Mosley and her Nephew Antonio Wiley Find Connection and Healing Through the Story of a Young Detroit Mother Lost to a City in Collapse Amid the Crack Cocaine Epidemic
“She Has A Name,” a new documentary podcast from APM Studios and Tonya Mosley’s TMI Productions, blends elements of investigative journalism and memoir to tell a story about loss and redemption, mending broken family ties, and the trauma experienced by countless individuals who’ve lost loved ones to violence.
The 10-part limited series premieres on Thursday, March 28 in the “Truth Be Told” feed. Listeners can subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all podcast platforms.
On Air Fest will present an exclusive first-listen event for “She Has A Name” on Thursday, February 29 in Brooklyn, as part of two days of public programming that explores the art of sound and storytelling. Tickets are available at OnAirFest.com.
Remarked Mosley: “As Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson has said, ‘You can’t escape from trauma by ignoring it. You only escape trauma by confronting it.’ I am tremendously proud of my family’s bravery as we share this important story. The power of storytelling allows us to not only share our truth but provide a pathway of collective understanding and healing for those who have also endured great losses.”
In the winter of 1987, firefighters in the heart of Detroit make a gruesome discovery – the brutalized remains of a young woman inside a vacant house deliberately set on fire. Detectives have nothing to go on, no ID or clues as to who this young woman could be, so they bury her in a cemetery for the unidentified, naming her case “Unknown Woman 1987.”
Over 30 years later, a DNA program links the remains of the woman, Anita, to that of her family: Antonio Wiley, her son who’s been searching for his mother for his whole life, after she mysteriously vanished during the sweltering summer of 1987, and her sister – Tonya Mosley – who never knew she existed, despite having grown up just a few miles away.
Together, Tonya and Antonio explore the disappearance of Anita, uncovering secrets they’ve kept from themselves and each other, and transporting listeners to the heart of Detroit in the 1980s, during the city’s economic collapse and the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, to explore the systems that failed Anita, and what happens to a family and a city left behind.
The limited series is created, hosted, written and produced by Tonya Mosley and Antonio Wiley. Tonya is a native Detroiter, a mother of two, and Anita’s sister. She is also the founder of TMI Productions, host of “Truth Be Told,” and co-host of “Fresh Air with Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley.” Antonio is a native Detroiter, father of 5, and son of Anita. He works in the automotive industry.
About American Public Media
American Public Media® (APM) is the national programming and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio® and reaches nearly 17 million listeners with 1,000 public radio stations and over 400 commercial stations nationwide each week. APM is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio that includes BBC World Service, Marketplace®, and the leading classical music programs in the nation. APM Studios offers a diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, business and investigative journalism. For more information, visit americanpublicmedia.org.
