Volume 34, number 5!
Rapids Historical Society
February 2013
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Inside this issue: Cover Story: February program: Red-Lining and Auburn Hills Letter from our President, page 2
Red-Lining and Auburn Hills: Developing an African-American Neighborhood in 1960s Grand Rapids February 14, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Presented by Jennifer Moelling Metz, Past Perfect, Inc.
Book review: A City Within a City, page 3 Auburn Hills ad from early 1960s, pages 4-5 Happening in History, page 6 Photo Sleuth, page 7
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Next Program: A Progressive Era Activist: Educator Josephine Ahnefeldt Goss, by Marcella Beck, Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council. Save the date: Thursday, March 14, 2013, 7 p.m., at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
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Developed in the early 1960s, Auburn Hills is a neighborhood on the northeast side of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Four African-American men wanted better housing for their families. All professionals, they could afford to provide it, but they were locked out of many neighborhoods by blatant housing discrimination. In 1962 Samuel Triplett, Joseph W. Lee, J. E. Adams, and Dr. Julius Franks acted together to buy and develop a tract of land owned by the City of Grand Rapids. Many white neighbors were vocal in their opposition. They fought the development aggressively, worrying that the area would become a slum and devalue surrounding neighborhoods. The City of Grand Rapids also fought the sale, claiming the land had been dedicated in the master plan as park space. An ensuing battle was fought in newspapers and at public hearings. It took over two years to be settled, but eventually the developers prevailed and constructed their first house in 1964. Today the neighborhood called Auburn Hills stands as one of the earliest examples of a neighborhood developed by blacks in
response to racist red-lining policies. Located north of Leonard Street and east off Fuller Avenue, the area includes Palmer, Dale, Travis, Drexel, and Auburn Streets. Many of the original families still live in the pleasant
neighborhood, whose architectural styles range from 1960s split levels to more recently constructed duplex designs. Research and work are underway to recognize the neighborhood formally for its historic importance. Its story will be told by Jennifer Metz, partner in the firm Past Perfect, Inc, a consultant on historic preservation issues and adjunct faculty at Kendall College of Art & Design. See a contemporary promotional advertisement for Auburn Hills on pages 4 - 5. 1
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Dear GRHS Members,
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, published six times annually. Established in 1894, the Grand Rapids Historical Society is dedicated to exploring the history of West Michigan; to discover its romance and tragedy, its heroes and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society collects and preserves our heritage, passing it on to new generations through books, lectures, and education projects.
Executive Committee: Gina Bivins, president John Gelderloos, treasurer Board members: Alan Bennett Charles Bocskey Matthew Daley Thomas Dilley W.D. Frankforter, emeritus Tim Gleisner Marilyn Hamill Sharon Hanks Chris Kaupa Gordon Olson, emeritus Nan Schichtel Wilhelm Seeger Jeff Sytsma John Morrison, editor
Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Web site: www.grhistory.org Email: grhs.local@gmail.com
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There is not much snow yet this year but we are getting some bone-chilling weather today as I write this article. We don’t know yet what the weather will be like outside on February 14, but it will be warm inside the Ford Museum at 7 p.m. when we have our program on “Red-Lining and Auburn Hills: Developing an African American Neighborhood in 1960s Grand Rapids”. For those of you who made it to the History Detectives Day at the Grand Rapids Public Library on January 19 you will see that this topic links to the talk by Dan Groce on Black Barbershops in the 1950s. I am looking forward to this talk since I grew up on Grand Rapids north end and was aware of the controversy when the development was going in. I remember that Paul Phillips and Dr. Julius Gina Bivins Frank lived in the neighborhood south of Knapp St. and west GRHS President of Fuller. Auburn Hills is south of Knapp St. but east of Fuller. The Public Museum has included clippings about the development in the Newcomers: People of This Place exhibit, where I learned more. It is a topic that may make us ponder how we view our neighbors and neighborhoods today. It was a bustling day at the Library on Saturday, January 19 with six programs in all, coffee and donuts in the morning, a break for lunch and some delightful Lomonaco Sicilian cookies in the afternoon. History to feed the soul and food to feed the…well you get the idea. It is great that so many organizations come together for the planning and presenting of this event. The following were partners this year: Western Michigan Genealogical Society, Grand Rapids Civil War Roundtable, Grand Rapids Historical Society, Grand Rapids Public Library, Grand Rapids Historical Commission, Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council, Kutche Office of Local History, and Grand Rapids Public Museum. There is so much that all of these organizations do to inform the community in regards to the history of this region, and beyond. Check out their web sites to learn more about them and what they have to offer. Stay warm and healthy.
