Herbert Jeffries has acted, sung, even ridden--his way to the top of the entertaining world.

In the 1930s, when white singing cowboys like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers carved out names for themselves, Jeffries decided there should be black cowboy films* especially since there had been many African American cowboys in the American west.

Born in Detroit in 1911, Jeffries raised money for his first feature film. Playing the part of Bob Blake, a fearless singing cowboy, Jeffries became this country's first African American film hero when Harlem on the Prairie opened in 1936. Nicknamed the "Bronze Buckaroo," Jeffries did all his own riding and performed all his own stunts. After starring in three more cowboy movies, Jeffries left movies to start singing with Duke Ellington's orchestra. With that band as his backup, he recorded "Flamingo," which sold fourteen million copies and propelled him to the top of the jazz world.

After running a club in France for a decade following World War II, Jeffries returned to the United States where he continues to perform. In 1995, at the age of eighty-three, Jeffries recorded a Nashville album of songs entitled, The Bronze Buckaroo (Rides Again).

Among his many awards and recognitions, Jeffries earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. According to one observer in 2004, "The man is a marvel. In appearance and in voice, he seems a person half his age. . . . His voice sounds stronger now than it has ever been."

Here's Herb Jeffries singing Happy Cowboy in the 1938 movie "Two Gun Man From Harlem":

For more about Jeffries, check out herbjeffries.com. To learn more about other important African Americans in Michigan, order the book African Americans You Need to Know or subscribe to Michigan History or Michigan History for Kids by calling (800) 366-3703 or visiting www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

Dr. Frost will speak about her book, particularly bout the Blackburns’ experience of freedom and re-capture in Michigan. She will explain the legal debate in Canada that resulted in a refusal to extradite the Blackburns to all but certain re-enslavement. The Blackburn case was the first serious legal dispute between Canada and the United States regarding the Underground Railroad. The impassioned defense of the Blackburns by Canada’s lieutenant governor set precedents for all future fugitive-slave cases.

Mark Harvey and the Archives staff have assembled a collection of legal documents from the Blackburn case that will be on display on the first floor of the Michigan Historical Museum all weekend, Feb. 7-8. These items include copies of affidavits sworn in Louisville by those seeking to regain custody of the couple; copies of warrants issued in Wayne County for the arrest of the Blackburns under the federal Fugitive Slave Law of 1793; and documents sent to Territorial Governor Porter explaining why they were refusing Michigan’s request for extradition. This case helped to establish Canada as the ultimate haven for men, women and children who escaped slavery in the American South.

Copies of "I've Got a Home in Glory Land" will be on sale in the Museum Store and Dr. Frost will be available to sign copies of her book following the presentation.

The Lansing City Pulse has a feature interview article with Dr. Frost in the Feb. 4, 2009 edition.

The trauma of his young life left Jones with a serious - almost incapacitating - stuttering problem. For years, he refused to speak more than a few words-even to his family. In school, Jones pretended to be mute and communicated by writing. That was until Donald Crouch, a Manistee High School English teacher, helped him overcome his debilitating problem. Crouch challenged his students to write a poem. Jones wrote his "Ode to Grapefruit" in the epic meter of Henry Longfellow's "Hiawatha." Crouch then challenged Jones to read the poem before his classmates. He read it flawlessly. With Crouch's encouragement, Jones competed in debates and oratorical contests. As a senior, he won a public-speaking contest and earned a scholarship to the University of Michigan.

Jones planned to study medicine, but he was attracted to the theatre. After graduating in 1953 with a degree in drama, he arrived in New York City to pursue an acting career. It wasn't easy. Jones scrubbed floors, lived on $19 a month and sought the few opportunities available to black actors.

After a series of lesser roles, Jones won acclaim in the mid-1960s for his lead role in Shakespeare's Othello. In 1964, director Stanley Kubrick cast Jones in Dr. Strangelove, his first movie. In 1968, Jones won a Tony award for his Broadway performance of The Great White Hope, a story based on Jack Johnson, the first African American heavyweight champion. Two years later, the film version won Jones an Oscar nomination.

Jones has appeared in more than fifty films, returns regularly to the live theatre and provided the voice of villain Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King. Today, James Earl Jones is one of Hollywood's most versatile actors and one of its most distinctive voices.

To learn more about other important African Americans in Michigan, order the book African Americans You Need to Know or subscribe to Michigan History or Michigan History for Kids by calling (800) 366-3703 or visiting www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

James Earl Jones photo courtesy Wikipedia/Wikimedia.

