One Detroit Arts & Culture Producer Sarah Smith caught up with Kovalev and Russian American vocalist and University of Michigan music student Sasha Gusikhin to hear how the $17,000 raised from the benefit concert helped Ukrainians here in Michigan and abroad.
Stephen Henderson
Stephen Henderson is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster whose work is rooted in Detroit and shaped by a deep commitment to public-interest reporting and civic life. A native Detroiter, he is the founder of BridgeDetroit, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering the city through sustained engagement with residents and their primary concerns. Over nearly three decades, he has focused on the forces that shape cities and communities—urban policy, government accountability, education, race, and economic inequality—with an emphasis on how public decisions affect everyday lives.
His work bridges print, television and radio, and it brings together data, history, and lived experience, helping audiences understand not just what is happening, but why it matters and what comes next.
He is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary and has received more than two dozen national honors for his writing and editing, including recognition as Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists. His career has spanned some of the country’s leading news organizations, including the Chicago Tribune, where he helped build one of the nation’s earliest digital news platforms; the Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, where he covered the U.S. Supreme Court; and The Baltimore Sun, where his editorials contributed to clemency for a death row prisoner.
In Detroit, Henderson spent more than a decade at the Detroit Free Press, where he became the first African American to lead the editorial page and the paper’s first Black Pulitzer Prize winner. He is also the host of American Black Journal on Detroit Public Television and the founder of The Tuxedo Project, a literary arts and community initiative based in the home where he was born.
Henderson is the co-author of The Civility Book (Wayne State University Press, 2025), a reflection on disagreement, democratic culture, and the importance of sustaining civic dialogue. A frequent moderator, speaker, and convener, his work continues to focus on strengthening public conversation and helping communities navigate disagreement, change, and the challenges of democracy.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
One Detroit – Overturning Roe v. Wade, Patrick Lyoya & Police Reform, AAPI Story Series
Host Stephen Henderson sits down with the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP President Cle Jackson and John Sloan III, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Detroit, to discuss the impact of the tragic incident on the Grand Rapids community.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
American Black Journal – Bookstock Returns, MOCAD Spring Exhibit, Aaron Lewys Performs
Bookstock, the Detroit-area’s largest used book and media sale, returns this year to Laurel Park Place in Livonia after a two-year COVID-related hiatus.
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One Detroit – Vincent Chin Anniversary, AAPI Heritage Month, Fisher Body Plant, Chucho Valdes
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, activist, journalist and American Citizen for Justice Co-Founder Helen Zia, APIAVote Michigan Executive Director Rebeka Islam and State Senator Stephanie Chang recount the tragic history of Vincent Chin’s murder.
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American Black Journal – Police Reform and Patrick Lyoya, Davóne Tines Portrays Malcolm X
Host Stephen Henderson sits down with the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP President Cle Jackson and John Sloan III, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Detroit, to discuss the ramifications of the tragic incident on the Grand Rapids community.
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One Detroit – Building Michigan’s Future Workforce, Jazz Trumpeter Kris Johnson
One Detroit’s Future of Work host Will Glover takes a deep dive into a crucial conversation about how Michigan’s economy and workforce can stay competitive with other states.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
American Black Journal – The Black Catholic Church in Detroit
Host Stephen Henderson and producer AJ Walker will explore the history of the Black Catholic Church, its support during the civil rights movements and its focus on equal rights and racial justice.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
One Detroit – Detroit Sugarbush Project, Joan Ellison, Mint Artists Guild
A new live performance arranged by vocalist Joan Ellison is paying tribute to the iconic American actress and singer Judy Garland’s centennial.
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One Detroit – Patrick Lyoya Case, Michigan COVID Guidelines, Detroit Bassist Marion Hayden
As Michigan State Police continues its independent investigation, One Detroit’s Will Glover catches up with BridgeDetroit reporter Bryce Huffman, who’s been on the ground in Grand Rapids reporting on the city’s reaction to the incident, for an update on where the Patrick Lyoya case stands.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
American Black Journal – Small Business Workshop, Barristers’ Ball Returns
The LEE Group’s Small Business Workshop returns for its eighth year with a focus on business recovery and sustainability.