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WHAT’S INSIDE
Black History: My History Matters at Public Radio By Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
2015
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“Education means emancipation. It means light and liberty. It means the uplifting of the soul of man into the glorious light of truth, the light by which men can only be made free.”
- Frederick Douglass,
Blessings of Liberty and Education. Speech. 1894
Inside:
Tips on Enrollment, Money and College Life!
Something special at the zoo (Page B-1) Comerica Bank and the Detroit Zoo have partnered to host a Facebook contest challenging elementary students in kindergarten through fifth grade to show their creative side by entering the Comerica Penguin Art Contest.
Essence of Black History Month (Page B-2) In his commentary, Kevin P. Chavous says “the true value of Black History Month is that it gives us all an opportunity to learn and appreciate the rich and robust legacy of our forbearers, and in the process, better understand ourselves.” It is especially important to reach young people.
M-1 RAIL conceptual renderings (Page C-1) The Penske Tech Center, where the M-1 RAIL technology systems, vehicles and operation team will be based, is yet another part of the rebounding of Detroit. M-1 RAIL has released impressive conceptual renderings of the center, which will be “a vibrant part of the community,” says Paul Childs, chief operating officer.
lack History Month to me is more than just four weeks of public recognition of the enormous contributions of Blacks in America. It should instead be a 365-day exBankole amination of the Thompson role that Blacks continue to play in every facet of
our national and local life. Still, Black History Month is an important period for us to reflect on Black life through individuals and institutions that are promoting, demonstrating and uplifting the achievement of Blacks. That is why I do not take lightly assignments like mine. I had a vivid reminder of that last week when 90-year-old Marjorie Lewis Harris walked into my office with a book that chronicles the life of her mother, Violet Lewis, the woman who founded Detroit’s only Black Historical College, the Lewis College of Business,
which no longer In many ways WDET is the product of the we are each conis in operation. As I was walk- blood and sweat of the poor nected to the pipelines ing her down and the working class in great the steps after labor. The station was donat- of history that informed spending time ed to Wayne State University have in my office, by the United Auto Workers our current disshe told me, (UAW) on the condition that it pensation. There“My mother was should never be sold. Blacks fore, we are each charged to tell the an honorable are a key block of the labor story of the great woman. Somemen and women one needs to tell movement. of stature who that story.” Her mother served as bookkeeper to defied prejudice, challenged steMadam C.J. Walker among other reotypes, confronted institutionachievements. That is Black his- al racism and Jim Crow to rise to tory. See MY HISTORY page A-3
At 90, On Her Own Terms How Marjorie Lewis Harris’ mother founded Lewis College of Business By Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
Dr. Marjorie Lewis Harris, 90, and her sister, Phyllis Lewis Ponders, 93, want the world to never forget about the contributions their mother, Violet T. Lewis, made to American history. They meticulously documented their mother’s place in Black history as the founder of Lewis College of Business, the only Historical Black College in Detroit, which once trained many young African American women to enter the business workforce. The college, which began in Indianapolis before moving to Detroit, is chronicled in the book “On Her Own Terms,” explaining how the college started first at their home in Indianapolis before they decided to move to Detroit in the 1940s. Dr. Harris, who served as president of the college for almost 30 years, visited the Michigan Chronicle last week to drop off a copy of the book because, she said, “my mother was an honorable woman. Someone needs to tell that story.” “Our mother was so unusual that I wanted the people in Detroit and Indiana to remember her during Black History Month because she was the cause for thousands of African American young women to get out into the world of business,” Harris said. “She was the first one to start a business school for young Black women in the Midwest. She came here through the recommendation of a friend and rented a building on the west side
See MARJORIE
LEWIS HARRIS page A-3
Charlie Wilson, still a hot attraction (Page D-1) When the hitmaking Gap Band came to the end of their road, Charlie Wilson decided to carry on as a solo act. At the age of 62, his popularity routinely crosses age barriers.
February 18-24, 2015
michiganchronicle.com
Volume 78 – Number 23
MARJORIE LEWIS HARRIS, at 90 and going strong, remembers the pioneering work of her mother, Violet Lewis, the founder of Lewis College of Business. – Bankole Thompson photo DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. with Violet Lewis.
VIOLET LEWIS (center) with former Detroit Congressman Charles Diggs (left) one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the late federal judge Wade H. McCree who was U.S. Solicitor General.
Businessman Bobby Jenkins dies Bobby Jenkins, 75, a graduate of the Wayne State University business school and honorary member of the U.S. Navy, passed away recently. The businessman died following a long illness. Funeral arrangements and homegoing at Oak Grove A.M.E. Church were handled by Swanson Funeral Home.
The response to Mayor Duggan’s State of the City By Bankole Thompson
“What does the recovery of the city mean if the folks who have been here aren’t part of it? Inclusion doesn’t mean that no person ever loses a lease,” Duggan said. “That’s not the way property laws work. It means we build a city where there are enough spots for everyone.”
CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave what was largely a well received State of the City Address last week at Old Redford Theater on the west side of the city. Being the first speech of its kind in post-bankruptcy Detroit, many were looking forward to hearing what specifically Duggan was going to say regarding where Detroit is headed under his leadership.
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The mayor announced some
Mike Duggan
Tony Michaels
initiatives designed to help struggling Detroiters with economic inclusion being the overarching theme of his speech. For example, he announced a $8 million loan program to help
Freman Hendrix
homeowners repair their houses in the city. The zero percent loans from $5,000 to $25,000, according to the mayor, will be available beginning in early March.
The mayor also rolled out what he called Motor City Match to make $500,000 available every three months for the next five years for anyone who wants to start a business. The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation
See DUGGAN page A-3