Cover Story
What it was really like inside the University of Michigan’s student protest encampment
“I, like everyone else here, believe that … everything possible to liberate Palestine and end the genocide in Gaza must be done,” a senior studying history at the University of Michigan (U-M) told me on April 25, three days after U-M students erected an encampment outside the Hatcher Graduate Library. The U-M student encampment remained…
New DIA exhibit showcases Islamic food culture through art
A new exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) will explore the connections between art and cuisine from ancient times to the present. On Sunday, Sept. 22, the DIA will open The Art of Dining: Food Culture in the Islamic World, featuring over 200 works from the Middle East, Asia, and beyond. The exhibit…
Erykah Badu, Moodymann to DJ at Detroit’s Dilla Fest 2024
Acclaimed artist Erykah Badu will help celebrate the legacy of the late Detroit producer J Dilla at this year’s Dilla Fest. The singer and songwriter will perform as her alter ego DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown at the event, which is set to start at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Russell Industrial…
Protest to target Wayne County prosecutor over wrongful convictions featured in Metro Times
Protesters plan to rally outside the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday to demand a thorough review of all cases handled by a former Detroit detective who terrorized young Black men for nearly two decades. The protest comes a little more than a month after Metro Times launched a series about Detective Barbara Simon, who…
Jack White announces small Blind Pig show
Jack White’s tour of small clubs continues with a just-announced show at Ann Arbor’s Blind Pig. The intimate gig is set for 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1. Tickets are $100 and go on sale at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Members of White’s Vault fan club will get a chance to buy them an hour…
Alice Coltrane’s son Ravi plays homage to his mother at the Detroit Jazz Festival
For over 40 years, the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation has celebrated Detroit’s rich history of jazz music by providing year-round concerts and educational programming, and of course, organizing the world’s largest free jazz festival, featuring world-class talent, over Labor Day weekend. “Sonically, jazz is genetically related to the city of Detroit,” says Chris Collins, president…
Detroit Marriott sued over alleged sexual assault and hostile work environment
A former employee of the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center is suing the hotel chain after she alleges she was sexually assaulted by a manager and then forced to leave her job. The Dearborn woman, whom Metro Times won’t identify because she was the victim of an alleged crime, claims in the lawsuit filed…
InsideOut Literary Arts brings ‘If the River Could Sing’ youth event back to Detroit’s riverfront
For the third year in a row, InsideOut Literary Arts is bringing the literary world outdoors with If the River Could Sing: A Celebration of Writing and River, set for Sept. 12 from 5:30-9 p.m. at Robert C. Valade Park along Detroit’s riverfront. Since 1995, InsideOut Literary Arts has been helping Detroit’s youth build literary…
Despite the DNC’s best efforts to ignore Gaza, the Uncommitted Movement isn’t going anywhere
In a Dearborn cafe, weeks before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Abbas Alawieh tells Metro Times, “We never want to go back to the version of progressive politics where we’re allowed to be progressive on everything except for Palestine.” Alawieh, who’s the co-founder of the antiwar Uncommitted National Movement, is reflecting an increasingly mainstream…
Shelby Township police accused of breaking state law by hosting JD Vance campaign event
The Michigan Bureau of Elections is investigating a complaint that alleges the Shelby Township Police Department violated state law by using public resources earlier this month to host a campaign event featuring Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance. The complaint was filed Friday, two days after Metro Times raised questions about the legality of recent…
Street Beet returns to its former home with Third Street Bar residency
Detroit’s favorite vegan pop-up is returning to its longtime home with a semi-permanent residency at Third Street Bar. Founded in 2018, Street Beet quickly gained mass popularity for its creative vegan fast food takes on popular items from Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and other big chains. In 2019, the pop-up began a long-term residency at Third…
Michigan environmental group applauds changes to Fermi 2 permit
