Authentically Detroit

Donna & Orlando

Authentically Detroit is the leading podcast in the city for candid conversations, exchanging progressive ideas, and centering resident perspectives on current events. Hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Orlando P. Bailey.  Produced by Sarah Johnson and Engineered by Griffin Hutchings.  Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @AuthenticallyDetroit!

  1. 12/16/2025

    From City Hall To 98Forward: Legacy, Lessons, And The Future Of Detroit Communications with Georgella Muirhead and Antonice Strickland

    On this episode Orlando sat down with legendary public relations executive, Georgella Muirhead and Vice President of 98Forward, Antonice Strickland to discuss how Georgella’s career shaped Detroit's communications landscape and paved the way for the next generation of leadership at 98Forward. After nearly five decades of shaping Detroit’s civic, corporate, and community narratives, Georgella Muirhead, a trailblazer in public relations and communications, will retire at the end of 2025. Her retirement marks the culmination of an extraordinary career defined by leadership, integrity, and impact — and ushers in a bold chapter for 98Forward, one of Michigan’s most experienced and respected strategic PR and communications firms. As 98Forward enters this next chapter, the firm remains anchored in the principles that have defined it for nearly 30 years: authenticity, strategy, and impact. With a Detroit soul and a national reach, the agency continues to lead with purpose — telling the stories that move communities, conversations, and the industry forward. To learn more about 98Forward and their work, click here.  FOR HOT TAKES: THE MOTOR CITY CONTRACTOR FUND INVITES DETROIT CONTRACTORS TO PURSUE THE "ULTIMATE GIFT" THIS HOLIDAY SEASON: BIGGER, BETTER BUSINESS  MICHIGAN QUICKLY DELETES GOVERNMENT CHATS, RAISING TRANSPARENCY QUESTIONS Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

    55 min
  2. 12/09/2025

    Art, Trust, And Listening To The Land with Augusta Morrison and Billy Mark

    On this episode Donna and Orlando sat down with Sidewalk Detroit Program Director, Augusta Morrison and Earth Futures Fellow, Billy Mark to discuss the Echoes Soundmaps project and how they’re advancing public life through the lens of arts, culture, collaborative design and deep engagement with residents.  Sidewalk Detroit exists to advance public life and strong social infrastructure through the lens of arts, culture, collaborative design and deep engagement with residents. They practice an inclusive approach to creative city and neighborhood building that combines vision of residents, strategy, and artistic ideation to create engaging spaces, programs and experiences that improve communities across metro-detroit. Echoes Soundmaps are created by placing audio files (voices, rhythms, poems, field recordings) onto specific zones on a digital map, like putting a pin on a google map, and then attaching/ uploading an audio file. Each zone can have its own shape, size, and behavior. These zones become invisible layers of sound over real places. When someone walks through the space with the echoes app, their phone’s gps triggers the audio in the zones they enter as they do the sound plays. To learn more about Sidewalk Detroit, click here.  FOR HOT TAKES: MICHIGAN OFFICIALS INSIST 2019 AUTO NO-FAULT LAW LOWERED CAR INSURANCE RATES. IT DIDN'T  PARAMOUNT LAUNCHES HOSTILE BID FOR WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY DESPITE NETFLIX DEAL Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

    1h 1m
  3. 12/05/2025

    Black Detroit Democracy Podcast: Detroit City FC, Fair Development and Community Power with Maxwell Murray

    The Authentically Detroit Podcast Network in collaboration with Detroit One Million presents: The Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Sam Robinson! Together, Donna and Sam illuminate the complexities of Detroit’s unique political landscape and give residents a resource for navigating civic engagement and election season. In this episode, they trace Detroit’s housing failures from the Leland House scare to a subsidy-first market that missed real demand, then turn to solutions that center seniors, families, and accountability. Then, Maxwell Murray shows how DCFC and the Urban Football League use street soccer, food, and learning to reclaim space and teach civic power. Maxwell is a Detroit native and founder of The Urban Football League. He joined Detroit City FC in March 2024 to support youth programming and expand access to the game across Detroit. A proud Detroiter, he first connected with the club as a summer intern in 2017. He studied African and Black Diasporic Studies at DePaul University, where he founded The Urban Football League to use soccer as a tool for cultural expression and community building. At DCFC, he leads efforts to break down barriers to participation and chairs the Youth Travel Program’s Community Resource Group. For more episodes of the Black Detroit Democracy Podcast, click here. Support the show Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

    55 min
4.9
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

Authentically Detroit is the leading podcast in the city for candid conversations, exchanging progressive ideas, and centering resident perspectives on current events. Hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Orlando P. Bailey.  Produced by Sarah Johnson and Engineered by Griffin Hutchings.  Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @AuthenticallyDetroit!

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