SAFE HAVEN FOR BLACK FAMILIES WHO BECAME FAMOUS FOR ITS NIGHTLIFE IN THE EARLY 19
HUNDREDS. IDLEWILD WAS THE
RESORT TOWER BLACK PEOPLE COULD
LEGALLY BUY PROPERTY. 1300 ACRES
BECAME LARGELY ABANDONED IN THE
SIXTIES WITH DESEGREGATION PAULA
TUTMAN HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE
STORY OF IDLEWILD COME BACK. SHE
RECENTLY RETURNED TO SEE HOW THE
CONCEPT OF PROGRESS IS NOW BEING
REDEFINED BY GENERATIONS OF IDLE
WILDER’S. YOU HEAR THIS? LISTEN.
VERY LITTLE ELSE. THIS IS
HISTORIC IDLEWILD, AND THIS IS
LAKE IDLEWILD IN THE EARLY
MORNING SUN. THIS WAS ONE OF THE
ONLY SAFE BASTIONS FOR BLACKS TO
COME PLAY AND STAY. FROM THE 19
TWENTIES, REALLY, TO THE 19
SIXTIES. NOW, OF COURSE, IT WAS
KNOWN FOR ITS SPLASHING
NIGHTLIFE. BUT TODAY PRESENT DAY
IN THE LIGHT OF DAY, IT IS
VISIBLE THAT IDLEWILD IS A PLACE
IN TRANSITION. THE MOMENT DAY
BREAKS THE SOUNDS OF PROGRESS
DROWN OUT THE SONGS REFERRED.
NEIGHBORS SAY THIS HOUSE HAS
BEEN PURCHASED AND IS BEING
REFURBISHED BY A JUDGE FROM
DETROIT. AND THEN THERE’S DOUG
BROWN. NOW ABLE TO WORK REMOTELY
SOLD HIS HOME IN FLORIDA TO LIVE
IN IDLEWILD PERMANENTLY. HE’S
THE FOURTH GENERATION TO OWN
PROPERTY HERE. HIS CHILDREN ARE
THE FIFTH GENERATION. THERE’S A
FEELING THAT I GET WHEN I COME
TO IDA. WOW, THAT I DON’T GET
ANYWHERE ELSE. LOCALS FROM YATES
TOWNSHIP COME TO ENJOY THE ONLY
PUBLIC BEACH IN THE AREA. RIGHT
IN THERE. LOCALS WHO FOR
GENERATIONS HAVE BEEN STEWARDS
OF IDLEWILD PROPER THIS
LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE ONCE
CALLED BLACK EDEN PLAN. IT’S
WHAT’S NEXT PROBLEM. THOSE TIED
TO THE COMMUNITY BY HEART AND
HISTORY OR PIECEMEAL NG A
COMEBACK REFURBISHING HISTORIC
LANDMARKS LIKE THE FLAMINGO CLUB
, ONCE KNOWN FOR BIG MUSIC ACTS
LIKE SARAH VAUGHAN AND JACKIE
WILSON. AND BEAUTIFUL SHOWGIRLS
. WE’RE DOING OUR PART TO PUT
OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD TO SHOW
THAT WE’RE PUTTING ON BLOOD
SWEAT TO IT. BUT THERE’S A NEW
ACT IN THE WINGS. LET’S FOCUS ON
THE FLASHY PAST AND INSTEAD
CAPITALIZING ON THE SECRET SAUCE
BASICS OF BLACK FAMILIES
BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING
COMMUNITY. YOU COME HERE AND
YOU’RE LIKE I’M OKAY. AND I’M
GONNA BE OKAY BECAUSE I’M
SURROUNDED AMONGST FAMILY. AND
WHEN I SAY I’M SURROUNDED
AMONGST FAMILY, IT’S NOT BLOOD
FAMILY. IT’S FRIENDS. IT’S
PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, JUST
ACCEPT YOU AS A COMMUNITY
EXISTED BECAUSE OF RACISM AND
EXCLUSION IN THE EARLY 20TH
CENTURY, MIDDLE CLASS BLACKS TO
WEALTHY BUSINESS PEOPLE AND
PHYSICIANS, INNOVATORS
ENTERTAINERS ATHLETES PURCHASED
HERE BECAUSE JIM CROW LAWS GAVE
THEM NO PLACE ELSE TO GO. NOW
THAT BLACKS CAN GO AND BUY
ELSEWHERE. GENERATIONS OF IDLE
WILDER’S ARE WORKING TO GIVE
BLACKS A REASON TO COME BACK AND
INVEST EVERY WEDNESDAY IN THE
SUMMERS. THE IDLEWILD VERSION OF
LADIES WHO LUNCH PIZZA, WINE
BRIDGE AND 365 COMBINED YEARS OF
COMMITMENT TO IDLEWILD, BELLAMY
IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE IDLEWILD
LOT OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
COMMUNITY IS WHAT’S GOING TO
KEEP US ALL TOGETHER. MUSIC CAN
COME LATER. IT CAN COME ANYTIME
. BUT FAMILIES AND PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN HERE FOR GENERATIONS
THEY HAVE HELD IT DOWN ALL THESE
YEARS. MANY OF US ARE LOOKING
BACK TO 1913 AND 1914 UP TO THE
TWENTIES, AND WE ARE SEEING THE
SAME KINDS OF THINGS HAPPENING
NOW. THAT USED TO HAPPEN. THEN
WE SEE PEOPLE BEING ACCOSTED AND
HARASSED. WE SEE PEOPLE WANTING
TO FEEL SAFE PEOPLE WANTING TO
REALLY CELEBRATE WHAT WE HAVE
ACHIEVED AS A RACE SINCE WE HAVE
BEEN HERE AND PEOPLE ARE NOW
COMING BACK. ONE OF THE
DETROIT’S NEWEST LYONS SAYS, HAS
TURNED THE HISTORIC RED ROOSTER
INTO PEYTON’S BAR AND GRILL THE
COMMUNITY UP THERE IN THE IN THE
FAMILY’S THAT’S UP, THERE IS ITS
HISTORY BASED AND JUST BEING A
PART OF THAT IS JUST IT’S A
BLESSING. IT’S YOUR WEEKENDS ARE
A DRAW FOR FAMILIES AND FUN
SEEKERS WITH AN ENDLESS LINE UP
OF EVENTS, MUSIC SHOWS AND
REUNIONS THAT WE, THE PEOPLE OF
DETROIT CALM AND DO THEIR GREAT
LEGS. PEOPLE OF COLOR. AH
RETREAT HERE FOR THE SECOND YEAR
IN A ROW. SUMMER OASIS MUSIC
FESTIVAL GLAMPING FESTIVAL IS
COMING BACK, IDLEWILD IS PERCHED
TO EMERGE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF
HISTORY OF FOCAL POINT OF THE
GROWING CONSCIOUSNESS OF
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. THOSE
COMMUNITIES THAT ONCE EXCLUDED
THE RESIDENTS OF IDLEWILD AND
FORCED IT TO BECOME THE BLACK
EDEN. IT ONCE WAS. ARE NOW PART
OF THE INCLUSION OF WHAT IT WILL
BECOME. IN IDLEWILD, PAULA