This Week on One Detroit:

Michigan’s health declines: Below-average outcomes, disparities and funding gaps pose challenges for the state

Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future, the third in a series of five reports by the Citizens Research Council and Altarum looking at Michigan‘s future prosperity, has revealed some startling insights about Michigan’s health trends. According to the report, Michiganders are, on average, less healthy than other states in many categories such as life expectancy, self-reported health status, and mental health.  

These declining health rates become more staggering considering the wide disparities between races, socioeconomic status, and where someone lives, adding that life expectancy can vary as much as 29 years from one neighborhood to another. Infant mortality rates are another widely disproportionate statistic, with Black infant mortality rates being 2.7 times higher than White rates.

These issues in healthcare may also be impacted by Michigan’s aging population and the decline of young people moving to or staying in the state, the CRC report states. The lack of youth may also add to the growing health problems due to a projected scarcity of caregivers. Michigan did rank favorably, compared to the national average, in the traditional healthcare sector, showing much of the state is insured, has lower-than-average healthcare costs, and boasts a higher-than-average physician count, though resources are not equally dispersed across the state.

Director of the Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services at Wayne County, and former gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed joins One Detroit producer Will Glover to talk about the report’s findings and what it means for residents across the state. Dr. El-Sayed shares his concerns about where Michigan’s healthcare is trending and explores how public policy and the environment one lives in can also contribute to poor health.

Detroit’s rap roots: The history of how Detroit created its unique hip hop style

It’s not the birthplace of hip hop, but Detroit has certainly created its own unique hip hop style since the genre landed in the city in the 1980s. Hip hop’s first wave in Detroit came from the break-dancing style that became synonymous with the genre, before Detroit’s first emcees started to pop up.

The city’s hip hop roots really started to take shape in the 90s as the Hip Hop Shop hosted open mic nights featuring early Detroit rap stars Eminem and his D12 associate, the late Proof, as well as others. Today, Detroit has found its own sound within hip hop. Driving drumbeats and low, brooding piano chords have become the building blocks for Detroit’s unique style, and its influence can be heard across the city and nation.

In celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary this year, One Detroit contributor Bryce Huffman takes a deep dive into the history of Detroit hip hop and how it’s still evolving today. He talks with Detroit hip hop artist and We Found Hip Hop Co-founder Piper Carter about the genre’s early inspiration in Detroit and its confluence with the rise of Detroit techno. 

Plus, Huffman hears from metro Detroit producer Travis Pittman, who goes by 4amjuno, and Detroit rapper Lelo, whose real name is Khalil Jewell, about how the next generation of Detroit hip hop is rising to new heights nationwide.  

Gayelynn McKinney, trailblazing Detroit jazz drummer paves way for other female drummers

In a jazz landscape once dominated by male drummers, a powerful transformation is underway as talented female percussionists shatter the glass ceiling, ushering in a new era of inclusive rhythm and innovation. Today, that transformation is led in part by the renowned jazz drummer Gayelynn McKinney, who’s made her presence known in the music industry and blazed her own trail to success. 

As the daughter of legendary Detroit jazz pianist and Tribe member, Harold McKinney, and the late singer Gwen Shepherd McKinney, Gayelynn jokes she didn’t have much of a choice in her career path. Now, as one of Detroit’s most accomplished drummers, McKinney sits down with One Detroit contributor Cecelia Sharpe of 90.9 WRCJ for a conversation about her roots in jazz and the importance of showcasing women in music.  

They talk about the barriers McKinney has had to break through as a female drummer, her trailblazing work with Straight Ahead, an all-female jazz band that formed after McKinney finished college, and the launch of her “Women Who Drum” festival in 2022 as a way to share the love and highlight female drummers in the music industry. The second annual “Women Who Drum” festival takes place on Aug. 16 this year. 

One Detroit Weekend: August 11, 2023 

Looking for some summer fun in Detroit? Celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a presentation by the Detroit Institute of Arts. Explore Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill’s annual Sunflower Festival. Plus, both Dexter and Milford are putting on the annual summer festivals with music, food, and more. For a more adventurous activity, watch the Thunder Over Michigan air show at Willow Run. Check out everything you can do around town during the August 11th weekend and beyond on “One Detroit Weekend” with contributor Cecelia Sharpe of 90.9 WRCJ. 

List of upcoming events: 

  • Celebrate the contributions of women in hip hop for the 50th anniversary of hip hop worldwide at the Detroit Institute of Arts at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11. Admission is free to residents of Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.  
  • Stroll through the sunflowers at Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill’s annual Sunflower Festival Aug. 11-13. The festival features more than 100 artisans; free workshops on natural wellness, aromatherapy, gardening and more; U-pick sunflowers; and more.  
  • Head over to Dexter’s annual summer festival, the Dexter Daze Festival, for a family-friendly day of listening to live music, eating at local vendors, and watching some fireworks. 
  • Make some memories at the Milford Memories annual summer festival Aug. 11-13, which will feature a 3v3 basketball and cornhole tournament, a 5K race, blind canoe races, an art show, early morning fitness and a rock climbing tower. 
  • Look to the sky as the Thunder Over Michigan air show twists, turns and flies overhead at Willow Run Aug. 12-13. The air show has been called one of the best “warbird” shows in America. 
  • Get your groove on at the Good Moves, Good Grooves three-day festival in Detroit. Dance to live music at the Motown Museum’s Rivertown Revue on Aug. 11. Plus, play in a 3v3 youth basketball tournament on Aug. 12, and try out a sampling of sports on Aug. 13 with Project Play: Southeast Michigan.  
  • Celebrate the end of summer with the Detroit Artists Market’s second annual Summer Block Party art fair on Aug. 12 featuring paintings, ceramics, photography, and more, all made by Detroit artists. The block party will also have food available from Treat Dreams and Twins Tacos. 
  • Laugh it up at the Royal Oak Music Theatre at 6 p.m. on Aug. 12 with comedian Tony Hinchcliffe for his Fully Groan Tour. Phones, smart devices and recording devices will not be allowed in the performance space.

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