From Miami to Motown: Why Detroit Owns My Heart and My Future

Detroit isn’t just a place; it’s a feeling. It’s the heartbeat of a people who refuse to be erased, a city where history simmers in cast-iron skillets and resilience is plated alongside every meal. I’ve spent years traveling, tasting, and telling stories of Black food and culture across this country, but nowhere has drawn me in quite like Detroit. The love I have for this city is as deep as the char on a perfectly grilled ribeye, as rich as a slow-simmered pot of greens. I have poured more than $200,000 over 10 years in the hands of the city’s Black restaurant owners, charitable causes, and even direct grants to entrepreneurs. I have committed myself to the mobility of the city’s Black population, because when the city wins, Black America wins. I hope after reading my love letter to the city, you will see why and join me in making this beautiful city your second home.

I am Starex Smith, founder of The Hungry Black Man platform and a proud Miamian, but Detroit has my heart. I fell in love with this city over a decade ago—long before it was trendy, long before Instagram influencers used it as a backdrop, and long before the bandwagoners of the Detroit Lions’ newfound success.

I came here to write about Black people and food, but what I discovered was a story far bigger than what was on the plate. I arrived when national publications were misrepresenting and criticizing the city for its perceived crime issues, political turmoil, and poverty. Instead, I found a place where Black ownership isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a way of life. Here, the cultural and economic DNA of Black America is preserved in a way that Atlanta, often touted as the Black Mecca, has struggled to maintain.

Atlanta is a spectacle, a carefully curated dream of Black excellence projected onto towering glass buildings and piped through speakers on every corner. It’s where Black culture is marketed and exported, but Detroit? Detroit is where it’s protected, where it’s owned, where it’s real. The people who live and breathe this city aren’t just renting space in history—they’re writing it, owning it, defending it. They are the landlords of their own legacy.

This truth is most evident in Detroit’s culinary scene, where every dish tells a story, where the walls of restaurants hold the laughter, the arguments, the celebrations of a people who have been here and are here to stay. Baobab Fare isn’t just an East African restaurant; it’s a love letter to Burundi, a home away from home built with the kind of care that you can taste in every bite. Ima is more than a noodle shop; it’s a shrine to umami, an exploration of flavor that defies boundaries. The city’s soul food staples—Flood’s, Moore Soul Food, The Smackin’ Soul—are not relics of the past but living institutions, places where the recipes have been passed down with the same reverence as family heirlooms.

And then there’s the new wave. The high-end spots where Detroiters go to flex, to feel regal, to remind themselves and the world that their city is not just surviving but thriving. Parlay Detroit, Table No. 2, Savoy Detroit—these are the places where you go when you want to feel like royalty, where a perfectly cooked steak and an expertly shaken cocktail serve as a reminder that Black excellence is not a trend but a standard.

Beyond its culinary and social scenes, Detroit is a beacon for food sovereignty and community empowerment. The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN) exemplifies grassroots activism, addressing food insecurity by establishing community farms like D-Town Farm. This seven-acre farm not only provides fresh produce but also serves as a hub for education and communal engagement, reinforcing the city’s commitment to self-sufficiency and resilience.

Detroit’s commitment to Black economic empowerment is on full display with the Detroit People’s Food Co-op, a Black-led, community-owned grocery store that opened its doors in May 2024. This cooperative, supported by over 2,600 member-owners—primarily Black residents of Detroit—aims to provide improved access to healthy food and nutrition education. Located in the historic North End, the co-op offers a full line of groceries, including fresh produce sourced from local farms, and serves as a hub for community engagement and education. The co-op’s mission is to empower residents by giving them democratic control over their food sources, thereby fostering economic independence and food sovereignty.

At the core of food entrepreneurship are farmers, something many don’t think of when they hear Detroit. Yet, the city is pioneering Black urban farming in a way that’s transforming entire communities. Organizations like the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund (DBFLF) and Oakland Avenue Urban Farm are leading the charge, turning vacant lots into thriving farms, providing fresh produce, and instilling a sense of economic independence. The city even appointed Tepfirah Rushdan as Detroit’s first Urban Agriculture Director in 2024—a move that signals the city’s long-term commitment to integrating urban farming into its economic framework.

Outside of Detroit’s amazing food ecosystem, there exists a rich tapestry of Black culture, art, and music that offers a vibrant array of opportunities for recreational enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and cultured tourists alike. The city is home to the Jim Dandy Ski Club, the nation’s oldest Black ski club, and hosts cultural events such as the African World Festival, Dally in the Alley, and The Hungry Black Man Detroit Food Festival, which attracts thousands to celebrate Black culinary excellence.

Detroit’s music legacy extends beyond Motown, serving as the birthplace of techno music, pioneered by Juan Atkins. The city’s vibrant art scene is showcased in projects like the BLKOUT Walls Mural Festival, co-founded by Sydney G. James, bringing museum-quality murals to public spaces, each telling a powerful story of Black resilience and creativity.

This is what love looks like. It’s not just admiration from a distance; it’s participation. It’s investing, showing up, fighting alongside the people who make this city what it is. The Hungry Black Man platform has stood shoulder to shoulder with Detroiters in moments of celebration and moments of mourning, from our food festivals to our Days of Compassion, where grieving families find solace in a meal, a hug, a community that refuses to let them suffer alone.

Detroit isn’t just another city to visit, another Instagrammable moment to collect. It’s a city that demands engagement, that rewards those who put in the effort to know it, to love it the way it deserves to be loved. I will be making my move soon, not because I’m running from anything, but because I want to be part of what’s happening here. I want to contribute, to build, to add my energy to a place that has given me so much.

For those who have never been, it’s time. For those who have only seen the headlines, the narratives shaped by those who have never walked these streets, it’s time to come and see for yourself. Detroit is not dying. Detroit is not struggling. It is my future home and Detroit is becoming, and if you have the vision, the hunger, the love—it’s a place where you can become, too.

The Hungry Black Man and The Center for Black Innovation have committed themselves to advancing Black culinary-based businesses across the United States. Be sure to follow us @thehungryblackman for exciting news and information that supports the growth of the Black Food and Drink ecosystem