Now an open field, the Paradise Club on Paradise Lake was one of several night clubs in Idlewild during the ’40s and ’50s. File photo courtesy of Lake County Historical Society.
Edited from a news release
The documentary film “The Musicians’ Greenbook” will be shown at the Vogue Theatre, 383 River St., Manistee, at 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 17.
The free screening is hosted by MARJDI, the Manistee Area Racial Justice and Diversity Initiative, to coincide with “Juneteenth,” celebrated each year on June 19.
On that date in 1865, approximately 250,000 Black people were finally freed from slavery in Texas—two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It took the presence of 2,000 Union troops in Galveston and an executive degree announced by the Army before the Confederate state would relinquish its control.
A panel discussion including Idlewild historian Chris Grier and friends will immediately follow the free film.
The community of Idlewild, Michigan, provided several of the venues listed in “The Negro Travelers’ Green Book.” Compiled by Victor Hugo Green, the book was a directory of accommodations, restaurants and entertainment venues considered safe places where African Americans were welcomed during the U.S. era of segregation.
“The virtual ‘underground musicians’ green book’ — a network of friends, family and fans —provided food, lodging and fellowship for Black entertainers on tour,” according to a promotional statement on the film’s website, (https://musiciansgreenbook.com).
“The Musicians’ Green Book” celebrates the “vibrant jazz, rhythm and blues, and soul music of African American artists who created the foundation of modern American music during the time of segregation,” the website stated. “Navigating the injustices of racial segregation was difficult and, at times, dangerous — even for renowned Black artists like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Little Richard or Sam Cooke.”
The film is produced by Grand Songbook Media and features “an exciting mix of classic songs performed by legendary and contemporary stars.” Some of these include Josephine Beavers, Howard Hewett, Darlene Love and Little Anthony. The film also provides candid interviews with performers, celebrities and notable musicians of the era.
Music was a unifying force during segregation and remains so to this day.
“The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times,” reads a statement on the museum’s website.
