Who will win today's cage match?

For the past two months Brittany has been hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. Today, she ends her tour in her hometown. It's a homecoming of sorts. Beyoncé style.

For the last episode in the series, Brittany lands in Detroit, Michigan, and debates with Tia Graham, co-host of WDET's CultureShift and Cary Junior II, producer for WDET's Created Equal. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises.

This week, the legendary singer and civil rights figure Mavis Staples is turning 85 and there's no sign of her slowing down: She released a new song, "Worthy," and a children's book, Bridges Instead of Walls: The Story of Mavis Staples.

Today, Mavis joins host Brittany Luse to share stories from her life: what it was like to be mentored by Mahalia Jackson, how she helped create the soundtrack for the Civil Rights movement, how she was spurned by the church then welcomed back, and what it was like to collaborate with Prince.

Want to be featured on IBAM? Record a voice memo responding to Brittany's question at the end of the episode and send it to ibam@npr.org.

Name a Black musician from the 1970s and chances are Bruce Talamon has photographed them. The Jackson 5. Aretha Franklin. Marvin Gaye. Donna Summer. Bob Marley. The list goes on.

For the final episode of our summer music series, former host Sam Sanders talks to Talamon about his incredible collection of photographs and what it was like to capture intimate moments with such iconic artists.

You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at ibam@npr.org.

Even well-worn notes can sound freshly resonant in the right hands. A new film about Franklin's early years doesn't entirely avoid biopic conventions, but there's real intelligence and feeling in it.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Josie Johnson reflect on the civil rights movement and the protests following the death of George Floyd. "We're not going to give up. We're not going to stop," Jackson says.

Fans gather in Detroit to remember how Franklin's music marked milestones in the nation's history and in their own lives.

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

Following her death last Thursday, Franklin's 30 Greatest Hits, from 1985, delivered the Queen of Soul to her highest placement on the Billboard 200 in nearly half a century.

(Image credit: Daniel Boczarski)

Rashod Ollison's memoir Soul Serenade is a coming-of-age story and playlist combined. He says he "could always tell" his mother's mood "by which Aretha Franklin song was on."

A documentary about Franklin's famous 1972 live album Amazing Grace has suffered years of delays due to technical and legal challenges. It was to premiere Friday.

(Image credit: Express Newspapers)