Latest news with #Detroiters'
Axios
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Detroit's religious and political legacy in the mayor's race
A prominent pastor's presence in the Detroit mayor's race is reigniting conversations about melding faith and governance. Why it matters: Detroit's Black churches and religious leaders have long played meaningful roles in politics and activism, from the Civil Rights Movement, on City Council in recent decades and to present day. The question is what kind of experience, inside or outside government, will resonate with voters in this mayoral election. State of play: The Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. has not served in public office, spending much of his career growing Detroit-based Triumph Church from dozens of members to 40,000. Either Kinloch's unique history in this race gives him the necessary " vision and moral leadership," as UAW president Shawn Fain recently said, or he's an outsider who would need " on-the-job training," according to fellow candidate Fred Durhal. What they're saying: Mario Morrow, a political consultant and the president of a local communications firm, tells Axios many voters want someone with a relationship with God. He says some negativity around Kinloch's being a pastor comes out of campaigning tactics — but it's still a dynamic that the candidate has to make sure voters understand. Morrow urges voters to focus less on the experience dynamic and more on who can solve Detroiters' issues. The Rev. Wendell Anthony, a pastor and president of the Detroit NAACP branch, tells Axios that having someone who can "hit the ground running" will benefit the city during this pivotal time. Kinloch tells Axios that he saw as a young man the way pastors, including activist the Rev. C.L. Franklin, instilled economic and social consciousness and provided services for their communities. "The church is still … the heart of many people, particularly in the African American community, because … we've always turned to the church for not just spirituality, but for any type of equity, any type of fight against injustice," he says. People want someone to rebuild voters' lost trust in career politicians, Kinloch says. He has said he plans to continue with Triumph while mayor. He said in Local 4's debate that he will be a full-time mayor, "that will go to church on Sunday, and when he goes to church on Sunday, he will preach." Another candidate in the mayoral race, City Council President Mary Sheffield, is the daughter of a pastor and activist, the Rev. Horace Sheffield III. She was previously an assistant pastor and says she still ministers when people ask and she's able. "As a young kid, I grew up in the church. It was a foundation, it was a staple in the community. … It really helped shape and mold me into who I am today," the 12-year City Council member tells Axios. As for the question of experience, Sheffield says, "Detroiters will decide what they think is best." But ultimately, she adds, experience matters when a person can change other people's lives. The connection is also reflected in her plans, which include a faith-based development initiative. Pastors of the past Detroit has a long history of pastors involved in governance. Zoom out:"A lot of them were in leadership when we did not have so many African Americans in positions of power," says Anthony. "They were kind of alone, taking positions and standing up. So they brought a stamina and determination that they had a cause much greater than themselves. … Today, a lot of us stand on their shoulders." Read about some here: Politician and religious leader the Rev. Nicholas Hood Sr. was pastor of Plymouth United Church of Christ from 1958 until the mid-1980s, according to the Detroit News. Meanwhile, he was elected to City Council in 1965, serving nearly 30 years and becoming an activist against discrimination and displacement. He was seen as a pillar of both the church and city hall communities, per his obituary, and had been the city's second Black city council member. Hood died in 2016 at age 92. The Rev. JoAnn Watson, the late activist and religious and political leader with an expansive resume, was on City Council from 2003 to 2013. She was the first woman executive director of the NAACP's Detroit branch and served as a pastor at West Side Unity Church, starting as an associate pastor in 2009. When she died two years ago, Sheffield called her a "one-of-a-kind freedom fighter who loved her people and the Lord," per the Free Press. Hood's son, Nicholas Hood III, has been senior pastor of Plymouth United since the mid-1980s. He served on City Council for two terms starting in 1994. He ran for mayor, but was not successful in the primary.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Women leaders warn against anti-DEI push, urge unity and inclusion at Mackinac Policy Panel
Skillman Foundation President and CEO Angelique Power and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) at the Mackinac Policy Conference's Women in Leadership panel on May 28, 2025. | Kyle Davidson During the annual women in leadership panel at the Mackinac Policy conference, leaders from the public and private sectors spoke out against growing federal efforts opposing diversity, equity and inclusion or practices, emphasizing that diversity remains a value within the state. The panel, led by Laura Granneman, the executive director of Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation, hosted U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly); Tina Kozak, CEO of the PR firm Franco; and Angelique Power, president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation, which advocates for Detroiters' perspectives in education policy. Looking across the nation at the push against diversity, Slotkin said there's a narrative circulating that diversity is a bad thing rather than a good thing. 'It's sending shock waves of fear through the system and the conversations I'm having with Michigan organizations is like, 'Please don't over index', right? Don't bend over backwards to, like, go the opposite direction. We're in Michigan. You know diversity is a value,' Slotkin said, warning that organizations are going too far in responding to anti-DEI sentiments and actions. While the federal government has taken action to end DEI policies in the federal government, the sentiment goes beyond that, Slotkin said, pointing to President Donald Trump blaming diversity initiatives for January's deadly aircraft collision at Washington Reagan National Airport. 