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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.

shdetroit@bridgedetroit.com
Posted inCivic and Community Information

American Black Journal: Dying Before Their Time / Sundown Towns

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A long-term study commissioned by the Detroit Area Agency on Aging shows the older population in Detroit and eight neighboring cities is dying at a rate 2.5 times higher than the rest of Michigan. Stephen Henderson talks with DAAA President & CEO Ronald Taylor about the report’s findings and ways to reduce the numbers. Plus, One Detroit’s Will Glover talks with BridgeDetroit reporter Bryce Huffman about his in-depth report on Michigan’s sundown towns, which were historically unwelcoming to African Americans.

Posted inCivic and Community Information

American Black Journal: Racism as Public Health Crisis / Equity in the Arts

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A discussion with Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom of Henry Ford Health System on racism’s impact on African-American health and what it takes to bring change. Plus, a conversation with Knight Foundation Detroit Program Director, Nate Wallace, on including more diversity in the arts. And, a new hip hop music video encourages people to wear masks during the pandemic.

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