Shahida Mausi, owner of The Right Productions, celebrates 25 years in business

Detroit Free Press by Jasmin Barmore

Detroit Free Press by Jasmin Barmore

Published Sept. 18, 2021

It was a full moon on Friday when Shahida Mausi, the 5-foot-tall lady responsible for all the action behind Detroit’s largest theater venue, celebrated the 25th anniversary of her company, The Right Productions, at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre.

Dressed in a black gown that swept the floor as she walked, Mausi sipped champagne and danced all night while embracing guests at her exclusive anniversary party. She smiled as she moved with elegance and grace while personally thanking each person who came to honor her.

When she took the stage to recognize her longtime supporters she said: “What we do and anything we’ve accomplished is a product of the people who have helped us. We are a product of this community of people and our city. … We are a Detroit story.”

Mausi founded The Right Productions in Detroit in 1996.  The Black-owned family business has been responsible for bringing talent to the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre — formerly known as Chene Park since — 2004. 

“One day I was walking with a friend and I said, ‘I want Chene Park’ … and I got it,” she said. 

About 100 guests were in attendance for the lavish affair that was situated on the stage where artists perform when they come to town. All white couches and a slew of cocktail tables with stools sat on the platform for attendees to use. A stage facing the Detroit River showed performances of Detroit singers, such as Kimmy Horn, to entertain guests. And many of Mausi’s staff, friends and family were among the crowd.

Charlene Roseborough, who has known Mausi for years, was one of the partygoers.

“It is nice to know a Black family running a premiere amphitheater,” said Roseborough, who is a former accounts manager for Ticketmaster.

Mausi, a native Detroiter, has always had a love for the arts. She is the former executive director of the Arts Department for the late Coleman A. Young administration. She attended Cass Technical High School before moving to North Carolina to live with her father in her senior year and earned a bachelor of arts in communications from the University of Detroit-Mercy. She has been married and divorced twice and is mom to four sons and a grandmother of 12. On any given day, she can be found in her office that features a chair from the late Maya Angelou’s living room.

And her sons, who all work with Mausi in the company, along with their father, Sundiata Mausi, said their mother has shown a strong work ethic for as long as they can remember.

“From the very beginning, like during our summer vacation and our mom would be getting ready to get up and go to work, she didn’t leave anyone home in the bed,” said her oldest son, Dorian Mausi. “You had to do something productive for the day, and that just kind of stuck along with her.”

Dorian Mausi, 51, who is the general manager of The Right Productions, said seeing the company where it is today is a result of how hard his mom works.

“I remember what our dining room table used to look like when I was a boy,” he said. “It was milk crates, a piece of wood and a sheet … and now the table is big enough to host the entire family.”

Mausi, who is the only Black woman in the country to manage a theater of the Franklin venue’s size, said that while she has seen many challenges during this tenure, working with her family has kept her grounded.

“I get hugs from my sons every day at work,” she said.

Sulaiman Mausi, 48, the company’s vice president, saidthat no matter what challenge or obstacle that comes their way, they stick together and continue building.

“We are all here together and to build for generations to come,” he said.

Growing up, Sulaiman Mausi said that his mother instilled the giving back mindset to all of them and their peers. His home, he said, was the neighborhood house and Shahida Mausi opened her doors in an effort to keep the kids out of trouble.

Throughout her career, Shahida Mausi continued her tradition of thinking about other children besides her own. In August, she hosted an event at the theater called College Bound specifically to uplift graduating students who were going off to school. With the support of Bedrock and other local banks, Mausi said, she was able to give away $10,000 in scholarships, but made sure every student received a $50 gift card to Amazon.

“These are our children,” she said. “We have to make sure they are all prepared and lifted up so they can be successful in life.”

The community aspect, Rashid Mausi, 45, Shahida’s third oldest son, said that is something he values most about his mother. He says this part of her  has been the key to his mom’s success — and he is very proud of it.

“We do a lot of things in the community beyond entertainment,” he said. “Shahida Mausi has a room full of strings and she will pull one for you and make stuff happen.”

Shakur Hankins, who has worked with Shahida Mausi for 15 years, says she is definitely one to make things happen. And, he said,  she knows how to make sure her employees are well taken care of.

“She’s a one-of-a-kind boss” he said. “She can come in and see the place upside down, her staff tired, and she will know exactly what to do to get things back in order.”

Mausi’s youngest son and executive manager at The Right Productions credits his mom’s way of doing things however, as “paramount.”

“My mom raised us all up as a single mother to be strong men,” Malik Mausi, 41, said. “She is a strong woman and works hard at everything she does and while her success is one result, I think her biggest one is us … her boys.”

In all, Mausi said her family and the people of Detroit have helped her sustain her success. And while the party was just an opportunity to say thank you, much more from her is on the horizon. She has many artists that she has yet to get to perform at the theater, such as one of her favorites, Santana, and she plans to make it happen.

“I have heard a lot of hard noes,” she said. “And I haven’t overcome all of them yet, but it’s OK because I’m not done swinging yet.”

Jasmin Barmore was born and raised in the city of Detroit. She covers the city’s neighborhoods and communities using her passion as her drive to give the voiceless a voice. You can reach her at jmbarmore@freepress.com or by sending her a message on Instagram or Twitter at @bjasminmare. 

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