Friday, July 24 – Friday, July 31
 Mayor Mike Duggan  Curt Guyette  Graham W.J. Beal and Swarupa Anila  Panel Discussion |
 Stephen Henderson  Judge Steven W. Rhodes  Dr. M. Roy Wilson |
In a special hour-long broadcast, The Tavis Smiley Show takes an in-depth look at the issues and challenges facing the city of Detroit. We begin with a conversation with Mayor Mike Duggan on the state of the city and his plans to foster the city’s resurgence.
Stephen Henderson, editorial page editor of the “Detroit Free Press” and winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for commentary for his columns on the city’s financial crisis, and investigative reporter Curt Guyette of the ACLU of Michigan, discuss Detroit’s prospects for recovery. Detroit’s bankruptcy in 2013 was the largest municipal bankruptcy in the nation’s history. Judge Steven W. Rhodes describes how he handled the proceedings, and shares his feelings about the city of Detroit. When Detroit declared bankruptcy, some creditors demanded that the Detroit Institute of Arts sell off its masterpieces to help settle the city’s debt obligations, but what became known as “the grand bargain” saved the art. Graham W.J. Beal, director, president and CEO of the Detroit Institute of Arts, and Swarupa Anila, head of interpretation at the DIA, describe the grand bargain and the works it saved. Dr. M. Roy Wilson, president of Wayne State University, shares the importance of making higher education a top priority in the communities of Detroit. Our special program from Detroit concludes with an in-depth panel discussion on education in the city. Our panelists are Tonya Allen, president of the Skillman Foundation; Darnell Earley, emergency manager of Detroit Public Schools; David Hecker, vice president of the American Federation of Teachers; and Denise Smith, vice president for early learning at Excellent Schools Detroit. |