Mask by pinehurst19475

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month in Michigan, it wouldn't be fitting for us to unravel the past without a trip to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.

The museum's main exhibit, And We Still Rise!, is all about the significant role that Detroit played in African American History. There's a special twist to the exhibit this month only.

The stories of African American southerners migrating to Detroit, Michigan are personified as costumed interpreters interact with guests experiencing the exhibit And Still We Rise! Their reenactments detail what it was like working at the Ford factory, living in Black Bottom and experiencing the urban crisis of 1943.

The exhibit is open Tuesdays, and Thursdays through Saturday. Check the website for times and other information.

This Wednesday through Saturday, the Museum will be offering a special exhibit History of the Nation of Islam: Returning to Our Roots.

Since 1930, The Nation of Islam (NOI) has become a major influence in revitalizing black lives across the country, and has expanded its influence to communities internationally. The organization will celebrate its 77th Anniversary in Detroit, the city of its birth... The first of its kind, this exhibition features rare photographs, documents, and artifacts, which include personal items belonging to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

The Museum also offers free screenings in their International Film Series, a free lecture series, live performances, and special workshops and activities.

Born in 1857 and the son of one of Detroit’s earliest African American doctors, William Ferguson attended Detroit public schools and successfully pursued careers in printing, real estate and law. After being kicked out of a Detroit restaurant for refusing to sit in the “colored” section, Ferguson filed a discrimination suit. He lost, but appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court. In 1890 the court ruled segregation by race in public facilities was illegal. A few years later, Ferguson won election to the Michigan House of Representatives-the first African American to serve in the Michigan legislature. A Republican, Ferguson was reelected to a second term where he was instrumental in having legislation adopted that made discrimination in selling life insurance illegal.

PHOTO CREDIT: Archives of Michigan.
To learn more about other African Americans in Michigan, order the book 25 African Americans You Need to Know and subscribe to Michigan History or Michigan History for Kids by calling (800) 366-3703 or visiting www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

Conversely, opposition to slavery did grow. Michigan was an active participant of the Underground Railroad even before it became a state. In 1836, thirteen former slaves organized the Second Baptist Church in Detroit. Besides allowing African Americans to worship without discrimination, the church also opened Michigan's first school for black children and it was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Michigan's black population grew slowly but steadily during the years before the Civil War. Famed black abolitionist Sojourner Truth made Battle Creek her home in 1857. At a time when women, especially black women, did not give speeches, Truth used her remarkable speaking skills to promote equality and the need to end slavery. Truth stood six feet tall and had a deep voice. Her listeners were "melted into tears by her touching stories."

As automobiles became Michigan's central focus, tens of thousands of African American moved north, seeking employment in the auto factories. During the twentieth century, the list of African Americans who had an impact on Michigan - and the world - includes world champion boxer Joe Louis, political scientist Ralph Bunche (the first African American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize), Motown Records' founder Berry Gordy Jr., actor James Earl Jones, Congressman John Conyers Jr. and activist Rosa Parks.

Photo Credit: Visual Materials from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Records (Library of Congress)

As the Continental Congress discussed the Northwest Ordinance, a Massachusetts delegate suggested adding a provision banning slavery in the Northwest Territory, which included the future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. The Ordinance, including this measure, was adopted on July 13, 1787. It was the first time the federal government set limits on the expansion of slavery. However, despite this ban, a small number of slaves continued to live in the Northwest Territory,

As more people settled the Northwest Territory, some areas tried to get around the ban on slavery. This was particularly true in Indiana and Illinois, but less so in Michigan.

Slavery in Michigan began with the arrival of the French. When the British took control of the Great Lakes in 1761 they discovered Native American and African slaves in Detroit. A 1782 census showed 78 male and 101 female slaves living in Detroit. The number of slaves declined after the British left Detroit in 1796. Only 15 African Americans lived in Detroit in 1805, and it is unclear how many were slaves.

Few Michiganians ever owned slaves and most disapproved of what became known in America as "the peculiar institution." In 1807 a Canadian living in Windsor demanded that his two escaped African American slaves-then living in Michigan-be returned to him. Territorial Justice Augustus Woodward denied the request, declaring that every "man coming into this Territory is by law of the land a freeman."

The 1830 census showed 32 slaves living in the Michigan Territory, but these numbers dwindled quickly. Michiganians also grew openly critical of human slavery. As the Civil War neared, Michiganians spoke out against this southern institution; many others worked along the Underground Railroad to assist people escaping slavery in the southern states.
For more great stories on Michigan's past, look to Michigan History magazine. For more information or a free trial issue, call (800) 366-3703 or visit http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/.

