America’s “motor city” through a multi-generational choir of voices who reside in mail carrier Wendell Watkins’s work route.
Read MoreIn 1981, Detroit lawyer and activist George Corsetti decided he would capture the demise of Poletown on video, directing the documentary film, Poletown Lives!
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Tomorrow at 9 pm, you’ll see the latest Great Lakes Now special half-hour program, “The Door Flint Opened.” Great Lakes Now Bureau Chief, Mary Ellen Geist, reports on how the Flint water crisis is forcing other communities to examine their own drinking water issues.
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This story was originally posted on October 30, 2018. It was updated on November 10, 2023. You...
Read MoreDetroit’s mid-century modernist gets his due, nearly six decades later
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To celebrate our city’s rich architectural legacy, Detroit Public Television has produced an original documentary – “Detroit Designs the World” — telling the Detroit design story and how it influenced the thinking of modern masters, nationally and globally.
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