About the Grand Rapids Historical Society. The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight programs each year, beginning in September and running through May, including lectures, audio/video presentations, demonstrations, collections, or special tours. Programs are co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Membership. Membership is open to all interested persons with annual dues of $30 per family, $20 for seniors and students, or $400 for a lifetime membership. The membership year runs from May to the following May. Members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society receive eight newsletters each year and a subscription to our annual magazine, Grand River Valley History. Members also receive a 20 percent discount on books published by the society as well as books published by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Change of Address. If you will be permanently or temporarily moving to a new address, please notify GRHS before your change occurs. Let us know your new address and the date you plan to leave and plan to return. Email to grhs.local@gmail.com, or mail to Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A Ci t y W i t h i n a Ci t y: Th e B lac k Fr eedom St r u ggle in Gr an d R apids, M ic h igan by Todd E. Robinson Temple University Press, 2013 Book Review by M. Christine Byron
ROBINSON
A CITY WITHIN A CI TY
Todd Robinson is an assistant professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I met him several years ago at the Grand Rapids Public Library when he started research for what became this book. Robinson unearthed a wealth of little known history of the black community in Grand Rapids. He spent several weeks at a time over the past few years away from his family thoroughly researching local archives, newspapers, city commission and school board reports, various committee and organization records, as well as conducting interviews and correspondence with local movers and shakers, past and present. As Randal Jelks is quoted, the book “gives a much-neglected black community and its city’s history a farther-reaching self-perspective.” A City Within a City sets the stage of the local black community before WWII, then delves into the post-war period, when the second wave of black migration reached Grand Rapids. Robinson deals with the managerial racism in the city and the attempts of reform politics. This institutionalized racism and the discriminatory practices of local realtors, bankers and the Federal Housing Administration restricted housing for blacks outside the inner city. The black community’s struggle for better schools faced gerrymandering of school districts and budget restraints by the school board. Robinson also tells the story of the black student activists at South High School and the mustache controversy. Instead of covering only the fight for civil rights through legislation and protest, the book presents the reality of the city that blacks lived in, including their schools, businesses, clubs, churches and neighborhoods and the ground gained in sometimes-small measures. Robinson gives many behind the scenes stories of such influential people as Paul I. Phillips, Dr. Robert Claytor and Ella Sims and others who played a role in the black freedom struggle in Grand Rapids. City Within A City uncovers the story that “Grand Rapids – All-American City” (1949 and 1961) was not really a city for all Americans, and that for blacks, there really was a city within a city. Todd Robinson will present a program on City Within A City at the Grand Rapids Public Library on Thursday, February. 21 at 7:00 p.m.
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The Black Freedom Struggle in Grand Rapids, M ichigan
TO D D E . RO B IN S O N
To order the A City Within A City at 20% savings, call 1-800-621-2736 or visit http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/2223_reg.html, and use the promotion code “T20P” before March 1, 2013.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Contemporary promotional literature courtesy of Jennifer Metz, Past Perfect, Inc. 4
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Happening in History: February 2013 If you have history-related events you would like included in our calendar, please let us know at grhs.local@gmail.com.
Adult Computer Class: Family Trees on Ancestry.com Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 6:45 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE
Makers: Women Who Make America Thursday, February 7, 2013, 6:00 p.m. Celebration! Cinema North
Ancestry is an online subscription genealogy database that is provided by the Grand Rapids Public Library. Ancestry has grown into a powerful database and can be of great benefit your genealogical research. Learn some techniques to help you search and build family trees on Ancestry. Basic computer skills are required for this class.