PHOTO CREDIT: The Library of Congress: Sojourner Truth, three-quarter length portrait, standing, wearing spectacles, shawl, and peaked cap, right hand resting on cane (LC-USZ62-119343)

Two years earlier, Schmeling had beaten Louis. This rematch was more than a fight between two boxers. Schmeling came from Germany and German dictator Adolph Hitler believed that Schmeling would easily win the fight because Louis represented "an inferior race and country." As Louis later said, "Schmeling represented everything that Americans disliked, and they wanted him beat, and beat good."

Born in Alabama, Louis moved to Detroit with his family in 1926. As a teenager, he took an interest in boxing. "I looked at the ring, the punching bag, pulleys, the exercise mat, and it was love at first sight," he later admitted.

Louis entered the ring in 1934 at the age of 22. When he fought Schmeling for the first time, Louis had 27 straight victories, 23 by knockout. But it was Schmeling who knocked out Louis in the twelfth round. A year after losing to Schmeling, Louis won the world heavyweight championship. But Louis wasn't satisfied. "I don't want nobody to call me champ until I beat Schmeling," he declared.

The rematch was set for June 22, 1938, at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Louis trained hard for the fight and was confident. A sportswriter predicted that Louis would win in six rounds. Louis said he would win in one round.

He was right.

At opening bell, Louis attacked. He pounded the German, dropping Schmeling to the canvas three times before the referee stopped the fight. It took only two minutes and four seconds.

A few years later when the United States and Germany went to war, both Louis and Schmeling joined their country's army. They never saw each other on the battlefield, and after the war, they became good friends.

Nicknamed the "Brown Bomber," Joe Louis defended his heavyweight crown for twelve years. But none of his fights was as important as the one when, as an observer noted, "Joe Louis knocked out Adolph Hitler."

For more great stories on Michigan's past, look to Michigan History magazine. For more information or a free trial issue, call (800) 366-3703 or visit http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/.

Photo Credit: Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University, Detroit

'Brown Bomber' was a hero to all

When Ray Kamalay of Lansing, Michigan, wrote this poem, he hoped to capture the excitement of Idlewild, a resort community in northern Michigan. From the 1920s through the 1960s, Idlewild in Lake County (about 60 miles north of Grand Rapids) was Michigan's most important African American summer resort.

African Americans responded to segregation by developing their own places where they could go to relax and play. Idlewild was one of these places.

Idlewild opened in 1912 and grew rapidly. By the late 1920s more than 6,600 African Americans from all across the nation and Canada had purchased lots at Idlewild. At least 800 summer homes had been built by 1927.

At Idlewild, visitors could swim, fish, boat, hike, and enjoy "a hundred other recreations." But most people came to Idlewild to relax and visit with friends and family.

Blacks from Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Detroit purchased lots at Idlewild. Idlewild's most notable resident was Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, the most respected African American in the field of medicine. Dr. Williams bought a number of lots and sold them to friends and associates.

As the resort community grew, residents wanted other forms of entertainment. Soon, Idlewild became a showcase for black entertainers. Idlewild boasted the Paradise Club, the Flamingo Club, and the Purple Palace where Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Della Reese, Sammy Davis Jr., Stevie Wonder, Bill Cosby and many others performed.

Idlewild boomed until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawing segregation. African Americans began to leave Idlewild and stay at the same resorts as whites.

Today, Idlewild is a much quieter town. A museum, a cultural center, and an annual celebration remind us of the important role Idlewild played in the lives of thousands of African Americans.

Idlewild Community Newsletter (hasn't been updated in over a year, but has some neat photos)

Great photo of beach at Idlewild (original page)

For more great stories on Michigan's past, look to Michigan History magazine. For more information or a free trial issue, call (800) 366-3703 or visit http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/.

It was December 1, 1955. Parks was coming home from a long day as a seamstress in a local department store. Although seated in the first row of "colored" seats, Parks ignored the white bus driver's demand to move to the back of the bus to free up more seats for white patrons. Even after the bus driver threatened, "I'll have you arrested," Parks did not budge. A couple of minutes later, two policemen got on the bus and asked her to move. She asked, "Why do you push us around?" He responded, "I don't know. But the law is the law and you are under arrest."

