I went on a tour Saturday @ the World African Festival. I learned alot about Detroit. The tour guide taught us about a semi-French mayor, hotels, a restaurant, clubs, Motown, Black Bottom, Paradise Valley, interaction between my tribe and the Abrahmists, hospitals, 1963, racism, KKK, Henry Ford, numbers, Detroit Urban League, and the flight of the Black middle class. I learned so much that day!!!!
Detroit was a French colony, then a British one. In 1796 it became a U.S. city. John R. Williams was the first mayor. He became the mayor several times. His parents was Cecile Campau and Thomas Williams. His mother was a rich of a rich French family. Thomas was a British landowner and a merchant. He married his cousin and had 10 kids with her. He fought in the war of 1812.
Black Bottom
Most members of tribe lived here during the early and mid 20th century. There were many great musicians that lived here. The French called it black bottom because of the black top soil. A freeway was built here, so the people that lived here had to relocate. The government didn't help them with housing because most politicians are racist!!!!!!!!
This was the center of African American bizznesses and entertainment. People from Black Bottom would come here often. A lot of famous musicians played and sung here. Paradise Theatre was created there, now its Orchestra Hall . A part of it was turned it into a Chrysler Freeway, so factory workers can go to the suburbs 4 work. Another part of it became Ford Field.
Members of my tribe moved into areas in Detroit that were owned by Ashkenazi Jews. My people couldn't purchase certain property because of racism. But, Jews would sell their property to my people because they also faced discrimination. B4 Paradise Valley became a Black Mecca it was Zion. Jewish bizznesses and entertainment was there b4 it became Black.
The Pelican
This was a restaurant, it started 1948-1981. It was in a large house. The owners lived next door. Home cooked meals was severed here. There much room 4 sitting in the restaurant. So, when it filled up you had to take it to go. The food was delicious; it was soul food. Duck, fried chicken, meatloaf, fish, mac & cheese, greens, string beans, peach cobbler, etc.
Hotels
Gotham Hotel: It open from 1943-1963. It was a 5 star hotel for rich members of my tribe. Musicians, celebrities, athletes, would stay there when they came to Detroit, because they couldn't stay white hotels. Numbers were popular there.
Tuller Hotel: Lew Tuller founded this hotel on 1906. It was the greatest hotel in Detroit!!! It was shut down in 1976 and demolished in 1991.
The Cochrane House: It started @ the end of 2018. It is a bed & breakfast. This house was built in 1870 by an eye doctor. A year later Lyman Cochrane bought it.
Until 1945 most black babies were born @ home. Black people were allowed in hospitals. In response to this 30 black hospitals were created in Detroit. Later on white hospitals got colored sections, but they wouldn't hire black doctors. After integration insurance companies wouldn't pay black hospitals, so they went out of bizzness.
1963
Gotham Hotel: It was shut down in 1963, because of numbers. It was the headquarters of numbers in Detroit. It made 30 million a year. Then it was demolished in the next year.
Garfield Hotel was burnt down this year. No knows who did it.
Flame Show Bar was closed this year.
Sum black bizznesses lost their land to the government on this year.
Clubs
Flame Show Bar: There were black businesses in this club. Berry Gordy and famous singers met each other here. It became the prequel of Motown.
Berry Gordy Jr. created Motown. He worked with people he met with @ the Flame Show Bar. Sum of those people were Smokey Robinson, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, and Harvey Fuqua. Berry Gordy Sr. and David Ruffin built Studio A. Temptations and Jackson 5 were the most popular singing groups in Motown. The Marvelettes were the second singing group of Motown. They had great success. Their most famous song was Please Mr. Postman. The Supremes were the greatest lady singing group of all time!!!! Stop! In the Name of Love is their most famous song. Diana Ross is the most famous Supreme. They made 153 albums. So amazing!!!!!! Berry Gordy shouldn't have moved to California. Great talent lives in Detroit!!!!!
KKK
In the 1930's there were 100,000 members of the KKK living in Michigan. Half of them lived in Detroit. They met @ a building called Kastle. That building today is used for something else. The headquarters of the KKK is now Howell, MI.
25% of Black men in Detroit worked @ Henry
Ford Motor Company. They were given the hardest jobs because Henry Ford was racist. They would get injured from doing those jobs every month. After Henry son took over he gave Black men better jobs and they were able to become supervisors.
This form of gambling was popular among minorities in the United States. People would pay a bettor sum $ to pick 3 numbers. If they win they'll get over $1,000!!!! It was popular in Detroit, Boston, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and the Bahamas. The lottery is based on this game.
Detroit Urban League
There was a famous architect named Albert that lived Detroit. His house became the first building of Detroit Urban League. They helped southern Blacks find jobs in Detroit. They also helped promote civil rights. Sum of their services: WIC, Food Program, education, housing, etc
Black Flight
In the 70's and 80's many middle class Black people left Detroit 4 the suburbs. Detroit lost a lot of taxes because of that. There are still many of my people leaving Detroit. They move to areas with more economic opportunities. White people are moving to downtown Detroit. I prefer my city stay Black!!!!!!
Conclusion
The first mayor of Detroit was French. Many members of my tribe lived in Black Bottom. Paradise Valley many Black bizznesses. The Pelican served home-cooked meals. There were many amazing hotels and clubs. Motown was born here!!!! There were racists hospitals and the KKK was headquartered in Detroit. Henry Ford Motor Company was in Detroit. Detroit Urban League helped Black southerns get jobs in Detroit. Numbers were popular 4 over 30 years in Detroit. A lot of middle class folk left Detroit to broaden horizons.
https://www.tripsavvy.com/list-of-detroit-mayors-1084871
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Williams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Bottom,_Detroit
https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/paradise-valley
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/gotham-hotel-detroit-michigan-1943-1963/
https://historicdetroit.org/buildings/tuller-hotel
https://www.thecochranehouse.com
https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/08/detroit-jazz-and-blues
Flame Show Bar
https://www.hourdetroit.com/community/bottoms-up/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_Chillen%27
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Fuqua
https://www.motownmuseum.org/
https://www.history-of-rock.com/supremes.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_game
https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/5962
https://www.deturbanleague.org/
https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/2016/12/black_flight_to_suburbs_masks.html
https://www.ssn.tv/news/does-detroit-have-a-black-flight-problem/
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