Born in Japan to military parents, Desiree Cooper is a Detroit-based journalist whose body of work spans everything from literature to media and law, all with razor-sharp insight and the deep empathy that only comes along with lived experience.

She isn’t just a reporter of stories; she is a translator of power, one capable of shining a light on structural power and human consequence in equal measure – often through the lens of womanhood, motherhood, and what it means to be Black in a city like Detroit.

A military brat by birth, Cooper grew up moving between states before eventually settling down in Detroit in adulthood, where she practiced law before making the shift over to journalism.

Through hard work and dedication, she slowly gained a reputation as one of Michigan’s most respected voices in the media – a model of Black female excellence, moral clarity, and civic engagement.

Desiree Cooper served as a columnist for the Detroit Free Press, earned not one but two Pulitzer Prize nominations, and published her debut fiction collection, “Know the Mother” in 2016 – an emotional flash fiction collection that would go on to be heralded for its honest exploration of Black womanhood, identity, and emotional fortitude.

She has also published a number of essays and short fiction pieces in esteemed national anthologies and journals, and in 2022 she further showed the world her range when she released “Nothing Special”, a children’s book exploring the sacred simplicity of intergenerational memory and her own family stories.

As far as her accomplishments beyond the publishing world, Cooper has taught at various institutions and is an active volunteer who has led writing workshops in libraries, community centers, and even prisons.

She has served as co-host of public radio’s Weekend America and is a past Kresge Artist Fellow as well as the co-founder of Cave Canem, the national organization catering to Black poets.

Although she has since relocated to Virginia, Desiree Cooper considers Detroit her spiritual homebase, not to mention the inspiration behind so many of her creative endeavors.

Today, the stories she tells remain steeped in its culture, highlighting its history, iconic neighborhoods, and struggles.

She isn’t just a woman who tells stories—she bears witness to that which so many others are afraid to look at.

In short: she is Detroit’s beloved cultural cross-examiner—precise, poignant, and always writing from the heart.

Victoria Jackson (Editor In Chief)

Victoria Jackson is a lifelong student and sharp-eyed documentarian of all things Detroit, from its rich musical roots and cultural icons to its shifting neighborhoods, storied architecture, and underground legends. With her finger firmly on the pulse of both the city’s vibrant past and its rapidly unfolding future, she brings a deeply personal, historically grounded lens to every piece she writes.

Published on: October 3, 2025