Michigan environmental justice group Citizens’ Resistance at Fermi Two did not get everything on its wish list. Still, the group is celebrating long-awaited changes to the permit for DTE Energy’s Fermi 2 nuclear plant. The facility’s new permit now includes what environmental groups called important safeguards. One of the most notable modifications is a thermal…
Lapointe: Michigan’s Democratic women trash Trump’s ‘Project 2025’
Literally and figuratively, Mallory McMorrow of Michigan threw the book at former Republican president Donald Trump at the Democratic National convention in Chicago last week. Thump! It bumped atop the lectern on the podium when she slammed it down. McMorrow, a state senator from Oakland County, made her point with the oversized prop that represented…
Modern Skate & Surf in Royal Oak celebrates 45 years with skateboard bash
Royal Oak’s Modern Skate & Surf is one of Michigan’s longest-standing skateboard shops. Founded by George Leichtweis in 1979, not only was it one of the first three inline skate shops in the world, but it was also the first snowboard and wakeboard shop in Michigan. This Saturday, from 11 a.m. to midnight, the spot…
Michigan Bureau of Elections to investigate Trump campaign event following complaints
The Michigan Bureau of Elections is reviewing two complaints that allege the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office violated the law when it hosted a nationally televised campaign event for Donald Trump on Tuesday. The complaints were filed Thursday, one day after Metro Times published a story raising concerns about the event. The Michigan Campaign Finance Act…
Detroit’s LOVE Building hosts grand opening with four days of community events
The LOVE Building, a hub for social justice and creative community in Detroit’s Core City neighborhood, is finally opening its doors to the public from September 3-6 with four days of community events. The week will kick off with an open house on Tuesday, Sept. 3 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., allowing people to meet the…
Efforts to ban controversial books continue in Michigan libraries
The battle between social conservatives and Michigan libraries to remove certain books from the shelves is becoming increasingly political as the November elections draw near. A Michigan Library Association poll shows more than three-quarters of Michiganders oppose censorship of library books but the public filed 47 complaints in 2023. Debbie Mikula, executive director of the…
‘Alien: Romulus’ shows there’s still plenty of life left in this franchise
Depending on what you think of the Alien franchise, the following statement will either sound like a huge compliment or damning with faint praise: Alien: Romulus is the third best film of the franchise by a hair. Set between Ridley Scott’s 1979’s seminal sci-fi/horror masterpiece Alien and James Cameron’s 1986 action extravaganza Aliens, director Fede…
Legal red flags raised by Trump campaign events at police stations in Michigan
Michigan law makes it a crime to use public resources to support a political candidate, but that didn’t stop two brazen local police departments from hosting nationally televised events for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign over the past two weeks. The latest event was Tuesday at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in Howell, where Trump spoke…
Loui’s Pizza in Hazel Park named Yelp’s No. 1 Midwest pizza spot
Detroit-style pizza — with its thick crust, caramelized edges, and square shape — has not only become a beloved local staple but also influences the pizza scene globally. One of our favorites, Loui’s Pizza in Hazel Park, has snatched the top spot on Yelp’s list of the Top 100 Pizza Spots in the Midwest. The…
Cult fave Sheetz sets opening date for first-ever Michigan location
An opening date has been announced for the first-ever Michigan Sheetz location, a Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain with something of a cult following. The store is set to open to the public at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 33380 Wick Rd., Romulus, with a grand opening celebration planned for 9-11 a.m. The company…
Michigan women rise in politics, but funding disparities exist
Michigan women are making gains in state politics, ranking 14th nationally for the number serving in the legislature. However, the latest analysis reveals funding disparities are a concern. The Center for American Women and Politics said men’s campaign donations are outpacing those from women and it could be limiting women’s voices and influence in the…
Free Will Astrology (Aug. 21-27)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Some centenarians testify they have lived more than a century because they smoked many cigarettes, drank a lot of booze, and ate a steady diet of junk food. Should the rest of us adapt their habits? Of course not. The likelihood of remaining healthy while following such an unsound regimen is…
