The landscape of voting in Michigan has evolved significantly, with expanded early in-person voting, enhanced absentee ballot tracking, and permanent absentee ballot registration now available.
As voters prepare to head to the polls again in November, a new monument in Detroit commemorates the long journey toward voting rights for all.
The dedication ceremony for the Civil Rights Monument took place at Viola Liuzzo Playground, located at the corner of Winthrop and Trojan on Detroit’s west side. The monument honors Viola Liuzzo, a Detroit woman inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who traveled to Alabama to participate in the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. Tragically, Liuzzo was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Lowndes County. Before her departure, she asked her friend, Sarah Evans, to care for her five children if anything happened to her—a promise that Evans kept.
Both Sides of the civil rights monument in Viola Liuzzo Playground.
The monument features images of Liuzzo and Evans with the inscription “Sisters in life…Sisters in struggle,” and on the opposite side, it lists the names of Detroiters who answered Dr. King’s call to support the Selma marches, including notable figures like Rosa Parks and John Lewis.
Dorothy Dewberry Aldridge, a civil rights activist and historian, described the monument as a “teaching monument,” intended to educate the public about the events of 1965.
Detroit Historian Jamon Jordan talks with civil rights activist Dorothy Dewberry Aldridge, who envisioned a monument like this for decades.
Collette Mezza, also a member of the Viola Liuzzo Park Association, emphasized the significance of each name on the monument.
“They each have their own remarkable story, and what inspired them to go down to Selma in 1965, and many of them are still alive and many of them continue their activism like Dorothy,” Mezza said.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who attended the ceremony, said everyone today has an opportunity to continue the fight for voting rights.
“Let us all recommit to continuing on that legacy as a new generation of foot soldiers who are marching forward for democracy teaching about the past and being clear-eyed about the present challenges and the work we must do to preserve that sacred promise of democracy for everyone.”
The event concluded with a ceremonial march around the park, echoing the marches of 1965 and honoring those who fought for voting rights.
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WDET’s CuriosiD podcast answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
In this episode of CuriosiD, we answer a question from WDET listener Theresa May:
“There’s a park in Indian Village named after my Uncle Tommy, who passed away in World War II as a very young man. My family has always wondered — why was the park named after him?”
The short answer
Thomas Mollicone was an American soldier and war hero who was killed on March 4, 1945, while on a dangerous mission with the 95th Infantry Division during World War II. Mollicone was awarded several honors for his service, including both the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
A beloved neighbor and friend to his community, Mollicone’s death led residents in Indian Village to petition the city to have the park renamed after him.
The park, located on Detroit’s east side, was named in his honor on Sept. 4, 1951.
The Thomas Mollicone Park and playground is located on Goethe Street and Burns Avenue, across the street from Nichols Elementary-Middle School.
Who was Thomas Mollicone?
Thomas Mollicone was 23 years old when he joined the U.S. Army during World War II. He lived with his mother and three sisters in Detroit’s Indian Village neighborhood after their father died. The family had immigrated from Italy to Detroit when Mollicone was a child.
Mollicone’s family immigrated from Italy to Detroit when he was a young child.
“He got his draft notice on the day of my parents’ wedding,” Patricia Antonelli, Mollicone’s niece, says.
Despite being the only wage earner for the household, Mollicone was drafted into military service.
A young Thomas Mollicone, before getting drafted into the U.S. military.
“Uncle Tommy should not have been drafted because he was the sole provider [for] three girls and his mom,” Antonelli said.
Family lore suggests that Mollicone’s mother attempted various methods to keep him out of the war.
“My grandmother apparently paid someone to keep him out of the service,” Theresa May said of her uncle. Antonelli added: “I’m not sure if she paid, but there was a scam.”
Mollicone’s family believes that a politician’s son avoided service because Mollicone went in his place.
“She made lots of chiffon cakes to keep him out. Bribery. But there was a [local] politician whose son did not go, and Tommy went in his place,” May said.
Mollicone earned several honors while serving in the military, including a Silver Star and Purple Heart. However, the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear.
The last letter Thomas Mollicone sent to his family back home during World War II before he was killed in the line of duty.
