Detroit suburbs grapple with the history of being anti-Black ‘sundown towns’

[MSUguy]

A wave of protests against police brutality and white supremacy has spread across the country for two months, and metro Detroit is no different. Black Lives Matter rallies have been held in the city and its suburbs in the wake of the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd earlier this year.

These protests and conversations about defunding police departments have included people from the suburbs and have mostly happened in Detroit. Now, suburbanites are engaging with the history and policies of their communities.
Delisha Upshaw is a Black woman who lives in Livonia, a suburb that is more than 90 percent white, with more white residents than the entire city of Detroit.
Upshaw is part of the group Livonia Citizens Caring About Black Lives, which put up a controversial billboard off I-96 last week that reads: “Driving While Black? Racial profiling ahead Welcome to Livonia.”
She says she wanted to bring attention to racism in her city.


“I have an advertising and marketing background, so I thought ‘How can we force people into this conversation and how can we force people into action?’” Upshaw said. “That’s how we came up with the exact words and message of the billboard.”
Racism won’t go away if people are able to ignore it, says Upshaw who feared that would happen if Livonia Citizens Caring About Black Lives had gone for a “safer” approach.
“I have a 13-year-old daughter who is going to be driving, and the more I learned from people’s personal anecdotes and stuff about police stopping Black people more often, I knew I didn’t want that for my child,” she said.
https://www.bridgedetroit.com/detroi...sundown-towns/

As 38 year old black man I can relate to this on so many levels. I can joke about it now, getting pulled over in that shithole is almost a black right of passage. My dad worked for GM and he always had nice cars. I can remember as teenager him always giving explicit instructions anytime I wanted to borrow his car to not take out side out the city. Not that it didn't stop me from getting stopped in my car one night when I was in my early 20's, in Livonia, after hanging out with college friend over a summer break. The excuse they gave was my tail lights were "dim". I can remember one of the cops asking me if he could take a look around my car. Thankfully, my parents taught to know my rights. But I was nervous as hell telling that asshole no. Even when they asked me to step of out the car and did their bs what do have hide line of questioning I stood my ground. And I'll say even almost 20 years later I avoid driving in that city.

[Danny]

As 38 year old black man I can relate to this on so many levels. I can joke about it now, getting pulled over in that shithole is almost a black right of passage. My dad worked for GM and he always had nice cars. I can remember as teenager him always giving explicit instructions anytime I wanted to borrow his car to not take out side out the city. Not that it didn't stop me from getting stopped in my car one night when I was in my early 20's, in Livonia, after hanging out with college friend over a summer break. The excuse they gave was my tail lights were "dim". I can remember one of the cops asking me if he could take a look around my car. Thankfully, my parents taught to know my rights. But I was nervous as hell telling that asshole no. Even when they asked me to step of out the car and did their bs what do have hide line of questioning I stood my ground. And I'll say even almost 20 years later I avoid driving in that city.

For over 70 years the suburbs were in the "keep blacks out" business. This happen after new freeways, industry, suburban housing and shopping malls developed. Today fewer suburban police force are striving to hunt down black motorists and anyone who is black wearing their pants down showing the booties in public. And if black person get taunted by the police or some racist folks in their peace and quite hoods. There will be some problems, BLACK LIVES MATTER problems. So get use to this kind of ignorant culture in America. It always happen. However there will be justice or no peace.

As those folks say in Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry " Never tickle a sleeping Dragon!"

[Henry Whalley]

MOST RECENT EPISODES
SEPTEMBER 23, 2020
Stateside: MSU undercounts COVID-19 cases; curator on return to MOCAD; MI's Negro League stadium

Yesterday Stateside from WUOM, NPR Ann Arbor, reported that Hamtramck was integrated in the days when it was a majority Polish Catholic town. That sounds about right to me.

[txlady]

I can remember sitting in a showing of a Men In Black movie in a major city. The entire theatre audience was white, with one Black woman and two kids. Will Smith's character made the joke "Pulled over while being Black" and everyone in the audience laughed except those 3. Their heads went back, they were genuinely shocked. Decades later, I still remember this. Our experiences as Americans are not all the same. I thought it was so sad that even the kids, maybe 10, reacted the same way as the adult.

[txlady]

I can remember all the street signs and most of the businesses' signs being in Polish. I used to go there for the Strawberry Fest.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

As 38 year old black man I can relate to this on so many levels. I can joke about it now, getting pulled over in that shithole is almost a black right of passage. My dad worked for GM and he always had nice cars. I can remember as teenager him always giving explicit instructions anytime I wanted to borrow his car to not take out side out the city. Not that it didn't stop me from getting stopped in my car one night when I was in my early 20's, in Livonia, after hanging out with college friend over a summer break. The excuse they gave was my tail lights were "dim". I can remember one of the cops asking me if he could take a look around my car. Thankfully, my parents taught to know my rights. But I was nervous as hell telling that asshole no. Even when they asked me to step of out the car and did their bs what do have hide line of questioning I stood my ground. And I'll say even almost 20 years later I avoid driving in that city.

