  Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 699 Registered: 11-2005 |
Thomas Sugrue talked today about how even the amusement parks were segregated as were many other institutions as well as public swimming pools. Anyone have memories, or researched this? | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 1046 Registered: 11-2006 |
"Anyone have memories" ------------------ I went to Cedar Point, Bob-Lo, Disney World in the 1970's. I don't remember the color of anyone's skin. I do, however, remember having fun! | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 1268 Registered: 08-2007 |
I remember someone telling me about a laundry they saw when they were young that said "Whites Only" and for the longest time they thought it meant for white items, like sheets and dress shirts. It is true that during Jim Crow, most things were segregated in many states. Those laws held until 1965. Here in Detroit, Brennan Pools were not segregated when we got here in 1965, I don't know about before that, or about Edgewater, it was open to all in the late 60s. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 700 Registered: 11-2005 |
Apparently Boblo was only opened to Blacks on Mondays all other days it was off limits. Many other amusement parks closed within two years of becoming integrated according to Sugrue. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2549 Registered: 01-2005 |
Crystal Pools, at Eight Mile and Greenfield. Was a strictly white facility up to about 1953 or so. When court-ordered to allow non-whites as customers, the owner closed the place up rather than comply. I used to patronize the pools, but never thought much about the race thing, being a kid. | ||
Jman Member Username: Jman Post Number: 106 Registered: 10-2006 |
I went to Crystal Pool quite often and Magnolia Riding Stable just west of there. I thought they were both closed because of the building of Northland. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 4252 Registered: 12-2005 |
Not locally, but I have a recollection from about 1965 of attempted segregation at an amusement park on the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, north of New Orleans. There was an unreasonably high minimum purchase price for tickets for a family to enter, thus excluding impoverished black families ... or so went the story heard then. I don't recall the name of the park (possibly Pontchartrain Park?) but it was along the lakeshore, not far west of Downman Road. (Message edited by Jimaz on January 11, 2008) | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 4253 Registered: 12-2005 |
Now that I think of it, about one year earlier, our parents had trouble enrolling us into a local New Orleans public elementary school. It seems our surname, "Moore," was not an uncommon surname among blacks in the area and so we were required to provide proof that we had no more than some maximum percentage of black blood in our genetic lineage. It may sound crazy now but that was the way things were back then. My parents were angry -- not from any indignancy of being suspected black, but rather because blacks might be excluded on this basis from public schools. I think this was around the beginning of the counter-racism movement. My father worked for NASA on the Saturn V "moonshot" booster at the Michoud Plant and raised a fuss about it there. Apparently heads rolled because we were all apologetically welcomed into school immediately thereafter. Sometimes it's the little forgotten family issues that help move the really big mountains.  (Message edited by Jimaz on January 11, 2008) | ||
Queensfinest Member Username: Queensfinest Post Number: 144 Registered: 08-2006 |
Shit. This is sad. Only in 2008 on a Detroit related discussion board would this kind of topic come up, and you people wonder why everywhere else in the country thrives, enjoys economic success and looks beautiful while the better part of the state of michigan reverts to a 4th world country... | ||
Missmich Member Username: Missmich Post Number: 45 Registered: 11-2007 |
There was an unreasonably high minimum purchase price for tickets for a family to enter, thus excluding impoverished black families ... or so went the story heard then. ------------------------------ ------- now this statement is big bullshit, the high price excluded ALL poor people, not just blacks. Sheesh! | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6961 Registered: 02-2004 |
At one time during the early 1930s. When Coleman Young was part of the Boy Scouts, He and his scouts went on a field trip to Boblo Island. Before the amusement park closed, the Boblo Boat captain would let Coleman on because the boat don't let blacks on after 6:00pm. So he was left behind until some good samaritan let him on his boat and head on to Detroit. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1517 Registered: 04-2006 |
I'm pretty sure that Sugar Island was one of these. Then again, I never went there and it was closed long before I was around so I don't know much more about it. | ||
Pam Member Username: Pam Post Number: 3275 Registered: 11-2005 |
quote: Learning about history causes economic failure? Please explain how you came to that conclusion. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11181 Registered: 10-2003 |
So these are the 'good old days' that people reminisce about? | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1370 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: LMAO! everyone else in the country looks beautiful? wow, you don't get out a whole lot, do you? [i know this person is just a troll, and the best way to treat trolls is to ignore them, but i couldn't help myself from pointing that out.] | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1518 Registered: 04-2006 |
Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. We should not whitewash such events in time but attempt to understand the conditions in which they were allowed to exist. | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 1269 Registered: 08-2007 |
I think QF was just pointing out the present effects of past discrimination are sometimes misconstrued. | ||
Cman710 Member Username: Cman710 Post Number: 406 Registered: 07-2006 |
I agree with Pam. Queensfirst, how could learning about past racial discrimination some how prevent economic growth in the Detroit metro region? Do you think that in New York City, there is never discussion of racial issues? | ||
Kevgoblu Member Username: Kevgoblu Post Number: 45 Registered: 02-2007 |
I think Queensfirst was refering to the idea that though not many would say it outloud in public, lots of people in this region would gladly go back to those "good old days". It is this backward mentality that many progressive thinking people find totally repulsive. Often a result of (under)education. Another factor why we have difficulty drawing new industry to the region. Where is the most racially segregated region of the country? | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2500 Registered: 04-2006 |
I'm interested in QF coming back and clarifying his/her comment. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5939 Registered: 11-2003 |
jjaba was a locker room attendant at Brennan Pools in the mid-1960s. There was nothing segrated about any aspect of it. Inter-racial fights, playing cross-cultural "dozens" was an anthropolists' dream in that locker room. But mostly, everybody got along just fine. "Yo mama so little, she fall off the curb." "Yo mama so ugly, gorilla jealous." "Yo mama so poor, she steal food out the garbage truck." All facilities at Brennan Pools and other City of Detroit Pools were open for everybody. jjaba, Proudly Westside. | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 893 Registered: 02-2007 |
It still goes on with area country clubs. Someone did a thing a while back and recorded a black man calling about membership and a white man calling about membership. The black man was told they weren't accepting new members, the white man was told 5 minutes later to come and apply. Country clubs and those who belong suck. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11185 Registered: 10-2003 |
Liar. The playing field is even. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6119 Registered: 08-2004 |
Sounds like Queensfinest is having a meltdown today... on every post he's is bitching about something... (I guess that's expected from someone who lives in Archie Bunker-ville). | ||
393bird Member Username: 393bird Post Number: 16 Registered: 09-2007 |
In the mid and late 50s, I spent most of my Summer days at Brennan Pools in Rouge Park, and there was always a racial mixture, and never saw any problems. My Father worked at a factory on Burt Road, and I would hitch to the pools, and catch a ride home with my Father. I also went to Edgewater Park often, and there was always a racial mixture. | ||
Gargoyle Member Username: Gargoyle Post Number: 97 Registered: 04-2006 |
I went to Bob-lo, Edgewater, and Cedar Point many times in the mid to late sixties. Both black and white patrons abounded. No Asians, though....... |
