Detroit Is Different

“Detroit gives me free concerts, the architecture, the river — I told my friends, ‘Detroit got this.’” In this rich and inspiring episode of Detroit is Different, Cheryl Ajamu joins Khary Frazier to share her journey from Memphis to the woman behind the revival of the Detroit Football Classic. Cheryl is the Owner & Executive Producer for the 2025 Detroit Football Classic August 30, 1pm at Ford Field, Central State University vs Kentucky State University. Cheryl recounts arriving in Detroit in 1996 and falling in love with the city’s cultural soul—its historic architecture, its cooler summers, and its abundance of free concerts: “95 is much better than a hundred.” From ad sales at BET Detroit to helping promote the city’s neo-soul underground through Urban Organic, she describes how she “lived on both sides of the equation”—connecting Black creatives with major brands while keeping community at the center. But this story isn’t just about the past; it’s a roadmap for the future. Cheryl discusses ownership,