March 7, 2011

Detroit: City on the Move (1965)

Soulclap to Tonya for sharing this remarkable archive video promoting the Detroit that existed in 1965. Did you know that Detroit was the American city considered for hosting the 1968 Summer Olympics? That is one of the things you'll learn from this archive video.





Do any villagers have favorite memories of Detroit that you care to share?

6 comments:

JakeGint said...

Absolutely fascinating. And today Detroit is a nationally recognized blightopolis with a corrupt city government and a mayor headed for the Big House. Can we comment on the irony of this piece coming out just before LBJ's Great Society "reforms" took hold and began to destroy our urban centers and families? What a difference 44 years makes.

Thank you for posting this, you do a great service to the cause of true economic and historical research here. This truly is an enlightened village!

Color Online said...

And Detroit was also a great place for a black child to grow up. I grew up with a black mayor, black police officers, black businessmen and politicians. This city was ran by people who looked like me. How many black children have known this kind of concentration of black representation in their lives?

Does the City have issues? Yes, it does. For once however can we focus for more than a nanosecond on the positive?

Did you know the first freeway was built in Detroit? Did you know a black regiment of the Civil War rests in Detroit? Did you know that the last stop on the underground railroad runs through Detroit?

Did you know some of the most amazing historical buildings in the nation in Detroit?

Did you know that the largest African American History Museum in the world is in Detroit? Did you know some of the leading national medical schools, orchestra and museums are in Detroit?

Color Online said...

If I listed the poets, writers, activists and actors out of Detroit, I'd get cramps in my fingers.

JakeGint said...

Color Online -- no disagreements, here, and this is in no way an indictment of people of color.

Detroit is a "government first" problem, plain and simple. All of it's greatness is being subsumed by the schlerosis of "one way to do it."

________

Big Mama said...

Memory? Yes..getting on the bus at Warren and Prarie, then can't remember where I switched busses to end up downtown on, I believe it was Washington. Walking one block east to Woodward where there was a Kresgee's on the corner. Going down in the basement, standing in line for the clerk to make me a fresh ice cream waffle. Eating the waffle as i walked back to Washingtn to get on a bus to return home. THE best ice cream waffles in the world. I hsve not had any to equal it and that was almost 60 years ago!!!

Unknown said...

Jake - We accept all compliments ... even those provided with a backhand...

Color Online - My Mom grew up in Detroit. I visited often during my childhood; attended 11th grade at Friend's School in Detroit; and lived there from 1986-1994. I have a love for Detroit for all of the reasons that you laid out. I'm very sad to see recent events ... but, I remain hopeful for it to make a comeback!

Iya - Graeter's and others try to recreate that waffle ice cream cone nowadays! Was the one you bought from the big Hudson's store in the downtown Detroit of your childhood?