Axios Detroit
June 18, 2026
1 big thing: Podcast explores Black Catholic activism
A local journalist's new longform podcast examines Detroit's history as a proving ground for the influential Black Catholic movement.
Why it matters: This little-known civil rights story details the Black Catholic community's fight to preserve its churches and identity, while involving broader Detroit trends of white flight and deindustrialization.
Driving the news: Commonweal Magazine is publishing Detroit native Aaron Robertson's three-part series, "The City and the Cross." The final episode releases Wednesday.
Flashback: Black Catholics built vibrant communities in Detroit through much of the 20th century, incorporating cultural traditions like gospel and jazz music, Robertson reports.
- Activists fought for the Catholic Church to recognize Black leadership.
- In 1968, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus declared at a meeting in Detroit that the Catholic Church was "primarily a white racist institution," per Commonweal. The timing was soon after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
The podcast delves into the Church's modernization efforts. In one historical turning point, a coalition protested late-1980s Archdiocese of Detroit closures that hit Black Catholic churches the hardest.
- The third episode will catch listeners up to the present day, as the Archdiocese undergoes another overhaul.
By the numbers: There are currently around 20 churches in the metro under the Archdiocese of Detroit with a significant Black Catholic population.
- As of 1981, the Archdiocese of Detroit's region covered 1.6 million Catholics, about 33,000 of them Black, per Catholic University of America Press data cited by Robertson.
What he did: Robertson dug into archives and interviewed dozens of people to bring a detail-rich story to life — including parishioners, organizers, church leaders and musicians.
Zoom in: Robertson tells Axios his fascination with the topic stems partly from his experience growing up Protestant and curiosity about what drew African Americans to Catholicism.
- He came across a Black priest's memoir in 2019 that he calls a "searing indictment of the Catholic Church."
- Reading archives, he became interested in the lonely experiences Black priests described. He also found letters from local parishioners pleading for their churches to stay open.
What they're saying: "It's a sort of quintessential Detroit story, because you're learning about demographic change, you're learning about white flight and declining religious affiliation," Robertson says.
- "All of that was related to previous work I had done about the relationship between Black Americans and sacred life, generally."
What's next: Robertson, on a year-long fellowship with Commonweal, is also working on a fictional novel set during the 1980s parish closures.
2. Detroit PBS nears HQ groundbreaking
Detroit PBS is preparing to break ground on its long-planned headquarters in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood with fundraising support following last year's federal public media cuts.
Why it matters: The project will bring Detroit PBS and 90.9 WRCJ, a classical and jazz station, under the same roof for the first time, creating a new space for public media programming and community events.
Catch up quick: The new headquarters will be at a century-old former General Motors engineering facility at 234 Piquette Ave., near I-75, I-94 and Woodward Avenue.
- The station sold its old HQ in Wixom for $11 million in 2023 and has been using temporary studios.
State of play: The vision for the new Fred and Barbara Erb Public Media Campus remains largely intact despite rising construction costs that helped push the budget from roughly $30 million to $40 million, Detroit PBS president and CEO Rich Homberg tells Axios.
- Detroit PBS recently completed a $7.5 million challenge grant a year ahead of schedule, helping push its $40 million capital campaign past the 70% mark.
- Construction is set to begin this summer ahead of an expected 2027 opening.
What they're saying: The project arrives as Detroit PBS reports growing community support, with membership increasing from about 68,000 to 81,000 amid uncertainty surrounding federal public media funding.
- "We need to double down and continue to expand our work with telling the story of the most important city in America," Homberg says.
3. The Grapevine: You heard it here
4. Vote for Metro Detroit's best burger: Round 2
Detroit really is a slider city.
State of play: With a nail-biting victory by Telway over Corktown's Nemo's, all four slider joints advanced to the second round of our burger bracket.
The intrigue: Round 2 features a suburban slugfest between Redcoat Tavern and Miller's Bar, and a rivalry matchup between Bates' and Telway.
By the numbers: We tallied nearly 100 votes in round 1. We know there are more of you out there with burger opinions.
Maybe next year: Cutter's Bar & Grill, Moma G's, Little Tony's, Olin Bar & Kitchen, Kozy Lounge, Bronx Bar, Nemo's and Sabby's Lounge failed to advance.
What's next: Vote today by 4pm by clicking the link below. The winners will reach next week's Final Four.
Head to our website and scroll down to vote in the second round!
Axios Detroit
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