“He was asked to participate in a mission that they kind of knew he wasn’t going to come out of,” said May, recounting a story her mother shared with her. “He went into combat and did what he was asked to do for his country, and he died.”
Mollicone served in the 95th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army during World War II.
The evolution of Mollicone Park
Mollicone Park, an open space with mature trees in the historic Indian Village neighborhood, remained largely unused for many years after its dedication.
In 2011, Callie Sullivan — a resident of Indian Village — noticed the lack of local recreational spaces for her children.
Construction on the Mollicone Park playground in the spring of 2019.
“I had one child at the time; I now have four,” Sullivan said. “We were always being creative with the places we would go to play. There wasn’t a nearby park.” Sullivan and her neighbors began canvassing the area, asking, “How could they make the park better?”
Their efforts led to the formation of the Friends of Mollicone Park — a committee of the nonprofit Indian Village Historical Collections — with the goal of revitalizing the underutilized park. Supported by a combination of funding from the city of Detroit, Wayne County and community donations, the group was able to bring their vision to life, and the park was re-dedicated in a ceremony attended by Mollicone’s closest remaining family members in June 2018.
Today, Mollicone Park features a playground, swings, walking paths and picnic tables, providing a much-needed space for the community.
Thomas Mollicone Park today features a playscape, swing set, spider climber, picnic tables, a walking path and more.
A community hero
Mollicone was known in his neighborhood for his generosity and reliability. He was often seen helping others by providing transportation to and from work during tough economic times.
“He would make rounds. He was like the local bus of the neighborhood where he would make sure whoever needed to get to their job was going to get to work,” Antonelli said. “He was a really great giving neighbor that everyone really loved, and it was the community that felt the loss of him.”
Thomas Mollicone poses with puppies.
Other parks named after World War II heroes
Mollicone Park is one of several parks in Detroit named after fallen soldiers from World War II. Other parks include Dueweke Park — named after Sergeant Sylvester L. Dueweke, who died in 1945; and Krainz Park, named after Captain John Krainz — who was killed in action in 1944. Lipke Park, also known as SAY Detroit Play, honors the Lipke Brothers — Nicholas and Clarence — who both died during the war.
While the Mollicone family may not have all the details of Thomas Mollicone’s final moments, they remember him as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
About the listener
Mollicone’s extended family, including WDET listener Theresa May, poses for a photo at Mollicone Park.
Theresa May is a New Baltimore resident and a longtime WDET listener. She says her family has always wondered what precipitated the Indian Village community’s decision to dedicate a local park in Millicone’s honor.
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Last month marked the 50th anniversary of a Supreme Court case originating in Detroit that’s had a lasting impact on equity in schools, both locally and nationwide.
The Milliken v. Bradley decision limited the courts’ ability to address segregation in schools by halting an “interdistrict busing” plan to tackle Detroit’s increasingly segregated classrooms. Under the plan, students from Detroit would have been bused into the suburbs and kids from the suburbs would have been bused to Detroit schools.
Legal scholars say the 1974 ruling eroded the progress of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which declared racial segregation in the classroom unconstitutional. After that ruling, districts across the country were experimenting with ways to integrate schools.
The Milliken v. Bradley case originated when the NAACP filed a lawsuit against Michigan state officials on behalf of students and their families, arguing that school integration in Detroit could never occur where discriminatory practices like redlining and racial covenants are present.
While the lower court ruling said the city, state and surrounding suburbs must comply and participate in a desegregation plan, the case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where a narrow 5-4 decision signaled that the courts shouldn’t be involved in efforts to desegregate schools.
Today on Created Equal, host Stephen Henderson was joined by three guests — Chalkbeat Detroit reporter Robyn Vincent, Detroit historian Ken Coleman, and Education Trust-Midwest Executive Director Amber Arellano — to talk about the Milliken ruling and its ripple effect on the Detroit public school system today.
“That became especially true with the adoption of Proposal A back in the ’90s, now that education policy is unequal in how much funding different school districts receive per student, and meanwhile we know Detroit schools serve a lot of kids from low-income households,” she said. “Nearly 80% qualify for subsidized lunches, so that tells us something.”
