New Book about Detroit

Watching Travis Smiley as they were interviewing David Maraniss who is an associate editor at the Washington Post and a Detroit native.

His book is called Once In A great City:A Detroit story.

It seems like it is based in 1963 and touches on how events and the city of Detroit helped shape the country in so many ways.Most probably do not realize the impact that the city had on the rest country in such a positive way and how the city is so much more and has contributed so much to the rest of the country that very few other well known cities have.

Some things he touched on was how the UAW financed MLK and the civil rights movement in the south,or in 1963 the University predicted the future of the city with exact results.

Gordy who was friends with the Reverend Franklin started Mo-Town records with a $800 loan from the Franklins,The Reverend Franklin who was friends with MLK toured with him with his young daughters Aretha and her sister.

He does not seem to dwell on the negatives but the actual shaping history of the city and how it effected the rest of the country.

His site is here http://davidmaraniss.com/about/

I have read a book review about Carson or Detroit [[not sure if it was this book, I think not). One thing struck me. It referred to the plentiful jobs in the auto industry at that time in Detroit and might have made reference to college students working in the auto industry.

As this book review indicates, the American automobile industry was humming, selling cars and making those cars at home.

In those days, the Big 3 used to hire much summer help. The regular employees typically took their vacations during summer when their children were out of school. To 'replace' those lost weeks of work, there were summer hires.

I assume a lot of college students earned money for school that way. Wages were good and college was cheap back then.

Now we know why many today don't have the same opportunities to advance as young adults did 50 years ago.

Good paying summer jobs aren't there and college isn't cheap as state funding of higher education has not with rising costs.

Now many, many college students go deep in debt to get through college.

I've read it and really enjoyed it. He picked an 18 month period starting with the Ford Rotunda burning down and ending more or less with Detroit losing the Olympic bid - kind of Detroit's peak. I was 7 - 8 years old back then and never realized how much took place back then. The Mustang, Motown, MLKs march and his version of "I have a dream". The Walter Reuther and Hank the Duce. Jerry Cavanagh, George Romney, the Rev Franklin, JKL and LBJ - they are al in there.

Yes, young people could get a summer replacement job at the plants. I worked one summer at Dodge Main, one at Dodge Truck. Working through the summer like this would put a large dent in university expenses, more than pay for community college and a used car, or provide a down payment on a home.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bobl

Yes, young people could get a summer replacement job at the plants. I worked one summer at Dodge Main, one at Dodge Truck. Working through the summer like this would put a large dent in university expenses, more than pay for community college and a used car, or provide a down payment on a home.

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Yes, I too have had the same experience, actually twice, at the Ford Rouge plant.

I lived at home [[at that time) going to school locally and I didn't need a dime of support from my parents.

Those same opportunities rarely exist today.

BTW, Bobl, might remember, in the late 60s, there was so much overtime, that the workers got more of than they wanted. I remember workers working 6 days 10 - 12 hours a day + a lot of Sundays [[which many workers didn't like).

The decline of local automobile employment has hurt both parents and their college aged children.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by emu steve

Yes, I too have had the same experience, actually twice, at the Ford Rouge plant.

I lived at home [[at that time) going to school locally and I didn't need a dime of support from my parents.

Those same opportunities rarely exist today.

BTW, Bobl, might remember, in the late 60s, there was so much overtime, that the workers got more of than they wanted. I remember workers working 6 days 10 - 12 hours a day + a lot of Sundays [[which many workers didn't like).

The decline of local automobile employment has hurt both parents and their college aged children.

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This is completely true, but the auto industry angle shouldn't be overstated. This is a particular problem in Detroit relative to the situation in the 60s, but across the US college costs have far outstripped wages in general. I was able to earn enough money [[not in the auto industry) to pay for a very expensive college by living cheaply and with modest help from my parents. I could not come close to doing that at the same college now.

There was a guy who worked for me at Ford in the mid-80s whose dad got him a summer job at a Chrysler engine plant. He said he came home after the first day and said to his dad, "You know, this job really sucks!"

His dad laughed and said, "That's why I got you that job, so you'll stay in school and you won't have to work in a plant!"

My Father felt compelled to over-provide for us. It wasn't unusual for him to work doubles, [[16 hour days) and weekends 2-3 weeks in a row. When it was over, and he crashed out, my Mother would stand guard to make sure we didn't disturb him while he rested.

"His dad laughed and said, "That's why I got you that job, so you'll stay in school and you won't have to work in a plant!"

I think every Father wanted better for his kids back then.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by emu steve

I have read a book review about Carson or Detroit [[not sure if it was this book, I think not). One thing struck me. It referred to the plentiful jobs in the auto industry at that time in Detroit and might have made reference to college students working in the auto industry.

As this book review indicates, the American automobile industry was humming, selling cars and making those cars at home.

In those days, the Big 3 used to hire much summer help. The regular employees typically took their vacations during summer when their children were out of school. To 'replace' those lost weeks of work, there were summer hires.

I assume a lot of college students earned money for school that way. Wages were good and college was cheap back then.

Now we know why many today don't have the same opportunities to advance as young adults did 50 years ago.

Good paying summer jobs aren't there and college isn't cheap as state funding of higher education has not with rising costs.

Now many, many college students go deep in debt to get through college.

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My father worked his way through Wayne at Chrysler, Packard, and Hudson [[Hudson Motor Car, that is). Since his tuition in those days was about $75 per semester he also got to save up some money to buy a used car and rent a summer cottage over in Canada with his friends. His parents never paid a dime.

When I went to MSU I worked the first summer, and part-time through my sophomore year, at Oldsmobile. The was about the time of the end of hiring there, and I got laid off in the spring quarter never to return, but I earned enough to pay for my entire junior year plus.

Got this book for Christmas, but haven't opened it until a day or so ago.

Cannot put it down.

It describes the year before I was born...emphasizing the tumult that preceded that Thanksgiving-That-Wasn't after JFK was popped.


Funny, as I type this...David Maraniss in on NPR, the On Point Show. Love these little co-incidences.