Detroit’s “largest and oldest literary nonprofit,” InsideOut Literary Arts, celebrated its 30-year anniversary last week by unveiling a new Detroit City Walls mural along the Avenue of Fashion.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The mural was designed by artist Oshun Williams and inspired by InsideOut student poet Charisma Holly. It features a quote from her poem entitled “If I wake up in Detroit 25 years in the future,” which reads “In the Detroit City, the D has always been for dreams.”

The mural is located on the side of the Yoshi Hibachi Grille on Livernois Avenue along Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion.

“Detroit is where I was born and raised,” Holly said. “I’m so glad I had the opportunity to be a part of this mural project because Detroit is truly the place where I learned to dream big.”

Other headlines for Friday, June 6, 2025:

• Money Matters for Youth is looking for help to keep their student trip to Washington D.C. alive.
• Motor City Pride is taking over downtown this weekend, June 7-8 at Hart Plaza, with the parade beginning at noon on Sunday.
• The city celebrated the opening of the Orchard Village Apartments with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, bringing 48 affordable units across four buildings to the Old Redford neighborhood.
• Michigan’s First Native American Music and Cultural Festival, Vibes With the Tribes, is coming to the Russell Industrial Center this Saturday, June 7, with doors opening at 2 p.m.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Finding enriching child care options can often be a challenge for parents during the summer months, especially for those looking for programs specifically geared toward the arts.

For the past 12 years, Wayne State University’s “Keys2Life Performing Arts Summer Camp” has provided that outlet to metro Detroit students ages 11–13.

The six-week day camp program, led by Detroit youth nonprofit The Yunion, offers a diverse range of performing arts experiences, led by top Detroit artists, mentors and certified teachers. 

Camp Director Darell Campbell Jr. joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more about what this year’s program will entail.

Registration is now open for the day camp, which runs 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 30 through Aug. 8 on the campus of Wayne State University. For more information, including rates, visit theyunion.org/camp.

—WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

Northern Michigan school districts forced into an extended shutdown due to massive ice storms this spring will have a waiver from attendance mandates under a law signed Monday by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

“Many Michigan families are still reeling from the effects of the ice storms that devastated northern Michigan earlier this year,” said Whitmer in a statement released by her office. “I’ve been committed to supporting recovery efforts, protecting Michigan families from additional disruptions to their daily routines. That’s why I’m proud to sign this bill that will remove unnecessary penalties and obstacles for students and schools who are just trying to get by.”

This is one of several storm recovery bills sent by the Legislature to Whitmer’s desk with wide bipartisan support. This measure means school districts will not have to choose between losing state funding or forcing students and staff to stay in school into the heat of summer. That would have added unplanned utility costs as well as the expenses of paying staff salaries and for transportation.

“Had we not passed this legislation, the financial burden to our schools would have been yet another blow to our communities that have already been struggling following the disastrous ice storm,” said Senator John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs).

The ice storms in late March left many districts unable to meet the state’s 180-day school day requirement without extending the school year. The new law allows forgiveness of up to 15 days from the state’s mandated instruction time.

Schools in a dozen counties were forced to close due to ice-covered roads, power outages and other storm-related damage. The waiver applies to schools in counties covered by Governor Whitmer’s ice storm emergency decree. Whitmer has also asked for federal storm recovery assistance. 

The Skillman Foundation is one of Detroit’s most influential philanthropic organizations, using millions of dollars to shape education policy and priorities in the city.

As Detroit’s public schools struggle with chronic underfunding, low literacy rates, and crumbling infrastructure, Skillman’s decisions hold real weight for educators, parents and children.

Angelique Power, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation, joined The Metro during the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference to talk about how the foundation is leveraging its wealth and influence to change the trajectory for Detroit kids.

Power said while people across Michigan want something better for Detroit youth, the education systems in the city are “complicated.”

“History matters in terms of the things that have happened to Detroit,” she said. “Whether it is things that policy has done, things that philanthropy sometimes have done, often it happened to Detroiters, or for Detroiters, but not with Detroiters.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

Many arts organizations are in a vulnerable position right now. That’s in part because the Trump administration has started canceling National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants and has called for the elimination of the agency. That means something to tons of organizations here in Michigan. 

