This Week on One Detroit:

Soldier Shortage: Youth Obesity, Academic Outcomes, Labor Deficits Affecting U.S. Army Recruitment

The United States Army has a recruitment problem. Issues of increasing childhood obesity rates, a decline in educational outcomes, and shortages across the national labor market have caused sharp decreases in the number of new soldiers the U.S. Army has onboarded. In an effort to turn those numbers around, the Army has invested in a 90-day preparatory course to help young people interested in joining meet the physical and academic standards needed to become an Army member.

One Detroit’s senior producer Bill Kubota sat down with U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville during McConville’s visit to the Detroit Arsenal, located in the TACOM facility in Warren, MI. There he spoke to business and education leaders about the challenges the Army faces.

Gen. McConville talks with Kubota about COVID-19 and the labor shortage’s impact on the military, as well as the military’s investments to attract more youth to serve. Plus, Kubota hears what community stakeholders took away from the conversation.

City of Detroit Seeks Residents’ Input On $200 Million Joe Louis Greenway Plans

The City of Detroit has launched a two-year planning study that allows residents to weigh in on the impact of the proposed $200 million Joe Louis Greenway project, the city’s proposal for connecting many of its neighborhoods to the riverfront.

The 27.5-mile biking and walking trail would connect Detroit’s riverfront to parts of metro Detroit like Hamtramck, Highland Park and Dearborn. The study includes sections of each City Council district, apart from Districts 1 and 4, and builds upon previous feedback city officials have received from neighborhood residents.

One Detroit producer Will Glover sits down with BridgeDetroit reporter Bryce Huffman, as part of the organizations’ ongoing news partnership, to learn more about the city’s two-year planning study that started in September, and what feedback city officials might receive about the greenway.

PBS “Making Black America” Documentary Tells the Story of African American Resilience, Empowerment

Acclaimed documentarian, historian and storyteller Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the creator of “The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song” and “Finding Your Roots,” has produced a new PBS documentary, “Making Black America: Through the Grapevine,” celebrating Black joy and resilience. The four-part documentary series, which airs every Tuesday in October at 9 p.m., chronicles the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people beyond the reach of the “white gaze.” 

One Detroit Contributor Stephen Henderson talks with “Making Black America: Through the Grapevine” producer and director Stacey Holman about the organizations and networks profiled in the documentary, the importance of community and creative spaces created by and for African Americans, and how Black people have remained resilient and joyful even amid struggles. 

Puerto Rican Musician, Activist Ozzie Rivera Reflects on a Lifetime of Music and Culture

Ever since well-known Detroit historian, educator, musician and activist Osvaldo “Ozzie” Rivera was a child, he grew up immersed in traditional Puerto Rican music and culture. His father, a musician, would often play with other Caribbean Islanders at Rivera’s home or during drum circles in Clark Park.

As Rivera got older, community festivals became the norm in Detroit, but then they slowly faded away. When Rivera reconnected with his salsa jazz band during the COVID-19 pandemic, he sought to bring those impromptu community jam sessions back to life.

One Detroit senior producer Bill Kubota talks with Rivera about his lifelong passion for Puerto Rican music and culture, as well as the memories he has of drum circles and community festivals in some of Detroit’s parks. Plus, Rivera shares his thoughts on the longevity of salsa music and how it’s changed since it began several decades ago.

A Preview of ‘Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove’ Season 12 With Singer-Songwriter Alison Lewis

One Detroit closes out tonight’s episode with a preview from the premiere of “Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove” season 12, premiering on October 12 at 7:30 p.m. Detroit singer-songwriter Alison Lewis performs the title track from her solo album “Our Lady of the Highway.”

 

Watch Now:

Stay Connected: 

Subscribe to One Detroit’s YouTube Channel & Don’t miss One Detroit Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

Catch the daily conversations on our website, Facebook, Twitter @DPTVOneDetroit, and Instagram @One.Detroit

View Past Episodes >

Watch One Detroit every Monday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Detroit Public TV on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.