The Real Story Behind Henry Ford’s Famous Five Dollar Wage
The Real Story Behind Henry Ford's Famous Five Dollar Per Day Wage and Its Availability to Black Workers, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP On January 5, 1914, Henry Ford made headlines…
Jason Moran and the Jazz Ancestors
Jason Moran and the Jazz Ancestors by Rod Arroyo, FAICP The 2025 Detroit Jazz Festival Artist-in-Residence is Jason Moran. Not only is he a great choice due to his musical…
Bird in the D: Charlie Parker’s Detroit Story
By Rod Arroyo The legendary Charlie "Yardbird" Parker didn't just revolutionize jazz—he left an indelible mark on Detroit's music scene. From helping to discover future stars like Betty Carter to…
When Bebop Came to Detroit: The Story of a Jazz Revolution
When Bebop Came to Detroit: The Story of a Jazz Revolution, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP As World War II raged across the globe in the early 1940s, something also explosive—though…
Detroit’s Cinematic Wonderland: A Story of Lights, Camera, and Action in Detroit’s Historic Grand Circus Park Theater District
By Rod Arroyo, FAICP Between 1917 and 1928, Detroit transformed into a movie lover's paradise. The Grand Circus Park Theater District became a dazzling entertainment hub that captured the city's…
Early Skyscrapers in Detroit: The Alphabet Buildings
Early Skyscrapers in Detroit: The Alphabet Buildings By Rod Arroyo, FAICP Detroit has one of the finest collections of early skyscrapers from the early 1900s. I have always been fascinated…
Detroit’s Black Hospitals
Detroit's Black Hospitals By Rod Arroyo, FAICP In order to tell the story of Black hospitals in Detroit, I start with a brief history of early hospitals in Detroit, including…
A Look Back at the Early Days of Georgia Tech and The Flats
A Look Back at the Early Days of Georgia Tech and The Flats, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP, Master of City Planning (1982) This post is a departure from my regular…
Jazz Clubs and Black-Owned Businesses in Detroit’s Lower Paradise Valley
By Rod Arroyo, FAICP 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…
Detroit’s Black-Owned Businesses in 1952 – Map
By Rod Arroyo, FAICP 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…
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