Active in the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and an outspoken opponent of segregation, the 42-year-old Parks spent a short time in jail. Her actions, however, changed her life considerably and provided a spark for the fledgling Civil Rights Movement.

The day after Parks' arrest, blacks in Montgomery, the city's primary bus riders, refused to ride the bus. As the 382-day bus boycott dragged on, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. Both events played crucial roles in putting the Civil Rights Movement in motion.

During the boycott, Parks and her family received threats and were continually harassed. She later recalled these threats drove her husband to "near-suicidal despair." Shortly after the boycott began, she also lost her job. Blacklisted by Montgomery's white business community, Parks and her husband moved north to Detroit in 1957.

In Michigan, Parks took in sewing and worked as a fundraiser for the NAACP. In 1965, Congressman John Conyers hired her to manage his Detroit office. After the death of her husband in 1987, she founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. The Institute is designed to motivate and direct young people of either race to achieve their highest potential. In 1996, President William Clinton presented Parks with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor an American citizen can receive.

To learn more about Michigan's transportation past, check out the current issues of Michigan History or Michigan History for Kids magazines. For more information or a free trial issue, call (800) 366-3703 or visit http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photograph by Associated Press. 1964. Appears in Images of 20th Century African American Activists at the Library of Congress.

Because her mother was a slave, when Sojourner Truth was born in New York State in 1797 she was a slave. She was given the name Isabella. At the age of nine, Isabella was taken away from her parents and sold to a different owner. She worked hard, but like most slaves, her master whipped her. After one whipping, she remembered her "blood run down [on] the floor."

Isabella was sold twice more before becoming a free person in 1826.

A few years later, her life changed dramatically. According to Isabella, God had given her a new name. She would be called Sojourner Truth. She then began traveling or "sojourning" across the North to tell people the "truth" about slavery. Standing six feet tall with a deep voice, Sojourner gave powerful speeches. According to one observer, listeners were "melted into tears by her touching stories."

Besides giving talks about the evils of slavery, Sojourner composed her autobiography. Since she could neither read nor write, she told her life's story to a friend who wrote it down. The Narrative of Sojourner Truth was published in 1850.

In the late 1850s, Sojourner moved to Battle Creek, Michigan.

During the Civil War, Sojourner traveled to Washington, DC, and met President Abraham Lincoln. She remembered that no one had ever treated her "with more kindness and cordiality than ... that great and good man." Sojourner stayed in Washington and helped former slaves (called freedmen).

After the war, Sojourner continued to campaign for woman's rights, especially the right to vote.

On November 26, 1883, at the age of 86, Sojourner Truth died. Her funeral was one of the largest ever-held in Battle Creek. Frederick Douglass, the nation's most respected African American leader of the time, said that for forty years Sojourner Truth had been "an object of respect and admiration to social reformers everywhere." Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, who led the campaign to get women the right to vote, were more direct. They said she was "the most wonderful woman the [black] race ever produced."

For more great stories on Michigan's past, look to Michigan History magazine. For more information or a free trial issue, call (800) 366-3703 or visit http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/.

In the spring of 1963, Detroiters looked for a way to commemorate the anniversary of racial violence that tore through their city twenty years earlier that left 34 people dead and hundreds injured. The Detroit Council for Human Rights called for a "Walk to Freedom," because many of "the same basic, underlying causes" of the 1943 disturbance were "still present."

On June 23, 1963, an estimated 125,000 people marched down Detroit's Woodward Avenue carrying placards and singing "We Shall Overcome." National and state leaders who marched along with Reverend King included United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther, former Michigan governor John B. Swainson, and Detroit mayor Jerome Cavanagh.

The march ended at Cobo Hall where the Reverend King was cheered by thousands of marchers when he emphasized that segregation needed to end. A veteran of the struggle to end racial segregation, King believed that it was the duty of African Americans to take part in demonstrations like the Walk to Freedom, which he called, "one of the most wonderful things that has happened in America."

An advocate of nonviolent tactics who had endured police brutality in marches calling for desegregation, King spoke of having a "dream" where whites and blacks were "walking together, hand in hand," in harmony and equality. Two months later, he shared these same thoughts with thousands of Americans��Ωboth blacks and whites��Ωat a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in the nation's capital.

Later that year, King was named the TIME magazine man of the year. The following year, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. On April 4, 1968, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

PHOTO: The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in Detroit in June 1963.
CREDIT: Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University

For more great stories on Michigan's past, look to Michigan History magazine. For more information or a free trial issue, call (800) 366-3703 or visit http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/.