Join WGVU’s Engage Women & Girls Lead for a Red Carpet Night and free preview of the PBS program. Meet some of the local “makers” during the introduction and discussion. For more information, visit wgvu.org/engage. To reserve, go to https://celebrationcinema.com/makers. How Did Michigan Become the “Tourist Empire of the Inland Seas?” West Michigan Postcard Club program, presented by Christine Byron and Tom Wilson Monday, February 11, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Highland Hills Middle School, 4645 Chandy Drive NE At the turn of the 20th century, long before the “Pure Michigan” campaign, the state was just starting to become a prominent tourist destination. The various steamship and railroad lines, hotels, and resorts promoted the areas that they served. But until 1917, when the West Michigan Tourist Association was formed, there was no organized body promoting the entire West Michigan region. At the time there was little cooperation between nearby communities and few resources for hotel and resort operators. Under the direction of Hugh Gray, the West Michigan Tourist Association took on the role of promoting and advertising the charms and scenic beauty of the 31 western counties of Michigan’s lower peninsula. Under Gray’s guidance and untiring enthusiasm, the tourist industry of West Michigan grew bit by bit, then by leaps and bounds, becoming the second largest industry in the state.
A City within a City: The Black Freedom Struggle in Grand Rapids, MI Thursday, February 21, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE Author Todd Robinson will present his recent book, A City Within a City, a case study of the civil rights era as it happened in smaller cities. The book focuses on the struggles involving school integration and bureaucratic reforms, as well as the role of black youth activism to detail the diversity of black resistance in Grand Rapids. Robinson's book adds a new dimension and understanding of how the civil rights movement operated in a part of the country that has only recently become a focus among historians. A book signing will The Black Freedom Struggle in follow the presentation. Grand Rapids, Michigan Free and open to the public. TODD E. ROBINSON
Taste of Soul Sunday Sunday, February 17, 2013, 1:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE Join us as we celebrate African American history and culture at the eighth annual Taste of Soul Sunday. Sample African American art, music, literature, history and food. Free and open to the public. Call 616-988-5400 or visit www.grpl.org for more information.
Let the Grand Rapids Historical Society know about events in the community related to history. Email details to grhs.local@gmail.com
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Grand Rapids Public Library Photo Sleuth This photo comes from the Vietnamese Resettlement & History Collection (#247). The Freedom Flight Refugee Center operated from 1975 to 1999. Many Vietnamese refugees came to Grand Rapids through the efforts of Rev. Dr. Howard Schipper and the Freedome Flight Refugee Center. The children of the Vietnamese Children’s Choir (1976-79) are not identified. Can you help us identify any of these children. If so, please email your information to khazlew@grpl.org, or call 616 988-5402, extension 5497. Each month the local history department of the Grand Rapids Public Library posts a different photo on a web page called Photo Sleuth to enlist the public’s help in identifying individuals in the photos. To find the photo on GRPL’s website, go to www.grpl.org/history and click on “Archives and Photos.”
Join the Grand Rapids Historical Society or Give a Membership as a Gift The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight lectures each year, which are co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Members of the society enjoy these benefits: The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Published and mailed to members eight times a year, it includes current items of historical interest, details of upcoming lectures, historically relevant activities, and short articles. The Grand River Valley History is the society’s annual magazine. Featured are illustrated articles by local history researchers and contributions from the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the City Archivist, the Grand Rapids Public Library, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. 20% Discount on all books and other items published by the society.
Welcome to new members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society M. Joan and Marvin Bunn Susan Cammenga Frederick Crabb Betty Johnson Willard Larkin Marlene Leistico Jean Rossi Jim Winslow
Please enroll me as a member of the Grand Rapids Historical Society: ___ New ___ Renewal ___ Gift ____ Individual/Family Membership: $30.00 per year ____ Senior Citizen or Student: $20.00 per year ____ Lifetime: $400.00 one-time fee Name: Address: City/State/Zip Email: Please make check payable to the Grand Rapids Historical Society and mail it with this form to: Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids MI 49503
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Grand Rapids Historical Society, Inc.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 234
c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Red-Lining and Auburn Hills: Developing an African-American Neighborhood in 1960s Grand Rapids February 14, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Presented by Jennifer Moelling Metz, Past Perfect, Inc. Details inside!
Inside this issue: Cover Story: February program: Letter from our President, page 2 Book review: A City Within a City, page 3 Auburn Hills ad from early 1960s, pages 4-5 Happening in History, page 6 Photo Sleuth, page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, visit www.grhistory.org