Ken Coleman is a Detroit historian and journalist. He says although Detroit’s Black population was growing, large swaths of the city had very few African American students up until the time of Milliken v. Bradley, and there was a clear correlation between segregation in schools and segregation in housing.
“There are lots of neighborhoods where Black kids don’t go to school with white kids because of race discrimination that was carried out in the real estate industry, and even pushback in city neighborhoods throughout the ‘40s and ’50s and ‘60s,” he said.
Amber Arellano is the executive director of Education Trust-Midwest. Arellano discussed how there have been a lot of changes within the past two years when it comes to schools being more equitable. She also talks about the recent funding mechanism that accounts for the concentration of poverty, which made history in Michigan.
“We are one of the first 10 states in the country to do this,” said Arellano. “It is an acknowledgment that we have had one of the most regressive and most inequitable state funding systems in the country, and in just two years, it’s driven almost $300 million more into schools for students with low-income background,” she said. It is really an important statewide change.”
Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.
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WDET’s CuriosiD podcast answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
In this episode of CuriosiD, we answer the question:
“What is the history behind the Belle Isle Boathouse?”
The short answer
On the north side of Belle Isle, better known as the “Detroit side,” sits a 40,000-square-foot building only a few have entered in years, and almost none since last summer. It’s one of a handful of iconic landmarks on the island and also one of many buildings in the city which have faced the threat of demolition.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which acquired the boathouse in 2014, is seeking a private partner to help fund the restoration of the iconic structure.
A Historic Landmark
The Belle Isle Boathouse was built in 1902 and designed by Detroit architect Alpheus Chittenden. The structure blends Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival architectural styles, featuring intricate woodwork, including balustrades with sea horses and ornate dolphins.
Designed by Detroit architect Alpheus Chittenden, the interior structure of the boathouse blends Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival architectural styles, featuring intricate woodwork throughout.
The boathouse has been the home of Detroit’s only rowing club for more than 100 years, says Todd Platt, vice president of the board of Friends of Detroit Rowing.
“The atrium is lined with trophy cases and there’s a lot of really nice hand-carved woodwork up here,” Platt told me during a private tour of the boathouse. “There are balustrades with sea horses carved into them and incredibly ornate dolphins on each post.”
Social and athletic legacy
The boathouse’s history is far more vibrant than a simple rowing hub.
As the former home of the Detroit Boat Club, the building was a popular social center — hosting numerous events and gatherings for members over the decades.
In its heyday, the boathouse was a bustling venue, featuring a grand ballroom, dining rooms and a bar frequented by Detroit’s elite. Social events, including dances and dinners, were commonly held within its walls.
The club’s athletic achievements are also impressive, producing both Olympians and national rowing champions.
“Throughout its history, it’s been really successful,” Platt said. “We’ve had 19 Olympians, 500 national champions, and we’re probably better known nationally and internationally than we are here in Detroit.”
The Detroit Boat Club is one of the oldest boat clubs in America, and one of the oldest social organizations in Michigan.
The club’s collection of rowing memorabilia includes trophies, medals, and historical photographs, even Olympic metals donated by past members.
The Oak Room, where club members once dined in formal dress, and the Island Room — once housing a significant art collection — are just a few of the unique spaces within the boathouse. The latter’s bar room, last updated in the 1960s, was a popular gathering spot for high society reminiscent of the Mad Men era.
“This bar goes way back. Captains of industry would stop here, talk about the events of the day, and probably make some side deals,” Platt said. “This is where a lot of the elite from the city would come and congregate.”
Challenges and preservation efforts
Despite its former glory, the boathouse as it stands today faces significant challenges.
Friends of Detroit Rowing has maintained the iconic structure since the 1990s, but years of increasingly harsh weather and difficulties keeping up with repairs have taken a toll on the building.
The pool at the Boathouse is said to have been the first Olympic-length pool built by a private organization in the United States, according to the Detroit Boat Club.
“When [Friends of Detroit Rowing] kind of took over responsibility for the building, we would keep up the areas that we needed for our programming, but we also expanded our maintenance and upkeep when we started hosting events here,” Platt said.
