What began as a family’s devastating loss has become a catalyst for community, creativity, and opportunity.
The Daziah T. Crawford Foundation will host its inaugural Daziah Day Talent Showcase, a celebration of Detroit’s emerging performers designed to carry forward the legacy of Daziah T. Crawford, a 19-year-old Eastern Michigan University student who was killed in a police-chase car accident in 2018. Crawford was studying journalism and had a deep passion for the performing arts.
Her mother, Natavia Frazier, co-founded the foundation and will serve as its director. She said the showcase reflects exactly who her daughter was.
“Daziah Day is an extension of the foundation, and I believe that it gives us an opportunity to bring community together, but provide a platform for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talent,” Frazier said. “I believe that that’s something that Daziah would have loved, and just, you know, community.”
Since launching in 2019, the foundation has focused on supporting journalism and performing arts students through scholarships. Progress, however, required patience.
“To date, we’ve awarded 17 scholarships, and we only started in 2019, and we really didn’t award our first scholarship until 2022 because we had to learn this whole nonprofit space,” said Sharita Crawford, Daziah’s aunt and the foundation’s chief operating officer.
For Crawford, continuing her niece’s legacy through the foundation and the showcase carries deep personal weight.
“Losing a 19-year-old only niece tragically, suddenly is heartbreaking enough,” she said. “Her legacy carries on that way through the foundation.”
Headlining the event is Detroit recording artist Christopher Asaka Jr. — known professionally as Asaka the Renegade — winner of T-Pain’s March Music Madness competition. Asaka said participating in the showcase was never really a choice.
“I didn’t have a choice. The way she impacted EMU in terms of music and things of that nature, it was something that spoke volumes,” he said.
Asaka said events like the Daziah Day Talent Showcase serve a larger purpose in the arts community.
“It’s very rare that we get to express this sense of community in such a positive fashion with so many multifaceted artists,” he said. “Opportunities like these are extremely important for those who just need that extra push, you know, to keep going.”
The event takes place on August 8th at Harmonie Club Detroit. It’s located at 311 E. Grand River Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48226.
Ticket Link: https://givebutter.com/daziah-day-2026-talent-showcase-rkoup4
Promo Code: INTHED for a special discount.
Event information is also available at tdtcfoundation.org. The foundation can also be found on Instagram at TDTC Foundation and on Facebook as Daziah T. Crawford.