'This isn't about DEI, right? This is about saying that in order for me to champion one group of people, I have to put down a whole bunch of other groups of people,' Slotkin said. 'The challenge for us in Michigan, is to say, how do we communicate and call balls and strikes on what we know is right for our state and for our institutions. And you just have to look around at this conference and say, like, there is value in having a different group of voices around a table,' Slotkin said. Power noted that it had been five years since the murder of George Floyd, and that a tremendous amount of work on diversity, equity and inclusion work followed. 'I don't want us to lose that. That the work that was done was different than the DEI work — or the DI the diversity and inclusion work — that was done before,' Power said. 'These last five years, there was such a introspective lens that institutions took, that individuals took to say, like, 'What can I do differently?' There was a realization that it isn't about solely representation, it was about ownership and agency and voice. It was about creating new tables. And that worked so well that there is this tremendous backlash against it now,' Power said. The issue now is not about defending an acronym, but rather defending American values, Power said. 'In two years we're going to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country. 'We the People'. That's our chance to say, when we first said, 'We the People,' it really meant, like, you know, white men. Now we get a chance to say who we really mean by 'We the People',' Power said. While Kozak said she didn't have much to add, she noted it was frustrating to see a resistance to forward motion. However, she remained hopeful, arguing that the state and businesses understand the importance of diversity. 'Investing in women is good business. And I believe that, and I believe that corporations know that. I think they're calling it different things to your point, to sort of over-correct and protect, but I'm hopeful,' Kozak. Later in the panel Power detailed the importance of coalition building in the philanthropic realm, with foundation presidents working in coalitions all across the nation. However, President Trump's executive order opposing DEI has targeted universities and foundations with more than $500 million in assets, accusing these groups of illegal discrimination in order to strip their nonprofit status and fine them into submission, Power said. This includes Black Lives Matter-oriented organizations and groups working to support climate justice in low income areas and communities of color who are disproportionately impacted by climate change, she said. 'Truthfully, I think all of us watched the university presidents and we saw what happens when you go it alone, when an attack comes at you and you try to handle it with talking points that were handed to you,' Power said. 'Whether it's nationally, or whether it's locally, whether it's within this current context, or whether it has to do with the education system, we have to solve this together,' Power said. 'And that's actually one of the best things about Michigan. We're a proudly purple state. We are not going to make progress unless we have bipartisan ideas that we move through and that we can sustain.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Detroit gets some laughs on Valentine's Day with opening of the Comedy Bar
Detroit has long been a hub for rising talents in the comedy world. Just ask Tim Allen, who honed his craft in his early days at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, or Keegan Michael-Key and 'Detroiters' creators Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson, who are Planet Ant Theatre alums. This Valentine's Day weekend, a new venue is joining the Motor City comedy roster. The Comedy Bar is opening in the lower level of the Norwood, a restored event space at a location with a long history in Detroit's New Center neighborhood. Club co-owners Kyle and Sahar Lane, the husband and wife behind the Comedy Bar in Chicago, say they have been looking for a while to expand to Detroit. The Windy City-based couple is teaming up on the project with Detroit-area co-owners Michael Labombard and Shelby Baron. 'There's something so unique about the way Detroit supports small business, supports the arts and creativity. It's the first major city that we've really looked into that has made us feel very welcome, and we really felt we would have support coming in to the city,' says Sahar Lane. Kyle Lane says he feels connected to region because his grandmother and great-uncle were born in Dearborn and his father worked here for a long time as a general manager of a Steak 'n Shake. The Comedy Bar in Detroit plans to book a diverse group of comedians. Describing humor as a communication tool that unites people from all walks of live, Kyle Lane says: 'We're sort of like an ice cream shop. We offer all the flavors.' The club has set up shop in the basement of the Norwood, which is at 6531 Woodward in the New Center area, which is part of the New Center Commercial Historic District. The district was added in 2016 to the National Register of Historic Places and has a vivid past as the former home to businesses including Crowley's and Mr. Song Millinery, which became nationally know for Luke Song's creation of Aretha Franklin's hat for President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration. According to the website for the Norwood, the site originally was home to the Norwood Theatre, a movie theater built in 1915. Other online sites devoted to Detroit's historic buildings say the theater closed in 1949 and later became a space for retailers including Sanders and a Payless shoe store. Detroit's Comedy Bar co-owner Labombard, a founding member of the Comedy Bar in Chicago, says the club will bring a new entertainment option to a neighborhood that has seen growth in restaurants. Calling himself 'a true-blue Detroiter' who lives about a minute from the club, he says, 'We're very excited to become part of the revitalization.' The vibe of the basement club space is very 'art deco, Great Gatsby,' according to Labombard. 'It's got that underground, New York feel,' he adds. Kyle Lane describes the mood of the lower level, which can seat around 200, as 'an elevated comedy club experience" with elements like a craft cocktail menu. There also is an affiliated Comedy Bar in Pittsburgh that is part of Sahar Lane's goal of having a dozen such clubs by the end of the year. 