ALONE, AT 6:00, EXPERTS WEIGH IN
ON WHAT YOU CAN DO TO FIGHT
DECISION FATIGUE.
A COMMUNITY ON THE WEST SIDE OF
THIS STATE,.
>> IDYLLWILD LOCATED BETWEEN
CADILLAC AND BIG RAPIDS BECAME A
SAFE RECREATIONAL HAVEN DURING
THE JIM CROW ERA AMONG OTHER
THINGS WHEN BLACKS WITH MEANS
COULD NOT EASILY BUY PROPERTY.
>> Reporter: BUT WHEN LEGALIZED,
DISCRIMINATION ENDED IN 1964,
AND BLACKS COULD BUY PROPERTY
ANYWHERE, THEY WISHED THE
HISTORIC RESORT TOWN BECAME
LARGELY DESERTED.
PAULA JOINS US LIVE NOW WITH THE
STORY.
>> SO THIS IS IDYLLWILD LAKE,
THE NUCLEUS OF WHAT HAS BEEN
CALLED BLACK EDEN.
AND IT’S PRETTY WELL FROZEN.
YOU CAN SEE THERE’S SOME
ICE-FISHERMEN IN THE BACKGROUND,
BUT WHILE WE ARE IN THE DEAD OF
WINTER, THERE IS SOME SERIOUS
GARDENING GOING ON.
>> SO THIS IS THE HOME AND
COTTAGE OF DR. DANIEL WILLIAMS.
DR. DABBLE HAIL WILLIAMS WAS THE
FIRST SUCCESSFUL OPEN HEART
SURGEON IN THE WORLD, BUT
BECAUSE HEART SURGEON PIONEER
DR. DANIEL HAIL WILLIAMS WAS
BLACK, IN THE EARLY 1900sS HE
COULDN’T JUST OWN PROPERTY
ANYWHERE AND SO HE MIGRATED TO
IDYLLWILD MICHIGAN.
>> THIS IS THE JOE LOUIS COTTAGE
AND PROPERTY.
>> Reporter: ALSO NORTHEASTLE
HEED ON THE SHORES OF ISLANDS
WILD LAKE.
THE FOUR SQUARE MILES PEPPERED
WITH THE STORIES OF TRAILBLAZERS
AND REGULAR FOLK ALIKE, WHO
BECAUSE OF JIM CROW AND THE
COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, COULDN’T
PUT DOWN ROOTS WHEREVER THEY
WISHED, AND SO THEY CAME HERE SO
BUILD A FLOURISHING COMMUNITY
NICKNAMED BLACK EDEN.
THEY TURNED TO THE GARBAGE OF
DISCRIMINATION INTO FERTILIZER
AND GREW A VIBRANT COMMUNITY,
THE STUFF OF LEGENDS.
>> I REMEMBER LITTLE RICHARD
DRIVING A CONVERTIBLE WITH
SPONGE ROLLERS IN HIS HAIR, AND
I REMEMBER THE FOUR TOPS BEING
HERE.
AND OF COURSE THE DANCERS.
>> Reporter: CARLENE GILL IS ONE
OF THOSE DANCERS, A BOMBSHELL
BEAUTY BARELY 21 YEARS OLD, WHO
DANCED AT THE FLAMINGO IN
PARADISE CLUBS.
>> IT’S LIKE BEING IN VEGAS, BIG
SHOWS AND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS.
>> Reporter: HISTORIC IDYLLWILD
WILL NEVER BE WHAT IT USED TO
BE, THE BLACK ENCLAVE FROM 1912
TO THE 19 STATISTICS THAT BECAME
A CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT AND
COMMUNITY BEACON.
>> I STARTED COMING HERE WHEN I
WAS QUITE YOUNG, MAYBE 8 TO 10
YEARS OLD.
AND I WOULD COME UP ON THE
WEEKENDS WITH MY DAD OR
SOMETIMES WE STAYED EVEN LONGER.
AND WE ENJOY SWIMMING AT THE
BEACH.
I FELT COMFORTABLE IN MY OWN
SKIN.
>> Reporter: BUT THERE’S
SOMETHING NEW IN THE OFFING.
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE IN IDYLLWILD, JANET
MAKES MARTIN, ONE OF LOTS OF
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PRESERVE THE
HISTORY SO THAT IT DOESN’T
BECOME JUST A PLACE ON AN
HISTORICAL MARKER THAT SAYS THIS
USED TO BE.
>> IT WAS IN THE GREEN BOOK BACK
IN THE DAY, ONE OF THE SAFE
SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO
PERSIST AND TRAVEL.
>> Reporter: PEOPLE IN HAD
HISTORICAL SOIL DEVELOPED PLANS
LIKE EVANS WHO USED HIS ENGINEER
BRAIN AND BUSINESS ACUITY ALONG
WITH SUSAN AND HER CONNECTIONS
TO RESTORE THE HISTORIC HOTEL
INTO A NEW ROLE INTO THE
COMMUNITY.
BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A VISION FOR
WHAT USED TO BE THE SCATHING
RINK, MEETING ROOMS,
ENTERTAINMENT, UPSCALE
RESTAURANTS.
THEY HAVE A PLAN AND WORKING ON
FUNDING SOURCES.
THEY ALSO SEE A BOOM IN BLACKS,
IN PARTICULAR, VISITING AND
REIMAGINING THEIR PLACE THIS
THIS HISTORIC COMMUNITY.
>> PEOPLE HAVE COME UP AND
DISCOVERED IDYLLWILD IN THE
CONTEXT OF EXPERIENCING THE
CULTURE OF IDYLLWILD AND THAT’S
WHAT THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH.
IT WASN’T THIS LOT ON THIS LAKE,
IT’S THIS PLACE I FEEL DIFFERENT
AND WANT TO BUY INTO THAT AND
THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
BUYING INTO.
>> Reporter: BUT THE KEY REALLY
IS BRINGING BACK PROPERTY
OWNERSHIP AND TAKING IT FROM
SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO SOMETHING
LIKE THIS.
REBUILDING HOMES NOT AS
INVESTMENT PROPERTY BUT WITH AN
INVESTMENT IN HISTORY, WITH AN
EYE TOWARDS GENERATIONAL
OWNERSHIP, PASSING THE PROPERTY
AND THIS LEGACY TO THE NEXT
GENERATION.
>> CORY, THE ELECTRICIAN WILL BE
READY FOR INSPECTION TOMORROW.
>> Reporter: MARK THOMAS IS
REIMAGINING THE OLD SWEETHEART
MOTEL.
>> I WENT TO DO SOMETHING TO BEAUTIFY THE COMMUNITY AND JUST
BEAUTIFY THE COMMUNITY AND JUST
-- IMPROVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> PAULA TUTMAN, LOCAL 4.
>> AN INVESTMENT IN HISTORY.
GREAT STORY, PAULA.
>> THIS SUNDAY 10:00 P.M. PAULA
WILL TALK ABOUT HOW EFFORTS TO
RESTORE IDYLLWILD ARE THREATENED
RIGHT NOW.
>> JOIN DEVIN AND ME FROM
DR. OCNH SUITE’S HOUSE WITH
STORIES ABOUT GREEN BOOK AS WELL