The group has hosted several fundraising events to help their restoration efforts, with proceeds reinvested into preservation projects. However, those who want to save the boathouse say much work is still needed to ensure its survival for future generations.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources took over the facility’s lease when it assumed management of the island in 2014. In 2022, the agency deemed the building structurally unsound due to significant deterioration.
The DNR condemned the building a year later after an exterior porch collapsed. Since then, Platt says more damage has occurred due to members of the rowing club being unable to access the building for repairs.
A 2019 study by Detroit-based SmithGroup put the cost estimate for a total restoration of the building and grounds at $42 million.
A glimmer of hope
Earlier this year, the DNR announced plans to demolish the building due to limited funding for the facility’s upkeep — unless a private investor steps forward to help the agency restore it.
Since then, a movement to save the Belle Isle Boathouse has gained steam.
State officials placed an open call for proposals to rehabilitate the building in March 2024. Those proposals are currently being evaluated with a deadline of July 31 for acceptance by the DNR.
About the listener
WDET listener Erin Rose Briggs outside the Belle Isle Boathouse.
Erin Rose Briggs is a program manager at a company in the battery and electric vehicle space. She lives in Detroit and often bikes around Belle Isle. Briggs shared her experiences and thoughts with WDET about the Belle Isle Boathouse, which she bikes past every time she visits Belle Isle.
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If there’s a question swimming around in your head, let us know here or fill out the form below.
The rich history of Chinatown in Detroit is often lost on those who aren’t old enough to remember.
The first Chinese immigrants began arriving in the late 1800s and by the 1930s, Detroit’s Chinatown was created just west of Downtown. Urban renewal forced the Chinatown to relocate to the corner of Peterboro and Cass.
State Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) held a press conference on Monday to praise the $1 million in funding allocated in the Fiscal Year 2025 state budget for the nonprofit, Midtown Detroit, Inc., to revitalize the old Chinatown neighborhood.
Interim Executive Director of Midtown Detroit, Inc. Maureen Stapleton and Board Member of the Association of Chinese Americans Richard Mui joined The Metro to discuss the organization’s restoration efforts.
Stapleton said she has many memories of House of Chung’s, a restaurant and important institution in the community.
“House of Chung’s was one of my favorite places to go. My family, we would get dressed up and we would go down and it was a vibrant area, even in the ’70s and the ’80s,” Stapleton said. “And so we at Midtown Detroit, Inc. – understanding the need to ensure culture, but to show a diverse culture, we’re very excited to work with some community developers, and others, and Senator Chang, to ensure that we could begin to replace or redo some of the things that have been taken away over the years to ensure that the Chinese heritage continues on in our city.”
Mui says preserving historic cultural spaces is important.
“I’m standing outside of Chung’s restaurant right now. Just looking at the changes, it’s remarkable,” he said. “You know, driving up and down Cass you see it changing. So yeah, definitely I can see that as [a] beacon, I can see that as an attraction. I was just in Philadelphia for our national conference and they’re working to preserve that Chinatown because they’re trying to build an arena on the edges there. And I think it’s, you know, I think there’s a demand for it and it’s just a matter of kind of getting the seeds going and growing it.”
Use the media player above to hear the full interview with Stapleton and Mui.
More headlines from The Metro on July 29, 2024:
This month, the Milliken v. Bradley U.S. Supreme Court ruling turns 50 years old. It overturned a district judge’s ruling that would have desegregated Detroit’s schools by bussing students from the suburbs into the city and vice versa. Guest host Robyn Vincent reported on a story for Chalkbeat Detroit that looks back on that case and its impacts on us today. Detroit historian and journalist Ken Coleman joined the show to discuss the historical threads that led to the case.
On the latest episode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben sat down with former Democratic state Rep. Adam Zemke to discuss who Kamala Harris might pick for her vice president candidate.
In 2023, Detroit opened a new office devoted to urban agriculture. The city believes gardeners are on the front lines of many things like rehabilitating soil often soaked in toxins from old auto plants, removing blight, or simply creating positive social interactions by rooting oneself in the food they grow. Patrice Brown recently became associate director for Detroit’s Office of Urban Agriculture. She joined the show to discuss how the office will continue to support green initiatives in the city.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
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