Black Detroit: A People's History of Self-Determination

by Herb Boyd

NAACP 2017 Image Award Finalist

2018 Michigan Notable Books honoree

The author of Baldwin’s Harlem looks at the evolving culture, politics, economics, and spiritual life of Detroit—a blend of memoir, love letter, history, and clear-eyed reportage that explores the city’s past, present, and future and its significance to the African American legacy and the nation’s fabric.

Herb Boyd moved to Detroit in 1943, as race riots were engulfing the city. Though he did not grasp their full significance at the time, this critical moment would be one of many he witnessed that would mold his political activism and exposed a city restless for change. In Black Detroit, he reflects on his life and this landmark place, in search of understanding why Detroit is a special place for black people.

Boyd reveals how Black Detroiters were prominent in the city’s historic, groundbreaking union movement and—when given an opportunity—were among the tireless workers who made the automobile industry the center of American industry. Well paying jobs on assembly lines allowed working class Black Detroiters to ascend to the middle class and achieve financial stability, an accomplishment not often attainable in other industries.

Boyd makes clear that while many of these middle-class jobs have disappeared, decimating the population and hitting blacks hardest, Detroit survives thanks to the emergence of companies such as Shinola—which represent the strength of the Motor City and and its continued importance to the country. He also brings into focus the major figures who have defined and shaped Detroit, including William Lambert, the great abolitionist, Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, Coleman Young, the city’s first black mayor, diva songstress Aretha Franklin, Malcolm X, and Ralphe Bunche, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

With a stunning eye for detail and passion for Detroit, Boyd celebrates the music, manufacturing, politics, and culture that make it an American original.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Race, African American, Politics, Urban Studies, Social Justice

455 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2017

About the author

Herb Boyd is an awarding-winning American author and journalist who has published 17 books and countless articles for national magazines and newspapers. Brotherman:The Odyssey of Black Men in America: An Anthology (One World/Ballantine, 1995), co-edited with Robert Allen of the Black Scholar journal, won the American Book Award for nonfiction. In 1999, Boyd won three first place awards from the New York Association of Black Journalists for his articles published in the Amsterdam News.

In 2006, Boyd worked with world music composer Yusef Lateef on his autobiography The Gentle Giant, which was published by Morton Books of New Jersey. In 2008, he published Baldwin's Harlem: A Biography of James Baldwin, and is working with filmmaker Keith Beauchamp on several projects. Boyd has been inducted into both the Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent and the Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame as a journalist.

Along with his writing, Boyd is also the Managing Editor of The Black World Today, one of the leading online publications on the Internet. Boyd, a graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit, teaches African and African-American History at the College of New Rochelle in the Bronx, and is an adjunct instructor at City College in the Black Studies Department.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could sing the praises of this book....but I just can't. It felt like reading a really long high school research paper on the history of Detroit through the African American lense, as if he just pieced together a bunch of facts from book that have already been written. And when I say facts, there were a lot of them. On a positive note, it was readable. Not academic or too dry. But so many facts, it was hard to keep names and acronyms straight. I just wish there had been more critical analysis or commentary. Again, I wish I could write a raving review. Solid try.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I am going to come into this review with some baggage. I am a native white Metro-Detroiter (Born in Detroit, raised in Metro) whose parents were Native Detroiters who fled in the 70s after the riots. Growing up, the name Coleman Young was always spoken to me with derision and spite and I didn't really know a lot about the History of Detroit until I was in college. I will try to be as unbias while also recognizing my family's role in the city and our biases as well.

With that out of the way, I have to say I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. I've read some lukewarm reviews that basically say that Boyd didn't do a good job because he was name dropping 10 people a chapter and not really diving into the city itself. I think that is a bit unfair. When you pick this book up, atleast when I did, you kind of expect it to be a story of Black Detroiters who overcame adversity and rose up to lead in the city. It isn't very much unlike other works of History in that regard. So I think some of the detractors of the book came in with unrealistic expectations.

I will say my only criticism is how it focused on uplifting accomplishments vs. realistic portrayals of people in the city. When it comes to Detroit, there is a lot of Racial animosity and outright racism to confront. I know from growing up that my parents definitely feel a certain way towards the city they grew up in. So I know that I got one version of History growing up that almost certainly was not the objective (or even really factual) version of events. However, having grown up when Kwame Kilpatrick was Mayor, I can say there is a lot of things happening in the city that the book seems to brush over in some ways.