'I'm creating a small business mom-and-pop comedy coalition of different independently owned comedy venues that want to work together, to give us more buying power in the industry, to be able to get these bigger names and route them across many cities,' she says. The current schedule of headliners kicks off on Valentine's Day weekend with Calvin Evans, who'll be performing Friday and Saturday. A Chicago native who has studied at Second City, he has appeared on several TV shows, from NBC's 'Chicago PD' to IFC's 'Sherman's Showcase' and Showtime's 'Shameless.' Stef Dag is set to appear Feb. 21-22. The host of the digital dating show 'Hot and Single,' she tours the globe with her stand-up act and has directed digital videos for publications like Vogue and Vanity Fair and written digital sketches for the like of Bill Hader and Rebel Wilson. Detroit's own Mike Stanley is set to perform on Feb. 28 and March 1. A popular touring act, Stanley has worked with a stellar list of comedy stars like Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr and Marc Curry. On March 14, Anthony McKinley, aka Scruncho, is booked to deliver his gritty comedy, which got him dubbed 'king of the underground' by Vibe magazine. He has toured previously with Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams and Mike Epps, who last year premiered his own comedy club in downtown Detroit, One Mike Detroit. Then on March 15, Tiera Oleary, or My Cousin Tiera, who hails from Chicago's west side, will be headlining. A creator of viral videos, she was a finalist in 2022 in 'Saturday Night Live' star Kenan Thompson's Road to New York competition. For more information and a full schedule of upcoming artists, go to Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@ 6531 Woodward Ave., Detroit Comedian Calvin Evans is headlining the opening weekend. 7 p.m. Fri.-Sat. (Feb. 14-15) Tickets start at $25 All shows are ages 17 and older; there is a two-item minimum purchase (soft drinks, beer, wine and liquor). Seating is first-come, first-served and most tables are for four people. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit's Comedy Bar brings laughter to the New Center
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Best 2025 Super Bowl Commercials That You Can Watch Now
The 2025 Super Bowl doesn't happen until Sunday, but a boatload of star-studded commercials are available to watch online well ahead of kickoff. In keeping with the new tradition of rolling out the big game ads in the week before the Super Bowl, commercials featuring everyone from Ben Affleck to Greta Gerwig to the cast of 'Fast & Furious' are already up and ready to be consumed. We've rounded up the best Super Bowl LIX commercials so far and will be updating the article throughout the game. Early standouts include 'Detroiters' stars Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson putting a hilarious spin on 'E.T.' for Totino's Pizza Rolls, Jeremy Strong going method for Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck in a new Dunkin' Donuts ad and a moving spot from Dove that spotlights body positivity for young girls. So before the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles square off on Sunday, out the best 2025 Super Bowl commercials below. The post The Best 2025 Super Bowl Commercials That You Can Watch Now appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson bring 'Detroiters'-style comedy to Super Bowl ad
Remember the classic episode 'Lois' from 'Detroiters' that honored a dearly departed's wish by having her seated at a table with snacks and cigarettes during her funeral? Well, Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson don't go that far in their new Super Bowl commercial for Totino's Pizza Rolls. But there is something about it that is reminiscent of playing a shocking goodbye for laughs. In the spot titled 'Chazmo Finally Goes Home, which was made public online Wednesday morning, Sam and Tim (playing suburban dads) are bidding a bon voyage to their pal from an unknown planet before he flies back to his own galaxy. Then somethings goes horribly — and hilariously — wrong as Chazmo's spacecraft doors close. But don't worry, laughter reigns supreme as Sam and Tim try to calm the kids who've witnessed the malfunction. The Totino's Pizza Rolls spot is the first Super Bowl ad from General Mills in over a decade, reports Adweek. Richardson and Robinson, the best friends and hometown favorites who created 'Detroiters' (now available on Netflix), appeared together in their first Totino's Pizza Rolls commercial in October. Like the previous ad, the big game version was done with the help of Zach Kanin — a co-creator, producer and writer of 'Detroiters' and Robinson's Emmy-winning Netflix sketch series, 'I Think You Should Leave" — and Alice Mathias, an 'I Think You Should Leave' director. There is no other arena like the Super Bowl for marketing. The 2025 game's breaks will reportedly feature a few ads that paid $8 million or more for 30 seconds of airtime, according to the Associated Press, which put last year's spots at around $7 million. Richardson and Robinson have been on a, pun intended, roll since 'Detroiters' was canceled by Comedy Central in 2018. Richardson has starred in several films — including 2025's 'Star Trek: Section 31' with Michelle Yeoh — and TV series and won an Emmy for best guest actor in a comedy for his role as billionaire Edwin Akufo on AppleTV+'s 'Ted Lasso.' Robinson has taken home three Emmys for his Netflix show 'I Think You Should Leave' and will star in the upcoming movie 'Friendship' with Paul Rudd. It will be screened in March at the SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas. In the October campaign, Richardson and Robinson bugged the friendly Chazmo about paying them back for all of the pizza rolls eaten by the visitor. 'You ate, like, probably 70 pizza rolls,' complained Richardson in one spot stressing how affordable the snacks are. In January, a teaser spot arrived online urging people to watch only the upcoming Totino's Pizza Rolls ad and close their eyes for all the other ones. It showed glimpses of Richardson, Robinson, Chazmo and a crying young girl. Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sam Richardson, Tim Robinson in Totino's Pizza Rolls Super Bowl ad
