Today we’d like to introduce you to Khary Frazier.
Hi Khary, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a modern-day griot, born and raised in Detroit, carrying forward the oral traditions of our people through 21st-century tools. My roots run deep here — my creative journey started in the home my grandfather secured through the GI Bill, a rare opportunity for Black WWII veterans. I was educated at Aisha Shule, an African-centered school that taught me to see the world through the lens of our history, culture, and resilience. Hip-hop became my first stage for storytelling, teaching me how words, rhythm, and truth could move people.
In 2014, I launched Detroit is Different to amplify the voices and legacy of Black Detroiters through podcasts, events, and community-centered media. What started as a one-man show has grew into a cultural hub, of over 40+ Black content creators sharing stories that range from women in hip-hop to environmental justice, from Black comedy to natural hair. My work bridges generations — hosting conversations with elders who carry living history and young creators who are shaping Detroit’s future.
Whether I’m producing a series on reparations, documenting real estate battles in 48238, or celebrating the matriarchs who hold our families together, my mission is the same: to celebrate our culture, strengthen our social capital, and tell the truth about Detroit in our own voices. That’s how I got here — by trusting the power of our stories to connect, heal, and inspire change.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road — not because the culture isn’t rich enough, but because too many traditional institutions still don’t see the value in stories told by us, for us, on our terms. When you’re committed to sharing the Black story from a place of strength, joy, and cultural competency — not through the tired deficit lens — you find out quickly how often our narratives get overlooked unless they fit into somebody else’s box.
We built Detroit is Different on creativity and community, not institutional approval. The investment has come mostly from the work we do for clients, the events we throw where tickets keep the lights on, and the partnerships with the few funders who actually believe in what we’re building. The grants we’ve received are a blessing — but our real currency is the trust and participation of the community we serve.
So yeah, the road’s had bumps. But it’s also been paved with music, laughter, resilience, and the stories that make Detroit, Detroit. That’s the work we’ll keep doing — with or without a stamp from the gatekeepers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m in the business of telling Detroit’s story the way Detroit would tell it — unfiltered, unapologetic, and sometimes with a side of cornbread. Through Detroit is Different, I produce podcasts, events, and media that spotlight Black culture without watering it down for mass consumption. I’m known for giving a mic to voices you won’t hear in corporate press releases but you will hear at the family barbecue.
What I’m most proud of? That we’ve built a platform where people feel at home enough to share their truth, and audiences leave feeling like they learned something their history books forgot to mention. What sets me apart? I don’t just document culture — I live it, host it, and sometimes even DJ it. Basically, I’m the Netflix, the block club, and the griot all rolled into one … but with better playlists.
How do you think about luck?
People talk about luck like it’s rolling dice — I’ve had the kind of luck you can’t gamble for. I got to watch my mom and dad build a business while working in the community through the Keep the Vote No Takeover Movement. Before my mom passed, we started the Detroit is Different incubator in her childhood home — my grandmother’s house — which is now my creative base. That’s not just luck; that’s physical support and ancestral love wrapped up in bricks, wood, and prayer.
I see my creativity as a bond with the Creator, and I honor that daily. I’ve had the luck of welcoming hundreds of Legacy Black Detroiters onto the podcast, and the honor of thousands helping to bring events to life — from the Collard Green Cook-Off to my Natural Hair Show, State of Black Detroit, My Mom’s My First Fan, and more. I’m humbled to share in the love and relationships this community has given me. Honestly, if this is luck, it’s the kind that comes with sweet water cornbread too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.detroitisdifferent.com
- Instagram: @DetroitisDifferent
- Facebook: @DetroitisDifferent
- LinkedIn: Khary Frazier
- Youtube: @DetroitisDifferent
