You Have to Be Involved: Nicole Small on Detroit Power, Politics, and People
About this episode
Nicole Small discusses the importance of civic engagement and community power in Detroit's political landscape.
“You don’t just leave things sitting at the city council meeting”—Nicole Small brings that truth home in this powerful Detroit is Different conversation about civic education, community accountability, and the future of Detroit politics. A former Detroit Charter Commission member, devoted organizer, and activist, Nicole reflects on why the city charter matters as Detroit’s “constitution,” how residents learned power through block clubs, labor families, precinct workers, and neighborhood elders, and why today’s lack of engagement should alarm us. From her family’s Arkansas-to-North End roots to growing up in Bagley, attending King High School, and witnessing the organizing culture of labor marches, Nicole connects personal memory to political responsibility. She names the difference between simply attending meetings and actually bringing the work back home: “In order to really be successful and change and to be a change agent, you have to be involved.” This episode matters because Detroit’s past civic muscle—block clubs, elders, labor, local civics, and resident voice—still holds lessons for the city’s future. Nicole reminds listeners that community power is built through…
People in this episode
Host: Khary Frazier
Guest: Nicole Small
Topics covered
- civic education
- community accountability
- Detroit politics
- engagement
- local history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Detroit Charter Commission
Places: Detroit, Arkansas, North End, Bagley, King High School
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