Civil rights activists are calling for black Detroiters to boycott the downtown area in response to what they believe are racist evictions.
Marilyn Hall and her son Gerald Watson, the owners of Mo Better Blues, a bistro restaurant in Downtown Detroit, claim their business was evicted because they’re black. Hall used her life savings to start the restaurant, and it opened in November 2013; however, when the ownership of the building changed, so did Hall’s lease.
The new building owners, Kales Grand Circus Park, have decided it’s time for Mo Better Blues to move out. According to reports, Hall and Watson have put their life savings into the restaurant. Management of the building has been silent to the media, citing pending litigation.
Because of Detroit’s recent rebirth, building owners claim they can and need to charge more for the same space, however, many in the black community aren’t convinced that’s the only reason the business owners are being evicted, so they’ve organized No Blacks Downtown to discourage the black community from visiting Downtown Detroit. It is led by long-time community voice Reverend Horace Sheffield, who also is the father of Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield.
Sheffield is meeting with the city’s property owners and business leaders to try to find a solution. An understanding between business owners and property owners would be one of the many indicators of Detroit’s new future. The discussion around race and inclusion in Detroit’s turnaround has gotten louder, especially as of late.
“Let’s do better with this resurgence than we’ve done in the past – we’ve got one opportunity to get it right – and let’s get everybody together and make it happen.” – Rev. Horace Sheffield to Fox 2 News
What are your thoughts?
