Born in Detroit and electrified by fire, Virgil Taylor has been creating for most of his life, but despite crafting wearable items, Taylor considers himself a metalworker and not a jeweler.
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
American Black Journal – Racial Disparity in Traffic Stops, Legacy of Dr. Charles H. Wright
Host Stephen Henderson examines the results of an independent study from the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice showing African Americans were stopped by Michigan State Police troopers at disproportionately high rates in 2020.
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American Black Journal – Prison Ministries in the Black Church
Host Stephen Henderson continues American Black Journal’s “The Black Church in Detroit” series with the 12th installment exploring the role and services provided by Black churches in Detroit for incarcerated men and women, and their families, as well as exonerated former inmates re-entering society.
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American Black Journal – Current Events Roundtable, Remembering Sidney Poitier
American Black Journal Host Stephen Henderson leads a wide-ranging roundtable discussion around some of the biggest current events catching headlines in the new year.
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American Black Journal – Black Leaders Detroit, Workplace DEI, Dance Theatre of Harlem
Host Stephen Henderson sits down with Black Leaders Detroit Founder Dwan Dandridge to talk about how his organization is trying to level the economic playing field for Black-owned businesses and African American entrepreneurs through financial support.
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American Black Journal: Recounting the Capitol Insurrection and 2021’s Best Stories
One year after protesters stormed inside the United States Capitol Jan. 6 with hopes to attack the country’s electoral process, host Stephen Henderson sits down with 14th District Michigan Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence to recount how it felt to be inside the Capitol during the insurrection.
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American Black Journal: Bentor Harbor Water Crisis, Homeless Youth Campaign
Stephen Henderson talks with a number of Benton Harbor stakeholders to learn more about the lead-contaminated water crisis in their city.
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American Black Journal: Mental Health, Oxford Shooting, Mask Debate, American Rescue Plan Funds
On this week’s episode of American Black Journal, Host Stephen Henderson heeds experts advice on how to take care of your mental health during the holidays.
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Will you support BridgeDetroit this holiday season?
Our year-end campaign has begun! Your support of our nonprofit newsroom will support our community-focused reporting in the new year and beyond.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
American Black Journal: Men of Change / ‘TRIPTYCH: Stronger Together / Remembering Barbara-Rose Collins
A new museum exhibit and Detroit barbershop contest aimed at changing the narrative about black men. Plus, we’ll take you to a powerful new art show at a Detroit gallery. And we’ll remember African American trailblazer Barbara-Rose Collins.