Royal Oak artisan to be featured at Ford Arts, Beats & Eats
Are small black businesses too black for the ‘new’ Detroit?
See page B-1
See page C-1
POWERED BY REAL TIMES MEDIA
michiganchronicle.com
Volume 78 – Number 50
Aug. 26 - Sept. 1, 2015
WHAT’S INSIDE
Accused activist setting the record straight
Touching Communities. Touching Lives.™ A PUBLICATION OF MGM GRAND DETROIT
August 2015 Cover photo by Len Katz
United in celebration of a rich musical heritage: The Detroit Jazz Festival will roar Labor Day weekend! By Scott Talley Special to the Michigan Chronicle
Our city will forever be known as the home of the Motown sound, but long before Berry Gordy and company began churning out hits, jazz was king in Detroit. “Detroit has always done a wonderful job of keeping the great tradition of jazz going,” said Sherman Branch, Continue on page 3
Inside This Issue • Detroit Jazz Festival serves up enticing musical menu for our entire region. • 2015 Life Remodeled project revitalizes Osborn neighborhood, with help from MGM Grand Detroit volunteers • MGM Grand Detroit partners with the Horatio Williams Foundation to create a magical day for Detroit youth at Cedar Point. • And much more!
Black comic book convention (Page A-3)
By Qwest 7 THE CHICAGO DEFENDER
Although the subject does not come up often, many African Americans are very much into reading and studying comic books. With that in mind, the Midwest Ethnic Convention for Comics and Arts is presenting a big event in metro Detroit.
Shaun King, the Black Lives Matter activist accused of lying about his race, spent last week repairing damage done by conservative bloggers who claim he lied about his race and being the victim of a racially motivated attack.
Monica Morgan photos
Farrakhan: ‘Justice or Else’ march just the beginning
Michigan Chronicle, Real Times Media additions (Page A-5)
In Detroit, Nation of Islam leader meets with young artists prior to main event
Daniel A. Washington, a Wayne State University graduate, has joined the staff of the Michigan Chronicle as web editor and reporter. Britta Lee, who graduated from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, is now regional content editor for Real Times Media.
By Freddie Allen NNPA SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
In a wide-ranging conference call on Monday with the black press, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said the upcoming “Justice or Else” rally set for October 10 celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March is just the beginning of the movement.
Juilian Bond remembered (Page B-4)
Later, on Monday evening, Farrakhan held a special meeting at the Book Cadillac Hotel downtown with a packed ballroom crowd of more than 200 artists, including rappers, poets, writers and musicians. Among those in attendance were such well-known Detroit artists as Jessica Care Moore, Amp Fiddler and rapper Trick Trick.
Jesse Jackon, who worked with him on many occasions, described Julian Bond as “a leader of exceptional clarity,” having “the strong mind and courage needed to break strong chains.”
Farrakhan delivered his “Justice or Else” address in Detroit on Tuesday night at Fellowship Chapel.
“Every single person who knows me beyond Twitter, beyond trending topics and hit pieces, knows I have never lied about my race,” King wrote on Twitter. The response was one of more than 30 messages Shaun King the 35-year-old activist tweeted to his 170,000 followers. According to the New York Times, King’s response stemmed from references made by bloggers regarding police reports on the incident, which King described as his brutal beating by a white mob. The March 1, 1995 report has King’s race marked as white and describes his injuries from the attack as minor. The report goes on to identify only one other student as being involved in the incident. In a telephone interview with the Times, the investigating detective for the case, Keith Broughton, admitted that although he hadn’t asked King about his race, he filled out the form based on observing King’s light skin and white mother. The activist mentioned his mother’s race and father, who is black, while alluding to the death of Michael Brown as the reason for his passionate to help people.
can paint the picture of what’s happening in the ’hood, which is why Minister Farrakhan wanted to meet with them. It’s the journalists who are supposed to write about the atrocities that are happening in the neighborhood and alert people of what’s happening
The Times noted King’s mention of six witnesses he interviewed that were put forth by the school’s principal, including a teacher who broke up the fight. From the interviews, King said all the witnesses described the incident as a one-on-one altercation. The report was ultimately picked up by the Daily Caller and published Wednesday, Aug. 20, on the conservative media site Breitbart.
See FARRAKHAN page A-4
See KING page A-4
Minister Farrakhan and Youth Minister Troy Muhammad. “It’s always through the artists that the pulse of the people can be measured,” said T. Pharoah Muhammad, of Muhammad’s Mosque #1,who was in attendance at the event which had not been broadcast in advance to the general public. “It’s always the artists that
On the lighter side…
BET family reunites (Page D-1) In Washington, D.C., former employees of BET (Black Entertainment Television) got together for two evenings of fun and memories. Detroit’s own Donnie Simpson used the occasion to announce his return to radio.
THE FUNNY SIDE OF MOTOWN
By Steve Holsey
There is so much more to the Motown story than is generally known. A lot of “funny stuff” happened and a lot of “weird stuff” as well.
For example…
On one occasion, Diana Ross, according to Berry Gordy’s executive assistant at the time, was being difficult, having what
might be called “diva tantrums.” Well, Gordy went to her suite, made mad Motown love to her, and the queen of Motown chilled right out. Speaking of Ross, she once got a beatdown in front of “just everybody,” including Betty LaVette and Martha Reeves, at the 20 Grand. She had been having an affair with Brian Holland, of the legendary Hol-
of the group members ordered filet mignon, cut his dinner roll in half, inserted his steak, then ate it like a hamburger.
When Motown signed DeBarge, the family group from Grand Rapids, they were very young and very inexperienced — in life, let alone etiquette. The Motown record promotion man took the group to a very nice (and expensive) restaurant. One
A young female singer — we’re protecting her identity — who had won a Motown recording contract as a result of placing first in a talent show presented by a local black radio station, made a promotional visit to that
See MOTOWN page A-4
Look inside this week’s
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land-Dozier-Holland team that wrote nearly all of the Supremes’ hits, and his wife, Sharon, wasn’t having it.
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