In 2024, the NEA granted more than $3 million to arts organizations in the state. As of last week, the majority of the funds earmarked for 2025 have been snatched back, leaving hundreds of nonprofits in the red financially, according to reporting from the Detroit Free Press. 

The Carr Center is a nonprofit hub for the visual and performing arts in Detroit focused on promoting and sharing the work of Black artists. The organization’s CEO, Oliver Ragsdale, joined The Metro on Thursday to discuss how they’re navigating the recent cuts to the arts.

“We got an NEA grant, we finished our grant, submitted our report and got our dollars within a couple of days, so we didn’t get terminated and we’ve been fortunate like that,” Ragsdale said.

Still, he said the NEA cuts will likely impact state funding and cause various other challenges, creating “a new normal” for arts organizations like the Carr Center.

“We are staying focused on Black artistic excellence and everything about it. And you know, we’ve been through cycles before, we’ll go through cycles again — I’ve been doing this for a few minutes — and eventually we’re going to be alright.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

Literacy rates in Michigan lag behind the national average, with the pandemic making things even more difficult for students — both in Michigan and across the country.

A fairly new Ypsilanti nonprofit, Dzanc House, is working to support youth in Washtenaw County through literary and cultural arts programming and workshops.

To talk about the organization’s efforts to support youth literacy, Charlene Choi, director of programs and communications for Dzanc House, and Digital Coordinator Paola Ortega joined the show.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

This week on MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben discuss bills introduced both in the Michigan House and Senate aimed at curbing distractions in the classroom by limiting cell phone use in class.

Also, former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox stops by to talk about his motivation behind running for governor.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode:

• Competing bills in the state Legislature to restrict cell phone use in schools
• Former Michigan AG Mike Cox joining the gubernatorial race
• Cox’s recent comments on X about Congressman John James

Lawmakers in Lansing are debating policies to help curb cell phone use by students during school time.

Both the state House and Senate are moving competing legislation to limit cell phone use in the classroom. The Senate bill passed 28-9 last week. In the House, a more restrictive bill advanced out of committee Wednesday that would prohibit cell phone use in schools based on grade level and other factors.

“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has called for the Legislature to act on this issue,” Roth said. “What the final versions of these bills look like and what she actually ends up signing — if anything — remains to be seen.”

Cox announced his candidacy for governor last month, joining Republicans U.S. Rep. John James, state Sen. Aric Nesbitt and former U.S. House candidate Anthony Hudson.

The former Attorney General — who served from 2003-2011 — previously ran for governor in 2010 but lost in the Republican primary. He says he was motivated to run again because “there’s a real hunger for leadership and change.”

“The Michigan that I grew up in, that my parents came to, has fallen behind so many other states,” Cox said. “Now my granddaughters in Hernando, Mississippi go to schools that perform better than the schools in my neighborhood in Livonia, Michigan. That’s a civil wrong, that’s immoral, and that’s absolutely wrong to our children and to the residents of our state.”

He also spoke to his growth in experience since he last ran for governor.

“Since then…I started my own business. I went from $400,000 in my first year in business to $30 million now in about 12 years,” he said. “It was fun and a lot of anxiety at first because I have never been in the private sector before. I think it really rounded me out as a candidate.”

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson are seeking the Democratic nomination in the August primary. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is also running as an independent.  

The general election will be held Nov. 3, 2026.

–WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.

More from WDET:

• The Metro: Should cell phones be restricted in Michigan schools?
• Detroit Evening Report: Former Michigan AG Mike Cox announces bid for governor
• Rep. John James seeks GOP nomination for Michigan governor

For over 70 years, the Michigan Department of Education has annually selected a teacher of the year. The winner then serves as a representative and advocate for teachers across the state.

Last week, Cory Rosser  — an alternative education teacher at Quest High School in North Branch, Michigan  — was named the 2025-26 Teacher of the Year. Now in his 22nd year of teaching at Quest, Corey teaches social studies and Imagine Learning courses for students in grades 10-12.

Corey joined The Metro on Wednesday to discuss the Teacher of the Year honor and his approach to creating an engaging environment for students in class.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

Detroit Public School Community District is hosting its 56th annual “Evening of Fine Arts” at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday, highlighting students’ achievement in the arts over the past year. 

