The Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit hosted its 60th annual Cinco de Mayo Parade on Sunday.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Mexico was the underdog in that fight. France would eventually win the war and establish a period of control over Mexico. The battle remains a symbol of the resistance and resilience of the Mexican people against colonial powers. 

But celebrations this year have been impacted by fears of immigration raids. Events in Chicago and Philadelphia were cancelled. Residents in Detroit raised similar concerns, but it didn’t stop the celebration. 

Maria Elana Rodriguez is the former president of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation. She joined The Metro on Monday to talk about the history of Cinco de Mayo and how people are celebrating. 

We also revisited a conversation with Frank Solis, a local historian who’s preserving Tejano music in Detroit. His father, Martin Solis, helped make Tejano music popular in Detroit with his band Los Primos.  As a self-taught musician, Solis started playing the Bajo Sexto, a Mexican 12-string instrument from the guitar family, and developed his own unique musical style.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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Good teachers can be hard to find and even harder to keep, especially in districts with limited funding and high needs. 

But a recent report from Detroit PEER researchers at Wayne State University’s College of Education found that Detroit Public Schools Community District has a teacher retention rate above the national average. 

To learn more about the report’s findings, Metro Producer Cary Junior II spoke to its lead author, Bianca Burch.

Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, also joined The Metro to discuss changes the district is making to retain teachers. She also spoke about the unique and untold challenges teachers currently face.

View the full report at detroitpeer.org.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Monday, April 28, 2025:

• Political analysts say Canada’s federal election is the most important in decades
• New MOCAD exhibit to highlight contributions of Black tech innovators
• Detroit Councilwoman Santiago-Romero is suing to get back on August primary ballot

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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There are more women attending college in the U.S. than men, enrollment data shows. 

And more women have college degrees today than men of the same age. Research shows the more education a person gets, the lower their chances are of living in poverty.

Today on The Metro, we’re having a conversation on why boys are struggling with two people who are working to help Black boys find success right here in Detroit — Black Male Educators Alliance Founder Curtis Lewis and Bottom Line Executive Director Danielle North.

We’re looking at this approach through the Black lens because while all boys are struggling, Black boys are falling behind the most. 

We also asked listeners:

“Why do you think boys aren’t going to college at the same rate?”

Adelia in Detroit said: “There are a couple of discussions about this matter centered around Black boys and men, and their traumas inflicted upon them through centuries and years. And even as recent as days and months, centered around white domination and supremacy…and so that’s the root that has to be kind of rooted out and try to capture it and heal our young men, and our grown young men and our grown older men of color in America.” 

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WDET will celebrate the life of one of its musical pioneers this Saturday at the Garden Theater. 

Adams, a former program director and host at WDET for more than 30 years, died in December of 2024. During her time at the station, Adams pushed the boundaries of music programming on the radio in Detroit. Her shows Morphogenisis and The Judy Adams Show were known for mixing genres and blending musical styles, curating an eclectic listening experience for her many fans. 

As the station’s program director, she encouraged the music hosts to experiment and many of the music programs on WDET that followed have adopted the “Judy Adams style.” 

Metro Producer Cary Junior II spoke with Adams’ son, Anthony Minnie, and Essential Music host Ann Delisi about Adams’ work and how her legacy will continue at WDET.

Saturday’s event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. and feature music inspired by Adams’ radio shows, DJed by Ismael Ahmed — host of WDET’s This Island Earth.  “Sean Blackman and Friends” will also perform music honoring Adams’ love of global music and rhythms, and artist Jon Strand will share an visual art set to original music composed and performed by Adams.

WDET is also creating the Judy Adams’ Music Internship, helping foster the education and career development of students with a passion for music, education, community service and radio. 

For more information about Saturday’s event or to RSVP, visit wdet.org/events. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Tuesday, April 15:

• Cutting the ribbon on new affordable housing in Southwest Detroit
• A professor’s thoughts on reforming DEI at universities
• Child amputees from Gaza get treatment, hope in Detroit
• Gov. Whitmer talks tariffs at the Detroit Economic Club

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.