Basically what I am trying to say is, I can't attest to whether the book is brushing over unsavory facts about Coleman Young or not, but I can definitely say that it's portrayal glosses over corruption from Kwame Kilpatrick. I get it. The book is written to be a celebration of African Americans in the city and to list the accomplishments in the city up to the present day. But it literally felt like we were talking about race conflict in the 1960s then Coleman Young in the 1970s, then next thing you know they are talking about the resurgence of Detroit in the 1990s. Didn't something happen there in the 70s and 80s that we missed?

I know that something is White Flight, and I also know that the loss of Maufacturing jobs was also something we dealt with. But what I am trying to say is that it felt like they Cities downturn wasn't given as much time to examine as it's upturn.

As I mentioned above, I felt like this was double the case with Kwame Kilpatrick which the book describes as "Detroit's Hip Hop Mayor". It mentions lavish parties and how Kwame was unapologetic in flashing his money. Then it mentions how Ken Cockrel replaced him and how Dave Bing tried to clean up the cities corruption. But wait! What corruption? I mean, I am being a tad facetious because I already know the corruption, but aren't we going to atleast address his faults as well as his accomplishments? It just felt disingenuous to gloss over the issues the city had with him and other members of the City Council because we wanted to move on to the successes of Dave Bing.

I felt like this was a disservice to the book. Look, I know Detroit gets a real bad rap in the national consciousness. It is the butt of so many jokes and racism from the suburbs and other parts of White America. So Boyd is writing his book, in part, to recast the narrative. More power to him for that. But let's give a full and honest portayal of Detroit. Let's address the Elephant in the room, and let's admit to the faults AND success of the leaders and residents of Black Detroit. It not only paints a clearer and more comprehension picture, but it makes the success brighter in light of the struggles.

In the end, I felt like this book was well written and has well intentions but ultimately leaves a bit of the more recent struggled of Detroit post 1970 on the cutting room floor. I found it very informative as a former worker in Detroit and someone who has a lot of family history in the city. I understand that Detroit, in a lot of ways, is a city that has been struggling the last 50 years but it was nice to read of what was and what could be. I only wish the author had shined a light on those later struggles rather than pretend as if they did not exist. I think the book, and the readers, would have been better informed if he did.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 3 out of 5]

While a solid overview of the African-American experience across multiple domains in the history of Detroit, it doesn't quite achieve the goal expressed in the after-colon portion of the title. The first 200 years are dispatched rather quickly, and the book slows down for more thoughtful analysis as it enters the 20th century. The closer it gets to the present day, the more detailed it is (especially from 1967 onward), yet it loses some of its People's History aims as it focuses more on figures of wide renown. It didn't leave me with too much more than I already knew going in.

[Sabin Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Herb Boyd’s work is both expansive and detailed. It spans from Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac to Kwame Kilpatrick, includes notables such Reverend CL Franklin, Reverend Albert Cleage, and Councilwoman Erma Henderson, to lesser known contributors like Malik Yakini, Dudley Randall, and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, and even includes the notorious Young Boys Incorporated. This collection of voluminous stories is woven together with the thread of Self-Determination - a common attribute among Detroiters.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The research for this book was thorough, and the language is accesible (not academic). However, it may be overwhelming for anyone not already familiar with Detroit history. The book is jam-packed with names and dates, a who’s who of all notable members of black Detroit from the time of Detroit’s founding in 1701. At times there seems to be no unifying theme, just an attempt to make sure no one is left out.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a Detroiter, born and raised, or a transplant, this is a must-read. I learned so much. Boyd does an incredible job of giving a scope of the history of Detroit through the Black lens. While I will say that it felt like the more recent history could have had more time to breathe and dive deep, this was a very well-written history of Detroit.

[Blaine Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boyd soldiers his way through the city's early history before finding his voice in the modern era, where he can include more personal details. Although this history is not comprehensive, it is useful and will be of interest to anyone curious about Detroit.

[SuperWendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted this book to be more than it was. I think the problem stems from the author biting off more than he could chew - as it covers over 200 years worth of history. What readers are left with is a recitation of names and events and....not much else. There's no life, no soul. The people mentioned in this book are names on a page and we don't get to the heart of who they were. I wanted to crawl more under their skin, learn who they were, what made them tick. And you can't really do that when you're covering 200 years worth of history and a myriad of players. As a general research book? I thought this was fine. As the kind of non-fiction I like to sink into? Not so much. OK, not great, wish it was something more.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and very thorough history of Detroit, which is defined by its Black residents. The book is strictly chronological, so the chapters vary widely by topic, jumping from music and theatre, to manufacturing, to politics and more. I found this structure harder to follow and wished that the chapters arranged by topic. All in all a critical history to one of the country's most resilient and unique cities.

