Outlier Media

Outlier Media Filling information and connection gaps in Detroit through local reporting since 2016 💛
Managing partner for Detroit Documenters

Outlier Media is a news organization that provides essential information to Detroiters through local, accountability reporting. Text "Detroit" to 67485 for resources on housing, utilities and more.

Charlene Richardson knew that fixing her house near the Boston-Edison neighborhood would be a challenge when she bought ...
08/18/2026

Charlene Richardson knew that fixing her house near the Boston-Edison neighborhood would be a challenge when she bought the duplex for $1,000 in 2018 from the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

But after nearly a decade, she still needs a new roof, walls, windows, lead removal, porch repairs, a working kitchen and more.

In March, Richardson applied to the city’s two latest programs: Critical Home Repair and LeadSafe Housing. It was Richardson’s fourth time applying for home repair assistance.

“It’s a little bit nerve-wracking,” Richardson said. “So you scramble to get all this paperwork, the bank statements, the deed and the proof of income. ... I’m fortunate in that I am computer-literate, and I know how to download, upload, go to there. I know how to do that, but I’m still old as hell.”

Richardson wasn’t selected to move forward in this round, but she and other Detroiters will have another opportunity to apply for home repair assistance in September, when the city opens its second and final application round of the year. Each application window lasts two weeks.

About 38,000 houses in Detroit had major home repair needs as of 2021. Rico Razo, chief of home repair and neighborhood services, said the city’s goal is to help about 350 households this year with $15,000-$20,000 in repairs each, totaling around $7 million.

📸 : Cydni Elledge/Outlier Media

08/18/2026

Bike season in Detroit is a blast, but it also has challenges — like debris in bike lanes and unexpected repairs.

If your bike needs a quick fix, this video walks through the basics: checking your air, brakes and chain, plus a few simple tools that can help you stay prepared.

Need some help? Local shops like Back Alley Bikes offer repairs and support to help you get back on the road.

08/13/2026

Outlier takes our civic duties seriously. Help us continue to work for the community — without a paywall. Donate today.

Link in bio.

Outlier OGs remember The Dig, and all the housing tea served in The Dirt. ☕️We’re bringing a little Outlier lore back to...
08/11/2026

Outlier OGs remember The Dig, and all the housing tea served in The Dirt. ☕️

We’re bringing a little Outlier lore back to life — this time, in a cup. Join us and sml wrld cafe for Coffee Thursday on Aug. 13, 9:30 a.m.-noon, to try The Dirt (or an alternative drink) on us.

Link below to register.

Need free back-to-school supplies?Families across Detroit can find *free* backpacks, school supplies and other back-to-s...
08/10/2026

Need free back-to-school supplies?

Families across Detroit can find *free* backpacks, school supplies and other back-to-school resources at events happening throughout August.

Here are some of the events we found:

📚 Tuesday, Aug. 11: Wayne County MDHHS, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
🎒 Friday, Aug. 14: Brightmoor Artisans Collective, 3-6 p.m.
🎨 Friday, Aug. 14: MiSide Community Impact Network, noon-4 p.m.
✏️ Saturday, Aug. 15: The Grandmont Community, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
✂️ Saturday, Aug. 15: Hartford Memorial Baptist Church & TMI Detroit, noon-3 p.m.
🎮 Tuesday, Aug. 18: Detroit Public Library Chase Branch, 4-7 p.m.
📚 Sunday, Aug. 23: Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, 1-3 p.m.
💇🏾‍♀️ Wednesday, Aug. 26: Glam City Studio, 9 a.m.

Full list + more info in the comments!
📸 : Cydni Elledge/Outlier Media

08/04/2026

With warmer weather finally here, it’s the perfect time to get outside — and a bike is one of the easiest ways to explore the city.

If you’ve been considering buying a bike, we walked through where to shop in Detroit, what to look for in a bike and how to choose the right one for you with Back Alley Bikes!

08/03/2026

Detroit’s only public outdoor pool, Brennan Pool, is closed this summer for renovations, leaving the city with zero public outdoor pools. The only place Detroiters can swim outdoors for free is Belle Isle, where there are no lifeguards.

One professor says access to pools isn’t just about having fun. It can improve water safety, help people stay cool during extreme heat and increase access to swimming lessons.

So why doesn’t the city have more public outdoor pools? Would you like to see more in Detroit? Let us know in the comments.

We're brewing up something special this Coffee Thursday. ☕ ✨ Join us on August 13 for community, conversation and an exc...
07/31/2026

We're brewing up something special this Coffee Thursday. ☕ ✨

Join us on August 13 for community, conversation and an exclusive collaboration drink, The Dirt, created with sml wrld cafe.

Drinks on us from 9:30 to 12 p.m.

📍 2220 Gratiot Ave.

Who gets to decide what’s worth remembering? When Donald Trump assumed office in 2025, he launched a sweeping attack on ...
07/28/2026

Who gets to decide what’s worth remembering?

When Donald Trump assumed office in 2025, he launched a sweeping attack on the Smithsonian museums with an apparent mission to present a censored version of American culture and history.

“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL,” he wrote online. “We want the museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner,” Trump told the press.

In majority-Black cities like Detroit, Trump’s attack on “woke” culture ignited a wave of cultural preservation at the community level.

Archivists, historians, artists and other culture workers are fighting against what they see as a systematic attempt to erase and censor minority voices. Their work involves teaching the principles of collecting, retelling and preserving the stories and artifacts of everyday Black life.

These emerging archival efforts often include celebrating ephemera that traditional archives exclude, such as photographs, generational stories and collective social practices.

“There’s such a long legacy of Black stories being erased, misconstrued and weaponized that there’s so much work that needs to be done for us to undo that, to build something better," said Marcia Black, archivist, cultural preservationist and Black Bottom Archives’ co-executive director.

📸 : Cydni Elledge/Outlier Media, Caria Taylor for Outlier Media, Courtesy of Rachel Elise Thomas

Detroit's foreclosure crisis reshaped families. It's time we talked about it. Join us at The Congregation on July 29 fro...
07/27/2026

Detroit's foreclosure crisis reshaped families. It's time we talked about it.

Join us at The Congregation on July 29 from 6:30-9 p.m. for a conversation about our Profits & Losses reporting and how it inspired our first-ever zine.

Link below to reserve your spot.

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