I can relate to this as well. Coming from Detroit, you had to go thru Redford to get to Livonia. Redford was bad too. I use to have to go to work in Livonia in the mid 70's, and this was before they built I-96. I had to drive down Schoolcraft all the way to Levan Rd. They always were pulling black drivers over, just because. One pulled me over at dusk one morning and told me my license plate light was out. I said to the officer, Sir, if you pulled up behind me with your lights on, you can still see my plate. He paused, then proceeded to write me a ticket. I went to court to protest it, and the cop didn't even show up. The judge threw it out. What a waste of time, just pure harassment. Then they don't understand why blacks are angry most of the time. Ridiculous.....

[Pontiac6000]

I feel for all those working just to get to Tim Hortons or Walmart on 20 mile in the middle of God knows where, car or not. Hopefully it wont get to stopping walkers asking 'whats in that backpack'...

[bust]

For decades I've held this rather than fuel racial tensions, already far too high.
But it's true: white silence == white consent.
I won't stay silent any longer.

In the late 90's a reliable authority bragged how Livonia police identified black drivers over police radio as "NILs" [[rhymes with hills).
I stood for "in", L stood for "Livonia." You already know what N stood for.
This was the first time I met him, among his friends in a car.

He laughed how the one black officer on the force had to silently endure the humiliation.
I was disgusted, but I was young and uncomfortable, and didn't object.
Not long later, the black officer was murdered by a suspect he was attempting to apprehend.

Sure: just an anecdote until it's verified.
The surviving officers will refuse to admit it.
But maybe the victim's family can confirm it, if he shared the indignities he suffered with them.
Even if it's understandable he didn't, or they don't want to stir.

It's a relief to finally surpass my caution and cowardice,
Long past time to stand up and confront the racists, especially the ones in positions of power,
And clap back those who don't stand down.

[Danny]

For decades I've held this rather than fuel racial tensions, already far too high.
But it's true: white silence == white consent.
I won't stay silent any longer.

In the late 90's a reliable authority bragged how Livonia police identified black drivers over police radio as "NILs" [[rhymes with hills).
I stood for "in", L stood for "Livonia." You already know what N stood for.
This was the first time I met him, among his friends in a car.

He laughed how the one black officer on the force had to silently endure the humiliation.
I was disgusted, but I was young and uncomfortable, and didn't object.
Not long later, the black officer was murdered by a suspect he was attempting to apprehend.

Sure: just an anecdote until it's verified.
The surviving officers will refuse to admit it.
But maybe the victim's family can confirm it, if he shared the indignities he suffered with them.
Even if it's understandable he didn't, or they don't want to stir.

It's a relief to finally surpass my caution and cowardice,
Long past time to stand up and confront the racists, especially the ones in positions of power,
And clap back those who don't stand down.

The old days of Livonia as a 97% white and clean city in the 1970s. NIL is was an old Livonia Police code meaning "Nigg--s in Livonia or Negroes in Livonia" They will spot them when they are walking, riding their bikes or driving their cars, they will pull up and question you and be profiled. If a black person look like some criminal from another area. Then comes and arrest either peacefully or by brutality.

[Danny]

I can relate to this as well. Coming from Detroit, you had to go thru Redford to get to Livonia. Redford was bad too. I use to have to go to work in Livonia in the mid 70's, and this was before they built I-96. I had to drive down Schoolcraft all the way to Levan Rd. They always were pulling black drivers over, just because. One pulled me over at dusk one morning and told me my license plate light was out. I said to the officer, Sir, if you pulled up behind me with your lights on, you can still see my plate. He paused, then proceeded to write me a ticket. I went to court to protest it, and the cop didn't even show up. The judge threw it out. What a waste of time, just pure harassment. Then they don't understand why blacks are angry most of the time. Ridiculous.....

You was racially profiled! and its not just the Livonia Police spot your partially damaged car. It's the NIL mentality thing. Just checking on black people their private business when it becomes their business.

[Wheels]

You was racially profiled! and its not just the Livonia Police spot your partially damaged car. It's the NIL mentality thing. Just checking on black people their private business when it becomes their business.

If you think this only happens to blacks you need to take another look.
I grew up in Detroit and have been harassed by the police for being young. I’ve been pulled over because my license plate was flapping from wire.
I was pulled over by gun point because someone they firecrackers as I drove by.
I could see the cops hand shaking as he yelled were is the gun!
Police harassing young people of any color is not new and not exclusive!

[Danny]

If you think this only happens to blacks you need to take another look.
I grew up in Detroit and have been harassed by the police for being young. I’ve been pulled over because my license plate was flapping from wire.
I was pulled over by gun point because someone they firecrackers as I drove by.
I could see the cops hand shaking as he yelled were is the gun!
Police harassing young people of any color is not new and not exclusive!

Of course! even several Detroit Police Officers before the age of Coleman Young were hunting black people who were just tip top to the tulips in White dominate Detroit neighborhoods. They will check and frisk and profile you before they make their judgement call to arrest or let you go. Only to be check again and again by another Detroit Police officer.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

If you think this only happens to blacks you need to take another look.
I grew up in Detroit and have been harassed by the police for being young. I’ve been pulled over because my license plate was flapping from wire.
I was pulled over by gun point because someone they firecrackers as I drove by.
I could see the cops hand shaking as he yelled were is the gun!
Police harassing young people of any color is not new and not exclusive!

I understand that. There are a few exceptions to the rule. However, nobody can't tell me blacks and other people of color, are stopped way more often than whites. I've lived it all my life, and statistics point that out.