[Susan Beecher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting history of Detroit from the African-American perspective.

[Andrew H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish I could’ve gotten through till the end, but I couldn’t. It starts off very interesting but slowly devolves into long monotonous chapters that pile meaningless names upon meaningless names. With a city like Detroit clearly containing valuable American history, you’d think the author would make it out to be more intriguing. Don’t get me wrong, there is history in here that’s valuable to learn about.

I don’t dislike the book entirely, rather I wish it did more. I wish it immersed us in the city rather than recounting it like a historical document. There’s stories worth telling from this city, there’s no need to compact them. A good book could’ve come from this, if done right.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough history absolutely packed with information, there isn't a strong narrative thread (but I don't think one was required). Obviously well researched and I think the organization was solid.

[Emma Jean Rooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

if I was you I’d read Dawn of Detroit, The Warmth of Other Suns, Arc of Justice or The Color of Law instead of reading this

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read is an exaggeration. My online access to the audio book expired when I was about 80% through the book. I was enjoying it, and it was informative to hear about Detroit history from a completely black perspective. And i certainly learned a great deal more about local black leaders than I'd known before. Recognized the names, but it was nice to learn the past accomplishments of Ken Cockrel, George Crocket, Azalia Hackley, and many many others. Filled in a lot of gaps in the stories, you see peoples names on streets or plaques, and are often left wondering why. Though I knew the bare bones story of Paradise Valley and Black Bottom - I finally got a full story that made sense here. And, please forgive my ignorance, but I also finally learned the Black Bottom was not named such for the color of its residents, but got the name for the rich soil in the area long before Black people called it home. [As racist as we can be in Detroit, that was a relief to learn. I mean Inkster was named for the color of its residents -- by Henry Ford, so I'm told.]

I enjoyed the chapters on cultural life the most - music and arts. I always feel like I know nothing about Jazz or blues music. But with a great big thanks to Ed Love via WDET, I could call up music in my head for many of the great local musicians that made these pages. My book cut off in the visual arts section, just when they were getting to Charles McGee - but he's one of my long time favorites, so I felt OK about missing that. There was good stuff on activism at WSU, and again, many many names that I recognized, and was therefore happy to learn more about.

What really bugged me about this book, and what really stopped me from re-downloading to finish? The poor production of the audio. The reader had a great voice - but he seemed to rush some parts together into a blur, and then manage to insert pauses where I just didn't think they made sense. There were also many many mispronunciations of local streets/places. This I've come to expect - but it wasn't standard throughout the recording. The same street name could be pronounced correctly, then mispronounced a couple different ways elsewhere. Beaubian was pronounced correctly, and then pronounced 'boobie-an' along the way. It just seems like the producer of the recording was not doing his job, there was no consistency. Gratiot Avenue had several different pronunciations. For a local history book, I just thought more attention should have been paid.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting person and subject oriented in chronological order. As a Michigan native, I was somewhat familiar with some of the individuals and their stories; others were new to me. Easy to listen to.
Narrator James Shippy has a deep voice that is not difficult to understand once I became accustomed to his voice and excep when he occasionally drops his voice and "swallows" the last word or two of a sentence. He pronounces some words and names differently than this Michigan native is accustomed to, specifically Walter Reuther, Alan Trammel and Joseph Campau. Not sure how that got past the editors and makes me wonder whether Mr. Boyd was involved in the production of the audio book.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacking real depth of history throughout the book, it does a nice job of providing an overview of the history of African Americans in Detroit. I learned a great deal of information about the City and the black population from the founding of Detroit, but I feel that the author could have provided more of an opinion about more recent events in Detroit's history. I would have liked to have seen some critical analysis of events and how they impacted the City. Instead, the author either put events in a positive or neutral light, thus my 3 star rating.

[Yolanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book that chronicles the lives of African Americans from the beginning of history in Detroit up to the present. The focus of the book was on self determination and it highlighted the contributions blacks made from banking, auto industry etc. Herb and Boyd, author did a great job of mentioning the events that took place in Detroit from the early 1800s up and to the present time.

[Sølvi Goard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth it for the rich history of the 60s and 70s union and black nationalist movements, and the style of writing is an interesting way of painting a sort of impressionist history. That said, with the succession of biographies and almanac style reporting it often feels rudderless and frustratingly reluctant to explore much more than a liberal approach to the broader arc of the city's history.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads. I found this book very informative. Loved getting some history in my favorite city.

[Darrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Very informative.

[Tonia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed rreading this book. I'm just starting to read more about black history.

[Scott Milam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Filled with interesting stories and I loved the ending.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I actually liked this book more than I thought I would after seeing some of the reviews. It’s true that, like many reviews stated, there is a TON of name dropping in the book and it is safe to say that a lot of it went over my head. (Meaning many of the names I hadn’t heard before and unless explained in this book, didn’t mean anything to me.) That said, I think this book had to be this way, given the author’s goal of the book.

As someone brand new to Detroit, this book was very helpful coloring in some of the context of various things I had heard about in Detroit’s past. The more recent history was more compelling than the early history around when the city was founded, but I think that’s my own relevancy bias rather than reflective of the author’s writing. I do wish, as other reviews have mentioned, there was a little more detail and narrative to some of the book, but I also recognize it would be hard to do that while also trying to cover all the influential Black men and women of Detroit.

For those who are from Detroit, moving to Detroit, or generally interested in the city’s history, this book is worth reading. If you don’t have reference points of Detroit to anchor on, it might not be as interesting and relevant for others. However, overall, I respect the hell out of Boyd for the clear time, effort, and care put into this book and trying to chronically so many Black Americans who shaped and influenced Detroit (and the broader country).

[Sandra Hurren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Detroit: A People’s History of Self-Determination by Herb Boyd is an interesting and informative read that offers an eye-opening look at the long history of struggle, resilience, and self-determination within Detroit’s Black community. Boyd powerfully exposes the blatant inequality and injustice faced by Black Detroiters across generations, while also celebrating their cultural, political, and economic contributions to the city and the nation. Blending memoir, history, and reportage, Boyd brings a deeply personal perspective shaped by his own experiences growing up in Detroit

However, while the content itself is compelling, the structure can be challenging. The book often jumps from one topic to another without clear connections, which disrupts the flow and made it hard to stay focused at times. Despite this, Black Detroit remains a worthwhile and thought-provoking read, especially for those interested in Black history, social justice, and the complex legacy of Detroit.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is really about the city of Detroit, in its modern form after migration of Black Americans from the south bound for the north. I think the author does a good job of walking the reader through each era and how the city went through ups and downs, ultimately reaching present-day.

The book is a lot more about Detroit the city and it's a decent history book. It's not really about Black people beyond just the residents happen to be Black. Well, that's not quite true. There's definitely a lot about Black culture and businesses and key Black leaders. But they are Black leaders in the Detroit community. And as I've never been to Detroit, I didn't have a strong interest in learning this much about the city.

But if you have passed through once or live there, it'd be a good book.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly readable, and very detailed. The focused chapters didn’t make it feel like “work” to read, and sometimes heavier nonfiction chapters can feel like they never end.
Like others, I wished for more critical analysis, or even connected threads. I also felt the end went too quickly—it was 50 pages from Kwame to the end. I thought Ford Field and LCA may get more focus and criticism. I would have loved more and more and more about the recent events.
I enjoyed this book and learned so much about my home state. (I grew up in Westland, aptly named for being directly…West of Detroit).

[Catherine Riviera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was chock full of information. I really enjoyed reading it and learning more about the city’s beginnings, however I do feel the author was writing sort of in a capsule of specific connections, so I feel it was sort of narrow and could have gone farther than a few specific families/companies etc. Overall I learned a ton and hope that more authors are willing to take on the complex history that is Detroit

[James Michels · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extensive and incredibly detailed history of Detroit’s black community. The author had spent an exhaustive amount of research into the Motor City and will provide you with facts ranging from gross injustices to inspirational tales of perseverance and strength of character through times of despair. The only criticism I can make is that all of the facts may be hard to remember, especially for those unfamiliar with Detroit. Definitely a must read though.

[Claire Pollard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talked about far too many things. While obviously there was a clear overall theme, I think the messaging and "punch" of the book got lost in moving from anecdote to anecdote to anecdote every paragraph. There were some through lines like Rosa Parks, Wayne State University, white flight, and local vs federal perception, that contributed positively to the narrative and shape of the book. Very interesting, but I just wish there was more focus.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was born in Detroit and a woman of color and found this book interesting. Some of what was discussed I was aware of most of it I was not.
The only criticism I have is the narrator NOT could properly pronounce many of the street names and places in Detroit.

RECOMMENDATION: READ IT