The annual event was created to give students an opportunity to perform on grand stages like the Fox Theatre, while showcasing their artistic ability and various arts disciplines offered by the district.

More than 700 middle and high school students will be performing this year, featuring everything from visual art and dance to music and theater.

Andrew McGuire, deputy director of performing arts at DPSCD, joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more about the event. He was joined by William Perkins, a junior vocal music major at the Detroit School of Arts, who spoke about the experience of performing at the Fox.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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

More stories from The Metro

Michigan has now moved to universal blood lead testing for children under six years old through universal testing. 

Lead is a naturally occurring toxin that harms children, impacting their health and development.  

Angela Medina, care coordination section manager at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), said children can get assistance if they have elevated blood lead levels.

“Previous to universal testing, Michigan was considered a targeted testing state, meaning all children that are enrolled in Medicaid should be tested for lead at ages one and two, and all other children not enrolled in Medicaid should have a conversation, their parents should have a conversation with health care providers about certain risk factors to determine if they’re at risk for lead exposure, and if they are, then they should be tested,” she said.

However, now with universal testing, the requirement is now that physicians test all children at ages one and two, regardless of their insurance.

Children with elevated blood lead levels, at 3.5 micrograms per deciliter or higher, are eligible for MDHHS services and through other local health departments to lower the blood lead level.

That includes in-home nursing case management to educate families about nutrition and safe cleaning, and connecting with the lead Safe Home Program for an environmental investigation to identify the source of exposure to remove it, she explained.

The new changes expand the coverage for all children under 6 years old to get tested, including those on all insurance plans.

“The only way to know if you have an exposure to lead is to have your blood tested, and the only way to treat is to remove that exposure source. If a child is being exposed to lead, it’s very important that we go through these processes to identify and remove that exposure so they can continue to grow and develop in a healthy way,” she said.

She said children should get tested at 12 months, and then again at 24 months.

“This is typically when exposure levels peak for most children. So both of those testing intervals are very important to make sure the child continues not to be exposed to lead,” she expanded.

Medina says the new expansion of coverage will allow more kids to get tested.  She said this is preventative health service under the federal Affordable Care Act.

“It must be covered without any additional co-payments or co-insurance charges,” she said. “Most private insurance is covered by the Affordable Care Act, and Medicaid also covers blood lead testing, so insurance companies should cover the cost of the blood lead test the children are receiving.”

She said if you have a child who’s never been tested for lead and they are under the age of six, talk to your health care provider about getting tested.  

For more information, visit michigan.gov/mileadsafe. 

Experts say nearly half of all child injury deaths happen during the summer months. 

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

That statistic earned the phenomenon the nickname “the 100 deadliest days of summer” or “summer trauma season.” 

This month, the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide  is teaming up with safety advocates across the country to launch the second annual Safe Kids Month.

Sadiqa Kendi, chief medical officer for Safe Kids Worldwide, says the most common injuries affecting youngsters come from motor vehicle crashes. 

“We know that a child, if they don’t fit the seat belt well — and many times, they won’t until they’re between eight and 12 years old, and sometimes older — they really need to be in a booster or seat for that seat belt to work effectively,” she said.

Kendi says other injury related deaths occur from improper use of safety equipment such as life jackets and helmets. 

She says most of those fatalities are preventable, which is why the organization developed a child safety checklist to cover five key safety areas: car, water, sleep, home and play.

Safe Kids Worldwide’s High Five Child Safety Checklist can be viewed on their website at safekids.org. 

Other headlines for Thursday, May 1, 2025:

• For the first time in the city’s history, Dearborn will not have a primary election in August, the Detroit Free Press reported. The city clerk says there are not enough candidates running to make a primary necessary.
• The city of Detroit is breaking ground on the $28 million Russell Woods Senior Living Community on Friday on Dexter Avenue. Developer Fabiola Fleuranvil promises the units will be “deeply affordable” for residents.
• Detroit has commissioned 43 artists to establish art installations in nine city-sponsored “art alleys” across Detroit. It’s part of the city’s Arts Alleys initiative, an effort to create vibrant community spaces to celebrate local culture and showcase local talents. Installations have begun and muralists will begin painting this month.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.