Detroit PBS has been awarded $2 million in grant support to expand community-centered storytelling through “Faith in Detroit,” a new four-year, multi-platform initiative led by Christ Church Cranbrook and supported by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Read the full announcement by Christ Church Cranbrook about the launch of “Faith in Detroit” here.

“Faith in Detroit” brings together cultural, educational and media partners to elevate stories of how Christianity — and faith more broadly — connects the people, places and public life in and around Detroit. Central to this work is a commitment to storytelling that is informed by, produced with and accountable to the communities it reflects — through video content paired with community conversations, events and opportunities for dialogue.

As part of this collaboration, Detroit PBS will serve as the lead storytelling media partner, developing and distributing content as special programming across their broadcast and digital channels, including “One Detroit,” the station’s weekly local news and public affairs program that connects communities across Southeast Michigan, and “American Black Journal,” the longest-running locally produced television program focused on the African American experience, on the air for nearly 60 years. Content will also be shaped by a robust community engagement strategy designed to foster reflection, connection, and shared understanding. This work is not about promotion or doctrine — it is about listening, documenting, and preserving lived experiences that are central to Detroit’s story.

This initiative builds directly on Detroit PBS’s legacy of local journalism, including American Black Journal’s ongoing series on “The Black Church in Detroit.” That reporting has consistently highlighted the essential role faith communities play in civic life — supporting neighborhoods, shaping culture and sustaining leadership across generations.