The lower Paradise Valley area, north of Gratiot and south of I-75, was an entertainment and business hub with a concentration of Black-owned businesses and jazz clubs. This area had…
In the early 1950s, Detroit’s population reached its all-time high of over 1.8 million people, and Black-owned businesses thrived. The Booker T. Washington Trade Association, an organization created to support…
Milwaukee Junction was the heart of early automotive manufacturing in the U.S. Others refer to this area as the cradle of Detroit's auto industry. The area was named for the…
How many people lived in Detroit's Black Bottom? When I first started researching Paradise Valley and Black Bottom, I wanted to know basic facts, including population and racial composition. What…
By Rod Arroyo Northern states, territories, and Canada have a deep history of slavery. Early French settlers were enslavers. Slavery was considered legal in New York as early as 1725,…
The Book brothers, J. Burgess, Jr., Herbert, and Frank, grew up in downtown Detroit. They were members of one of the wealthiest families in Detroit. Eventually, they sought to rehabilitate…
February 28, 2021 was a great day for a winter photo exploration of Belle Isle. The day started with a little drizzle, but later cleared. The ground was partially frozen,…
Thanks to Nina Ignaczak from Planet Detroit, I was able to participate in a late winter Belle Isle Tree Walk. I learned some great technical terms - terminal bud, lateral…
Started out the New Year with an early morning walk on a snowy day in Detroit with some friends. I was able to revisit some locations from the 12.31 walk…
What a year. Ending 2020 with an afternoon photo walk in Detroit was just the therapy I needed. It was a challenging year, and the stress of world events has…