Members of MARJDI listen during a stop on the Idlewild tour. Photo: Chris Kingdom-Grier.
Story by Vonni Sage. Photos by Chris Kingdom-Grier.
Chris Kingdom-Grier is a fountain of knowledge, a waterfall, a fire hose. As I attempted to keep up in my notetaking, my writing started out pretty good, meandered into quick scribbles and ended with barely legible scrawl. My brain, however, was fired up.
I was with about 25 people from the Manistee Area Racial Justice and Diversity Initiative (MARJDI) who traveled southeast for about an hour last month to tour Idlewild with Chris as our docent. When we arrived at the Yates Township Hall, Chris assembled us in a small room full of historical artifacts. It was warm and crowded, full of curious people absorbed in Chris’s accounting of Idlewild’s history.
“There is no other place I’d like to be or share,” Chris declared, before introducing us to the room’s treasures. We viewed a collection of “Abhorrent Artifacts” that captured the racial intolerance so visually prevalent from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. These symbols were juxtaposed against the reality of Black life in Idlewild, captured via objects and pictures illustrating reflective words, musical genius, deep faith and joyful celebrations of lake life.
An hour later, we exited the room to a light bonk on the forehead by a golliwog (rag doll) hanging in the doorway, its unnaturally black body a reminder of the inaccuracies embedded in the Jim Crow artifacts we’d just viewed. We were on our way to a delicious lunch planned and prepared by volunteers, including Chris’ son. The highlight was a tangy cucumber salad Chris prepared.
After lunch, we piled into a few cars connected by a Zoom call, so we could hear Chris as we toured part of Idlewild’s 2,700 acres. Much of the area is wooded, and birdsong accompanied Chris’ renderings. Though we were treated to the echoes of voices past, we encountered very few people along the route on this day, except near the beach.
His arm gesturing out the window of the lead car, Chris described places of historical significance, some of which we had to imagine, others that are being restored, and a few regaled in splendor. Always, there were connections among places and people, from ancestors to current residents. Chris followed those threads, weaving them together along the way, describing the impacts people had on one another, the community, and our broader world.
I’d learned of Idlewild’s history as Michigan’s Black Eden, a safe place for Black folks, including famous musicians, to find respite during the Jim Crow era. What I didn’t know was that Idlewild began in 1912 when white developers founded the Idlewild Resort Company (IRC), a 14-member group that homesteaded Idlewild to create a resort town for African American families who had the means for leisure travel. Chris said that at that time most resorts available to Black people were available for rent, providing service by the back door.
We stopped at a stunning beach near the fieldstone Wilson bungalow, with one of several Idlewild historical markers erected in the yard. Herman and Lela Wilson were instrumental in Idlewild’s initial development, marking the beginning of Idlewild’s growth as a community. They created a clubhouse, grocery, hotel and guest cottages, in addition to the Paradise Club and the Paradise Gardens subdivision. Believing in the power of words, Mrs. Wilson named the roads Patience, Generosity, Kindness, Harmony and Unity Drive, among others.
We learned that Black intellectuals of the time gathered here. Madam C.J. Walker’s home hosted a Black Think Tank led by W.E.B. Du Bois. Madam Walker was the first female self-made millionaire in America. Dr. Du Bois was a founder of the NAACP and the first African American to earn a doctorate. From Harvard.
During its heyday, Idlewild was a happening place. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the area began its decline because Black people had access to places not previously available to them.
Currently, Idlewild residents and other local folks are restoring buildings and outdoor spaces. One example is The Flamingo Club, displaying vivid murals facing Williams Island and the popular Idlewild Beach that remains a gathering place. We stopped at the beach and met several people who were planting flowers around the building and edging the road.
There is much to celebrate in Idlewild. Juneteenth, Live at Idlewild, the Grier Music Fest, and the Meeks Homecoming Jazz & Blues Festival are key events. The Idlewild Historic and Cultural Center on Broadway Avenue is an important stop. In addition to existing historical markers (find them HERE), we’ll soon see some artistic additions marking historical sights.
I need a new pencil for the next visit.
Vonni Sage is a creative writer, avid reader, educator, and nature lover. When she’s not playing in the mud, she might be found wandering the streets or beaches with a far-off gaze as she adventures in the new worlds she’s creating in her head.
